The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1931)

May, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty -one usually long speeches assigned to him — and which he puts over with the air of one not unacquainted with his screen. When an infant is given for utterance such phrases as "sociological juxtaposition" not so much allowance is being made for childhood. It may be worthwhile remarking in passing that the struggles of Sooky and Skippy with the tongue-twisting combination contributed to the comedy. Mitzi Green and Jackie Searl were the other principals among the chil'dren. For the seniors Willard Robertson as the father and Enid Bennett as the mother had the most to do in their department, although Helen Jerome Eddy as the mother of Sooky made iher part felt. There is a goodly sprinkling of serious drama running through the picture, the kind that will impress children as well as their elders. Norman Taurog has done a good job in the handling of the children, especially the little fellow. SEED Jackson J. Rose Jackson J. Rose, Cameraman BETTER hang up a bull's eye for Universal. This is written in advance of the public showing of "Seed," Gladys Lehman's adaptation of Charles G. Norris' novel of the same name. The picture has remarkable appeal. Its foundation is the family, which is )ound to concern :he majority of i u m a n beings. jThe story runs easily and smoothly for two birds of its ength. During hat period it neasureably i n erests, but with one or two exeepions without noticeably disturbing he emotions. The final third digs leeply into the feelings. The tale turns upon the attraction f children to men of maturer years — vhen the men are older and the children grown. When Peggy Carter, interpreted by Lois Wilson, tells her ival Mildred, played by Genevieve ,'obin, that the latter may take her usband but cannot hold him permanently there will be many male keptics who listen in on the conversation. But ten years later when |hey see these children advancing to lanhood and womanhood they realize ie strength of the wife's position. The denouement of the story comes hen the rival, successful for ten 'ears, comes to the first wife and 'lis her she has won. John M. Stahl has directed a strong icture. With the exception of one notable istance and possibly one other minor ie there is no departure from the raight line of wholesomeness. The cceptions cheapen an otherwise im■ccable piece of work, but both in stances are challenges to censors where these exist and at least one of them is pretty certain to be accepted. Lois Wilson easily carries away the honors of the picture. The story lends its strength to this end and she finely meets the responsibilities and the possibilities put upon her and handed to her by the author. Genevieve Tobin provides abundant reason for a man leaving home even when sheltering five children of his own. In spite of the unpopular side of her character, so well drawn is it that the average male picturegoer will be in doubt as to which woman should get the decision so far as his personal sympathies are concerned. John Boles carries the part of Bart Carter, the budding novelist shunted off of his path because of the turbulence existing in a household of five children. Richard Tucker is briefly seen as Bliss, the publisher, and Zazu Pitts as the maid of the Carter household. Glen MacWilliams THE FRONT PAGE Glen MacWilliams, Cameraman IT'S a great picture, "The Front Page," this metropolitan newspaper picture with a hick title. But probably everybody but metropolitan newspaper men will recognize what is meant, which after all must have been the chief essential in the minds of the picture men responsible for the adaptation of the story. The aim of the playwright is not to be any more handicapped by cold facts than were the reporters in the pressroom at Po1 i c e Headquarters telephoning in their versions of what was taking place before their own eyes — and incidentally the eyes of the audience. The reporters were so far at variance with the facts it became farce comedy — and the house roared as a matter of course, and seemingly with no exceptions. The aim of the playwright is to create entertainment,, with laughter and suspense, to keep a house on edge from start to finish. All of that "The Front Page" notably does. The story was written by Ben Hecht and Charles McArthur, with Bartlett Cormack adapting. Lewis Milestone directed. The backbone of the tale is the effort of Johnson, a twenty-five-yearold reporter on the Post, to quit the service of Managing Editor Burns after fifteen years of close relationship with him in order that the former may marry Peggy, move to another city and enter the advertising business. Johnson has in his pockets tickets and the change for five hundred bucks supplied by the bride and all set to go when things happen — and the wedding is much delayed, at times the indications being there will be none. One of the major factors of the picture is the cast, there being twenty names listed. At the top is Adolphe Menjou, who plays the hard-boiled editor. The characterization is a treat, crisp and blunt — the opposite to the Menjou we have known. Pat O'Brien, a young man from the stage, has the part of Johnson, the seceding reporter, and puts up a corking performance. George E. Stone is Williams, the condemned man who shoots an alienist with the pistol loaned by the sheriff for the examination. Stone tightly holds the stage in the comparatively few moments it is given to him. Sharing it with him at times is Mae Clarke as Molly, the girl of the streets who insists the condemned man has not had a chance. May we see more of her work. Edward Horton has a lesser role as a reporter, one of the mob in the room provided for the press at Police Headquarters. He is portrayed as quite insistent on disinfecting the place on slight provocation, all of which furnishes a colorable excuse for mention of a patented article. The employment of Horton for the minor part is just an example of the lengths to which the producer went in his effort to secure a high-class cast. There was Effie Ellsler, that Broadway star of other years, as the mother of Peggy, played by Mary Brian; there was James Gordon as the mayor; Clarence H. Wilson as Sheriff Hartman; Slim Summerville as a messenger for the governor; and Matt Moore and Frank McHugh as denizens of the reporter's room. The camera department is given much to do, and does it well. A goodly bit of the tale is unfolded through the use of the lens, graphically enhancing the tension, of which latter there is an abundance. The dialogue smacks of the fo'c'sle, of the chatter of men who work together and drink together, whether on sea or on land. In shifting the tale from the stage to the screen an attempt has been made in some instances to reduce the robust dialogue, not always with entire success so far as regards conveying the real atmosphere, and of course it could not be expected to. As one quite proper matron from down East remarked as she emerged from under the spell of this Caddo subject: "I know of course it is a man's picture all the way, and while I know I shouldn't say it really, you know, I liked it very much." The Deaf Shall Hear Twenty-two additional theatres have had Western Electric audiphones installed for the hard-of-hearing by Electrical Research Products. They are representative of the entire country. A comprehensive questionnaire, covering all phases of processing of picture and sound film, is now being circulated in the laboratories by the Academy.