The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1932)

July, 1932 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-one the villain had tied to a tree supposedly to die from thirst and the cruelty of the desert sun. The unplanned suspense came when it was very evident to the audience Duke was only tying the knot tighter. Then came a friendly fade out and the next shot showed everyhing proceeding as it should with the knot obligingly slipping. Just a final tip how to jazz up a jaded appetite for westerns. Attend on Friday night when the school children are out in full force and renew your youth in hissing the villain and cheering and applauding the hero as he overcomes fifteen or twenty adversaries in hand to hand combat and outwits the villain at every turn. Once more virtue has triumphed and the honor of men brave and true has been upheld. All is well and temporarily quiet on the battle front of westerns, but be not alarmed — all the villains have not been vanquished. Glenn MacWilliams REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM First cameraman, Glenn MacWilliams ; operative cameraman, Joe MacDonald ; assistants, L. B. Abbott, Roger Shearman ; stills, Clifton Kling ; sound, Joseph Aiken. JUST as vacation days arrive Fox releases "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" and parents undoubtedly will reward their foresight by generously contributing audiences of the younger generation. This story by Kate Douglas Wiggin is of the sturdy, dependable, perennial type. When the search for the new and novel fails to result in a promising find there are certain old reliables that always can be reinstated because their appeal is time defying. Marion Nixon strives valiantly in the title role, but the awkwardness and ingenousness of Rebecca can only be effective by being natural. To simulate them through studied effort destroys all attempts at illusion. Ralphy Bellamy as the country doctor proves his versatility and sterlingqualities as an actor who can make good in any capacity. He is not handicapped at all in any way by possessing one of the most pleasing voices uncovered by the vocal screen. Just as she dominates her own household as the elder of the maiden aunts so does Louise Closser Hale dominate the picture. Hers is an artistry that is the result of years of study and experience. Every gesture, facial expression and voice inflection play their part in the perfected whole. Aunt Miranda undoubtedly contributes heavily to the total sum of enjoyment and entertainment to be had in watching Rebecca try to remake individuals and circumstances as she would have them. Mae Marsh as Aunt Jane who had her chance at romance but passed it by to please her sister provides an effective contrast in the opportunities given her. Alan Hale, Eula Guy, Sarah Padden and Alphonz Ethier also handle their parts capably. The photography presents many beautiful interiors of the home of the wealthy aunts which is presented as a gem of its kind and period. For hot weather audiences there are some cooling winter scenes and quite a realistic blizzard. S. N. Behrman and Sonya Levien made the adaptation for the screen and Alfred Santell directed. MYSTERY RANCH First cameramen, Joseph August, George Schneiderman ; operative cameramen, C. Curtis Fetters, Irving Rosenberg ; assistants, Harry Webb, Jack Epstein, Lou Kunkle, James Gordon ; stills, Bert Lynch ; sound, Albert Protzman. REVIVING all the ten, twenty and thirty cent thrills prevalent when meller-drammer trod the boards with villains as crooked as the pretzels also then in vogue — and equally reminiscent of "the good old days" — Fox presents "Mystery Ranch" for the delectation of those who yearn to see the pages turned backward. No doubt the producers were inveigled into thinking they were buying a suitable candidate for horror appetites when the inspiration of this picture was suggested to them. It is true "The Killer," a novel by Stewart Edward White, sounds promising. The formula for the screen play provided by Al Cohn probably now has a label and a number as it has been used so many times it has become standardized. And David Howard, the director, with true veneration for tradition did nothing to alter it. Whether this course seems admirable or deplorable depends entirely on the individual viewpoint in this one instance. To George O'B'rien, Cecilia Parker and Charles Middleton fall the stereotyped roles of hero, heroine and villain, respectively. It is a thankless undertaking on their part and a tiresome ordeal all around as everyone knows what is going to happen before it happens. While patiently waiting for the expected finally to materialize at allotted intervals there are many beautiful and interesting exterior shots which provide an element of interest otherwise notable solely by its complete absence. Oh, yes, there is always the horseback riding of O'Brien to be relied on in any and all of his pictures. And can he ride ? The answer is "Yes — and how!" SOUTH SEA ADVENTURES WHETHER a devotee of the art of deep sea fishing or not, "South Sea Adventures" shown at the Filmarte afforded an unusual opportunity to view a full length picture dealing primarily with this particular sport. The expedition was that of Zane Grey in which he set forth in a ship of his own on a trail of adventure the details of which were patterned after a dream he had harbored for many years. And when a fisherman sets forth with a yacht valued at a quarter of a million dollars and fishing tackle to the sum of $50,000 that is a dream of considerable magnitude developed from the realm of imagination into reality. While the picture is one of the travel type and is not built upon any definite story, it is interesting to watch its development. Starting out from Catalina Island the early stages of the journey offer examples of more or less familiar deep sea fishing and then events gradually turn to the more unusual. One very definite impression gained is that it would be foolhardy to set out after a giant black marlin swordfish (which was Mr. Grey's chief objective) with any time limitations in one's schedule. Sighting the big black fin which announces the presence of the swordfish is very similar to spotting the periscope of a submarine. Imagine waiting weeks for such an encounter and spending hours fighting one of these monsters of the deep only to lose him! Such was the tragic experience of Mr. Grey, but in no way did it dampen his ardor; in fact, it made him only the more determined to try again. After weeks of persistent endeavor success arrived in what may be termed in a big way, in fact, to the total of thirteen* hundred pounds. Even then sharks threatened to get the prize before it could be hauled beyond their reach. This catch is claimed to be the largest fish ever caught with reel and line. There are typical shots of native life showing the natural beauties of Tahiti and other islands. One exceptionally beautiful and out of the ordinary shot shows the breaking of mammoth waves photographed along their crest. The camera crew consisted of Romer Grey, Bob Carney and Thomas Middletown. The first two named are respectively the son and son-inlaw of the author. Continuity written bv Thomas Geraghty is delivered by Wedgewood Nowell. It is a Sol Lesser production. Australian to Make Series for Worldwide Exhibition ACCORDING to Assistant Trade Commissioner H. P. Van Blarcom of Sydney, Australia, Greater Union Theatres Limited of Sydney recently announced a contract has been made with Captain Frank Hurley for the production of a series of pictures for local and world-wide distribution. For the latter purpose dialogue will be recorded in several languages. The multilingual system will be introduced for the first time in Australian film production in "Pearl of the Pacific," an educational subject of Lord How Islands. Subsequent productions include "Symphony of Steel," depicting the opening of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and "From Tropic to Antarctic." Captain Hurley is the photographer who made "Pearls and Savages," "Southward Ho with Mawson" and "Siege of the South," all having been shown throughout Australia.