Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1927)

S e pte m her 30 , 19 27 The Cruise of the HeUon Stirring Melodrama on the High Seas (Reviewed by Thomas C. Kennedy) 4 4rT^ HE CRUISE OF THE HELION" is well equipped to I score as first-rate screen entertainment with all adherA ents of the action type of play — and that almost covers the whole world of picturegoers. It is not difiicult to assign the reason for the picture's ability to hold the spectator's interest, and here and there to carry it to emotional peaks. There has been no effort to contrive or achieve any effects other than those of "action," "suspense" and "romance." It is the simple and everavailing fonnula of taking the best elements of the action picture — of which the serial is the purest form — and doing it in a more finished style, but doing it without apologies and -w-ith confidence in the soudnness of the materials. To be sure, it is surface conflict— no deep character searching here — but for that same reason it is dramatic action and stoiy telling of the kind that captures the interest and stirs the emotions. The cast is a capable one. Donald Keith, Edna Murphy, Tom Santschi, Sheldon Lewis and Francis Ford are among the principals. The story deals with the exciting adventures of a young idler aboard a ship on which his father has sent him to make a man of himself. There is a love affair between the boy and the daughter of the skipper, and together they fight off the mutinous crew led by the brutal first mate after the death of the captain. The Cast : Donald Keith, Edna Murphy, Toni Santschi. Sheldon Lewis, Sailor Sharkey, Martin Turner. Story by George Pyper. Directed by Duke Worne. THEME: Melodrama which LIGHTS: Action and realism reaches its climax aboard a sailing vessel. A crew in mutiny seeks to steal a valuable cargo, and are defeated after a stirring struggle by a young ne-'er-dowell out to make good and the daughter of the murdered skipper. PRODUCTION HIGH 999 of characters. The fights between hero and mutinous crew. EXPLOITATION ANGLES: Feature as thriUing adventure story of the sea, strong in love interest, action and suspense. Stress names in cast. DRAWING POWER: Good. Produced by Rayart. S. R. Distribution. Length, 6,089 A'''' Released, September 10, \q2~. Interesting highlights from "Slightly Used," a release from the studios of Warner Bros. The Drop Kick Stereotyped Story Makes Just Another Picture (Reviewed by Laurence Reid) COLLEGE stories are usually sure-fire inasmuch as they exploit a lot of unbelievable antics which wouldn't be accepted in any atmosphere outside a campus. A collegiate can cut up all sort of didoes and get away with them merely because the customers are accustomed to seeing him behave unlike the rest of the so-called human race. The college pictures seldom fail on the screen because of this reason. Yet here comes Richard Barthelmess in as poor a college story as has ever been shot in celluloid. Which is a pity considering the talents of the star. Here we have Dick saving the game for dear old Alma Mater — and does it by kicking a field goal in the last minute of play. Naturally, these college stories coming along so rapidly eliminate any value of suspense. You know what is coming here every minute. The value of novelty (the saving not of campus yarns) is entirely absent. The collegiates in "The Drop Kick" cannot be called original — and the plot presents the tried and true formula of rivalry between the colleges. The characters are stereotyped. There is the Nice Girl who makes the hero do his stuff on the field — and there is the College Widow, too. Barthelmess needs better stories. After "The Patent Leather Kid" it seems a shame to find him in something which doesn't measure up to his stature as an actor. He extracts everything possible from the picture. Which goes for everyone in the cast. The Cast : Richard Barthelmess, Dorothy Rcvier, Barbara Kent, Hedda Hopper, John Stainbaugh, Eugene Strong, James Bradbury, Jr., Mayme Kelso. Director, Millard Webb. THEME: Romance of col EXPLOITATION ANGLES: lege life — with football hero Feature title and star. Bill as picture of youth and romance. DRAWING POWER: Title should draw them during Fall because of football games. Star should bring them in. 0. K. for average houses. winning game at crucial moment — and also winning girl. PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS : Football atmosphere. College backgrounds. Romantic appeal. Acting. Production lone, and phototmiphy of a high order are found in "The Magic Flame," Samuel Goldwyn's latest production for United Artists. Produced and distributed by First National. Length, six reels. Released, September, 1927.