Motion Picture News (Jan - Mar 1928)

March 17 , J 938 895 The Heart of a hollies Girl Ititl Itillir Dow Is Citod (Kovifwcd U\ l.aiirciire Koid) TT scciiis (|nili' iiii]H)ssil)lc lo liiid a slorv * iH<>f(^ llijiii r.-iir-to-iii'idillin ' Tor Billic l)(i\i'. Till' ncwcsl cssny pi'cscnts an iiu^oii,scqiu'iiti;il plot wliiuli airs its mild action i\>v the iiioiiu'iit and tiicii ('Viij)onit(>s into spacn-. Any yai'ii of the cliorinc 's ;ir(';iif(' (I'luiKiiir must i)()int n liit ol' (•(niHict lid ween .-i pliil anderiiifz: ])l;iyl)<)y jiiid a cliji]) who lias hotli feet on the f^round. Of course, the |?irl must yearn for costly "ice." And the rich g'entleman pays and pays. When it dcvoloj)« that the younjier and ixjoiht swain cannot buy the rinj^ without I'oi'jjing a check he pronto executes a i'orjj'er.y. After lanpuishiiij;' in jail the g-irl realizes she lovivs him. And so it ends. It's II piece that can-ics little or no action, but the trite and overworked story couldn't be improved much under any circumstances. However, it is nea^tly stajjcd, well ph()tof>raphed and Billie Dove, knowingher Follies, decorates the film with charm and j)ersonality. Larry Kent as the hero looks refjular and Lowell Sherman does the bininder in truly Shermanesque style. You've seen him, so exploitations aren 't necessary. Drawing Power: Title has some appeal. Star is pojmlar. (). K. for averaije houses. Should attract them in nei<j'hborhood houses. Exploitation Angles: Play up title featuring' star as a I'cal Ziegfeld graduate. Bill as romance of theatre. Play up Lan-y Kent, Avho is developing' a fan following. THEME: Romantic drama of chorus girl who, after wavering in her affections, finds romance with youth who committed forgery to win her. Produced and distributed by Fii-st National. Length, six reels. Released, March, 1928. Cast: Billie Dove, Lowell Sherman, LaiTy Kent, Mildred Harris, Clarissa SelAvynne. Director, John Francis Dillon. The Opening Night Imitative But Dramatic (Reviewed by Raymond Ganly) THEY were not forgetful of the appeal of a recent Emil Jannings vehicle when they produced this heart drama. Towards the end of its story it imitates closely the situations that followed in the wake of Jannings' supposed death in "The Way of All Flesh." There is practically a parallel in the plight of old Father Schiller and that of E. Alyn Warren in this production. His wife believes him dead but he does not project himself anew into her life, preferring to stay in the background, a pitiable old man, lonely and desolate. Claire Windsor is the young wife and John Bowers the young man who loves her. They are not to the fore often, as the picture mainly follows the predicaanent of Warren. He sees them married in much the same circumstances that Schiller viewed his family through the Avindow and Stella Dallas watched the marriage ceremony of her daughter. His situation makes an appeal for sympathy. Certainly they've tried hard enough to insure his role succeeding in emptying the tear ducts. Drawing Power: Good for neighborhood and second run trade. Exploitation Angles : The picture has an effective storm scene in which a liner sinks. Present this catastrophe in the form of cut-outs or stirring posters. It is ,'i (li-aiiia of the tliealre uliicli lad can he used. THEME: Heart drama of the plight of a theatrical producer who is believed by ail to have drowned during a storm at sea. His identity unknown, he sees his wife married to her leading man, and, rather than mar her happiness, he remains in the background working in a garage. Produced and distributed by (!oliiinliia Pictures. Released. Novemlier, 1927. Length, r),r)24 feel. The Cast: Claire Windsor, .lolin Bowers, K. .\l\n Warren, (irace (ioodall, Bobby Mack and Williaiii Welch, Story hy Albei't Payson Terluine. Scenario by K. II. (liiftith, who also directed. The Tigress Holds thv Interest (K«'>i»'w»-d hy Raymond <>unly) AN interesting story is told in this I'omantic melodrama in which Jack Holt and Dorothy itevier co-star. Gypsies out for vengeance against an English earl forms the plot motivation. Its heroine is ])resented as a lirehraiid. whose gypsy blood is riled be(?ans(! she believes tlie Knglishman is the nnirderer of her father. When she is about to kill Holt her hand is stayed because she loves him. A resentful gypsy girl ag^ainst a suave and ])olished Englishman with the man winning out because of his forceful persoimlity. Director Seitz has lavished plenty of atmosphere in his scenes of the earl's castle in the forest in which the gypsies are encamped. Another of the gypsies is the real villain, who had slain the girl's father because he wanted her for himself. A mute boy communicates the real facts concerning the slaying and the gypsy has to flee for his life. It's all more than mildly interesting. Holt and Miss Revier offer some contrast as the collected Englishman and the spirited gypsy girl. The picture has appeal. Dra'wing Power: Okay for the neighborhood cinemas. Exploitation Angles: Remind the would-be-custoniers of the gypsy angle by a tajubourine, a dagger, etc. Use a realistic picture of a tigress to attract attention. THEME: Drama of a gypsy girl" who is rescued by an English earl when she is found hurt in the forest. He nurses her back to health but her love turns to hate for him when she is told he is the murderer of her father. Having vowed to kill liim she finds she cannot do so because of love. Produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Released, October, 1927. Length, 5,357 feet. The Cast: Jack Holt, Dorothy Revier, Phillipe de Lacy, Frank Leigh, Howard Tniesdall and Frank Nelson. Scenario by Harold Shumate. Director, George B. Seitzl Assistant director, Clifford Saum. "Penny Postals" (Educational — One Reel) LITTLIC communications typical of the short messages scribbled on the backs of postal cards have been composed by Beth Brown for this new excerpt of the Curiosities series produced by Walter Putter for Educational. The scenes deal with rural places and take you among the workers in a banana plantation, tmt on the high seas with the rum runners and government speedboats, under the shadow of an ancient castle — quite a bit of variety, don't you think ? The film has been nicely edited and titled and can be calculated to do its share towards aiding in the effectiveness of a program. — RAYMOND GANLY. I urn Hack the I lours /( Well-'lnrneil Melodrama (l(<-vi<>H<-d hy Raymond («anly) C^O\TA|.\|\(; a good st^iry, well acted ' with swing and punrdi, this (jotliam production sliajx's n|) as more than n(\ci{iiiiUenlertainnient virile, strong enlerlainmerit, a> a matter of fact. .Myrnu Ijoy, tlie heroine, i^ mo^t attractive, with her bewitching eyes .'iml exotic personality making mighty interesting the role of Ihr jjrouri girl on an island overrun with renegafles and cntlliroats sei'king both her and the riches of liei' father's hacienda. The young lady is seen in many (dose-ups and lias to do much more than "look i)retty." 'ITie story is told concisely by the direct(H'. The story is Inifl in Caribbean isle anil tells of a disgraced naval officer who overcomes his cowardice, befriending the girl when the bandits threaten. The natural cowardice of the hero is aptly detailed by Walter Pidgeon, whose tall and gangling frame is seen in the torture chamber of the villains and in action shots where he wrestles and slugs with his eneniies. Lots of "heman" s-tuff. Drawing Power: A good attraction. Exploitation Angles: I'se of stills of Myrna Loy in lobby layout. Have a cutout of the face of a clock or some sort of arrangement wliei'eby you can have the hands of a (hunmy (dock turning backwards continuously. The hero is an ex-naval officer, so you can introduce the naval unifonns THEME : Drama of love and fighting on a Caribbean isle. Nursed back to health by young girl, hero, a discharged naval officer, proves a coward when she needs help most. Her father, hounded by a band of crooks and her safety threatened, the hero awakens to her danger and courageously fights the bandits until aid comes from the U. S. Navy. Produced by Lumas. Distributed by Gotham. Released, .March 12th, 1928. Length. b,600 feet. The Cast: Myrna Loy, Walter Pidgeon, Sam Hardy, George Stone, Sheldon Lewis, Josef Swickard, Ann Brody, Nanette Villon, Joyzelle Joyner. Scenario by .Jack Jnngmeyer. Story by Edward T. Rose. Director, Howard Bretherton. low's the Hme to grab \t/ johnny" Chinatown Charlie A UrAt national Picture