Motion Picture News (Jan - Mar 1928)

962 Motion P i c t ur e N e zv s Legion of the Condemned Good War Story — Thrills and Everything (Reviewed by Laurence Reld) THERE can be no complaints about the screen being surfeited with war stories just as long as they stack up as good as this one. The new opus can safely be compared to "Wings" in its collection of thrills. In fact it can safely be catalogued that it has a fine lot of good action material set off with much pictorial beauty. With all of the war pictures ahead of it there wouldn't be much argument if it was accepted as the hottest war film of them all. The idea projects a group of young men who have lived adventurous lives in various corners of the world — and who are determined to die with their boots on when they reach Flanders fields. Of course being up the same alley as "Wings" it exploits airplane activities. The scenes in the ether are the high spots of the picture. Yet its storj^ doesn't suffer a bit. It is shot full of suspense and a creditable line of romance, and builds to a climax which carries a fine thrill. W^illiam Wellman, who handled "Wings," was the boss here and succeeds in getting everything out of the story and out of his players. Drawing Power: Should draw on good advertising campaign — which it deserves. Okay for high class houses and those not catering to fu'st runs. Exploitation Angles: Tease the title. Tie up with American Legion posts. Play up the aviation angle — whicli is exceptionally popular now. THEME: Drama of the war with emphasis placed upon the air service. Produced and distributed by Paramount. Length, eight reels. Released, March, 1928. The Cast; Barry Korlon, Gary Cooper, Lane Chandler, Fay Wray. Director, William Wellman. The Masked Angel A Good Story, Well Done (Reviewed by Chester J. Sinilh) BETTY COMPSO.V has seldom been seen to better advantjige than in this picture which was adapted from a Red Book story titled, "Remorse," by Evelyn Campbell. It is one of those faith cure romances in which Miss Compson is first seen as a wild cabarfft hostess and then a,s the guiding angel whose devotion and love bring back to normalcy an apparently broken and temporarily blinded soldier. It is a story that would have to be well done to be impressive and it is to the credit of Miss Compson and her director, Frank O'Connor, that it proceeds on its conservative way to a verj' happy conclusion. There are no desperate attempts to crowd it with pathos nor to exaggerate the romantic scenes. It all proceeds quite naturally and Miss Compson is equally good as the cabaret gold-digger and the sympatlietic nurse, who guides her lover back to health. The pf^rformance is rather lavishly staged and the scenes are accurately enacted. While some parts of it might se<?m a bit illogical there seems a sincerity about the playing of the different roles that makes it ring unusually true. It is as good a piece of directing as this observer has seen for some time. Every role is in capable hands and competently acted. The stoi-y is an impressive one with a number of quips and turns that hold the interest throughout and no silly attempt was made to relieve the tensity of the action by the injection of impossible comedy that usually characterizes stories of the type. Drawing Power: It is an attraction that should hold the attention of an audience in almost any house where a well made picture is appreciated. Exploitation Angles: The star's name offers good exploitation, as well as the faith cure angles. There are a number of different twists to the picture that will readily suggest exploitation as outlined in the press book. THEME: Cabaret girl accused unjustly of theft seeks refuge in a hospital and pretends she has come to call on the blinded and broken young soldier. He becomes interested in her and through her efforts is encouraged back to normalcy, after which they are wed. Produced and distributed by First Division Pictures. Length, 5,700 feet. March release. The Cast: Betty Compson, Erick Arnold, Wheeler Oakman, Joeelyn Lee, Grace Cunard, Lincoln Plumer, Robert Romans, Jane Keckley. Director, Frank O'Connor. Adapted by Maxine Alton. The Trail of '98 Vivid and Interesting — Finely Directed (Reviewed by Laurence Reid) STORIES of the gold stampede up Dawson way have been filmed before but never on the scale as depicted here. And because they have been recorded in celluloid any tale of the Klondike natui'ally hasn't much quality of sui-prise in its action. However, Clarence Brown has done a very neat job. It is a director's picture and is more adaptable for audiences Avhieh run to the masculine sex. Brown shows up the cruelties of Nature, the terrific obstacles that these adventurers had to overcome to wrest the yellow metal from the earth. He doesn 't spare the camera nor his company in collecting a most realistic account of the gold rush. The picture is rather long and could be cut judiciously without destroying any of its compelling points. The romantic issue is valueless in emphasizing the quality of the theme. The big romance is the struggle to get there and see it through. The director has caught most of this theme. Had the characters been more realistic in presenting their own difficulties it would have been quite perfect. But why cavil over such minor points as Ralph Forbes disregarding the freezing weather in appeai-ing in a tent as if clad for an autumn's fishing trip? There are so many fine things about it. The comedy relief by Karl Dane, the "Fantoniscreen," giving br(>adth to the snowslide, and the rapids-shooting scene, are some of these high marks. It is well acted by Forbes, George Cooper, Tully Marshall and Harry Carey. Dolores del Rio is excellent enough though she's hardly the Klondike type. It is magnificently staged and is scenically a masterpiece. Drawing Power: Title and director and cast. Exploitation Angles: Play up the Klondike rush. Bill as big melodrama of the gold rush. Play up scenic points, cast^ etc. THEME : Melodrama of the gold rush to the Klondike in '98. Produced and distributed by MetroGoldwyn-Mayer. Length, eleven reels. Released, March, 1928. The Cast : Dolores del Rio, Ralph Forbes, Harry Carey, Tully Marshall, Karl Dane, Martha Mattox, Caesar Gravina. Director, Clarence Brown. Czar Ivan the Terrible A Russian Photoplay (Reviewed by Raymond Ganly) PRODUCED by Sovkino of Moscow, this *■ production concerning the famous Czar Ivan will probably create a furore where Russians congregate, but as to audiences not of Slavic extraction it is quite another thing. There are some who like caviar, you know, and others who abhor it. Like most foreign-made films, this fantasticstory, laid in the times of medieval Russia, will need exploitation (lots of it) to create a lure for it at the box office. Surnamed "Wings of a Serf," the story has to do with the brief existence enjoyed by a serf with ambitions to fiy, the fall" of a rich Bojar who incurred the dislike of Ivan, the affaires de amour of the Czarina and various other sundry happenings around the court of the terrible czar. There's an awful lot of detail crowded in to the film throughout which the realistic touch of the Russians is discernible. The censors have evidently lopjied freely here and there. Still, the Russians' realism lingers. One brief scene shows a body impaled on a collection of spears. You won't find many clean shaven features, BaiTymore profiles and the like among the men — they're mostly bewhiskered gentry. The love element, which carries such a strong appeal to women fans^ is lacking. It's a wild, barbaric melodrama. Drawing Power: For the double feature program. Only Avhere there are Russians or Slavs will it have strong appeal by itself. Exploitation Angles: Ivan made his mark in history, a fact you can bring out. Mention it as a cinematic effort of the Soviet. Feature Russian music. Ballyhoo Leonidot't as one of JIoscow players. Produced in Russia by Sovkino. Distributed here by Amkino (S. R.). To be released in about a month's time. Length, 8,500 feet. The Cast: L. M. Lconidoff. M. Arkanoff, V. Makaroff, S. Garrel, I. Klukvin, M. Katchaloff, N. Prozorovsky, N. Vitovtov, Safnat Askardva. Director, Juri Taritch.