Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1928)

April 14, 19 28 [213 shock and tear as he is whirled to the Yankee Stadium to be in time tot the game. A trip to Coney Island is productive of a series of really funny incidents. The dash of the old horse-car despite obstacles set up by the "interests" is a riot of fun. Ann Christy, a very competent comedienne, is the heroine. And Miss Christy makes a pretty and pleasing one. Berl Woodruff does an excellent job of the old horse-ear driver, and Brooks Benedict com pletes the east receiving credits in the program. Ted Wilde directed "Speedy." "Speedy" is for all ages and all types of f'iins. It will score as a laugh hit everywhere. Drawing Power: Very good. Exploitation Angles: A very elaborate campaign book has been prepared on this release, which offers excellent opportunities for advance teaser advertising of the ballyhoo, poster and newspaper style, and many opportunities for local tie-ups with taxi companies, street car companies, amusement resorts, moving van companies, book stores, etc. THEME: A comedy dealing with a likeable chap who is just a little too fast for the type of jobs he can get, and he gets a new one every day. But he makes good for the girl he loves by saving her father his horse-car franchise and finally sells it over to a big traction company. Produced by The Harold Lloyd Corporation. Distributed by Paramount. Released, April, 1928. Length, 7,960 feet. The Cast: Harold Lloyd, Ann Christy, Bert Woodruff, Brooks Benedict. Director, Ted Wilde. Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath Full of Spontaneous Laughs (Reviewed by Chester J. Smith) WHILE there may be considerable lacking in this story, and while its construction may not be of the best, you can't take away from it the fact that it contains a large number of laughs of the spontaneous variety, and the probably is what it was made for. The press sheets describe it as a comedy-drama. As for the drama angle, the least said about it the better, but it do<>s abound in laughs. Strange as it may seem, a comparative unknown in comedy roles all but steals the picture. In fact, he just about does steal it from everyone but Dorothy Mackaill, whose clever mannerisms and genuine attractiveness, serve to put an audience in just the proper mood to appreciate the heavier comedy of "Big Boy" Quinn Williams, who has the role of a tough structural iron worker. "Big Boy" in the past has confined his screen activities largely to Westerns. He is a first rate comedian and following this effort will doubtless net much work along this line, .lack Mulhall is his usual self, with his same attractive smile and winning personality, hut he is overshadowed just a little by this "Big Boy" Williams. The picture drags badly in spots, and is entirely too long in getting to the Turkish bath sequences. There is only the thread of an inconsequential story and a somewhat disconnected one, but laughs have been injected at such regular intervals that one can overlook the shortcomings of the story. Drawing Power: The comedy is good and with the popularity of the leading playerit should go well in any house. Exploitation Angles: The title will readily offer a number of ideas, which however, should be used only along comedy lines. The dieting and massage sequences will offer others. THEME: Structural iron worker becomes enamoured of girl vendor of prepared lunches, whose parents become wealthy and move uptown . He pursues her, accompanied by his roughneck boy friend. All of them become involved in a number of humorous situations which culminate in a Turkish bath following a raid on an indecent dance hall, and eventually the iron worker wins the girl. Produced and Distributed by Pirsl National. Released, April 1, llfJS. Length, 6,592 feet. The Cast: Dorothy Mackaill, Jack Mulhall, .lames Finlayson, Sylvia Ashton, Harvey Clark, Heed Howes, "Big Boy" Quinn Williams. From the stage play by Charlton Andrews and Avery Bopwood. Directed by Edward Cline. Produced by Edward Small. Skyscraper A Mediocre Feature (Reviewed by Chester J. Smith) r 1 1 HEBE i not much thai can be recom■ mended in this De Millc studio production. Aside from the fact that it provides a laugh at intervals all too far apart it is all very flimsy and mediocre. The slim story drags more or less wearily along, and never does get much of anywhere in particular except for the usual happy ending. It is not convincingly done, and the climaxes consequently mean little or nothing in the action of the picture. William Boyd is the star, with Alan Hale as his buddy, the pair of them being structural iron workers, and Sue Carol in the role of the leading lady. With the poor material assigned to them none will increase his or her popularity. Boyd effects the rescue of the jobless girl when a steel girder being hoisted atop a skyscraper breaks from its fastenings. And there starts a romance. She stumbles into a job as chorus girl, and he stumbles off a girder and becomes desperately crippled He refuses to mend because he thinks she does not care for him, and she knows nothing of his injury as it happens after the show has left town. He is chided by his pal for not showing more guts and secretly effects his own complete recovery in time to Hat ten his buddy, who has chided him on, and to win the girl. The action, what there is of it, is laid partly on a half completed Xew York skyscraper and partly in a New York pleasure park, with a number of sequences atop a theatre roof, where it seems, the girls do much of their cavorting during lapses in rehearsals. Drawing Power: It i doubtful if there is either enough story or comedy to get this one by to advantage. Exploitation Angles : The splendid shots from atop the skyscraper; the backstage and pleasure park sequences and the popularity of the star. THEME: Structural iron worker saves the life of a jobless girl, woos her when she becomes a chorus girl, is injured in a fall from a building and, after some differences between them are patched up, their marriage follows. Produced by He Millc Studios. Distributed l>y Pathe. Released. April L928. Length. 7,040 feet. The Cast: William Boyd. Alan Hale, Sue Carol, Alberta Vaughn. Director, Howard Biggin. Why Sailors (Jo Wrong I air Story ii ill) a I i n Laught (Reviewed bj Chester J. Smith) YA^HIIjK a too critical reviewer may he justified in condemning this story and the veriest slapstick nature of it comedy, the fact remains that it will probably click with the majority of motion picture patrons who are not inclined to delve too deeply in the search for Haws in their entertainment, but are willing to take things as they come. Sammy Cohen and Ted UcNamara provide most of the fun and aside from their antics there is really nothing much to it. Nick Stuart and Sally Phipps, who are also among the featured players add little to the value of the picture principally because their roles are more or less inconsequential and they have only poor material with which to display their talents. Sammy and Ted are a combination bound to provoke mirth and their all too ridiculous exploits here will doubtless be appreciated despite poor direction which prolongs many of the sequences to an impossible point in an effort to promote laughs. There are, however, many humorous situations and quite a number of gags that will meet with the entire approval of the cash customer-. Sammy as a taxi driver and Mac as a hansom cab driver are not as funny as they have been on other occasions, but it would seem they are quite funny enough to put even this picture over. Drawing Power: The abundance of -lapstick comedy and the reputations of the two comedians, despite a poor story, will probably bring healthy box-office returns. Exploitation Angles: The pair of comedians and the humorous comedy situations will offer a number of exploitation angles, several good ones of which are outlined in the press book. THEME: Taxi driver and hansom driver enlist their services for generous remuneration to a young lover who would join his sweetheart on a yachting cruise, but who is being detained through the intrigue of the villain. The comedy pair win their reward and the young couple achieve their aim, but only after many humorous antics and a few of a thrilling nature. Produced and distributed by Fox. Released March 2.">. L928. Length. 5,112 Eeet, The Cast: Sammy Cohen. Ted Me Xamara. Sally Phipps, Xick Stuart. Carl Miller. E. H. Calvert, Jack I'ennick. Director. Henrj Lehrman. Story by William Conselman and Frank O'Connor. Scenario 1>\ Randall II. Fa ye. "Off Balance" (Educational One Reel I 1"^HE twin-brother idea is again called upon to render service in this Canico starring Monty Collins, who appears as a doting hubby and a light-fingered sent. Funny complications develop when the hubby is chased by Marcella Arnold, the feminine accomplice of the crook. Also with the crook do things grow uncomfortable, as be is mistaken by the wife for hubby while trying to rifle the latter's apartment. To add to the confusion is a burly yegg desirous of socking the crook because of bis interest in Marcella. It is a humorous reel, one that will click. Lucille Hutton is the young wife and Jack Ltpson the tough egg. Jules White directed. — RAYMOND OAXI.Y.