Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1929)

1124 M o t i o n Picture N c w s Queen of Night Clubs (Continued) trusted the task of carrying the juvenile love interest, really run away with the picture. Lila Lee is great, and young Foy is going to make a spot for himself in this racket. John Davidson, in a heavy role, is also decidedly worth while. There is another name that is worth a plug, and it is thai of -lack Norworth, who is playing a bit in the picture. Jack, by the way, is far from being bad on the screen. Drawing Power: If they want to get a flash at Tex and a little insight into Broadway night life, this one ought to please them, providing they are not too familiar witli Broadway and know enough about it. Produced and distributed by the Warner Bros. Length: Sound, 5,424 feet. Running Time: an hour and two minutes. Released: March 16, 1929. Directed by Bryan Foy. THE CAST Tex Malone Texas Guinan Eddie Parr Eddie Foy, Jr. Bee Walters Lila Lee Phil Parr Jack Norworth Don Holland John Davidson Lawyer Grant John Miljan Andy Ouinlan Arthur Housman Ass't. District Attorney William Davidson dr] Charlotte Merriam Xick Jimmie Phillips Crandall Lee Shumway judge James T. Mack Flapper Agnes Traney Boy Joe Depew His Captive Woman South Sea Love With Talk Interpolations (Reviewed by Freddie Schader) MILTON SILLS and Dorothy Mackaill are co-starred in this rather light story, which was originally made as a silent feature. But as the technique in the producing was of the cut back variety, the picture lent itself to the interpolation of talking sequences which have been added via Vitaphone. The result is an altogetherpleasing program picture, but not a $2 special for Broadway. In the regular houses it will undoubtedly please the majority of customers. The task of carrying the principal burden of the dialogue is given to Milton Sills. Dorothy Mackaill talks too, but it is only for a single line at the end of the picture. Others in the cast that stand out in the dialogue sequences are Frank Eeicher who, as the district attorney, more than makes good, Sidney Bracey, Marion Byron, in a fresh night club chorus girl role, and George Fawcett. The latter, with little to say, really stands out because he manages to keep himself in the foreground in the talking moments when others are declaiming through the use of old stage tricks. Here is a real artist if there ever was one. The principal scene of action is a court room. Seemingly we can't get away from them since the talkies have come in. Anne Bergen is on trial for her life, accused of having shot and killed her protector, a young millionaire. Each of the witnesses tell their story on the stand in dialogue, and then the action is flashed back in silent form. Thus we discover that the girl was brought home by the millionaire on a rainy night. He later placed her in an apartment that he paid for, financed her debut as a dancer in a night club and then fell for one of the other girls, walking out on his His Captive Woman (Continued) sweetie. She follows him home, finds him in the arms of the other girl and shoots him • lead. The final witness on the stand is Thomas McCarthy, a New York policeman, played by Milton Sills. He relates the story of his being sent to the South Seas to bring back the murderess. When his steamer sailed before he was able to have the necessary papers signed by the Governor of the island, because the official had fallen for the little Broadway charmer, he managed to obtain passage on a little sailing trader which was wrecked and only the cop and his prisoner survived the storm, they being cast on a desert island. He relates of the wiles that she practiced on him trying to get him to agree to let her go free when they were finally rescued, also how she twice saved his life, likewise that after they married in the sight of God and a vessel approached and there was a chance of rescue he failed in his duty and his wife lit the beacon that made it necessary for him to accept rescue and complete the performance of his duty in bringing her to .justice. Then, in the final moment, there is a kick when the judge, in charging the jury, instructs them that they must bring in a verdict of "guilty." When they do this the court immediately sentences the prisoner to life imprisonment — but in the custody of her copper husband on the desert island where their romance began. Both Milton Sills and Miss Mackaill deliver performances that are worth while, and, if Dorothy can talk in a sustained scene as well as she did in the brief mement that she had in this picture, well then she is going to go right along in the talkies. Produced by First National. Distributed by Warner Bros. Length: sound version, 7,992 feet. Running Time: an hour and thirty minutes. Released: March 24, 1929. Story by Donn Byrne, adapted by Carey Wilson, directed by George Fitzmaurice. THE CAST Officer Thomas McCarthy Milton Sills Anna Bergen Dorothy Mackaill Alastair de Vries Gladden James "Fatty" Fargo Jed Prouty Means Sidney Bracey Lavoris Smythe Gertrude Howard Baby Meyers Marion Byron Howard Donegan George Fawcett Judge of the Court William Holden District Attorney Frank Reicher Governor of the Island August Tollaire Chinatown Nights Tong W ar Melodrama With Talk (Reviewed by Freddie Schader) WALLACE BEERY is the star of this production with Florence Vidor featured. Quite a combination and it should pull a little at the box office. It is, from a story view-point just another twist to the "Mammie Rose" story that was written by Owen Kildare, now dead. This version of the Chinatown tale was written by Samuel Ornitz, ami William Wellman directed it. It i mil and oul melodrama, of the type thai Al Woods produced in the days of the Stair and Havlin Circuit, in fact one can almost see the glaring paper of "King of the Opium King" in the shadows behind this picture. But it is strictly box office and as such, with its being a 109 per cent talker, it will gel dough anywhere. Chinatown Nights (Continued) Wallace Beery in the role of Chuck Riley is the boss of one faction of Chinamen in Chinatown. Boston Charlie, a Chinaman, heads the other faction. Both want to be regarded as supreme rulers of all the Chinatowns in America. They are right on the edge of a tong war on the night that the story opens. As a rubberneck bus pulls into the Oriental section of the city a Chinaman of one of the factions falls dead before the bus. It wasn't heart failure either that caused him to keel over. The sightseers get out of the bus but when they are told to pile back and get out they all scramble with the exception of a society girl, Joan Fay, played by Florence Vidor. She was "rubbering" in company Avith a society man who was slightly soused and he went off and left her behind. She starts in upbraiding Chuck and then starts to walk away, but just at that moment Chuck sees that there is a little gunplay coming off and he shoves her in a doorway. The result is that she is compelled to say in his rooms overnight, before he thinks it is safe for her to depart. The next night she is right back again, this time Avith another girl and two men. She catches sight of Chuck as he is about to enter the Chinese theatre and follows him in with her friends, and in taking her seats they manage to break up a protection plan that had been worked out by each leader. The result is that a shooting comes off, and when the smoke is cleared, Chuck has been wounded, a couple of Chinamen bumped off, and this time the society girl follows the Chinatown white Ih>>s to his home with the result that she lives with him from then on renouncing her society associates. He treats her rough and boy she likes it. Finally when she interferes with his business, which is running a joint and making war on the opposing tong, he turns her out of doors. She had thought that she could reform him, but evidently she was a failure at her self set job. In the end, however, she comes back to Chuck and he smashes up his joint, retires from Chinatown and goes uptown with his society sweetheart. It's a lotta hoke, but it's the kinda hoke that they like. In the east with Beery and Miss Vidor are Warner Gland, who makes an admirable Chinaman; Little Jack McHugh who turns in a really good performance in a kid role; and Jack Oakie as a stuttering reporter makes good. Drawing Power: It'll get them in any neighborhood and the names of Beery and Florence Vidor together should pull. Nothing too rough in it for any audience. Produced and distributed by Paramount. Length, 7,081 feet. Running time an hour and twenty minutes. Released March 23, 1929. Story by Samuel Ornitz. adapted by Oliver 11. P. Garrett. Dialog by William B. Jutto. Directed by William Wellman. THE CAST Chuck Riley Wallace Beery Joan Fay Florence Vidor Boston Charlie Warner Oland The Shadow Jack McHugh The Reporter Jack Oakie Woo Chung Tetsu Komai Gambler Frank Chew Maid ., Mrs. Wing: Bartender Peter Morrison Gerald Freeman Wood.