Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1930)

September 13, 19 3 0 Motion Picture News 55 Opinions On Pictures Billy, The Kid (M-G-M) Spotty (Reviczvcd by Bill Crouch) AUDIENCES that like lots of action, hard riding and plenty of shooting will enjoy this talker which endeavors to relate the story *f the famous bandit who killed 25 men, one for each year of his life. Taken from the book "The Saga of Billy, the Kid," King Vidor has carefully brought out the highspots in the life of the gunman. Naturally, the story is very episodic and suffers from this considerably as there is little to hold the piece together and one wonders at times what it is all about. The best part of the picture is the scenic background. Taken in the beautiful mountain country of Arizona, the shots have rarely been equalled. In M-G-M's new "Realife" wide screen process, the film should be impressive. The title role of the talker is played by Johnny Mack Brown, who does the best work of his career. He lacks, however, the "toughness" that must have been characteristic of the real Billy. This failing makes some parts of the picture a trifle unconvincing. The story opens with the arrival of Tunston and McSween (Wyndham Standing and Russell Simpson) in the territory "governed" by Hatfield (Nelson McDowell). Despite Hatfield's orders that the Englishmen move on, they decide to settle in the valley. It is then the feud starts which eventually costs the lives of many men, including Tunston, McSween and their party. "Billy, the Kid" is caught stealing cattle and is about to be hanged by Tunston and his party when the rancher decides that Billy would be an acquisition to his forces. He lets him go free. Billy is devoted to his master and, when Tunston is killed in an open fight with Ballinger (Warner P. Richman), one of Hatfield's henchmen, and his gang, the Kid decides to kill every man who took part in the fight. Tunston, at the time, was en route to the church where he was to marry Kay -Johnson. Billy admires her and wants to avenge the killing of Tunston for her sake, she, however, cannot become reconciled to the fact that Billy is a murderer. Shortly after Tunston's murder, McSween and his men with Billy are trapped in the McSween home. Wallace Beery, as sheriff, demands that McSween give himself up for committing a crime which he did not do. The boys, however, decide to fight it out with the sheriff's men and even after several days when McSween goes out to surrender and is killed, Hatfield's men refuse to quit. Finally the ambushed house is set afire and the men are forced to brave the guns of the Hatfield gang. Only three escape alive. Billy, the last to leave, shoots his way clear and escapes. General Lew Wallace then decides to take a hand and stop the feud. He calls for Billy, the Kid. telling him that he will not be convicted. They discuss a treaty. Billy, however, figures he will take the law in his own hands and goes into hiding. However, Beery and his men trap him in a cave and he has to surrender. In the county jail, Billy tricks Beery and gets away. It is upon returning to the town; to see Miss Johnson, that he is trapped and shot by Beery, whom he intentionally misses, because the latter has been on the level with him. Billy dies in Miss Johnson's arms. The love interest which was so evident in a preview showing will be left out in the final cutting, making the story one that deals strictly with the escapades of the Kid. Lots of action and gunplay feature the talker which, in the main, is a wild and woolly western. The characters are especially well drawn. Service! Reviews of the majority of features reacmng Broadway's screens appear in MOTION PICTURE NEWS many weeks before their initial appearance on New York's main stem. Theatre owners keeping a close touch on new product, particularly New York premiers, will find the chart below an aid in ascertaining dates of issues in which THE NEWS reviewed productions in the group of current openings: REVIEW PRODUCTION DATE Big Boy July 26 Call of the Flesh -July 12 (Reviewed as: Singer of Seville) Dixiana July 26 Follow Thru May 24 Good News April 12 Leathernecking Sept. 6 Last of the Duanes July 12 On Your Back July 26 Sea God August 30 Squealer This Issue Sweet Kitty Bellairs This Issue Storm Over Asia This Issue Three Faces East June 21 Consult the Release Chart, last section in this issue, for complete list of features released in current months, together with MOTION PICTURE NEWS review dates and other important data. Wallace Beery as the sheriff plays the role in a manner that convinces. The characters portrayed by Standing, Simpson, Roscoe Ates, Richmond and Karl Dane are exceptionally well acted. Miss Johnson and Blanche Frederici are most capable, although they have very little to do. Ates and Dane have comedy roles that are well played. Director King Vidor has brought out the more important parts of the Kid's life convincingly, but lack of a story to hold the various episodes together does real damage to the picture. It would have been better boxoffice, perhaps, to have woven a love story into the talker at the risk of being less authentic. As it is now the audience will fail to find reasons for many of the happenings. Musical shorts, cartoons, etc., will fit in here. Produced and distributed by M-G-M. From the story, "The Saga of Billy, the Kid," by Walter Noble Burns. Directed by King Vidor. Continuity by Wanda Tuchock. Dialogue by Lawrence Stallings and Charles McArthur. Photographed by Gordon Avril. Edited by Hugh Winn. Length, not set. Running time, about 100 minutes. Release date, Oct. 25. THE CAST Billy John Mack Brown Garrett Wallace Beery Claire Kav Johnson Swenson Karl Dane Tunston Wyndham Standing McSween Russell Simpson Mrs. McSween Blanche Frederici Old Stuff Roscoe Ates Ballinger Warner P. Richmond Donovan James Marcus Hatfield Nelson McDowell Brewer Jack Carlyle Butterworth John Beck Liliom (Fox) Distinquished and Dubious (Reviewed by Red Kami) NOT an easy one to figure. "Liliom," a fine talker version of Franz Molnar's play of the same name, is in many ways a distinguished picture and a production that reflects great credit on Fox, Frank Borzage and the industry. Yet, and despite what might appear to be an attempt to evade the issue, here is a picture which, because of story conception and treatment, is a tough hombre to figure out. This reviewer's suggestion is that the exhibitor take a peek at it himself in order to determine in his own mind whether the public will bite. Not that "Liliom" is lacking in merit. Rather is the reverse the truth. The direction is able, the performances splendid and the production values excellent. It is the story thread, treatment of which envisions for the audience the author's conception of heaven with a bit of hell thrown in, that precipitates the doubt. So far as memory recalls, the public has never had such an experience. Whether it will accept it in that full seriousness the delicacy of the drama demands is something which speculation cannot dispel, but which actual audience reaction can. The Molnar play concerns the love of Julie, a Hungarian servant girl, for Liliom, merrygo-round barker in a Budapest amusement park. They fascinate each other and finally marry. Liliom attempts to break away from the influence of the side show and Madame Muskay, never actually demonstrated to be one of Liliom's flames although the intimation is made clear. The conflict waged by the two women for Liliom is eventually won by Julie, symbolism stressing the conquest of the pure love over the illicit. Liliom, never having been a good provider, is spurred into action when he discovers Julie is to have a baby. He eventually submits to the undermining influence of the Buzzard and, together, they plan to rob a bank cashier, half of the money to go to Liliom so that he might take Julie to America. But the plan miscarries and Liliom, rather than be caught, stabs himself with the knife which was to kill the cashier. He dies and is carried by a celestial express to heaven. On board, he meets the Chief Magistrate, pleads for another chance and is given that chance after spending ten years in the purifying — presumably— fires of hell. So back to earth goes Liliom, hungry to do something that will make his wife and daughter happy. The girl naturally doesn't know him and, therefore, resents Liliom's frantic pleadings for permission to enter her garden. Exasperated eventually and demonstrating that promises of reformation are empty, he slaps her and is returned to the heavenly special where the Chief Magistrate convinces him that the best deed he can perform for his family is to leave them with their cherished memories. The latter half of the picture is highlv imaginative and handled with considerable deftness and charm. The dialogue between Liliom and the Magistrate is clever and subtle — perhaps too much so for the mob. As a matter of fact, the entire film is replete with lovely touches keyed in the tempo that did so much to distinguish "Seventh Heaven." It seemed, however, that in some earlier passages the placid touch which Borzage usually gives to his work missed fire. In point of performance, Rose Hobart, as Julie, and Lee Tracy, as the Buzzard, rate No. 1 and 2 with Charlie Farrell, as Liliom, the third and H. B. Warner, as the Chief Magistrate, a close runner-up for honors with Farrell, despite the comparative unimportance of Warner's -ole. Miss Hobart is new to the screen, having been recruited by Fox as a result of a splendid performance in "Devil Takes a Holiday," one of Broadway's stage successes of last season. She gives a beautiful performance, rich in restraint and sympathy. Not only has this newcomer plenty in looks, but she also has a finely timbred voice. Starring material here, no question. Farrell does extremely satisfying work, al