Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

44 MOTION PICTURE HERALD May 9 , 19 3 1 Mother Goose Melodies ( Columbia — Disney) Great Walt Disney has done a most unusual piece of work in this "Silly Symphony" number. There is indicated a great step forward technically, in animation and synchronization, in addition to excellent subject material, clever animated ideas, and rapidity of action. There is almost the illusion of real life in some of the figures, so fine is the animation. Many well known Mother Goose rhymes are included with the stories neatly running together. Old King Cole is featured, and Little Jack Horner is present as well. The youngsters will devour this and ask for more, and the elderly children will enjoy it hugely. By all means do not miss it. It is great. — Running time, 9 minutes. Chasing trouble (RKO Pathe) Fair Laughs The idea in this comedy is good for a number of laughs, though it is by no means new. Franklin Pangborn, as the husband, arrives home from a year's trip a day ahead of time. He surprises his wife, and is himself surprised when he is put to work at housecleaning. This should strike the right spot with numbers of home folks. The wife's bridge partners arrive with their children, complicating things for hubby. Dot Farley does well as the wife and Junior Coghlan does a fine job as' the mischievous youngster. — Running time, 21 minutes. Taking Chances ( Vitaphone) No Good Reason Billy Wayne and Thelma White are responsible for the acting, but it isn't all their fault. Billy comes out of the hospital after his arrival from the foot of his girl's father, and returns to the mansion dressed as a maid. The two are set to elope when the old man arrives on the scene. Back to the hospital, of course. Short is too illogical, continuity weak, and decidedly too few laughs. — Running time, 10 minutes. Wild West of Today (Fox) Magnificent Photography C. W. Herbert was the master photographic hand at the camera in this splendid number of the Magic Carpet series. Panchomatic stock is used with distinguished result. The sequences, filmed in the Wyoming mountains have almost the realistic quality of the etching. There is great interest in the picturization of new methods of herding and grazing. Much praise for cameraman Herbert on an exceptional bit of work. — Running time, 8 minutes. The Grand Dame (Vitaphone) Fine The musical comedy player. Patsy Kelly, has the effective lead in this number, when as the gunman's girl she breaks into a confidence game, believing it to be high society. Plenty of laughs, and the manner in which she casually lets fall the smart remarks throughout is vastly amusing. Good. — Running time, 8 minutes. Happy Days in the Tyrol (Fox) Odd A yodeling contest in the Bavarian Alps, in which old and young take part, forms number three of the new "Magic Carpet of Movietone" series. Not too much dialogue and what there is, is in German, appropriately. Different from the usual run of shorts and most interesting to anyone. — Running time, 8 minutes. The Pageant of Siann (Fox) Interesting Also of the Magic Carpet series, and this time devoted to Bangkok and the Siamese. The scenes are not particularly unusual, nor are they new, having been shown in other shorts of this type, but the use of natural sound recording makes them a bit different and therefore newly interesting. Buddhist temples, the king's palace, the sacred white elephants and varied scenes of the people and their customs make splendid material for any audience. — Running time, 9 minutes. Laugh It Off (Paramount) Not Particularly A feminine, but very deep voice emanates from June McCloy in what is supposed to be a comedy affair, but therein it fails badly. She becomes a nurse and gives the soldier patients a treat. The music is anything but new, and her voice hardly gets across in lullaby attempts. Howard Bretherton directed. No good reason for this. — Running time, 9 minutes. Wild Life on the Veldt (Fox) Interesting Africa Photographed on the preserves of the Government of South Africa, this number of the Magic Carpet group shows natives of the African jungle animal tribes in their daily lives. It is understood that the cameraman travelled much the same territory covered in the filming of "Trader Horn." Good material and, of course, as an animal number, of great general appeal. — Running time, 8 minutes. Bosco's Holiday (Vitaphone) Amusing The Looney Tune featured player, Bosco the animated cartoon star, has a great deal of fun himself, and pleases the audience generally with his antics. This number is no exception. Clever drawings, though the story, of course, means little or nothing. Good for a light spot almost anywhere. — Rujining time, 7 minutes. Peeps at Peking (M-G-M) Fine There is great general appeal in this Burton Holmes number, in which intimate flashes are shown of various spots in the capital of China. The audience will be amused and pleased with sequences indicating the peculiar customs and habits of the native families. Good for any type of bill or audience. — Running time, 10 minutes. The Troubadour (Vitaphone) Excellent Another of the Martinelli series, and the Metropolitan Opera star is in fine voice. The numbers are somewhat lighter than previous subjects of the series, which increases the appeal. A dance interlude, splendidly rendered, rounds out the short most effectively. Of a high type, but generally appealing. — Running time, 7 minutes. The World at Prayer (Fox) Striking The cameraman moves over the world, showing various peoples in their native countries at their religious devotions. Pictured are the Miracle at Lourdes, France; the muezzin summoning the Mohammedan to his daily prayers, in the Far East ; rabbis chanting the ceremonial religious hymns in New York temples ; Bavarians firing muskets as the call to services, and the Episcopal church ceremony in New York's St. Thomas'. Decidedly worth playing. — Running time, 8 minutes. Down to Damascus (Fox) Interesting The somewhat strange life of the Near East, with its oddity of custom and tradition, its color and clamor, etched in a setting of. narrow, crooked streets which wind through the city, make a fascinating picture to the modern of the M^estern world. Here, too, natural sound is used, which in reproducing the voice of the street peddler, and the noise of the street, does much to add to the reality and effectiveness of the subject. A splendid number. — Running time, 8 minutes. Sitting Pretty (Vitaphone) Just Fair The flagpole sitter is the theme of this comedy number, which had good possibilities, and numerous good gag lines, but was disastrously damaged by the too frequent and obnoxious use of the word "fanny." This fault only succeeds in making the short a crude comedy, hardly presentable before children. — Running time, 8 minutes. The King's Armada (Fox) Unusually Fine Here is the first number of Fox's new short series of 26, "The Magic Carpet of Movietone." Great Britain's splendid Mediterranean fleet forms the central feature of the short subject, and the sequence is unusual and of exceptional quality, being a most excellent naval scene. Natural color adds much to the effectiveness, aided by a musical accompaniment from a portion of the Roxy orchestra, directed by Erno Rapee. — Running time, 9 minutes. Giants of the Jungle (Fox) Great Appeal Another Magic Carpet number, and your audiences should without doubt get a great kick out of it. Elephants in their native habitat, and they make unusually fine actors. A pachydermic picture which is highlighted by a sequence showing the great beasts bathing in a nearby river at the end of the day. The appeal is unlimited. Any audience will enjoy it. — Running time. 8 minutes. Silly Scandals (Paramount) \ Neat In this Talkertoon number little Bimbo enjoys himself hugely and so should the audience. Of course, it is all silliness, in common with the others of the series, but it is also very amusing. Max Fleischer, cartoonist, has added color carefully, which increases the eflPectiveness to a marked degree. — Running time, 6 minutes.