Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

28 MOTION PICTURE HERALD June 13, 1931 flBS lillll iliiilikijiiiliuililiihi Jli [)/4$$INe IN REVIEW This department does not attempt to predict the public's reactions to pictures. It does, instead, present detailed and accurate information on product, together with the frank and honest opinion of the reporter. The Squaw Man (M-G-M) Melodrama The production of "The Sqiiaiv Man" by Cecil B. DcMillc, in its talking version for MGM, here reviewed, marks an interesting cycle of the motion picture art. One day in 1913 Jesse Lasky, Artlinr Friend, Samuel Goldivyn and Mr. DcMille zvent in a diffident delectation to Edwin Milton Royle, the author of the then famous play, to see the papers signed on the motion picture rights. They had staked a then tremendous five thousand dollars on that story, a thousand in cash and a thousand now-and-thcn. if when and as. They decoyed Dustin Farnum into an agreement to play the title role, offering a quarter interest in the project. Mr. Farnum decided on $5,000 in real money. Wcstzvard went Mr. DeMille and Mr Farnum, bound for Flagstaff, Arizona, chosen as their location. They got off' the train, looked at Flagstaff and fled ivcstzvard to Hollywood where they rented a barn for a studio. The barnyard became the famous "f-asky Lot." And from "The Squaw Man" grew the great production machine that is now the W est Coast Paramount plant. The first version of "The Sqiiaw Man" had frame line and sprocket hole trouble, and the humorously jovial Sigmund Lubin of Philadelphia and the General Film Company saved the young company by making the prints. Cecil B. DeMille, who directed the silent version of "The Squaw Man," is again the director of this familiar story as it appears in the all-talking form, with the action in places giving way to dialogue. The picture was seen in preview at the Alexander theatre in Glendale. The preview audience showed that it considered the production entertaining. The story starts in England and gathers momentum after it shifts to America. Warner Baxter as a young English officer is in love with Eleanor Boardman, wife of Paul Cavanaugh. Baxter hides his love and decides to go to America to be out of the way. Before sailing, however, he learns that Cavanaugh has misappropriated some charity funds. Baxter assumes the guilt. On a ranch in the wild and wooly West, Baxter makes his home, and he spends his time protecting his rights against Cash Hawkins (Charles Bickford) and his associates. It is in a battle with Bickford that Baxter comes to the aid of an Indian girl (Lupe Valez), and she in turn saves Baxter's life by shooting Hawkins when he goes to kill Baxter. Miss Valez, now a fugitive from justice, seeks shelter at Baxter's ranch. After a lapse of several years, in which Cavanaugh has been mortally injured in a fall from a horse we find Miss \"alez married to Baxter, and he has the name of "Squaw Man.' Miss Boardman and her brother Roland Young, come to the Baxter ranch and find Baxter is the father of a young boy (Dickie Moore) . The sheriff discovers that Miss Valez is the one who killed Hawkins, and comes to take her to jail. She escapes to the mountains. Baxter plans to send Dickie back to England to be educated by Miss Boardman and her brother. Miss Valez returns and when she learns that she cannot break up the plans for Dickie she kills herself. Miss Valez as the Indian maid is shown maintaining the same broken English through her years as the wife of Baxter. Produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. From the play written by Edwin Milton Royle. Screen play by Lucien Hubbard and Lenore Coffee. EHalogue by Elsie Janis. Directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Photography by Harold Rosson. Film editor, Anne Bauchens. CAST James Wyngate Warner Baxter Naturich Lupe Velez Diana Eleanor Boardman Cash HawkinSj Charles Bickford Sir John Roland Young Henry Paul Cavanagh Shorty Raymond Hatton Mrs. Jones JuUa Faye Sheriff Hardy DeWitt Jennings Big Bill J. Farrell McDonald r^ittle Hal Dickie Moore Tabywana Mitchell Lewis Andy Victor Potel Grouchy Frank Rice Dowager Lady Kerhill Eva Dennison Babs Lillian Bond Shanks Luke Cosgrave Clark Frank Hagnev General Stafford Lawrence Grant This Modern Age (M-G-M) Comedy-Drama A cast of wellknown leads has turned out MGM's "This Modern Age" under the direction of Nicholas Grinde. Joan Crawford plays the difficult role of the pla.vgirl who has Paris for her playground, and Marjorie Rambeau is her mother. The two like their good times and are "Girls Together," which was the title of the Mildred Cram story upon which the picture is based. Monroe Owsley, irresponsible young American, is infatuated with Miss Crawford, but she, after an auto accident in Owsley's car, meets Neil Hamilton and falls madly in love with him. She meets Hamilton's sedate and conventional parents (Hobart Bosworth and Emma Dunn) and they take to her, as she has given up her fast life and friends. \yith the marriage plans set, his parents are invited to her home and meet her mother. All is well until Owsley and the old crowd comes on the scene and proceeds to make merry. The mother's sweetheart (Armand Kaliz) also appears. The result is that Joan and Neil break their engagement because of the mother's friends. Joan decides to return to the old life and tells him that she will join him in the trip to Normandy that he so long has desired. They make the trip but Owsley becomes conscience stricken when he sees that Joan is giving herself to him without loving him. He refuses to stay. Then she realizes his sincerity and her own love for him. As her mother arrives on the scene to break up the wild adventure she finds them being married. The audience registered that it found the first part of the picture much to its liking. Produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Story by Mildred Cram. Dialogue and continuity by Sylvia Thalberg and Frank Butler. Directed by Nicholas Grinde. Recording directoi-, Douglas Shearer. Art director, Cedric Giblxins. Photographed by Oiarles Dosher. CAST Valentme Joan Crawford Bob Neil Hamilton ''lane Marjorie Rombeau Tony Monroe Owsley Vouise, ■ Sandra Ravel Mr. Blake Hobart Bosvvorth Three Who Loved (RKO Radio) Problem Drama Audience reaction at the preview of this problem drama of "Three Who Loved" was moderately favorable. They appeared to consider the performances of the three principals — Betty Compson, Conrad Nagel and Robert Ames — as acceptable. The photography was criticized. The story, originally titled "Helga," tells of the love of a young bank teller (Conrad Nagel) for his girl from the old country (Betty Compson). Nagel scrapes and saves to send her passage money and after her arrival he concentrates all his resources on building the home that is to be hers after their marriage in the new country. That she may not be lonseome while he is devoting his time to his business, he encourages her friendship with his best friend (Robert Ames), fellow teller in the bank. Betty grows to care for Ames and he, not adverse to a clandestine affair, accepts the love of the girl. Nagel has been playing the stock market and on the day that he makes his first payment to the building contractors his brokers call for additional margin. To cover, Nagel "borrows" $10,000 from the till. The same evening he discovers Betlv's love for Ames and is told she intends to marry his friend. But Ames is of a different mind. A casual affair he regards as amusing, but marriage is something else, so he departs, bag and baggage. The shortage is discovered at the bank and Ames is suspected. Nagel permits things to take their course and Ames is sentenced to prison. Several years pass, with Nagel sensationally successful financially. Betty has been a good wife but secretly she still loves Ames. And Nagel's crime weighs upon his mind continuously. Ames escapes, makes his way to their home and demands protection from Betty, at the same time admitting that he never loved her. Nagel, learning of the escape, decides to confess, calls the police, and surrenders. Ames attempts a getaway and is shot, but Nagel is still determined to face the consequences of his theft. As he is arrested, Betty assures him of all her love and pledges him that she will await his release from the penitentiary. Important assignments in the cast are handled by Robert Emmett O'Connor, again cast as a detective, and by Dickie Moore, youngster who scored in "Seed" and "Passion Flower." George Archainbaud directed the picture, which ran 78 minutes in preview. Produced and distributed by Radio Pictures. Associate producer, Bertram Millhauser. Adaptation and continuity by Buelah Marie Dix from the story by Martin Flavin. Dialogue by Buelah Marie Dix. Photography by Nick Musuraca. Sound engineer, Clem Partman. Directed by George Archainbaud. Art director. Max Ree. CAST Helga Betty Compson John Conrad Nagel Phil Robert .\jnes Rooney Robert Emmett O'Connor -^nnie Bodil Rosing Sonny Dickie Moore