Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD June 13. 1931 The Two-Gun Man (Tiffany) Western Ken Maynard is a rough-riding, straightshooting and fighting cowboy in this Western. As in others of this star's pictures, his horse, Tarzan, plays an important part. Ken and his pal, Lafe McKee, come to the range to help the small cattlemen in a fight with a powerful syndicate. They hire out as two-gun men to protect the ranch from the depredations of the syndicate's desperadoes. When the ranch foreman is murdered after surprising the crooked foreman bent on sabotage, suspicion fastens on Ken. He makes his getaway and robs the syndicate office to get evidence that the crooked foreman and murderer is on the company payroll. Maynard is revealed as a United States marshal. The picture is highlighted by a fistfight in the saloon between Maynard and Tom London, several horseback chases and much shooting. Comedy is supplied by Lafe McKee. Running time, 63 minutes. Release date. May 15, 1931. Produced and distributed by Tiffany. From the story by John F. Natteford. Adaptation by Earle SnelL Directed by Phil Rosen. Photography by Arthur Reed. Rebound (Pathe) Comedy-Drama It is inevitable that "Rebound'' will draw comparisons to the sensationally successful "Holiday." The two stories have much in common; in fact, "Rebound" might be called a sequel in the general theme of marital problems. Much the same kind of characters move through both pictures. "Rebound" gets off to a flying start as a high comedy. The many characters are introduced as they come down to breakfast on the last morning of a house party. We meet in turn Ina Claire, her sister, Hedda Hopper, sister's husband, Leigh Allen, a millionaire business man. Hale Hamilton, a not-so-wealthy young chap, Robert Ames, who is engaged to Myrna Loy, and a struggling architect, Robert Williams. Ina is secretly in love with Williams, who is leaving for Paris. She sees him off and he sails without making the declaration of love she hopes to hear. Meeting Ames for lunch, Ina learns Myrna Loy has broken her engagement to marry the millionaire Hamilton. Ina and Ames console one another and, both being on the "rebound" from other loves, they marry. They are in Paris on the occasion of the aninversary of their first month of marriage. Ina is very much in love with her husband and plans a little celebration. But Ames get drunk with Myrna Loy, whom he chances to meet, and is several hours late in returning. It is the beginning of a series of such neglects. Ina sincerely attempts to laugh herself out of caring but finds even the sympathy and attentions of Williams are not consolation enough for the loss of Ames' love. In a highly dramatic scene she tells Ames just what their marriage has done to her and of her resolution to divorce him that she may regain her self respect. A reconciliation is achieved only after she has filed divorce action. This happy ending comes as somewhat of an anti-climax. The preview audience seemed thoroughly to enjoy the gay comedy of the opening sequences but was a bit restless during the latter dramatic moments, comment being that the closing scenes seemed overlong. "Rebound" is something in the nature of a triumph for Ina Claire. It will be remembered she played the piece on the local stage somewhat as a gesture (Shanghai, of course) to the motion picture industry after her comparative failure in her first talking film venture. Her appearance on the Hollywood stage led to a number of things. Pathe bought "Rebound" for Ann Harding, Ina Claire was signed by Paramount for "The Royal Family" and finally, when Miss Harding refused the "Rebound" lead, Claire returned to Pathe to play Sara. It was to be expected that she would enact the role as though she enjoyed it. She does. Robert Ames contributes a straight-forward portrayal. Robert Williams' lighter comedy reading brought more favorable audience response than his other work. There is a memorable moment with Louise Closser Hale as the mother and there are some others with Walter Walker as the father. The rest of the cast have little more than bit assignments. The original dialogue done in the usual manner of Donald Ogden Stewart has been adapted by Horace Jackson. The direction of Edward H. Griffith was considered on a par with his handling of "Holiday." Produced and distributed by RKO-Pathe. From the play by Dcnald Ogden Stewart. Screen play by Horace Jackson. Directed by Edward H. Griffith. Photographed by Norbert Brodine. Edited by Dan Mandell. Length, 6,750 feet. Running time (preview), 75 minutes. THE CAST Sara Ina Claire Bill Robert Ames Evie Myrna Loy Johnny Robert Williams Liz Hedda Hopper Lyman Hale Hamilton Mr. Jaffrey Walter Walker Mrs. Jaffrey Louise Closser Hale Les Leigh Allen Hush Money (Fox) Melodrama A surprise ending has been added to a formula plot (the past-will-get-you-if-you-don'twatch-out formula) and the finished product titled "Hush Money." A few members of the preview audience left in the early reels, but not one during the later sequences. Joan Bennett is pictured as a young girl who, to avoid starvation, takes the easiest way. She is living with Owen Moore and with him working a genteel hold up racket when the whole gang runs afoul the law. To save himself, Moore turns state's evidence. On her release, Joan, with the help of a kindly cop, goes straight. She meets and is married to a young scion of wealth, Hardie .\lbright, without telling him of her past. Then there is a baby. Into this happy home comes Owen Moore, bent on collecting "hush money." He calmly walks out with Joan's jewels, including a necklace which she must wear that night in honor of her wedding anniversary. Joan appeals to her detective friend and he promises return of the jewels by six o'clock. To this end, he pits the old leader of the gang, who has just been released from prison, against Moore. This is achieved in a barber shop where the gang leader is having a scalp treatment for his thinning hair. He always has had that one vanity. The tip-off completed, the detective wanders in on the coroner and engages him in a game of checkers while awaiting news of the inevitable killing. The jewels are returned to Joan by the copper posing as a newspaper subscription solicitor. Joan Bennett completely unbends from the hauteur which sometimes characterizes her work. Her love scenes with Hardie Albright are highlighted by a tickling episode for which Sidney Lanfield, the director, shared in the applause. Owen Moore is his suave self as the crook and Douglas Cosgrove contributes a quiet portrayal of the detective. C. Henry Gordon is the gang leader and Myrna Loy has a small assignment. Running time, 72 minutes in preview in California. Release date, July 5. Produced and distributed by Fox. Associate pro ducer, A. L. Rockett. Scenario by Phillip Klein and Courtney Terrett. Dialogue by Ehidley Nichols. Directed by Sidney Lanfield. Photography by John Seitz. Sound engineer, E. C. Ward. CAST Janet Joan Bennett Stewart Elliot Hardie Albright Steve Owen Moore "Slow" Curtis Myrna Loy Curtis C. Henry Gordorr Don Emmett Douglas Cosgrove Maxie George Raft Puggrie Hugh White Flannigan George Byron Silvio Andre Cheron Bootlegger Henry Armetta Mr. Stockton George Irving Mrs. Stockton Nella Walker Miss Stockton Joan Castle Five and Ten (M-G-M) Drama Marion Davies, heretofore associated primarily with stories of a distinctly comedy nature, has a more dramatic role in "Five and Ten," adapted from the Fannie Hurst novel of the same name. The picture met with a receptive audience at the Belmont theatre in Hollywood, where it was previewed. Leslie Howard and Kent Douglass shared honors with Miss Davies, Douglass particularly winning approval. The story follows the book rather closely. It concerns the family of a multimillionaire five and ten cent store magnate, played by Richard Bennett. The family, hailing from Kansas City, tries to break into New York's Four Hundred via the money route, and with little success. Miss Davies falls in love with Howard, a blueblood. She arranges that his architectural talent be applied to planning the new skyscraper for her father. This permits her to be near him, but her efforts to win are at first unsuccessful. The mother, (played by Irene Rich) also finds that breaking into society is difficult, though she does receive the attentions of a fortune hunter, Theodore von Eltz, when her husband is too busy to go places with her. Miss Davies wins Howard's love but it's only for a short time, because Mary Duncan, Howard's former sweetheart, tells him that Miss Davies has bought his attentions with her money. Howard marries Miss Duncan though he still loves Miss Davies. At the dedication of the skyscraper Mis? Davies and Howard find themselves accidentally locked on the roof. All is quite proper but Howard's wife threatens a scandal suit unless she is given a large sum of money by Bennett. He is ready to pay, but Miss Davis stops the deal, saying she will take the disgrace rather than have her father pay blackmail. The mother has planned to elope with von Eltz, and Douglass, the son, despondent at the way his family has broken up, takes his plane aloft and intentionally crashes it. His act brings the family together at his deathbed. They go to Europe to forget their sorrows, but not before Howard at the dock has told Miss Davies that he is divorced and will be waiting for her. The audience did not seem to take kindly to the sad ending in Douglass's death, several commenting that it was not necessary. Robert Z. Leonard injected comedy touches in his direction. Produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. From the story by Fannie Hurst. Adaptation by A. P. Younger Continuity and dialogue by Edith Fitzgerald. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard. Photography by George Barnes. Sound engineer, Douglas Shearer. Film editor, Margaret Booth. CAST Jennifer Rarick Marion Davis Berry Rhodes Leslie Hoi.vard John Rarick Richard Bennett Jenny Rarick Irene Rich Avery Rarick Kent Douglass Muriel Presotn Mary Duncan