Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1932)

30 MOTION PICTURE H ERALD November 19, 1932 SHOWMEN'S REVIEWS hi This department deals with new product from the point of view of the exhibitor |||f'i||||||i iij||jiiiiil||jj<j|| ....w... KIUUUU ggaiiiiiiiiiBi!' who is to purvey it to his own public Central Park (First National) Comedy-Melodrama A cruel zoo keeper, a hungry boy and an equally hungry girl who meet and fall in love, a nearly blind policeman, an escaped lion and an escaped lunatic, society swells, gangsters, the glamour of a big charity ball in the famous Casino, a sensational holdup, hot dog concessionaires, platoons of motor cops, squads of screaming motorcycles and an electrifying oldtime "chase" in which almost everybody joins, a couple of killings and all the color of NewYork's renowned playground — these are the personalities, incidents and locale that go to make up "Central Park." They turn a five and ten-cent yarn, that more than once seems bound for nowhere, into a farcical comedy melodrama giving it romance, drama, pathos, thrills, terror, suspense and novelty that swept a preview audience into gales of laughter. And when they weren't bubbling over with glee, they were intrigued by its romance, stirred by its drama, thrills and terror, and impressed by its human interest. On top of it all they seemed to be amazed that such a hodge-podge yarn could turn eventually into such a coherent story. It didn't seem to make any difference to them that both the lion and the lunatic got lost in the shuffle. They seemed to be enjoying a film that was neither sophisticated nor a burlesque, but surely was entertainment. You will note that the running time is exceedingly short, which might indicate it was intended for straight program purposes. But the finished product gives the producing company something in the line of startlingly different entertainment. Maybe the cast doesn't feature any outstanding names that only need to be placed in the marquee to attract capacity houses, but where there is so much of all kinds of entertainment that average audiences appreciate that failing should make but little difference. "Central Park" is no mean title. And such names as Blondell, Ford, Kibbee, Walthall and Armetta are well known enough tc catch the fancy of theatre goers. More important than either, however, is the entertainment that is in the production. All of it crammed into 55 minutes' running time goes to make up a feature that properly sold to your patrons should bring the adults of both sexes in droves and provide the youngsters with a carnival of fun. — McCarthy, Hollywood. Produced and distributed by Warner-First National. Directed by John Adolfi. Screen play by Ward Morehouse and Earl Baldwin. Photographed by Sid Hickox. Release date, Dec. 10, 1932. Running time, 55 Minutes. CAST Dot Joan Blondell Rick Wallace Ford Charlie Guy Kibbee Eby , Henry B. Walthall Vivian Patricia Ellis Sgt. Riley Spencer Charters Smiley John Wray Nick Harold Huber Luke Charles Sellon Hot Dog Merchant Henry Armetta Barney William Pawley Also in the cast in bit parts for which the company gives no character credits are: Holmes Herbert, Willard Robertson, Harry Holman, Wade Boteler, Ed. LeSaint, Irving Bacon, William Davidson, George Collins, Lee Shumway, Harry Seymour and Jack Carlisle. THE concept of this department is that the exhibitor is concerned not with any critic's idea of "how good?" or "how poor?" but rather with the question of precisely what the product is and what is to be done with it when and as it is played. The exhibitor, in general, is concerned with the special aspects of strength and of weakness in the product, its appeals and shortcomings, that he may adequately deal with it when he becomes its sponsor to his public. These "review" pages aim to aid the exhibitor as the retailer of the merchandise concerned.—THE EDITOR. Uptown New York (World Wide) Dramatic Comedy In this semi-dramatic romance, human interest, made more vivid by clever Jack Oakie comedy in which he is ably aided by George Cooper, Henry Armetta and Lee Moran, is the outstanding feature. A double-edged romance is the underlying idea. Dr. Max Silver is in love with Pat, but does not dare marry outside the fold of his own race. Yet he always wants the girl. Oakie, dumb about love but smartly ambitious about his penny-in-the-slot gum-machine business, finally wakes up to the fact that the girl means everything in the world to him. At times, when the story tends to become too dramatic, the Oakie-Cooper-Armetta comedy lifts the suspense and starts the yarn off on a new task. Thus while retaining all the value of its dramatic moments, it forces the natural comedy which audiences expect from Oakie to stand out in startling contrast and give the picture that angle of human interest that is so much appreciated in screen romances. Clever direction, in which the expert handling of characters, sequences and dialogue stands out prominently, adds to the interest and gives the various phases of the picture a novel and easily understood coherence. The manner in which the romantic triangle is presented is quite unusual. It is evident that the romance between Dr. Silver and Pat is honest, and while audiences may figure that after he has married another girl he should forget the first, that angle is necessary in order to strengthen the relation between Oakie and Pat. The fact that the girl is so infatuated with the Doctor while Jack is trying so hard to be worthy of her and win her affections gives the story suspense, even after they are married, and when Dr. Silver performs an operation that fixes up her broken spine the audience is given another angle to consider. For straight showmanship purposes, it seems that the title "Uptown New York" is foreign to the theme. Nevertheless, there is a certain glamour that should stimulate the curiosity of theatre-goers. But probably the most effective way of capturing their interest will be through an advance campaign that stresses the cast names, with plenty of emphasis being placed upon Jack Oakie. His rising popularity should not be overlooked. Follow this line with angles that bring out the romance, drama and novel comedy. Remember that the recent World Wide releases, "The Crooked Circle" and "False Faces," have been better than ordinary entertainment and that this picture is in the same class. — McCarthy, Hollywood. Produced by KBS for World Wide and distributed by Educational. Story by Vina Delmar. Continuity and adaptation by Warren Duff. Photographed by Norbert Brodine. Directed by Victor Schertzinger. Release date, Nov. 27, 1932. Running time, 74 minutes. CAST Eddie Jack Oakie Pat Shirley Grey Max Leon Waycoff Al George Cooper Hotel clerk Lee Moran Papa Silver Alexander Carr Slot machine king Raymond Hatton Restaurant keeper Henry Armetta The Conquerors (RKO Radio) Romantic Drama From either viewpoint, the story it tells, or the way in which it is acted, "The Conquerors" is timely, valuable and unusual. In one great sweep it touches the low and high spots of American history from the time this country embarked on the building of the: western empire. Against a background that seems to be based on the premise, "America can and will," it is full of dramatic punches. "The Conquerors" shows off Richard Dix and Ann Harding to better advantage than any others of their latest pictures. The same may be said of Guy Kibbee and Edna May Oliver, a pair whom your audiences should do plenty of talking about as they leave the theatre. The history of the United States, to which is added the Dix-Harding romance, with Dix occupying a dual role, is the theme. The early pioneers across the Alleghanies, the building of the railroads, the wars, the panics, great personalities and great events,, great inventions all follow in sequence. Coming right down to modern times, treating men and events that are familiar to all but the youngest children, such as the World War and our part in it, the troops coming home, the after-war depression— a scene handled with graphic effect as the stock market rises amazingly, and then the crash. While to some there may seem to be a too liberal use of stock and newsreel shots, the events which these sequences treat add greatly to the glamour. The way in which they have been fitted into the complete picture forces them to tell much of the story by using actualities to emphasize the plot. "The Conquerors" is full of timely, interestcreating situations that make an easy task of building a real advance campaign. Once get over the idea that here is a vivid, romantic story of ourselves and the rest should be easy. The possibilities for sensational tieups with school, patriotic organization, civic group, merchant, and so on, are unlimited. It is that kind of picture that gives you every right to go to the mayor or governor and ask him to issue a proclamation urging the citizens to see it. The selling of this picture to patrons will be mainly a local issue. If you think you are a showman, "The Conqueror" is the kind of box