Motion Picture Herald (July-Aug 1935)

August24,l935 MOTIONPICTUREHERALD 55 $HOWk4EN*$ REVIEWS I Til This department deals with new product from the point of view of the exhibitor who is to purvey it to his own public Special Agent (Warner) Drama This is another version of the topical gangster-federal man theme, carrying the usual melodramatic, romantic contrast and only a modicum of comedy. By nature it is exciting, capitalizes on the usual suspense thread, condemning society's enemies to the "crime does not pay" tune and heroizing the defenders of law and order. While the mechanics of the drama follow the familiar path, a rather new motivating idea is adopted. This time, rather than having the killing of a G-Man as the spark that fires the Department of Justice into activity, the government coldly sets out to get its man. The checking of falsified income tax reports, counterparted in actuality and many fiction stories, is the idea that sets the action going. With Carston, the boss racketeer, in a role that somewhat parallels Al Capone, newspaper reporter Bradford, enjoying free and easy access to the underworld, falls in love with the gangster's secretary, Julie. When the government goes to work on Carston via the income tax route, Bradford comes into his own as a GMan. Appealing to Julie's patriotism and love for him, he prevails upon her to let him make photostatic pictures of incriminating pages. Carston, arrested, considers the case a formula push over until he discovers that his supposedly loyal secretary will testify against him. The gangster minions kidnap her, then follows the expected chase and gun battle in which most of the mobsters are wiped out and the way cleared for Carston to spend a few years in a federal penitentiary. Whatever demand there remains for the combination character picture dictates its showmanship treatment. Names of players appearing in conjunction with the title and vivid descriptions of the show's theme look to be th' most available commercial angles. — McCarthv Hollywood. Produced and distributed by Warner Bros. A Cosmopolitan picture. Directed by William Keighley. Assistant director, Chuck Hansen. Photographed by Sid Hickox. Art director, Esdras Hartley. Musical director, Leo F. Forbstein. Screen play by Laird Doyle and Abem Finkel. Story idea by Martin Mooney. Film editor, Clarence Kouster. Running time, when seen in Hollywood, 75 minutes. Release date, September 14, 1935. General audience classification. CAST Juhe Gardener Bette Davis Bill Bradford George Brent Carston Ricardo Cortez Andrews Jack LaRue District Attorney Henry O'Neill Armitage Robert Strange Chief of Police Joseph Crehan Diirell J. Carroll Naish Rich Joseph Sauers Young William Davidson Head of Internal Rev. Dept Robert Barrat Secretary to District Attorney Paul Guilfoyle Wilson Joseph King U. S. District Attorney Irving Piche' Honours Easy dian, makes a very small part one of the features of the film. The dramatic values are artificial, so that "strong" episodes appear forced, but the acting and finish of individual scenes is superior to that of a lot of British work. William Barton, a prosperous art dealer in London, is obsessed with the desire to avenge an injury received many years before from Sir Henry Markham, then his employer. Markham's son Harry is now employed by Barton. A typist steals £500 in notes from the office safe and Barton hides his knowledge of her guilt in order to plant the theft on the boy. The fact that he is the only individual but Barton to know the safe combination, and other circumstantial evidence, point to the boy. Barton, staying with Markham for the weekend, allows it to be known that he has discharged Harry and more or less openly admits to Markham his intention of disgracing the boy publicly. The father tries to establish an alibi by discovering all the details of his son's movements on the evening of the theft. There is a gap of an hour ; Harry has actually spent it at a road-house with Barton's wife, though only for the purpose of breaking off an intrigue with her out of loyalty to his fiancee, Ann. The fact that the boy has been summoned for speeding enables the father to discover, through the police, that he went to the road-house. The landlord, summoned to Markham's house, lets the cat out of the bag by his recognition of Mrs. Barton as the lady guest. Greta Nissen, Ivan Samson, Patric Knowles and Berry are the best of the cast. — Allan, London. Produced by British International Pictures, Ltd. Distributed by Associated British Pictures, Ltd. From the story by Roland Pertwee. Scenario by Herbert Brenon and Norman Watson. Directed by Herbert Brenon. Photography, Bryan Langley. Running time, 60 minutes. "A" classification. CAST Ursula Greta Nissen Ann Margaret Lockwood Kate Chili (Dorothy) Bouchier Harry Markham Patric Knowles William Harton Ivan Samson Sir Henry Markham Robert Rendel Col. Bagnall George Graves Joe Budd W. H. Berry Top Hat (Associated British Pictures) Drama Direction by Herbert Brenon and the appearance of Greta Nissen in a leading role are assets of this adaptation of a Roland Pertwee story. W. H. Berry, famous British stage come ( Radio ) Musical Previous pictures teaming Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from "Flying Down to Rio" to "The Gay Divorcee" having established a vogue for the pair, "Top Hat" consolidates that public interest and its relative entertainmentshowmanship value to the maximum degree. The picture is a sparkling concoction of dancing, singing and comedy romance set against pretentious backgrounds. It offers much to intrigue popular attention. Astaire's solo dancing is a treat ; so are his numbers with Ginger Rogers. There are five songs for which Irving Berlin contributed the music and lyrics, including Astaire's solo, "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails ;" his song-dance duet with Miss Rogers, "Cheek to Cheek," and the spectacular ensemble feature "Piccolino," perhaps destined to be the successor to "Carioca" and "The Continental." Though the cast is small, it provides all that is necessary to carry the semi-farce comedy romance motivation which has the leads tossed into a mistaken identity love affair. There's no drama ; that quality being present only to a minor degree in a little suspense that is given a continual comedy twist. The picture moves with speed and charm. While it is evident from the identity of the stars that it is going to be a dance specialty musical comedy, the contrasting features are smartly woven into the story thread in a manner that convinces that they actually belong there and are not merely inserted as stopgaps. Travers comes to London to appear in Harwick's show. Practicing his dancing in his hotel room, he first annoys Dale Tremont, then meets her and they fall in love. She gets the idea that Jerry is Harwick, husband of her pal, Madge. As Bates' comedy in situations with his master Hardwick add spice to the yarn, Dale runs away to Venice to avoid trouble with Madge, who is rather thrilled to think that her husband is having a fling. Jerry follows. He tries to continue his romance, but gets the cold shoulder until Dale, who is being trailed by Bates, thinks she marries the he-modiste Alberto whose motto is "a kiss for the ladies, a sword for the men." In the climax, following the "Piccolino," it is revealed that the marriage was not legitimate, having been performed by Bates ; that Jerry and Hardwick are a couple of other fellows, much to Dale's delight. Because of the prestige they have established, Astaire and Rogers, together with the production in its entirety, are the dominating interest creating and selling features. As the picture is continually clean, there being no semblance of any risque situations, it is one that can be offered to specialized and general audiences in the full confidence that it will amuse. — McCarthy, Hollywood. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio. Produced by Pandro S. Berman. Directed by Mark Sandrich. Words and music by Irving Berlin. Screen play by Dwight Taylor and Allan Scott. Story by Dwight Taylor. Musical director, Ma.x Steiner. Gowns by Bernard Newman. Photographed by I>avid Abel. Photographic effects by Vernon Walker. Ensembles staged by Hermes Pan. Art director. Van Nest Polglase. Associate, Carroll Clark. Set dressing by Thomas Little. Recorded by Hugh McDowell, Jr. Music recorded by P. J. Faulkner, Jr. Sound cutter, George Marsh. Edited by William Hamilton. Running time, when seen in Hollywood, 102 minutes (to be cut). Release date, September 6, 1935. (General audience classification. CAST Jerry Travers Fred Astaire Dale Tremont Ginger Rogers Horace Hardwick Edward Everett Horton Madge Helen Broderick Alberto Erik Rhodes Bates Eric Blore Way Down East (20th-Fox) Melodrama "^^'ay Down East" has long been considered the great American melodrama. Here, retaining all the intensity of its essential tender emotional appeal, it is endowed with all the advantages made possible by the scope of modern picture making art and understanding production technique. This condition almost automatically guaranteeing its entertainment worth is also indicative of its showmanship-exploitation availability. A melodrama, but not melodramatic, the motivating story is heart-appealing in character. (.Continued on page 5S) i