Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1929)

October 5 , 19, 1257 Opinions on Pictures The Trespasser 4 Knockout, A Knockout, A Knockout (Reviewed by Freddie Schader) A GLORIA more glorious than ever before in her long screen career — a Gloria who will be a revelation to her hundreds of film followers — a Gloria who is proving herself to be the greatest actress of the screen of all time — a Gloria who can at this minute step into a play on the legitimate stage and overnight become the sensation of the theatrical world, a sensation such as Leslie Carter was when she came to the fore under the banner of David Belasco in "Zaza." That is the Gloria Swanson of "The Trespasser." This is a picture — a talking picture to be sure — but a picture in the fullest sense of the word. It moves with astonishing speed, covering a terrific lot of ground but at no time does it leap great gaps except in a most logical manner. From the box office angle "The Trespasser" is going to be a knockout of a record breaker. In the days of the silent pictures Gloria . Swanson held the house record of the Rivoli. Today with "The Trespasser," if it goes into the Rivoli, which it may, she will undoubtedly again take the record of that theatre. A prediction is made herewith and that is that Gloria Swanson in "The Trespasser" will 'gross at least a quarter of a million dollars in a six-week run at that theatre. That's how strong "The Trespasser" is. The story has a tremendous wallop. It is going to make the picture a whale of a hit with the women. After the star has received a full measure of credit for the tremendous work that she does in the picture, Eddie Goulding is next in line when it comes to bestowing laurels for work done. He wrote the story, composed the theme song and directed the picture. And what a job he has done! It is a job that marks him with the foremost of writer-directors of the industry. It is direct as to story writing and direct as to its talking via the audible screen. Punch after punch comes as the story unfolds and when one believes that he is going to go in one direction there is always a twist from the commonplace, and these twists are what continue suspense which has the audience on the edge of its seats at all times. "The Trespasser" is an American "Madame Butterfly." We never knew "Madame Butterfly" might be as good with a happy ending, but "The Trespasser" Droves it. The opening scene shows Gloria Swanson as the secretary of a noted Chicago attorney. She has just wed the son of a famous mid-West millionaire. The two are leaving on their honeymoon which is spent at a lake resort. The father of the boy breaks in on their bliss and rakes the boy over the coals for his runaway marriage, and likens the bride to a woman of the streets, an adventuress who is after his money. This failing to have its effect the father switches his tactics, and suggests that the marriage be annulled, a regular courtship to follow with a formal announcement of an engagement and then a remarriage so that the girl will be able to take her rightful place in society, guaranteed by the father's millions. But the girl will have none of this. She takes her stand and orders that her husband send his father away and that they start out in the world to make their own way. But the boy proves spineless, and the spirit of the girl is such that she walks out of his life after giving the father her opinion of him. After a period of eighteen months, she is shown in a small apartment with a nurse and her baby. She has resumed her position in the law office, but her salary is insufficient to maintain her home for herself, the baby and nurse with the result that she is running helplessly behind in her bills. Finally, she has a breakdown and at that point her employer steps in and takes a hand. He establishes her in a lake front apartment and gives her every luxury. This is a rather delicate phase of the story and is most carefully handled, but when he is stricken and sends for her just prior to his death it is quite evident that the mother sacrificed herself in order that her child might have every advantage. But with her employer's death his will discloses that he has bequeathed her $500,000 and then a nasty scandal breaks, and in order to protect the name of her child she sends for the real father. Their marriage was annulled, the boy married according to his father's wishes, the bridal couple were in an automobile smash up which has resulted in making an invalid of the wife for life. When the boy's father discovers that there is a male heir to the fortune of the house by the first wife he calls on her and demands the child, threatening to take it from her through the courts unless she gives it up willingly. She prepares to fight, but when the invalid wife comes to her and offers to give up her husband to the first wife, because of her great love for him, the mother sees that she must again make a sacrifice because of her love for her offspring and she turns the youngster over to his father. The scene where she comes to this decision and that which follows when she sends the little lad away are the two most powerful in the picture and Miss Swanson rises to superb heights in their enactment. This is the "Madame Butterfly" punch carried to a great height. Then she disappears only to be brought into the picture again in a New York hotel, where she is a public stenographer. The final scene at which a reconciliation is brought about takes place here and ends the picture most logically. The cast contains Robert Ames, who plays the lead opposite the star, while Purnell Pratt in the role of the attorney-protector gives a decidedly worthwhile performance. William Holden as the stern (Continued on follozving page) Hurricane Thrilling Program Picture (Reviewed by Don Ashbaugh) (100% Talking) HURRICANE, a thrilling story of the sea featuring Hobart Bosworth, is an average program picture. It provides plenty of stormy excitement during a onehour run. John Mack Brown and Leila Hyams furnish the love element. Bosworth is cast as a veteran sailing ship skipper of the South Seas. His principal objective in life is to find the sea captain who stole his bride and baby daughter twenty years before. Always he has just missed the others. Some excellent storm shots with mountainous waves crashing over the ship serve to enliven an otherwise dull beginning. The crew from another ship is taken aboard by Bosworth following the storm. Brown is in this gang as an unwilling shanghaied sailor — a nice boy from the states who didn't want to be on the sea. A double struggle element is injected into the picture when the rescued sailors, at the bidding of their captain attempt to take charge of the ship. The fight is rather well done with plenty of action, many killings, and several cracked skulls. The other struggle element happens simultaneously when Bosworth recognizes the woman and girl he has rescued from a drifting lifeboat as his long lost wife and the girl as his own daughter. Scenes ensue between the two with everything finally explained to Bosworth 's satisfaction. Brown has the role of hero, informing Bosworth of the proposed mutiny and fighting side by side with him in repulsing the villains. The scenes of strife lend the picture a plenty of spirit, giving the average fan all the action he could ask for. Of course, he gets the girl, who also mixes into the battle and fights off the captain of the mutineers who makes advances toward her. The picture will pass as an ordinary program feature. It is ideal for children who love sea thrillers of this type. Bosworth, Brown and Hyams do their parts well enough and may be of value in building up the "draw." Produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Director, Ralph Ince. Story by Evelyn Campbell and Norman Stringer. Cameraman, Teddv Tetzleff. Continuity bv Ernest Hibbard. Released, Sept. 30, 1929. Footage, indefinite. THE CAST Hurricane Martin Hobart Bosworth Mary Stevens Leila Hyams Dan Johnny Mack Brown Captain Btook Allan Roscoe Dugan Tom O'Brien Mrs. Stevens Leila Mclntyre Pete Jack Bordeaux Bull Eddie Chandler