Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

120 Motion Picture News December 6 , 1930 Opinions on Pictures in rope's end and he resolves to give her grounds for divorce. The day she is to start for Reno their two children are taken ill with whooping cough. The wife announces that sickness will not deter her and is overheard by the doctor, who voices his low opinion of modern mothers. He thinks they should all be spanked. It is an idea for Nagel. He opposes his wife's going and is slapped for his pains. The blow is a complete surprise. He sees her in a new light and, with the words, "You have had this coming for a long time," he knocks her cold with a well placed right to the jaw. The preview audience went wild. Feminine gasps of amazement mingled with masculine approval. The arguments that started were still going on when the lobby crowd dispersed. From the knockout the picture is brought to a quick and very clever close. Nagel is loading a reel of amateur movie film on his home projector. Genevieve Tobin makes overtures at a reconciliation. With obvious efforts to remain coldly indifferent, Nagel accepts her unconditional surrender as the 16 mm. screen before them reenacts their happy honeymoon. This small screen projection is in the nature of a burlesque of all amateur movie making. Every gesture is exaggerated in the manner of camera-conscious people engaged in taking pictures for their own amusement. Nagel gives brilliant account of himself as the husband. His performance is in every way top-notch and his blending of farce and dramatic technique and tempo is a joy to watch. Genevieve Tobin is only less expert by comparison, but somehow fails to impress as she did in her debut in "The Lady Surrenders." Comedy — and what comedy — relief is in the always capable hands of Zasu Pitts, abetted somewhat by Slim Summerville. The Pitts again plays a maid with her surperbly individual touch. Nice moments are contributed by Ilka Chase and Bert Roach. Monroe Owsley disappoints as the friend. "Free Love" may not be one of the boxoffice sensations of the year, but it has many elements of popular appeal and will surely be talked about. Musical and novelty shorts will balance nicely. No comedy except cartoons. Produced and distributed by Universal. Directed by Hobart Henley. Supervised by E. M. Asher. Story by Sidney Howard. Adaptation and dialogue by Edwin Knopf. Scenario by Winifred Dunn. Photographed by Hal Mohr. Edited by Maurice Pivar. Length, 8,100 feet. Running time, 90 minutes. THE CAST: Stephen Ferrier Conrad Nagel Hope Ferrier Gpnevieve Tobin Rush Bigelow Monroe Owsley Ada Zasu Pitts Helena Bertha Mann Pauline Ilka Chase Judge Sturgis George Irving Dr. Wolheim Reginald Pasch Butler Sidney Bracey Shaunesey Slim Summevile Rogue of the Rio Grande (Sono Art-World Wide) Novel; Exciting (Reviewed by Charles F. Hynes) THIS is off the beaten track of westerns, a refreshing change from the accepted pattern. It's a fast-moving and exciting narrative of the Robin Hood type, with a generous sprinkling of love interest and humor. Spencer Gordon Bennet did a good job in directing this Cliff Broughton production, which is good program fare. Outdoor fans will relish the deeds of the bold El Malo, Mexican bandit who robs the crooked mayor of a border town in order to distribute the money among the poor. The mayor's description of him is so incorrect that the bandit is enabled to circulate in the town without being recognized. He falls in love with Service! Reviews of the majority of features reaching Broadway's screens appear in MOTION PICTURE NEWS many weeks before their initial appearance on New York's main stem. Theatre owners keeping a close touch on new product, particularly New York premiers, will find the chart below an aid in ascertaining dates of issues in which THE NEWS reviewed productions in the group of current openings: Blue Angel Nov. 22 Boudoir Diplomat Oct. 4 Extravagance Sept. 20 Remote Control Oct. 11 Scarlet Pages Aug. 9 Consult the Release Chart, last section in this issue, for complete list of features released in current months, together with MOTION PICTURE NEWS review dates and other important data. an entertainer in the cantina, is nearly captured due to a careless conversation, but rides to safety across the border with the girl and his aide. Meanwhile, he has exposed the mayor as a bandit. The director tried a new wrinkle in casting Jose Bohr in the title role, for Bohr is an Argentinian actor, so his accent is not faked. In addition, he sings well. He played Eddie Dowling's role in the Spanish version of "Blaze o' Glory." Myrna Joy is an appealing heroine and demonstrates her dancing and singing ability. Raymond Hatton furnishes good comedy and the balance of the cast is O. K. Comedy and novelties will go wll with this. Produced and distributed by Sono Art-World Wide Pictures. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet. Story and screen play by Oliver Drake. Length, 7,000 feet. Running time. 70 minutes. Release date, Oct. 15, 1930. THE CAST El Malo Jose Bohr Pedro Raymond Hatton Carmita Myrna Loy Dolores Carmelita Geraghty Sheriff Rankin Walter Miller Seth, the Mayor Gene Gordon Tango dancer William P. Burt Big Bertha Florence Dudley N Part-Time Wife (Fox) Charming and Light (Reviewed by Red Kami) OT weighty, but pleasant and charming light entertainment. "Part-Time Wife" demonstrates what a good game of golf can do to improve a husband's temperament. But don't get the idea that the technicalities of the pastime have been permitted to ride roughshod over the entertainment aspects of the yarn, because they haven't. Leo McCarey, who has plenty of good comedies to his credit, did a nice job with this one. He lightened the tempo all the way and saw to it that the chuckles are divided at equal stretches throughout the footage. It seems that Eddie Lowe is a big gas and oil man too immersed in business to pay much attention to his charming wife, Leila Hyams. So when Leila, who is crazy about golf, finds Walter McGrail on hand to do this and that for her it becomes easy to understand why she accepts. At the same time, it is made perfectly clear that it is Lowe she loves. Finally Eddie and Leila split ; he goes back to 'his gas stations and she to her golf with posings in bathing suits and unmentionables as her source of income. Lowe, advised by his doctor to take up golf, protests and then does it. On the links he meets Tommy Clifford, Irish caddy and miniature philosopher, whose influence on Lowe eventually de-commejcializes him and turns him into the human scout you've always suspected him to be. Re-enter Miss Hyams, who accidentally finds herself matched up with her husband and discovers that he has changed his spots. They become very good friends again and begin to make joint appearances around town. The only touch of the dramatic which enters this extremely well-done light comedy is the champion match between Lowe and McGrail, which the former loses when Tommy's dog walks on to the green and spoils Loew's determining shot. However, he and his wife, who has been part of the gallery, finally patch their affairs with McGrail out of the reckoning and that's that. Lowe, in a comedy role, is a departure from the crook parts he has been playing. The Fox crowd is smart in giving him something else to do and the reaction seems inevitably to be a welcome one. Miss Hyams does extremely competent work in a part that never calls for any straining of the emotions. Tommy Clifford is swell as the boy and McGrail satisfactory. The rest of the cast fills in. For McCarey's direction, it should be pointed out how smoothly the action flows along and the naturalness with which he had his cast perform. Cartoons suggested here. Produced and distributed by Fox. From "The Shepper Newfounder," by Stewart Edward White. Directed by Leo McCarey. Screen play and dialogue by Raymond L. Schrock and Leo McCarey. Photographed by George Schneiderman. Length. 6,500 feet. Running time, 72 minutes. Release date, Jan. 25, 1931. THE CAST Jim Murdock Edmund Lowe Mrs. Murdock (Betty Rogers) Leila Hyams Tommy Milligan Tommy Clifford Johnny Spence Walter McGrail Butler Louis Payne Caddy Master Sam Lufkin Maid Bodil Rosing Chauffeur George (Red) Corcoran Attempt to Bolster Chi Oriental Grosses Chicago — B. & K.'s efforts to awaken a little paying interest in the Oriental Theatre are finally taking form. December 5 the house showed "Billy, the Kid" on the Realife novelty screen. Following week, Buddy Rogers will come in for personal appearances. Other name bookings and novelties for the house, with additional advertising appropriations, are in process. House has been in the doldrums, more often than not, and since the RKO Palace entered upon a 12weeks' program of big name acts, the slump has been more marked. Foreign Representatives Here Tom D. Cochrane, of Tokyo, Japan, Paramount representative for the Orient, and Frederick W. Lange, of Buenos Aires, manager of the Paramount organization for Argentine, are in New York. Bomb Two Theatres Akron, O. — Bombs hurled into the Spicer and Peoples, completely demolished the latter, while slightly damaging the Spicer. Labor troubles are said to be the cause.