Motion Picture Reviews (1933)

Six Motion Picture Reviews father, and the sincerity of the portrayal and the verity of the reactions of the child are so true to life that it makes the performance a rarely moving experience. It is exquisite pictorially and musically, and the wonderful acting of the cast makes its semblance to reality more appreciable. The film is deservedly drawing interested audiences but because it is usually seen in theatres showing only foreign productions, it does not have the publicity or availability of American releases. This unfortunately limits audiences to those who seek it. Its appeal should be to parents and educators generally who would undoubtedly respond to the genuine understanding of a child’s mind as shown in this beautiful film. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Sad, but interesting No, too emotional ■w SATURDAY’S MILLIONS » * Robert Young, Leila Hyams, Johnny Mack Brown. Direction by Edward Sedgwick. Universal. Convinced that football is just another racket, a star player develops a cynical attitude towards the game, his friends, and life in general. However, when an attempt is made to coerce him into staying out of an important game, he plays in spite of injuries and emerges a hero and a man. There is only one unusual item about the picture. The hero does not win the game. Other than that, it follows the usual trend. There are a few rowdy scenes in which “old grads” are not entirely guiltless but the general atmosphere is wholesome. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Entertaining Fair •v STACE MOTHER * » Alice Brady, Maureen O’Sullivan, Franchot Tone, Phillips Holmes. Direction by Charles Brabin. M-C-M. A mother’s driving ambition to make her daughter a success on the stage is finally dissipated when she realizes that she has forced the girl to sacrifice her childhood and romance for a career. This is an uneven production which will appeal to some moviegoers and be boresome to others. The outstanding cast achieves for the picture an air of distinction which is misspent on a mediocre theme. There are high spots in dramatic interpretation but these are shadowed by others that are noticeably overdone. Miss O’Sullivan does a commendable piece of work, but Miss Brady dispels much of her charm as a comedienne in the vulgarity of her part. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Unsuited No TILLIE AND CUS » » W. C. Fields, Allison Skipworth, Baby Le Roy. Direction by Francis Martin. Paramount. From a story by Rupert Hughes. In this good old-fashioned comedy two good natured conscienceless rogues become the friends and allies of a young couple and their delightful baby. Most of the action is aboard a worn out steamboat which, with the aid of firecrackers for fuel, competes in an exciting race. Baby Le Roy has as much savoire faire as ever and of course he is shown taking a bath. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Most entertaining Very good •w TO THE LAST MAN » » Randolph Scott, Esther Ralston, Noah Beery, Buster Crabbe. From a story by Zane Crey. Direction by Henry Hathaway. Paramount. The plot revolving around feuds in the Kentucky mountains has been used so often that it has become threadbare. Here the participants emigrate to Nevada where they continue to exterminate their enemies with relish and dispatch. It is tiresome, overdrawn and mediocre for adults, and the violence, coupled with unheroic motives, makes it unsuitable for children. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 No Bad ▼ TOO MUCH HARMONY » » Bing Crosby, Jack Oakie, Skeets Gallagher, Judith Allen, Lilyan Tashman. Direction by Edward Sutherland. Paramount. Such a long list of seasoned performers should have had something better to work on than this hackneyed musical comedy of the back stage. Unless the stars can dazzle the audience by their mere presence on the screen the picture is not likely to prove a great attraction, especially since it suffers by comparison with recent rivals in its field of entertainment. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Passable Slight interest •w TORCH SINGER » » Claudette Colbert, Ricardo Cortez, David Manners. Direction by Alexander Hall and George Somnes. Paramount. “Torch Singer” is the story of a mother’s devotion to her baby whom she has been forced to release for adoption, her sordid life as a night club entertainer and her ceaseless effort to regain the lost child. Without deft direction and the acting ability of Claudette Colbert, it might have been just