Motion Picture Reviews (1934)

Motion Picture Reviews Five FEATURE FILMS BABY TAKES A BOW » » Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Claire Trevor. Direction by H. Lachman. Fox. It is unfortunate that so delightful a child actress as little Shirley Temple should have to greet the public in such a mixture of melodrama and slapstick. Foolish as is the plot in itself, the treatment is less comprehensible. The story commences as a sincere and optimistic picture of two ex-convicts trying to go straight in the heart-warming atmosphere of an harmonious home. A necklace is stolen, the heroes are suspected, and the roguish small daughter of one plays a few pranks that complicate the situation. Then with a frantic chase and Max Sennett humor the whole changes to slapstick farce. We know that Shirley Temple, with her charm, her naturalness and her delicious sense of humor will appeal to audences. Perhaps in time the perfect, happy vehicle for this lovely, talented child will be achieved. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Fair No; too emotional a climax v CHARLIE CHAN’S COURAGE » » Warner Oland, Drue Layton, Donald Woods. From novel by Earl Derr Biggers. Direction by George Hadden and Eugene Forde. Fox. A lovable oriental detective successfully delivers a string of valuable pearls in spite of a mysterious conspiracy to defraud the owner. The picture is light, unpretentious, amusing and unusually successful in furnishing suspense and drama without exaggerated scenes of horror. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Good Possibly mature ■v COCKEYED CAVALIERS » » Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Thelma Todd, Dorothy Lee, Noah Beery. Story by Edward Kaufman and Ben Holmes. Direction by Mark Sandrich. RKO. After starting out as a delightful comic opera this picture becomes just the ordinary slapstick one expects from Wheeler and Woolsey, but it is nevertheless amusing in its way. The time of the action is the eighteenth century. The characters are a kleptomaniac and his companion in trickery, and some royal personages with whom they fraternize. It is absurd clowning mixed with some pleasing singing by Noah Beery. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Matter of taste Passable FOG OVER FRISCO » » Bette Davis, Donald Woods, Margaret Lindsay, Lyle Talbot, Hugh Herbert. Story by George Dye. Direction by William Dieterle. Warner Bros. This is not a good detective story. It is too confused and the incidents come too fast to register clearly. Most stories of this type depend upon criminal impulses for motivation but this is particularly unpleasant because a girl of social standing takes up thievery for fun and mingles with the underworld for the thrill it gives her. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 No No EMBARRASSING MOMENTS » » Chester Morris, Marian Nixon. Story by Wm. Anthony McGuire. Direction by Edward Laemmle. Universal. This is the story of what happened to a practical joker when his friends attempted to cure him of his addiction. Though the farcical character and unreality of the picture save it from being offensive, it is only second rate entertainment. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Worthless No ijr THE GREAT FLIRTATION » » Adolph Menjou, Elissa Landi, David Manners. Story by Gregory Ratoff. Direction by Ralph Murray. Paramount. A sophisticated comedy concerning the clashing temperaments of an actor and his wife, who is also on the stage. He finally sacrifices his happiness for hers. It is polished in acting, and amusing in dialogue, but is limited in general audience appeal. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 No. Not worth while No ■w HERE COMES THE GROOM » » Jack Haley, Mary Boland, Patricia Ellis, Neil Hamilton, Isabel Jewell. From a play by Richard F. Flournoy. Direction by Edward Sedgwick. Paramount. Mike Scanlo?i sets out to achieve a crime of headline dimensions in order to please a “gal” who likes her men bad and bold; instead he gains notoriety by participation in an elopement. Treated as farce with a measure of slapstick the situations are too absurd to be objectionable, although some of the lines are very broad for good taste. It rises above mediocrity because of facile direction