Motion Picture Reviews (1934)

Eight Motion Picture Reviews MARIE CALANTE » » Spencer Tracy, Ketti Gallian, Ned Sparks, Helen Morgan, Leslie Fenton. Based on the novel by Jacques Deval. Direction by Henry King. Fox. Exciting pictures taken in the engine rooms of the Panama Canal locks, strange and sinister types of humanity, everyday objects photographed from new angles, and a wistfully piquante French heroine contribute to the unusual qualities of this enthralling story of the foiling of a plot to blow up the fleet of the United States Navy. Watching the unfolding of the story is like tasting an entirely new and delightful food the flavor of which seems slightly familiar yet so elusive that only by the greatest concentration can its seasoning be analyzed. Unlike the average thriller this presents a really interesting problem, the characters are cleverly drawn, the secret service men are more intelligent than the criminals they are seeking, and the whole thing has an air of authenticity that would do credit to a newsreel. It is stimulating entertainment and should set a new style in detective stories. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Mature but interesting Too involved. No interest ■v PURSUED » » Rosemary Ames, Pert Kelton, Russell Hardie, Victor Jory. Direction by Sam Wurtzel. Fox. A young man, heir to an island plantation off the coast of Borneo, has been black-jacked by a villain who covets his land, but a night club girl rescues him and nurses him back to health. Anyone over ten years old will know what happens after this, but in spite of its obvious plot, the picture is sufficiently interesting. Its tropical setting, its sincere love story, the humor of one character and good acting by Victor Jory put it in the category of satisfactory entertainment. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 No No READY FOR LOVE » » Ida Lupino, Richard Arlen, Marjorie Rambeau. From the novel by Roy Flannagan. Adaptation by J. P. McEvoy and William Slavens McNutt. Direction by Marion Gering. Paramount. An absurd comedy about the predicament of a young girl who is mistakenly suspected of having a past. Her actress mother sends her to live with an aunt in a small town and there the trouble begins. The action is slow and rather tiresome but amusing dialogue re deems several scenes. The title seems to be a misnomer. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Not recommended No ▼ ROMANCE IN MANHATTAN » » Francis Lederer, Ginger Rogers, Jimmy Butler. Story by Norman Krasna and Don Hartman. Adapted by Jane Murfin and Edward Kaufman. Directed by Stephen Roberts. R-K-O. This unassuming little story is genuinely dramatic because it deals with people who seem real and whose problems are real, too. It concerns a bewildered immigrant from Czecho-Slovakia, who finds that he cannot legally enter the United States. What he does then and how he satisfies the authorities later make amusing entertainment worth seeing, because it is sincere and human. It is optimistic, with success the result of ambition and endeavor. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Fine Mature V SIX DAY BIKE RIDER » » Joe E. Brown. Direction by Lloyd Bacon. First National. A small town telegraph operator’s jealousy of a trick bicycle rider’s attentions to his girl results in the young man trying his own skill in an endurance test. It is absurdly farcical, and also exciting. Good fun for family audiences. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Amusing Amusing XT SEQUOIA » » Jean Parker, Russel Hardie, Paul Hurst. From novel “Malibu” by Vance Hoyt. Direction by Chester M. Franklin. M-G-M. “Sequoia” is a very unusual film, a really remarkable one because of the exquisite scenes of animal wild life in natural settings. It is amazing to have been able to catch so realistically the feeling of perfectly unconscious behavior in these wild creatures. Jean Parker in the role of a young nature lover, finds two orphaned infants of the woods, a puma cub and a baby deer. She decides to prove her theory that she can make them friends through environment and training. The action is thrilling, the story fascinating and absorbing. Unfortunately the producers felt it necessary to exaggerate human cruelty and villainy and to discredit legitimate hunting thus sentimentalizing it for men’s audiences and rendering it too emotional for younger children. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Exciting, but fascinating Positively not under 1 0