Motion Picture Reviews (1935)

Eight Motion Picture Reviews British soldiers whose task is to subdue the hostile tribes and keep the pass open. Their Colonel, stern, emotionally inarticulate, and fervent in his devotion to duty; the Colonel’s son, just out of Sandhurst and insufficiently seasoned for the hardships of Indian service; a hard shelled Scotchman and a suave Englishman are the central figures in the story. Gorgeous photography, magnificent riding, ferocious battle scenes, humor, intrigue and sentiment are skillfully blended in a picture that will make the name of Bengal Lancer the embodiment of valorous achievement and the criterion of heroic conduct. It is a stunning spectacle and thrilling entertainment. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Probably too emoCood tional and violent ■w MYSTERY WOMAN » » Mona Barrie, Gilbert Roland, John Halliday, Rod LaRocque. Story by Dudley Nichols and E. E. Paramore, Jr. Adapted by Philip MacDonald. Direction by Eugene Forde. Fox. In order to recover a paper necessary to prove the innocence of her husband who has been wrongly convicted of treachery, an adoring wife becomes a suave espionage agent and trails several men from France to America. Love, violence, intrigue, secret codes, add their quota to the story which moves swiftly but reaches no dramatic peaks. Modishly dressed characters, artistic interiors and polite repartee give it an air of sophistication. It is fairly entertaining, easily forgotten. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Not recommended No MAN OF ARAN » » Produced, written, directed and photographed by Robert Flaherty with the collaboration of John Goldman and Francis H. Flaherty. Characters: Colman (“TTger”) King, Maggie Dirrane, Michael Dillane, shark hunting crew, curragh men. Musical score by John Creenwood. British-Gaumont. A distinguished example of pure cinema which gives us the record — *he saga — of man’s existence on the Isles of Aran where existence is a continual struggle against the elements. There is no story, and it gives us no homely details of community life, of social contacts, of schools, or day by day family routine. But it shows the magnificent physical beauty of the rocky islands, bare of trees or even shrubs, the treacherous beauty of the pounding seas, and the tremendous effort needed to wrest food from the water and from the meager soil dug from crevices, enriched by sea weed and laid on the barren rocks for farm land. It pictures the man on a grilling two days fight with a shark; the woman working endlessly at primitive tasks and always watching because of the hazards of her man’s life; the boy learning to do his share of the constant work necessary to keep them provisioned. The sound of the pounding sea is impressive and the musical accompaniment, based on Irish folk songs, adds greatly to the atmosphere. There is possibly too much repetition but the very motony gives one the “feel” of life on Aran. Magnificent photography and an unusual appreciation of life in primitive form make the film well worth seeing. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Interesting No interest ■w MURDER ON A HONEYMOON » » Edna May Oliver, James Gleason, Lola Lane, George Meeker. From a novel by Stuart Palmer, adapted by Seton Miller and Robert Benchley. Direction by Lloyd Corrigan. RKO. Edna May Oliver as Miss Withers, a school teacher who has taken up detective work as a hobby, solves the problem of a murder mystery. It is illogical and improbable but wildly exciting and it is so ably acted and directed that it seems credible. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 If type is approved No; too exciting •w THE MIGHTY BARNUM » * Wallace Beery, Adolph Menjou, Virginia Bruce, Janet Beecher, Rochelle Hudson. Story by Gene Fowler and Bess Meredyth. Direction by Walter Lang. A Daryl F. Zanuck Production. United Artists. According to “Time” December 31, 1934, Gene Fowler, author of the book from which this picture was made, when asked if he had tried to follow history, replied, “We tried to throw it out of the window.” The picture itself is prefaced by a note disclaiming all pretense to verity, but it might have been more interesting had it been an authentic biography. As it is, it seems to lack continuity and conviction and is merely a haphazard collection of incidents, often in very poor taste, in which the central figure is a grotesque preposterous Barnum so infantile in his behavior that one cannot imagine his becoming the most successful showman in America even with the brains of Bailey to help him. The film is entertaining not because of any light it sheds on the career of a picturesque character, but because Wallace Beery and Adolph Menjou, surrounded by side show “freaks,” seem to be having such a good time masquerading as Barnum and