Motion Picture Review Digest (Jan-Dec 1936)

76 MOTION PICTURE REVIEW DIGEST LADY LUCK — Continued — Motion Pict Daily p3 S 16 '36 "Estimate; for neighborhoods, twin bills." H Phila Exhibitor p34 Ag 1 '36 "[It is] a murder mystery romance that has nothing in particular to distinguish it from the run-of-the-mill fodder for dual bookings. The story is hackneyed and the production of it as routine as they come. An ordinary cast fails to lend it any strength." — Variety p!6 S 23 '36 LAND WITHOUT MUSIC. Capitol 80min Cast: Richard Tauber. Jimmy Durante. Diana Napier. June Clyde. Derrick de Marney Director: Walter Forde Music: Oscar Strauss Musical filmed in England. "The Grand Duchess of Lucco finding that her state is penniless because its citizens all make music instead of making money, puts a ban on all music. Carlini, the world-famous singer born in Lucco, aided by an American journalist, leads a musical revolution and wins for the people the rights to make music, and for himself the heart and hand of the Duchess." (Mo Film Bui) Audience Suitability Ratings "The story is amusing, and Oscar Strauss' music is very agreeable. Richard Tauber's fine singing is well recorded. In fact, this is a musical comedy that contains real music and real comedy. The acting on the whole is competent, though Diana Napier is hardly convincing as the Duchess. The direction is straightforward, if a little unenterprising in the way of lighting, grouping, and choice of cameraangle. Suitability: family." + Mo Film Bui pl70 O '36 Trade Paper Reviews "This picturesquely witty fantasy, staged in a remote Italian Duchy of long ago, forms a delightful background for the musical accomplishments of Richard Tauber who slimmed beyond recognition and brilliantly photographed by John Boyle, metamorphoses with doubled stellar appeal. . . With brilliant musical sequences (Richard Tauber has never been in better form), delightful comedy interludes, and wittily pointed characterizations, plus superbly handled groupings and crowd backgrounds, Walter Forde has converted what might have been a heavy, music-swamped fable into first-class entertainment." + Hollywood Reporter p3 O 29 '36 -f Motion Pict Daily p7 O 19 '36 "Operetta built around Richard Tauber, continental singer, and one of the few real novelties British pictures have turned out in motion picture form. Film is very good light musical, with a quaint plot and plenty of tunes, and has Jimmy Durante playing comedy in a 19th century costume and making a go of it. One up for Max Schach, being about the slickest job he has yet produced. It looks good for general appeal among the popular [theatres] with Tauber's voice and [Durante's] humor building up real entertainment." + Variety pl5 O 21 '36 LAST OF THE MOHICANS. Reliance-United artists 90min Ag 13 '36 Cast: Randolph Scott. Binnie Barnes. Henry Wilcoxon. Bruce Cabot. Heather Angel Director: George B. Seitz See issue of September 28, 1936 for other reviews of this film Audience Suitability Ratings "That same James Fenimore Cooper who lies a-moldering on the book-shelves of Young America arrives on the screen in a heartwarming vindication of his former high place among respectable thrillers. . . This film is not at all tedious, being a sort of superior Western with an authentic historical background. Sensibly, it has been given a fine cast and runs along under the direction of George Seitz with that blood-curdling abandon which makes small boys and some adults spurn an intellectual content. . . Altogether splendid in its colorful recreation of an exciting chapter in history, the picture is something to take the children to — if you can find no other pretext for going yourself." T. J. Fitzmorris + America p528 S 5 '36 "The story is interesting and exciting and the acting, though unremarkable, is of good standard. The possibilities of the setting have been largely ignored except for some delightful views during the flight by river. The direction has preferred to get the horror effects by obvious means rather than by using the breathless silence of the woods where every shadow and cracking twig may be a terror in ambush. The Indians with whom we are chiefly brought in contact have a curiously indoor appearance. There are some bad backcloths and the earlier scenes with George II and Mr. Pitt are quite unnecessary, but the film is a stirring piece of entertainment though perhaps not for the highly sensitive nor very young. Suitability: adults & adolescents." -| Mo Film Bui pl73 O '36 "Because of its authenticity, [it] has educational as well as entertainment value. . .. The picture is ideal entertainment for American boyhood, but this does not limit its appeal for other audiences. Adolescents, 12-16: excellent; children, 8-12: very exciting." + Motion Pict R p6 S '36 "A and Y: yes, vigorous drama of early American frontier warfare; C: possibly too strong for young children." Parents' M p42 O '36 "There are so many war-dances, war-whoops, wars and warriors, that as a screen play there was danger of monotony and spurious melodrama. But Director George Seitz has controlled the numerous action shots, without losing any of the essential punch of the situation. . . The Young Reviewers expressed unanimous approval of the picture and agreed that the film would be best appreciated by children of 14 or less. But many of later years will find themselves on the edge of the seat." + Scholastic p32 O 3 '36 Newspaper and Magazine Reviews "The picture is done with a great deal of care and attention to detail; the swift movement of Cooper is retained. It may seem oldfashioned — possibly it will; but, for all that, we think you will like this simple guileless romance. . . Randolph Scott is an effective enough Hawkeye, but the Indians, we regret to report, are all healthy young Hollywood actors doing their best to look taciturn and tanned." (2y2 stars) Beverly Hills Liberty p38 O 17 '36 "It is a relatively inept film, with a great many incredible Indians in it and with a bulky fable which it is not always careful to keep clear. . . The American forest which [Cooper] bequeathed to all romancers after him is undeniably here." Mark Van Doren h Nation p374 S 26 '36 "The difficulties of bringing so many tongues and tribes to the eyes and ears of the world, are solved by giving each race some different way of speaking English, often with ludicrous effects. Montcalm speaks the best English, his lieutenant is an American, the Indians talk telegramese. But 'The Last of the Mohicans' has a lot of the genuine old blood and thunder, and a canoe chase down rapids, with redskins biting the water and the birch-bark flying, + + Exceptionally Good; + Good; H Fair; 1 Mediocre; —Poor; Exceptionally Poor