The New Movie Magazine (Jan-Sep 1935)

BROADWAY GONDOLIER. (Warners) Adolphe Menjou is a broken-down old opera star, Dick Powell is his pupil and a would-be crooner, Joan Blondell works in a radio station. Hilarious farce. THE RAVEN (Universal) Boris Karloff in a composite version of two Edgar Allan Poe stories built to specifications for the horror fans. Bela Lugosi and plastic surgery are also in it. THE FLAME WITHIN (M. G. M.) This will remind you of "Private Worlds." Ann Harding, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Herbert Marshall venture into an insane asylum, only to befuddle themselves. Y E olde gray-haired reporter will never forget this one, made 'way back in the silent days when the Garbo-Jack Gil bert romance was at its sizzlingest. At that time, we wouldn't have believed that any man living could top Gilbert's romantic characterization of the dashing Prince ANNA KA«EM\A >l-<.->! Vronsky. But then, we didn't know Freddie March in those days, either. And, while Freddie declared he had done enough Tolstoy and would have no more of it, here he is . . . and we're glad he changed his mind. You must remember the story of the tragic Anna, who left her dull husband and adorable son to seek happiness with her princely lover? Only there was little happiness, after the first flush of passion had passed, for, finding themselves ostracized by society, they fled to Italy with their baby daughter, only to find that conventional standards are the same the world over and society refuses to condone illicit love, no matter how deep and true. Forced to live apart from the world, Anna and Vronsky find themselves becoming bored with each other, and wishing to save the illusion of the great love that was theirs, Vronsky leaves. Too proud to return to her husband (Basil Rathbone), Anna wanders down to the station, where she had seen her lover for the first time. With memories crowding in around her and finding life a desolate thing, Anna throws herself before the onrushing train. It is a tragic ending to a tragic tale but, if we would be true to our Tolstoy, there is no other. ON-THE-SET REVIEWS On this page BARBARA BARRY, New Movie's Studio Scout, tells you which of the pictures in production you'll want to see The cast is excellent and includes Maureen O'Sullivan, Freddie's fiancee before going Garbo; Freddie Bartholomew, as Garbo's son; Cora Sue Collins as the daughter; May Robson, Reginald Denny, Reginald Owen, Sarah Padden and a host of troupers. Clarence Brown directs. W! THE FLAME WITHIN • M-G-M BEST BETS ANNA KARENINA, with Greta Garbo and Fredric March. THE FLAME WITHIN, with Ann Harding and Herbert Marshall. CHINA SEAS, with Wallace Beery, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow. SHE, with Helen Gahagan and Nigel Bruce. THE RAVEN, with Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. THE GIRL FROM TENTH AVENUE, with Bette Davis. LOVE ME FOREVER, with Grace Moore and Leo Carrillo. BROADWAY GONDOLIER, with Dick Powell and Joan Blondell. NO MORE LADIES, with Crawford, Montgomery and Tone. E'VE been expecting a follow-up on "Private Worlds" and, here we are . . . back in the psychopathic ward again! Edmund Goulding, M-G-M's triple-threat man, writes, directs and produces this picture and if it's half as good as "Private Worlds," we'll take three hats off to Mr. Goulding. Once more, we have a beautiful young psychiatrist (Ann Harding) in love with her chosen profession to an extent that she completely overlooks the honest devotion of the handsome doctor (Herb Marshall) who has worshipped her from a respectful distance, lo, these many years. When Maureen O'Sullivan attempts suicide because the man she loves is a no-good elbow-bender and won't marry her because she's rich (of all things!), Ann promises to do what she can for the lad (Lewis Hay worth) in the way of releasing his enslaved soul from its convivial reflexes. But, while straightening out his soul, Ann gets her own heart tangled up in the mess, and it's too bad, too, because Lewis is engaged to Maureen and, being an honorable woman, what can Ann do but sit back and suffer in silence? So — to the tune of Ann's aching heart, the kids are married and go away. A year later, however, {Please turn to page 58) LET 'EM HAVE IT. (United Artists) An inspirational picture urging Americans to get together and put down organized crime. With Richard Arlen, Bruce Cabot and Virginia Bruce featured. ALIBI IKE (Warners) The late Ring Lardner's screamingly funny story put on the screen with Joe E. Brown. A conceited baseball hero and his pals. Fun even if you don't like Joe. HOORAY FOR LOVE (R K O) Gene Raymond, a college boy actor with Broadway ambitions, gets the father of his girl, Ann Sothern, in Dutch with complications. Light romance and song. 30 The New Movie Magazine, July, 1935