Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1931)

Brief Reviews of Current Pictures DRUMS OF JEOPARDY, THE— Tiffany Prod. — Mystery melodrama with enough murders to satisfy the bloodthirsty. Good cast headed by Warner Oland and June Collyer. (April) DUDE RANCH— Paramount.— Jack Oakie woos and wins June Collyer in this hilarious comedy on a dude ranch, locale of many complications. Not a dull moment. (June) EASIEST WAY, THE— M-G-M.— A modern sophisticated story, beautifully directed. Constance Benne*., Adolphe Menjou, Anita Page and Bob Montgomery do some grand acting — and what costumes! (March) • EAST LYNNE— Fox.— Don't miss this one. Beautiful, artistic production of the heartbreaking old melodrama. Ann Harding captivatinglv beautiful. Fine support by Conrad Nagel and Clive Brook. (April) ESCAPE — Associated Radio Pictures. — An English talkie about an escaped prisoner. Far too talkie. (Jan.) EX-FLAME— Liberty Productions.— Your old friend "East Lynne" dressed up in modern clothes and played by Norman Kerry and Marian Nixon. Old-fashioned and unconvincing. (Jan.) FAIR WARNING— Fox.— George O'Brien as the honest Western lad who slays the wicked villain and wins the girl. (Jan.) • FAME — First National. — Beautifully and humanly told story of everyday people. Nothing spectacular, but full of charm. Doris Kenyon heads a perfect cast. (June) FAST AND LOOSE— Paramount.— A pleasant little comedy about the rich girl who falls in love with the working man. Miriam Hopkins debuts successfully as the girl. (Feb.) FIFTY MILLION FRENCHMEN— Warners.— American tourists in Paris. Moves so fast it leaves you weak. One good gag after another. Don't miss it. (March) FIGHTING CARAVANS— Paramount.— Your old friend, "The Covered Wagon," gone talkie just a bit late. The scenes are beautiful and Ernest Torrence and Tully Marshall are on hand in their original r6les. (Feb.) FIGHTING THRU — Tiffany Productions. — Worth the price of admission. Ken Maynard and his horse "Tarzan" do some fine work and the beautiful Jeanette Loff helps considerably. (March) FINGER POINTS, THE— First National.— Dick Barthelmess as a reporter for one of Chicago's biggest newspapers, gets in with gangsters. An intensely absorbing story. Fay Wray and Regis Toomey give splendid support. (May) FINN AND HATTIE— Paramount.— One long howl. Mr. and Mrs. Haddock's trip abroad ruined by a fiendish nephew and a daughter, played well by Jackie Searl and Mitzi Green. (April) [ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 ] FLAME OF LOVE, THE— British International. — Anna May Wong as a Chinese vamp in Russia. But it really matters very little. (Jan.) FOR THE LOVE O' LIL— Columbia.— Naughty in a very nice way, this story of married life manages to be reasonably entertaining. Jack Mulhall, Sally Starr, Elliott Nugent and Margaret Livingston play it. (Feb.) FREE LOVE— Universal.— Conrad Nagel and Genevieve Tobin demonstrate what to do when a woman takes up psycho-analysis. An amusing comedy. (Feb.) • FRONT PAGE, THE— United Artists.— Whirlwind newspaper talkie, full of thrills, laughs and sobs. You've simply got to see it. Adolphe Menjou great as the managing editor. (May) • GANG BUSTER, THE — Paramount. — Comedy-melodrama with Jack Oakie at his best. William (stage) Boyd menaces as the gang leader and Jean Arthur is the pretty heroine. (March) • GENTLEMAN'S FATE — M-G-M. — This tense drama brings us Jack Gilbert with all his old appeal. The beautiful Leila Hyams and Anita Page support him and Louis Wolheim gives a flawless performance. (March) GIRL FROM THE REEPERBAHN, THE (DAS MAEDEL VON DER REEPERBAHN)— Sonor Prod. — The Germans crash 'through with a good one. Grim melodrama with plenty of action and some good songs. (April) GIRLS DEMAND EXCITEMENT— Fox.— Marguerite Churchill, John Wayne, Virginia Cherrill and William Janney are a fine cast wasted in a story that never rings true. (April) GOD'S GIFT TO WOMEN— Warners.— FrankFay is the gift — Laura La Plante the receiver, but after many hilarious complications. Well worth seeing. (May) • GREAT MEADOW, THE— M-G-M.— A stirring and exciting yarn of pioneering, with Eleanor Boardman a brilliant member of the distinguished cast. (Feb.) GUN SMOKE— Paramount.— Great for the kids, this old-time Western melodrama, with Dick Arlen as a cowboy, Mary Brian, the girl, and William Boyd, the menace. (May) HATE SHIP, THE— British International.— A fairly gripping old-school melodrama — thrills and mystery on board a yacht. (Feb.) HEADIN' NORTH— Tiffany Productions.— Bob Steele with his horse, cowboy suit and a coupla guns. A sizzling hot Western. (Jan.) HELL BOUND— Cruze-Tiffany Prod.— Good gang story if you're not tired of them. Leo Carrillo plays the broken-Englished speakeasy operator and Lola Lane is completely charming. (April) HELL'S VALLEY— National Players, Ltd.— Very little story, if any, but lots of riding and shooting in this Western, with Virginia Brown Faire, Wally Wales and Vivian Rich sharing the acting honors. (June) HOLE IN THE WALL, THE (Nar Rosorna Sla Ut) — Paramount. — Swedish talkie brings us Sven Gustafsson, Garbo's brother, but nothing like his famous sister. Light and chatty love story. (April) HONOR AMONG LOVERS— ParamountGood dialogue in this story of love between boss anc secretary, with excellent performances by Fredric March. Claudette Colbert and that Ace of Cads, Monroe Owsley. (May) HOOK, LINE AND SINKER— Radio Pictures.— That's how you'll go for this latest gem of WheelerWoolsey nonsense. The monkey business is perpetrated in gangland. (Feb.) HOW HE LIED TO HER HUSBAND— British International. — George Bernard Shaw surrenders to the talkies. Amusing, if you like the Shaw wit. (March) • ILLICIT — Warners. — Another triumph for Barbara Stanwyck, who plays a modern maiden who wants love without marriage. A daring film, strong and moving. (Jan.) INDISCREET — United Artists. — Good, entertaining story. Gloria Swanson sings well. Ben Lyon and Arthur Lake great support. (June) INSPIRATION— M-G-M.— Garbo was never lovelier than in this very modern story of the indiscreet woman and the price she pays. Lewis Stone, Robert Montgomery and Marjorie Rambeau lend Greta strong support. (Feb.) IRON MAN — Universal. — Lew Ayres is starred as the prize fighter but Bob Armstrong, in the role of manager, steals the picture. Jean Harlow plays her usual vamp role. (June) IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE— Paramount— The old stage play revamped for the talkies with plenty of speed and lots of laughs. Skeets Gallagher, Norman Foster and Carole Lombard head a perfect cast. (April) • IT'S A WISE CHILD— M-G-M.— Marion 1 Davies' rare gift for comedy and Robert | Leonard's direction make this old stage play a brand new hilarious farce not to be missed. (May) JAWS OF HELL— Sono Art— World Wide.— Depicts the old poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and makes the charge a pretty thrilling business. The romantic story's a bit weak. (March) JUNE MOON— Paramount.— You'll like this one. Ring Lardner wrote the wisecracking lines and Jack Oakie puts them over with a bang. (April) JUST LIKE HEAVEN— Tiffany Productions.— A simple little romance between a toe dancer and a balloon peddler. Fifteen-year-old Anita Louise is the heroine. (Feb.) [ PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 16 ] Photoplays Reviewed in the Shadow Stage This Issue Save this magazine — refer to the criticisms before you pic\ out your evening's entertainment. Page Affairs of Annabelle, The— Fox 108 Always Goodbye — Fox 52 Captain Thunder — Warners ,. . 109 Chances — First National 53 Daddy Long Legs — Fox 51 Everything's Rosie — Radio Pictures. . 108 Flood, The — Columbia 110 Free Soul, A— M-G-M 50 Gold Dust Gertie— Warners 108 Good Bad Girl, The— Columbia 108 High Stakes — Radio Pictures 52 Just a Gigolo— M-G-M 53 Page Kick In — Paramount 53 Lawyer's Secret, The — Paramount. . . 52 Mad Genius, The — Warners 52 Mad Parade, The — Liberty Prod 52 Monsters of the Deep — Nat Spitzer Prod 110 6 Cylinder Love — Fox 108 Sky Raiders, The — Columbia 107 Smart Money — Warners 50 Smiling Lieutenant, The — Paramount 50 Subway Express — Columbia 108 Texas Ranger, The — Columbia 109 Make this your reference list. Page This Modern Age— M-G-M 109 Traveling Husbands — Radio Pictures. 53 Upper Underworld — First National. . . 107 Up Pops the Devil — Paramount 52 Vice Squad, The — Paramount 51 Waiting at the Church — Radio Pictures 109 White Shoulders — Radio Pictures. ... 110 Woman of Experience, A— RKO-Pathe 108 Women of All Nations — Fox 53 Young as You Feel — Fox 53 Young Donovan's Kid — Radio Pictures 51 Young Sinners — Fox 107 Short Subjects of the Month 98 J 10