Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1933)

Brief Reviews of Current Pictures CONTINUED FROM PAGE 0 • HALF-NAKED TRUTH, THE — RKORadio. — Lee Tracy sells Lupe V'elez to New York as an Indian princess dancer. A laugh every minute. (Feb.) HALLELUJAH, I'M A BUM — United Artists.— A novel arrangement of words and song with Al Jolson entertaining. (March) HANDLE WITH CARE— Fox.— Introducing Boots Mallory, abetted by Jimmie Dunn. Two "Peck's bad boys,'' Kuster Phelps and George Ernest, steal what show there is. (March) *HARD TO HANDLE— Warners.— Not hard, however, to take. Jimmy Cagney rises, via jail, from a marathon dance manager to a big business man in real estate. (March) HAUNTED GOLD— Warners.— A Western with a spooky background — a deserted mine in a ghost town. John Wayne, Sheila Terry and Duke, the horse. (Jan.) HEART PUNCH — Mayfair Pictures. — Wheeler Oakman and Gordon De Main do well in a prizefight story without much fight or other merit. (Feb.) HE LEARNED ABOUT WOMEN— Paramount. — Stuart Erwin, a wealthy bookworm, engages two women as secretaries. He wins the love of the golddigging husband-hunter (Susan Fleming) and charms the blackmailer (Alison Skipworth). Verv funny. (Jan.) HELLO, EVERYBODY!— Paramount.— Strictly for Kate Smith fans. They'll vote it great. Kate's dancing is a riot. (March) HER MAD NIGHT— Mayfair Pictures.— A mother (Irene Rich) shielding her daughter from a murder charge. Conway Tearle splendid as family friend and "foe." (Dec.) HIDDEN GOLD— Universal.— Western with forest fire high spot. Tom Mix, little Judith Barrie and Tony, of course. (Dec.) HOT PEPPER— Fox.— If rough humor suits you, here are Sergeant Quirl and Capain Flagg (Edmund Lowe and Victor McLaglen) tangling about Lupe Velez in a night club, (.ilarch) HOT SATURDAY— Paramount.— Merely amusing, gets nowhere. Gary Grant's part (city slicker) is lifeless. Nancy Carroll is the village belle, Randolph Scott her childhood sweetheart. (Dec.) HYPNOTIZED — World Wide. — Moran and Mack, Wally Ford, Maria Alba. Ernest Torrence do well in a yarn about a man hypnotized on his wedding eve; many spots rather thin. (Feb.) *I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG — Warners. — Powerful, timely, brutally real, it castigates the chain gang system. Paul Muni is compelling as the soldier, irked with routine, who goes criminal. He and Director Mervyn LeRoy have made a fine but depressing picture. (Dec.) *IF I HAD A MILLION— Paramount.— A wealthy eccentric (Richard Bennett) gives a million to each of eight persons selected at random. The picture. reveals the recipients' lives before and after the gift. Jack Oakie, Frances Dee and Gary Cooper. A new and different type of film fare. (Jan.) IRONMASTER, THE— Allied.— A "millhand to millionaire" story that might have been powerful but lacks polish. Reginald Denny and Lila Lee fail to make their parts realistic. (Jan.) ISLAND OF LOST SOULS — Paramount. — t harles Laughton as a mad scientist who turns animals into humans makes your hair stand on end. Kathleen Burke and Richard Arlen are subjects of gruesome tests. (Feb.) *KID FROM SPAIN, THE— Goldwyn-United Artists. — Lavish, hilarious. Eddie Cantor, introduced as the famous matador Don Sebastian the Second, is forced to fight the bull and make good his title. Lyda Roberti is a sefiorita. Excellent supporting cast. (Jan.) KING MURDER, THE— Chesterfield.— A "Broadway butterfly" murder mystery that really mystifies. Natalie Moorhead, Conway Tearle and Don Alvarado are excellent as suspects. (Dec.) KONGO— M-G-M.—Lon Chaney did it better silently. The jungle in all its horror. Walter Huston, Lupe Velez and Virginia Bruce are wasted. Spare the children. (Dec.) LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT— WarnersBarbara Stanwyck, doing a prison stretch, reveals her inmost thoughts; then goes gunning for an exsweetheart turned reformer. Not for childern.' (March) LAUGHTER IN HELL— Universal— A Jim Tully yarn on the chain-gang theme with horror piled on in great gobs. Pat O'Brien is interesting. (March) LAWYER MAN— Warners.— Bill Powell as an East Side lawyer tangles with crooked politicians. Joan Blondell, David Landau and Helen Vinson splendid co-workers. Shaky law, but good cinema. (Feb.) LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE — RKO-Radio.— Mitzi Green is reason enough for seeing this picture. Little Buster Phelps runs a close second and May Robson is a magnificent grandma. (Dec.) LUCKY DEVILS— RKO-Radio.— Bill Boyd and brother stuntmen who put thrills in the movies in a fast moving tale with a punch. (March) LUXURY LINER— Paramount.— About a doctor pursuing an erring wife onto an ocean liner. Good cast baffled by a weak story. (March) MADAME BUTTERFLY— Paramount.— Sylvia Sidney's artistry and excellent settings breathe charm into this operatic favorite. (Feb.) MADISON SQUARE GARDEN— Paramount.— The lowdown on the American sports industry showing all the products. Film notables and ex-champs. Jack Oakie is an aspiring palooka, Marian Nixon the slight romantic interest. (Dec.) MAGIC NIGHT— United Artists.— English-made musical with Jack Buchanan (so fine in "Monte Carlo" with Jeanette MacDonald) miscast in an artificial, slow story. (Jan.) MALAY NIGHTS— Mayfair Pictures.— Hopelessly dull yarn of the Malay pearl beds with Johnny Mack Brown, Dorothy Burgess and others. (March) MAN AGAINST WOMAN— Columbia.— Jack Holt plays a hard-boiled detective who wins the night-club singer (Lillian Miles) in spite of the gangsters. (Feb.) MAN FROM ARIZONA, THE— Monogram.— Incongruous and improbable, the climax spoiled by poor dialogue. With Neoma Judge, Nat Carr and James Marcus. (Jan.) MAN WITHOUT A NAME, THE— UFA.— A soldier, after seventeen years, regains his memory lost in the war. Interesting but lagging German-dialogue film, with Werner Krauss. (Jan.) MASK OF FU MANCHU. THE— M-G-M.— Boris Karloff in the title role. Lewis Stone, Karen Morley, Myrna Loy and Jean Hersholt are also in this struggle between British scientists and the dreaded Ftc Manchu. (Jan.) MATCH KING, THE— First National.— Based on Ivar Kreuger's life and distinguished by Warren William's portrayal of the title role, it dramatizes the magnate's rise from racketeer to match industry czar, ending in suicide. (Jan.) ME AND MY GAL— Fox.— A mixture of slapstick and melodrama, well played. Joan Bennett as a tough girl and Spencer Tracy as a cop are good. George Walsh comes back as a villain. (Jan.) MEN ARE SUCH FOOLS — RKO-Radio. — Badly handled story but fine acting by Leo Carrillo, Vivienne Osborne and Una Merkel. Suffering lifts a musician to genius. (Dec.) MEN OF AMERICA— RKO-Radio.— Mild entertainment contrasting "covered wagon" Indian fights with today's gangster warfare. Bill Boyd is hero, Dorothy Wilson the girl and Ralph Ince a grand bad man. Chic Sale adds color. (Jan.) MIDNIGHT WARNING — Mayfair Pictures— A horribly done horror picture; Claudia Dell, William Boyd and John Harron are unable to save it. (March) MONKEY'S PAW, THE — RKO-Radio. — Capable British actors and good direction don't liven this dull yarn of a tragedy-bringing monkey's paw. (Dec.) MUMMY, THE— Universal.— Boris Karloff, as a revivified mummy, finds his love reincarnated in an American girl, done by Zita Johann. (Feb.) MYSTERIOUS RIDER, THE— ParamountKent Taylor. Irving Pichel, Lona Andre and Warren Hymer acnieve a well-done Western. (March) MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM, THE— Warners. — A Technicolor shocker about a halfcrazed wax museum proprietor (Lionel Atwill) who uses weird (and deadly) methods on Fay Wray to get exhibits. Don't take the kiddies. (Marcli) NAGANA — Universal. — Scientist Melvyn Douglas and Tala Birell seek to conquer sleeping sickness, but nearly succumb to African savages and crocodiles. Good atmosphere and animals, however. (March) • NIGHT AFTER NIGHT— ParamountFast story — it never slackens — artfully blending Broadway and Park Avenue. AND a new hero, George Raft, as a culture-crazy "speak" owner. Constance Cummings is elegant, Alison Skipworth perfect and Mae West a riot. (Dec.) NO LIVING WITNESS— Mayfair Pictures.— A dull offering, with Barbara Kent accused of murdering the villain, Noah Beery. (Feb.) • NO MAN OF HER OWN— Paramount.— Clark Gable and Carole Lombard at their best in a near-naughty, thin but delectable story of a gentleman-crook reformed by love. (March) NO MORE ORCHIDS— Columbia.— Fresh and smart treatment of an heiress chasing a poor lad. Carole Lombard, Lyle Talbot and Louise Closser Hale outstanding in a good cast. (Jan.) [ PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 16 ] Photoplays Reviewed in the Shadow Stage This Issue Save this magazine — refer to the criticisms before you pic\out ycur evening's entertainment Page Air Hostess — Columbia 90 As the Devil Commands — Columbia. 57 Behind Jury Doors — Mayfair Pictures. 91 Be Mine Tonight — Gaumont BritishUniversal 90 Big Drive, The — First Division 90 Blondie Johnson — First National 56 Clear All Wires— M-G-M 55 Crime of the Century, The — Paramount 56 Dangerously Yours — Fox 57 Daring Daughters — Tower Prod 91 Der Hauptmann Von Koepenick (The Page Captain of Koepenick) — Carl Zuck mayer Prod 90 Ex-Lady — Warners 56 From Hell to Heaven — Paramount. . . 56 Great Jasper, The— RKO-Radio 54 IhreMajestaet DieLiebe(PIer Majesty, Love) — Warners-First National... 91 Jungle Bride — Monogram 91 King of the Wild Horses — Columbia . 57 King's Vacation, The — Warners 56 Man Hunt— RKO-Radio 57 Men Must Fight— M-G-M 54 Private Jones — Universal 56 Make this your reference list. Page Rome Express — Gaumont British-Universal 57 Secrets — United Artists 55 Secrets of Wu Sin, The — Invincible . . 57 Sister to Judas — Mayfair Pictures. . . 90 Somewhere in Sonora — Warners 91 Sous La Lune Du Maroc (Moon Over Morocco) — Vandal-Delac Prod 90 State Fair — Fox 55 Topaze— RKO-Radio 54 West of Singapore — Monogram 91 What ! No Beer?— M-G-M 90 Woman Accused, The — Paramount. . 90 u