Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1929)

Brief Reviews of Current Pictures •4rlndicates that photoplay was named as one of the six best upon its month of review ADORATION — First National. — Concprning the post-revolution romance of a Romanoff prince and princess. Ornamented by Billie Dove. (Jan.) *AIR CIRCUS, THE— Fox.— Collegiate stuff in an aWation training school. Good. (^November.) AIR LEGION, THE— FBO.— Story about the air mail service that lias nothing but a good idea to recommend it. {Dec.) AIR MAIL PILOT, THE— Superlative.— Another air mail story which breaks all the rules of aviation. iDec.) ALL-AMERICAN, THE— Supreme.How a collegiate sprinter mops up tlie Olympic Games, demonstrated by Charlie Paddock. (March.) ALL .■VT SEA — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. — A DaneArthur comedy. The title explains it. (March.) ALL FACES WEST— Pioneer. — Western thriller filmed with Mormon money. Marie Prevost and Ben Lyon are in it. <^.A.pril.) AMAZING VAGABOND, THE— FBO.— Not so amazing, .lust the usual stunts, on land and in the air. (Jan.) ANNAPOLIS — Pathe. — Pleasant romance and drama among the admirals of the future. (November.) APACHE, THE — Columbia. — Just the romance of two sweet kids in the Latin Quarter — if you believe in such tilings. (Feb.) AVALANCHE — Paramount. — High-class Western with Jack Holt and Baclanova — the picture thiefl (Jan.) AVENGING RIDER, THE— FBO. — Simplemindei Western mystery story. (Jan.) AWAKENING, THE — United Artists. — First starring picture of Vilma Hanky and Walter Byron. He's a nice looking lad. A "Marie-Odile" plot. (November.) BEGGARS OF LIFE — Paramount. — The lowdown on hoboes. Good entertainment. And hear Wallace Beery sing a songl (Dec.) BEHIND THE GERMAN LINES— UF.VPara mount. — The German side of the war, with excellent and authentic battle scenes spoiled by some obviously studio shots. (Feb.) BEWARE OF BLONDES— Columbia.— Emerald, emerald, who's got the emerald? (November.) BITTER SWEETS— Peerless.— Fun in the life of a girl detective. (Dec.) BLACK ACE, THE — Pathe. — So-so Western that will fill in a blank evening. (Jan.) BLACK BIRDS OF FIJI — Australasian. — Another South Sea Island picture — only so-so. (Feb.) BLACK BUTTERFLIES— Quality.— Exposing the wicked ways of the fake Bohemians. (November.) BLACK HILLS, THE— Dakota. — In which the dam bursts again. (March.) BLACK PEARL, THE— Rayart.— Loose-limbed mystery tliat rambles aimlessly through the Orient. (.April.) BLOCKADE — FBO. — Bootlegging made attractive by .\nna Q. Nilsson. A good melodrama. (March.) BLOW FOR BLOW — Universal.More adventures of Hoot Gibson, if you're interested in Westerns. (.Feb.) BRIDE'S RELATIONS, THE— Sennett-Educational. — One reel talking comedy sad and funny by turns. Eddie Gribbon is best. (April.) BROADWAY FEVER — Tiffany-Stahl. — Sally O'Neil being literally too cute for words in a trivial story. (March.) • BROADWAY MELODY, THE— Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.— Brilliant all-talkie of backstage life, with Bessie Love astonishing. (April.) BROTHERLY LOVE — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. — Messrs. Dane and Arthur in burlesque prison reform. The big moment is a football game between two rival penitentiaries. (November.) BURNING BRIDGES — Pathe.— Better than usual Western, with that good hombre, Harry Carey, in a dual role. (Dec.) • CANARY MURDER CASE, THE— Paramount.— Logical and well constructed mystery story. William Powell is perfectly swell as the detective. (Feb.) CAPTAIN LASH — Fox. — A coal stokers romance or love on the waterfront. Rather strong stuff. (Feb.) CAPTAIN SWAGGER— Pathe.— Good comedy in which Rod La Rocque, as a naughty aviator, is persuasively reformed by Sue Carol. (November.) • CASE OF LENA SMITH, THE— Paramount. — Sincere drama of the love affair of a servant girl, her liardships and her martyrdom. A real picture for intelligent adult audiences. (Feb.) Pictures You Should Not Miss "In Old Arizona" "The River" "The Canary Murder Case" "Wild Orchids" "7th Heaven" "The Singing Fool" "Interference" "Mother Knov^s Best" "Street Angel" "The Patriot" "Four Devils" "Wings" As a service to its readers, Photoplay Magazine presents brief critical comments on all photoplays of the preceding six months. By consulting this valuable guide, you can determine at a glance whether or not your promised evening's entertainment is worth while. Photoplay's reviews have always been the most authoritative published. And its tabloid reviews show you accurately and concisely how to save your motion picture time and money. The month at the end of each review indicates the issue of Photoplay in which the original review appeared. CAVALIER, THE— Tiffany-Stahl.— Richard Talmadge in some imitations of Douglas Fairbanks. (Jan.) CHARGE OF THE GAUCHOS — FBO.— How the Argentine Republic got that way. With Francis X. Bushman. (Dec.) CHARLATAN, THE— Universal.— Murder mystery done with nice light touch, especially by Holmes Herbert. (April.) CHEYENNE — First National.— Ken Maynard in one particularly swell Western. (Dec.) CHINA SLAVERS, THE— Trinity.— Ragged story of the Oriental slave trade, but smartly acted by Sojin. (April.) CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE— Chesterfield. — Nothing that you could care about in a big way. (March.) CIRCUS KID, THE— FBO.— You can sleep through it. (Dec.) CITY OF PURPLE DREAMS, THE — Rayart.— Story of wlieat pits of Chicago. Top heavy with drama. (Jan.) CLEAR THE DECKS — Universal. — Reginald Dennv in one of the oldest farce plots in the world. (March.) COHENS AND KELLYS IN ATLANTIC CITY, THE — Universal. — For those who like this sort of thing. (March.) COME AND GET IT— FBO. — Contains, among other things, a good boxing match. (Dec.) COURT-MARTIAL— Columbia.— Melodrama about the less civil aspects of the Civil War. (Dec.) CRASH, THE— First National.— iVo( an underworld melodrama, but a swell thriller with a good performance by Milton Sills and a rousing train wreck. (November.) DANGER STREET— FBO.— A rich bachelor, disappointed in love, drowns his grief in a gang war. Well, tliat's one way to forget. (November.) DEMON RIDER, THE— Davis.— Just a Western. (Dec.) DESERT NIGHTS — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. — One of Jack Gilbert's less fortunate vehicles. (March.) DIPLOMATS, THE — Fox-Movietone. — Clark and McCullough in a two reel talkie that will give you some laughs. (March.) • DIVINE LADY, THE— First National.— The old dirt about Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson, told in romantic fashion. Pictorially beautiful, thanks to the lovely face of Corinne Griffith. (Dec.) • DOCKS OF NEW YORK, THE— Paramount. — A drama of two derelicts, powerful, dramatic and stirring. Superbly acted by George Bancroft and Betty Compson. Worthwhile adult entertainment. ( November.) • DOCTOR'S SECRET, THE— Paramount.— Barrie's playlet. "Half an Hour," emerges as a superior and well-constructed talkie. It is brilliantly acted and well worth your time and money. (March.) DOG LAW — FBO. — Giving Ranger a good break. (Novernber.) DOMESTIC MEDDLERS— Tiffany-Stahl.— The eternal and well-worn triangle. (Feb.) DO YOUR DUTY— First National.— CharUe Murray plays his piece about the honest traffic cop and the crooks. Not so hot. (Dec.) DREAM OF LOVE — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. — The prince and the pretty peasant — again. Phony stuff in spite of Joan Crawford and Nils Asther, (Feb.) DRIFTER, THE — FBO. — Just another Western. But send the kids, anyway, because Tom Mix is in it, (March.) DRIFTWOOD — Columbia. — Looks like a tenth carbon copy of "Sadie Thompson." (Jan.) • DRY MARTINI— Fox.— Sophisticated comedy among the American dry law expatriates of the Ritz bar in Paris. Naughty but neat. (November.) [ CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 )