Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1930)

Brief Reviews of Current Pictures [ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 ] • FOOTLIGHTS AND FOOLS— First National.— Colleen Moore's best since "We Moderns." She wears mad gowns and wigs and sings French songs with a naughty lilt. (Dec.) HALF WAY TO HEAVEN— Paramount.— This romantic story with a carnival background is one of Buddy Rogers' best and Buddy crashes through with a virile performance. (Jan.) HOT FOR PARIS— Fox.— Good, rough fun. concocted by Raoul Walsh in his best Cock Eyed World manner. Vic McLaglen, El Brendel and Fifi Dorsay — all elegant. (Feb.) FORWARD PASS, THE— First National.— A bright, entertaining film, well acted by Loretta Young, Fairbanks the Younger, Guinn Williams and Peanuts Byron. Doug is one movie football hero who doesn't bring on blind staggers. (Feb.) FROZEN JUSTICE— Fox.— Hot melodrama of the cold North. Lenore Ulric and Louis Wolheim excellent. (Nov.) • GENERAL CRACK— Warners.— John Barrymore's famous voice is heard from the screen for the first time in this highly-colored and very entertaining costume drama. John is fine and Marian Nixon heads an excellent supporting cast. (Jan.) GIRL FROM HAVANA, THE— Fox.— A racy story of gentlemen who prefer diamonds which don 't belong to them. Clever cast. (Nov.) GIRL FROM WOOLWORTHS, THE— First National. — That White girl comes through with a snappy number every time and this is one of the snappiest. Watch Rita Flynn, a newcomer. (March) GIRL IN THE GLASS CAGE, THE— First National.— The glassed-in girl, in case you wondered, is a theater ticket seller, played by Loretta Young. Pretty bad. Part Talkie. (Oct.) GIRL IN THE SHOW, THE— M-G-M.— A charming little backstage story, which, for a wonder, isn't punctuated by theme songs and huge stage shots. (Feb.) GIRL OF THE PORT, THE— Radio Pictures.— Nevertheless you'll enjoy Sally O'Neil's slick performance. (March) GLORIFYING THE AMERICAN GIRL— Paramount.— Everyone except ex-president Coolidge had a hand in the making of this — and it shows. But big names aren't enough and even an Eddie Cantor comedy bit can't save this feeble effort. (Jan.) GOLD DIGGERS OF BROADWAY— Warners. — Showing the girls at their pick and shovel work. Noteworthy for its beautiful all-Technicolor treatment and its catchy tunes. (Nov.) GRAND PARADE, THE— Pathe.— A sad little yarn about a boarding house slavey who loves a minstrel man who loves a burlesque queen. Helen Twelvetrees out-Gishes Lillian as the heroine. (Feb.) GREAT GABBO, THE— James Cruze Prod.— A corking dramatic story ruined by the interpolation of musical revue stuff. Von Stroheim and Compson save the pieces. (Dec.) • HALLELUJAH— M-G-M.— Striking epic of the negro, sensitively directed and spontaneously acted. (Oct.) HANDCUFFED— Rayart — Poverty Row at its worst which is pretty bad. (Dec.) HARD TO GET— First National.— Corinne Griffith's excellent silent film "Classified" revived as a far-from-exccllent talkie with Dorothy Mackaill. (Nov.) HARMONY AT HOME— Fox.— Want a good, hearty laugh? See this comedy of family life. Wm. Collier, Sr., long-time stage favorite, makes an elegant screen debut. The girls will go for Rex Bell in a big way. (March) HEARTS IN EXILE— Warners.— Gradually it sneaks up on us — Dolores Costello, lovely though she is, is not an actress. A poor picture. (Feb.) HELL'S HEROES— Universal.— Peter B. Kyne fathered this gritty tale of the desert and Charles Bickford does more than right by the leading role. Very real. (March) • HER PRIVATE AFFAIR— Pathe.— Make it your private affair to see Ann Harding in this exciting tale. She's gloriousl (Nov.) HIS FIRST COMMAND— Pathe.— A pretty sorry affair with the exception of some spectacular parade-ground shots and William Boyd's new and pleasing talkie personality. (Jan.) HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT— M-G-M.— All talk and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Due largely to the fact that he is required to chatter continually, John Gilbert's first talkie appearance is disappointing. (Jan.) HOLD YOUR MAN— Universal.— Tsch, tsch— and just when Laura LaPlante was corning along so nicely, too. Miss this one. (Jan.) HOLLYWOOD STAR, A— Educational-Sennett. — Two reels of hilarious satire about a Western star who makes a personal appearance at a small town theater. A bull's-eye. (Jan.) HONOR — Sovkino. — Interesting because a product of the Armenian studios of the Russian Soviet National Film Company. The leading man is an Armenian John Gilbert. Silent. (Dec.) HOOFBEATS OF VENGEANCE — Universal. — Even worse than it sounds. Rex, the marvelous horse star, has a ramshackle vehicle to pull. Silent. (Oct.) HUNGARIAN RHAPSODY— UFA-Paramount. —A real beauty. This simple rural tale is exquisitely directed and superbly acted by an ace-high German cast. Sound. (Nov.) HURRICANE — Columbia.— This old-fashioned sea yarn seems new and stimulating midst the present crop of talkie-dancie-croonies. It's a clean cut and convincing thriller and Hobart Bosworth is just elegant. (Jan.) ILLUSION — Paramount. — Buddy Rogers as a man about town may disappoint the girls — but Nancy Carroll is excellent. (Nov.) IN OLD CALIFORNIA— Audible Film Corp.— Love and hate Under a Spanish Moon (Theme song.) Ho hum. (Nov.) IS EVERYBODY HAPPY?— Warners.— The answer is emphatically "No!" As an actor Ted Lewis is a fine saxophone player. (Jan.) ISLE OF LOST SHIPS, THE— First National — Scenically this fantastic melodrama is a triumph; conversationally, not so hot. Noah Beery. Jason Robards and Virginia Valli handle the leads well. (J a n.) • IT'S A GREAT LIFE— M-G-M.— A riotous comedy of the life of a vaudeville sister team as portrayed by the Duncan sisters who ought to know. Rosetta and Vivian deliver snappily and Larry Gray clicks again. (Jan.) JAZZ HEAVEN— Radio Pictures.— If your resistance is low you may be touched by this sentimental little tale about a song writer and the girl who helps him make good. Pathos by John Mack Brown and Sally O'Neil and comedy by Joseph Cawthorne. {Jan.) JEALOUSY — Paramount. — De mortuis nihil nisi bonum. It is unfortunate that Jeanne Eagels' last picture should be so unworthy of her artistry. (Dec.) this. KIBITZER— Paramount.— You may have to buy a new vest from laughing after you see Harry Green's comedy is grand. (Nov.) HALF MARRIAGE — Radio Pictures.— Another HOT DOGS— M-G-M.— A distinct novelty, this and duller one about companionate marriage, occa short subject, with an all dog cast, which makes it the sionally redeemed by Olive Borden. Sound. (Oct.) first all-barkie. (March) KISS, THE— M-G-M.— The mysterious and silent Garbo, still silent, still mysterious and still Garbo. Sound. (Dec.) KITTY — Worldwide. — First foreign-made picture to be synchronized with talking sequences and music. Good entertainment against a beautiful English background. Part Talkie. (Oct.) • LADY LIES, THE— Paramount.— Magnificently acted and staged drawing room comedy. Walter Huston and beautiful Claudette Colbert are stunning lovers and Charles Ruggles is a delightful drunk. (Dec.) [ PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 138 ] Photoplays Reviewed in trie Shadow Stage This Issue Save this magazine — refer to the criticisms before you pic\ out your evening's entertainment. Ma\e this your reference list. Page Aviator, The — Warners 81 81 81 81 54 Be Yourself — United Artiste Beau Bandit — Radio Pictures. . Because I Love You — Aafa Tobis Big Party, The— Fox Clancy Caught Short — Ed'.vard Small Prod 81 Dames Alio) — Universal 81 Framed — Radio Pictures 81 Girl Said No, The— M-G-M 54 Hell Harbor — United Artists 53 Her Unborn Child — Windsor Picture Plays, Inc 81 Honey — Paramount 55 Lady 'to Love, A— M-G-M 55 Little Johnny Jones — First National. . 81 u Page Lord Byron of Broadway — M-G-M.. . . 54 Love at First Sight— Chesterfield 81 Lummox — United Artists 52 Match Play— Sennett-Educational. .81 Mexicali Rose — Columbia 81 Montana Moon— M-G-M . . . 53 Mounted Stranger, The — Universal.. . 81 Murder on the Roof — Columbia 81 On the Border — Warners 81 Only the Brave — Paramount 52 Peacock Alley— Tiffany Productions, Inc 55 Phantom of the Opera, The — Universal 81 Puttin' on the Ritz— United Artists. . . 54 Second Wife — Radio Pictures 54 Page Setting Son, The — Darmour-Radio Pictures 81 Ship from Shanghai, The— M-G-M .... 81 Slightly Scarlet — Paramount 55 So Long Letty — Warners 81 Son of the Gods — First National 54 Song o' My Heart — Fox. 53 Such Men Are Dangerous — Fox 52 Sugar Plum Papa — Sennett-Educational 55 Temple Tower — Fox 55 Troupers Three — Tiffany Productions, Inc 81 Up the Congo— Sono Art-World Wide . 81 West of the Rockies— J. Charles Davis Prod 81