Picturegoer (1934)

January 13, 1934 Artless and transparently simple story, but put over in a vigorous melodramatic manner with good technical qualities and quite sound characterisation. To enjoy it you must not attempt to analyse its qualities too deeply. David Burnaby is very good as a famous chemist who discovers an antidote to poison gas and has a duel of wits with an unscrupulous financier who is determined to exploit the discovery. The r61e of the financier is also effectively played by Francis Sullivan, while Pat Paterson appears to advantage as the chemist's daughter, who, with the help of her fiance (one of her father's employees) helps to outwit the villain in the approved style. Richard Bird is weak as the fiance but the rest of the cast puts over the old melodramatics with zest. •DON'T BET ON LOVE Universal. American. "V" certificate. Racing comedy drama. Runs 61 minutes Lew Ayres Bill McCaffery Ginger Rogers Molly Charles Grafewin Pop McCaffery Shirley Grey Goldie Merna Kennedy Ruby Tom Dugan Scotty Robert Emmett O'Connor Sheldon Lucille Webster Gleason Mrs. Gilbert Henry Armetta Caparillo Brooks Benedict Cunningham ClaV Clement Ross Alfred White Rosenbaum Directed by Murray Roth from the screen play by Howard E. Rogers and Murray Roth. Quite a good average comedy drama, dealing with horse racing which points the moral of the folly of gambling. It is a well-balanced mixture of comedy, drama, and romance, and contains some exciting racing sequences, which are well directed. Lew Ayres makes a genially boyish hero and Ginger Rogers does -well as his sweetheart, who tries to persuade him to stick to his job and not become a professional punter. Amusing and interesting supporting types are supplied by Robert Emmett O'Connor, Charlie Grapewin, and others. •RACE TRACK Gaumont Ideal. American. "A" certificate. Turf melodrama. Runs 82 minutes. Leo Carrillo Joe Junior Coghlan Jackie Kay Hammond Myra Lee Moran " Horseface " Huntley Gordon ..Attorney Wilfred Lucas Mr. Ryan Joseph Girard Judge Directed by James Cruze. A somewhat artificial and slowly developed sentimental story of a bookmaker who befriends a boy who has been deserted by his mother, played against a background of the race track. Leo Carrillo does not seem quite at home in the rdle of the goodhearted bookmaker, and Kay Hammond is fair as the mother who deserts her child, but who eventually wins back his love. c*MAN OF THE FOREST Paramount. American. "A" certificate. Western romance. Runs 61 minutes. Randolph Scott Biett Dale Vers* Hillie Alice Gaynor Harry Carey Jim Gaynor Noah Beery Clint Beasley Barton MacLane Mulvey Buster Crabbe Yegg Guinn Williams Big Casino Vince Barnett Little Casino Blanche Frederici Mrs Forney Tempe Piggott Mrs. Baxter Tom Kennedy Blake Frank McGlynn, Jun Pegg Directed by Henry Hathaway from a Zane Grey novel. Quite good detail work and fine mountain scenery are the best characteristics of this conventional Western, which presents all the familiar situations and personalities. There is a wild animal interest. PICTUR.EGOER Weekly and a minor thrill is provided by a fight between a lion and a crook sheriff. Most suitable for juveniles. •LOVE'S OLD SWEET SONG Butcher. British. "A" certificate. Sentimental melodrama. Runt 70 minutes. John Stuart Paul Kingslake William Freshman Jimmy Croft Joan Wyndham Mary Dean Ronald Ward Eric Kingslake Julie Suedo Iris Sinclair Directed by Manning Haynes from a screen play by Lydia Hayward. A mixture of robust melodrama, naive sentiment, and artless emotionalism, which will please those whose predelictions tend to the sentimental. The story deals with the love of a man for a woman whom he protects by assuming the guilt for a murder committed by her worthless husband. Joan Wyndham is fair as the heroine; her voice is doubled in the vocal sequence which introduces the title of the film. John Stuart is adequate as the hero, as is William Freshman as a young farmer, who also loves the unfortunate heroine. The best acting, however, comes from Ronald Ward as the husband. •THE SONG YOU GAVE ME W ardour (B.I. P.). British. "U" certificate. Romantic comedy with music. Runs 83 minutes. Bebe Daniels Mitzi Hansen Victor Varconi Karl Linden Frederick Lloyd.. Baron " Bobo " Claude Hulbert Tony Brandt Lester Matthews.. Max Winter Iris Ashley Emmy Eva Moore Grandmother Walter Widdop Directed by Paul Stein from The Song is Ended by Walter Reisch, adapted by Clifford Grey. This picture is hardly likely to enhance Bebe Daniel's reputation. It is very slight and obvious Viennese romance, with the star as an actress who falls in love with her handsome secretary and spends the best part of the picture's footage trying to make him propose to her. Bebe Daniels sings well, and as a make-weight we have Walter Widdop dragged in — also to vocalise. Victor Varconi is fair as the secretary. WORTHY DECEIVER. Gaumont Ideal. American. "A" certificate. Social comedy. Runs 60 minutes. Reginald Denny Henry Claudia Dell Alice Parker Jed Prouty Horace Parker Cyril Chadwick Lord Arthur Crawley Directed by Reginald Denny. Reginald Denny does not show to advantage either as a director or as an actor in this artless oldfashioned comedy. He appears as an actor who, to oblige a friend whose mother is profoundly jealous of her neighbour, who has a titled guest, poses as a lord. The deception results in the titled guest being unmasked as a crook, while the actor himself has a right to his rank. It is all very ingenuous and deficient in slickness and the detail which might have put it over. MAYFAIR GIRL Warner. British. "A" certificate. Murder drama. Runs 67 minutes. Sally Blane Brenda Mason John Stuart Robert Blair Glen Alyn Santa D. A. Clarke-Smith Capt. Merrow Roland Culver Dick Porter Directed by George King. Novelettish murder story, which suffers from being drawn out with tedious detail. It attempts to expose "the smart set," but lacks crispness and dramatic force enough to hold the interest. Except for Sally Blane and John Stuart, who are quite good, the acting is definitely weak. ROUGH ry . . . Then rough . . . Then red . . . Hands that have housework to do are unattractive unless you take care of ihem. It's so easy to get yours soft and smooth — just half a minute regularly lastAthing at night with this simple treatment ! Skin of housework-hands (magnified photograph) showing effects of "dermatitis calorica." To get yours nice, the best remidy is "Vaseline" Jelly, specialists say. FAMOUS DOCTOR ADVISES "VASELINE" JELLY Dr. Kromaycr, of Berlin, the world-famous skin-care expert, says " The skin again becomes soft and pliable . . . with ' Vaseline' Petroleum Jelly." 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