Picturegoer (Jul-Dec 1936)

War in the Near East takes Selim Pasha back to Constantinople, whither he is followed by the Count and Lady Diana. The Count contrives to wreck a troop train on which the Pasha is supposed to travel, but is arrested. The Pasha offers Diana the Count's life at the expense of her honour, but dies, having bean bitten by a poisonous snake. Roger Karl is suitably greasy and villainous as the voluptuous Pasha, while Henri RoUan is good as the Count. Marcelle Chantal gives a very attractive rendering of Lady Diana. The story takes a long time getting into its stride, and when it does, it fails to find the necessary suspense which would have held the interest. Other^^'ise direction is good and the characters themselves quite well presented. The director, Augusto Genina, has not been able to disguise the conventional nature of the plot, however, nor make it very convincing. There are well varied settings of Venice, Rome, Naples and Constantinople, and camerawork generally is pleasing. This is a French production, and adequate sub-titles are provided for those who do not understand the language. Lionel Collier On the Screens Noiv *»»»DANGEROUS First National. American. "A " certificate. Emotional drama. Runs 79 minutes. Bette Davis Joyce Heath Franchot Tone Don Bellows Margaret Lindsay Gail Armitage Aliso.n Skipworth Mrs. Williams Jobs Eldredge Gordon Heath Dick Foras Teddy Walter Walker Roger Farnsworth Richard Carle Pitt Hanley George Irving Charles Melton Pierre Watkin George Sheffield Douglas Wood Elmont William Davidson Reed Walsh Directed bv Alfred E. Green. Previeired June fi, 1936. Bette Davis' performance alone brings this picture into the four star class. In it she won the Award of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science and no one could have been more deserving of it. In spite of her subtle characterisation, she does not " steal" the picture from Franchot Tone, who is also excellent. They "play up" to each other admirably and hold the stage most of the time. The story deals with Joyce Heath, a once famous actress, who, labouring under the delusion that she is fated to bring tragedy to others, takes to drink and finishes up a physical and moral wreck. Don Bellows, a young artist whose career she has unknowingly influenced for the good, recognises her in a low dive, and helps her to fight back to respectability. He falls in love with her, she reciprocates, and, after breaking his engagement to Gail Armitage, a society girl, he finances her in a ,iew play. On the eve of the first night, however, Joyce tries to [lersuade Gordon Heath, her husband, whose life she has ruined through her own selfishness and of whose existence Don is unaware, to divorce her, but when he refuses, she deliberately crashes the car. Gordon is permanently injured, 26 by Lionel COLLIER Bette Davis and Franchot Tone in "Dangerous" but the shock brings Joyce to her senses. After she recovers from minor iUs. she reimburses Don by making a success of the play, sees him reunited to Gail, and then devotes herself, by way of retribution, to the stricken Gordon. Margaret Lindsay is dignified as Gail and John Eldredge is well in character as Joyce's somewhat pathetic husband. Alfred E. Green's direction brings out all the subtlety and humanity in an unusually good story. ♦•♦THIRTEEN HOURS BY AIR Paramount. American. " U" certificate. Aerial comedy-drama. Runs 77 minutes. Fred MacMurrav Jack Gordon Joan Bennett Felice RoUiLS Zasu Pitts Miss Hawkins John Howard Freddie Scott Alan Baxter Curtis Palmer Brian Donlevy Dr. Evarte Fred Keating Gregorie Stephani Adrienne Marden Ann McKenna Grace Bradley Trixie Bennie Bartlett Waldemar Pitt III Ruth Donnelly Vi Johnson Dean Jagoer Hap Waller Marie Prevost Waitress Jack Mulhall Lander Granville Bates Pop Andrews Directed by Mitchell Leisen, from a story by Bogart Rogers and Frank Mitchell Datev. ' Previeued June 20, 1936. First-rate fare, this. A comedy which wiU keep you laughing all the way through, and while it may not be great in plot values, its detail work, direction and acting are all so good that you can overlook that defect. The action all takes place in an aerial liner which forms a novel locale for the romance-cum-crook nature of the story. It deals with Jack Gordon, ace pilot of a commercial air line, who comes to the rescue of Felice Rollins, a .society girl who is temporarily without the means to purchase a ticket to San Francisco, and wagers with the air hostess that he will take her to lunch at the journey's end. Once they get under way, he mistakes Felice for a decoy of crooks, but the error is removed when he learns that she is trying to prevent her sister from marrying a Russian philanderer. The 'plane also is carrying Miss Hawkins, a governess, accompanied by her wayward pupil, Waldermar Pitt HI. a truculent Russian, brother of the philanderer, a gangster and a detective. Following a forced landing, the gangster gets tough, but Jack, aided by Waldemar. is more than his match, and the 'plane retakes the air in time to reach its destination on schedule. Needless to say. Jack's good work is rewarded by FeUce in the customary manner. Fred MacMurray is breezy and virile as Jack, and Joan Bennett exceedingly attractive as Felice. Zasu Pitts gives her stylised characterisation as Miss Hawkins, while her charge is very well played by Bennie Bartlett. The rest of the supporting cast make their parts vital to the development of the plot. It is an example of sound team work. Technical qualities and the aerial work are extremely effective. •••IT HAD TO HAPPEN Fox. American. "A " certificate. Comedydrama. Runs 79 minutes. George Raft Enrico ScaSa Rosalind Russell Beatrice Newnes Leo Carrillo Guiseppe Badjagaloupe Arline Judge Miss Sullivan Andrew Tombes Dooley Arthur Hohl John Pelkey Paul Stanton Mayor of New York Pierre Watkins District Attorney Stanley Fields Mug George Irving Foreman of the Jury Thomas Jackson Mayor's Secretary Directed by Roy Del Ruth, from a story by Rupert Hughes. Previewed .May 23. 1936. While basically this is a "poor boy makes good" type of story, it is so different in its treatment and so snappy in its portrayal of American political and social life, that you overlook that. Roy Del Ruth's treatment is exceedingly bright and full of human touches. George Raft gives an excellent performance as an Italian imigri who becomes the power behind the throne of the Mayor of New York and exercises that power to clean up the graft in the city — being nearly ruined in the attempt. Rosalind Russell is also extremely good as the wife of the man whom Raft is trying to suppress and with whom he falls in love. It is difficult, perhaps, to believe that anyone so cultured and refined as the character she interprets should fall for the rough-neck Italian, but the acting makes it as plausible as possible. As the villain of the piece, Alan Dinehart is well in character, and Leo Carrillo adds some excellent comedy as the Italian's friend and fellow imigri. Action is exhilarating and the comedy touches are well pointed. ♦♦♦MR. COHEN TAKES A WALK Warner. British. "U" certificate. Comedydrama. Runs 82 minutes. Paul Graetz Jake Cohen Violet Farebrother Rachel Cohen Chili Bouchier Julie Levine Mickey Brantford Jack Cohen Ralph Truman Sam Cohen Barry Livesey Joe Levine Sam Springson .Abraham Levy Kenneth Villiers Bob West Meriel Forbes Sally O'Connor George Merritt Pat O'Connor Directed by William Beaudine. Previeu ed January 11. 1936. While in no sense a "super." this human little picture in its unpretentious way is more deserving of three stars than many which rank in the former class. While delightful in the sincere simplicity of its plot, it is notable too for the sensitive performance given by Paul Graetz in the title role — a part, incidentally, which caused Hollywood to take notice of Mr. Graetz. The story tells of Jake Cohen, a self made business man, who graduates from peddling to being the head of the Empire Stores. His sons, ho "'ever, have so organised the business that the Old Man finds he has nothing to do. After the death of his wife, who has shared all his troubles and his glory, he decides to "take a walk" — to go tramping the road. Here he finds adventure and joy, but when trouble comes to the Store it is old Jake who has to straighten it out. There is a love story running through it that hardly helps the film, and an absurd Abie's Irish Rose ending. We could have been spared that. William Beaudine's direction is a little leisurely, but the acting is so good that one can forgive that. While Graetz's performance is outstanding, good work is contributed by Violet Farebrother, Chili Bouchier, Ralph Truman and Sam Springson. c^^THE EAGLE'S BROOD Paramount. American. " U " certificate. Western drama. Runs 59 minutes. William Boyd Hop-along Cassidy Jimmy Ellison Johnny Nelson William Farnvm El Toro George Hayes Spike Addison Richards Big Henry Joan Woodbury Dolores Frank Shannon Mike Dorothy Revier Dorothy Paul Fix Steve John Merton Ed George Mari Pablo Henry Sylvester The Sheriff Directed by Howard Bretherton. Adapted from Clarence C. Mulford's "Hop Along Cassidy" stories. Good type Western, actionful and packed with spectacular fights and shooting affrays which may run on conventional lines but are nevertheless well put over. William Boyd puts all the necessary bravado into the role of HopAlong Cassidy, while a sound juvenile study is given by George Mari as Pablo, who while journeying with his parents to join his grandfather. El Toro. once a notorious Mexican bandit, is made an orphan by crooks in the employ of Big Henry, a desperado, who cloaks his real activities behind the proprietorship of a saloon. Dolores, a dancer in Big Henry's employ, takes pity on the boy and hides him and then passes the word to El Toro. While El Toro is riding to the boy's rescue, he saves Hop-AlongCassidy, the sheriff, caught in quicksands, and in return Cassidy promises to bring Pablo to him. His promise entails his vacating the office of sheriff, but his bravery and resource in bringing Big Henry and his gang to justice and Pablo to the arms of his grandfather, see him crowned with glory in the finish. The pictorial settings are fine and fit the " Rough house" which is the order of the day. William Famum is impressive as El Toro, and though there is no romance, the feminine touch is charmingly introduced by Joan Woodbury as Dolores. ♦♦TWO IN THE DARK Radio. American. "A " certificate. Crime drama. Runs 73 minutes. Walter Abel The Man Margot Grahame Marie Smith Wallace Ford HUlyer Gail Patrick Irene Lassiter Alan Hale Florie Leslie Feston Stuart Eldredge Eric Blore Edmund Fish Eris O'Brien-Moore Olgar Konar Erik Rhodes Carol Gheet