Picture Play Magazine (Jul - Dec 1929)

02 ^'; Site, ^^^RRjSB H f T"m .yw ^S ^Bft'^MiT' * KeT^lgH^n ^MM Tjfc.' ""^ ^r JKUr ^1 'fe^: ■L\ R^Rflp & it/ 3 H^^i > , ' ^Rfl if. ' ^•Zl^Hi IBMt<*^ -*g<an^^ a rhe^ •IMot *i ■HUHtk. Ji^'*' _^dL JSt , *-' i H * ! j^BS/m J » i v-K • KS V Rf | i fi s i I j R ■ 1 \ ■ ■^V ; \ I 'I RI& \. ^H ri^,v ' '' :'''*'"■ Bfj^B i^I^Mr 1 ^5 Polly Moran, Charles King, Bessie Love, Gus Edwards, Marie Dressier, and Cliff Edwards contribute an amusing number to Metro-Gold wyn's "Hollywood Revue." creerv a RgVieur g£ J\[orbert]usk The parade of new films yields several notable ones as well as some brilliant individual performances. METRO-GOLDWYN'S long-awaited "Hollywood Revue" at last unfurls itself before delighted eyes. It is inconceivable that any eyes anywhere — to say nothing of ears — will fail to see and hear it. Its fame will travel far and its magnetism will drag doubting souls into theaters wherever it is shown. Glittering, gorgeous, and always entertaining, it adheres to the form of stage revues so closely that there isn't even a recurrent theme song in lieu of a story to bind it together. Instead, it is a swiftly changing kaleidoscope of songs, dances, and skits performed by so large a number of stars that one is obliged to call them, somewhat apologetically, a galaxy. Some of the names familiar to fans are Marion Davies, Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Bessie Love, Conrad Nagel, Lionel Barrymore, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Anita Page, John Gilbert, William Haines, Buster Keaton, Marie Dressier, Charles King, Polly Moran, Karl Dane, George K. Arthur, and Gwen Lee. Recruits from vaudeville include Jack Benny, Brox Sisters, Natacha Nattova, Gus Edwards, Cliff Edwards, and the Albertina Rasch ballet, not forgetting a huge chorus of prancing boys and girls who, as much as any one, see to it that there isn't a dull moment. ■ Since there's no story to recount, your reporter must tell you what the stars do and how they do it. When I saw the "Hollywood Revue" on Broadway the most spontaneous and lasting applause was evoked by Marion Davies, Marie Dressier, and the Albertina Rasch ballet. But this may differ in other communities. For example, I can think of nothing more melodiously pleasing than Charles King singing "Your Mother and Mine," nor anything more like bathroom warbling than Joan Crawford crooning something or other. However, her dancing is another thing altogether. It electrifies her entire body, which is beautiful, as you know. Miss Davies also dances capitally and sings likewise in a handsomely staged military drill with a sensational finish, in which she appears in her favorite role, that of a smartly turned out boy in uniform. She is utterly captivating, and the burst of applause which followed it didn't surprise me at all, for I contributed more than my share. The same can be said of Bessie Love, both in her solo as well as her amusing number with Miss Dressier, Miss Moran, Cliff Edwards, Charles King, and Gus Edwards, a picture of which appears on this page. Conrad Nagel also sings, as well as alternates with Jack Benny as master of ceremonies, but as gentlemen who function in the latter capacity always bore me intensely, perhaps my appreciation of Mr. Nagel's vocal efforts is necessarily tempered by the tedium imposed in his other capacity. However, Mr. Benny monopolizes the functions of interlocutor — a word, by the way, which he slurred in pronunciation, as well as completely mispronouncing "conjure." Once again I nominate as a useful citizen in Hollywood a censor of pronunciation. Some day from somewhere will come a man with the qualifications of a real master of ceremonies. He will be suave, amusing, and civilized — and I'm sure he will have the devil's own time getting a job. Last, but not least. Norma Shearer and John Gilbert perform the balcony scene from "Romeo and Juliet" in