Picture Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1928)

65 A Confidential Guide to Current Releases WHAT EVERY FAN SHOULD SEE. "Beau Geste" — Paramount. A gripping film production of this unusual mystery melodrama of the French Foreign Legion. Ronald Col-man, Neil Hamilton, and Ralph Forbes score individual hits as the three devoted brothers. Entire cast excellent. "Ben=Hur"— Metro-Goldwyn. A beautiful and inspiring picture, directed with skill and originality. Ramon Novarro, in title role, gives earnest and spirited performance; Francis X. Bushman excellent as Messala; May McAvoy, Betty Bronson, Kathleen Key, and Carmel Myers all handle their roles well. "Big Parade, The" — Metro-Goldwyn. Grippingly realistic war picture. Story of three tired, dirty doughboys, one of whom is John Gilbert, who falls in love with a French girl, played remarkably well by Renee Adoree. "The Circus"— United Artists. Charles Chaplin reverts 'to slapstick. While inspiration-of his last film is lacking, this should be seen. Because his ladylove likes a tight-rope walker, Charlie decides to learn. The humor and pathos of this episode are inimitable. Merna Kennedy. "Garden of Allah, The" -MetroGoldwyn. Alice Terry and Ivan Petrovich in poetic film version of this famous story of Trappist monk who forsakes his monastery, meets a youngEnglishwoman in the desert, and marries her without revealing his identity. "The Gaucho"— United Artists. Doug Fairbanks as a bandit of Indian and Spanish blood, his usual reckless self in a picture that not only has beauty, but substance and drama. Eve Southern and Lupe Velez both excellent in their respective roles. "Man, Woman, and Sin"— MetroGoldwyn. Tale of a boy reporter ^who idolizes the mistress of the publisher and during a fight kills the older man. He is finally freed. Jack Gilbert magnificent as the shy boy and Jeanne Eagles, as the scarlet woman, is unique. Gladys Brockwell and Marc MacDermott are also good. "Old Ironsides" — Paramount. Magnificent historical film featuring the frigate Constitution and man) sea battles. Esther Ralston and Charles Farrell furnish the love interest, Wallace Beery and George Bancroft the comedy. "Rough Riders, The" — Paramount. Interesting picture built round Theodore Roosevelt's part in the SpanishAmerican War, and interwoven with the simple, human love story of a girl and two soldiers — Mary Astor, Charles Emmett Mack, and Charles Farrell. "Seventh Heaven" — Fox. Tale of a Parisian waif whose first taste of happiness is snatched from her when her hero, a sewer worker, is swept off to war just as they are about to be married. Admirable performances by Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. "Sunrise" — Fox. One of the best of the season. Skillfully directed tale of a farmer, his wife and a city vamp. George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, and Margaret Livingston. "Way of All Flesh, The"— Paramount. Emil Jannings' first American film. Simple, human story revealing the star at his best in a tragically pathetic role. Belle Bennett, Phyllis Haver, and Donald Keith. "What Price Glory"— Fox. Swift, engrossing Mini version of the unusual war play. Racy story of the rivalry between a captain and a sergeant over a French girl. Edmund Lowe, Victor McLaglen, and Dolores del Rio. FOR SECOND CHOICE. "Angel of Broadway, The" — PatheDeMille. Excellent picture of entertainer in rowdy cabaret who tries to mock the Salvation Army, but is eventually reformed. Leatrice Joy and Victor Varconi. "Baby Mine"— Metro-Goldwyn. Robust slapstick by the inimitable team of Karl Dane and George K. Arthur. The latter pairs Karl with a gawky girl from the country, and they are married — but Dane runs away. Arthur induces him to return by announcing he is a father — whereupon he and his wife search for infants. On Dane's return he finds triplets — then the fun begins. Charlotte Greenwood is a -scream. "Barbed Wire" — Paramount. Pola Negri and Give Brook in unique war drama of French peasant girl who falls in love with a German prisoner and is shunned by her fellow townsmen. "Cheating Cheaters"— Universal. Excellent and amusing tale of crooks masquerading as idle rich to loot their supposedly rich neighbors — who turn out to be crooks, too. Betty Compson at her best; others are Kenneth Harlan, Lucien Littlefield, and Sylvia Ashton. "Chicago"— Pathe-DeMille. The' play, which was a clever satire on a murder trial, is made into a sentimental melodrama. While there are some clever bits of acting by Phyllis Haver and Victor Varconi, the film fails to click. "College"— United . Artists. Buster Keaton in amusing college comedy of awkward bookworm who, to impress his girl, strives vainly to become an athleteT "The Devil Dancer"— United Artists. Gilda Gray in unusual role of a Tibetan dancer. Costumes and settings magnificent, but story too thin. Anna May Wong, Kalla Pasha, Clarissa Selwynne are all admirable. "The Dove"— United Artists. A tame version of the play. Norma Talmadge makes an elegant prima donna out of what should have been a cheap cabaret singer. Noah Beery's best role since "Beau Geste." Gilbert Roland the hero. "Drop Kick, The"— First National. Richard Barthelmess in melodramatic college film of young student who becomes dangerously mixed up with a scheming vamp. "The Enemy"— Metro-Goldwyn. Moderately interesting story of the Austrian side of the late war Lillian Gish is excellent, but hasn't nearly enough to do. Ralph Forbes, Frank Currier^ and George Fawcett. "First Auto, The"— Warner. Melodrama, laid in the '90s, of a father's estrangement from his son because of the son's ardor for the newly invented horseless carriage. Charles Emmett Mack and Patsy Ruth Miller. "Forbidden Woman. The"— PatheDeMille. Engrossing film of lady spy and her machinations. Full of suspense and exciting complications. Jetta Goudal, Victor Varconi and Joseph Schildkraut. "Get Your Man" — Paramount. Excellent picture of fascinating Clara Bow and an American girl in Parish who falls in love with a French, youth betrothed to a friend of the family. She compromises him and "gets her man." Charles Rogers and Josephine Dunn are in the cast. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" — Paramount. Fairly amusing version of the famous book. Ruth Taylor's Lprelei excellent, but Alice White, in the role of the unrefined Dorothy, injects snap into what otherwise might have been a rather dull film. "High School Hero, The"— Fox. Gay comedy of high-school life, featuring youngsters who really look like highschool girls and boys. Nick Stuart and Sally Phipps. "Honeymoon Hate" — Paramount. Amusing and deftly told tale of an heiress, who antagonizes an impoverished nobleman. They eventually marry, and amusing situations arise when he attempts to tame her. Florence Vidor is her usualcharming self and others are Tullio Carminati and William Austin. "Hula" — Paramount. Clara Bow, in thin story of Hawaii, is the wild daughter of a rich planter who sets' her cap for a cold, reticent irrigation expert — Clive Brook — and gets him. "Jazz Singer, The" — Warner. Vitaphone picture, featuring Al Jolson and his voice, also May McAvoy! Story of Jewish cantor's son who is disowned for going into musical comedy, -but eventually returns to take his dead father's place in the synagogue. "Jesse James" — Paramount. Fred Thomson in glorified chronicle of the life of the famous bandit. Full of thrills and suspense. "King of Kings, The" — Producers Distributing. Sincere and reverent visualization of the last three years in the life of Christ. H. B. Warner dignified and restrained in central role. Cast includes Jacqueline Logan, Joseph Schildkraut, Victor Varconi, and Rudolph Schildkraut. (Continued on page 114)