Picture-Play Magazine (Sep 1928 - Feb 1929)

120 continued from page 69 A Confidential Guide to Current and Maurice Braddell give fine per formances. Releases "Lion and the Mouse, The" — Warner. Old-fashioned story of a great, grasping capitalist. Vitaphone not very satisfactory in instances of May McAvoy and William Collier, Jr. Alec B. Francis is effective. Also Lionel Barrymore. "Fazil" — Fox. Expensive and beautiful production, but a hollow attempt to revive interest in the private life of a sheik. Charles Farrell and Greta Nissen are not at their best. John Boles, Mae Busch, and Tyler Brooke. "News Parade, The" — Fox. Agreeable comedy. More so for the presence of Nick Stuart. Sally Phipps does too little to suit most of us. Palm Beach setting, Lake Placid and Havana. Brandon Hurst is amusing as millionaire with antipathy for camera. "Dragnet, The"— Paramount. Should be seen if you like these "gang" pictures. George Bancroft stands for the law instead of against it. Admirable work by Francis MacDonald. William Powell good. Leslie Fenton and Fred Kohler complete excellent cast. "Street of Sin" — Paramount. Emil Jannings is good, but does not reach heights attained in previous roles. Story of a Limehouse bully and crook. Uncompromisingly sordid and sentimental. Olga Baclanova displays a torrential personality, nothing short of genius. Fay Wray is the Salvation lassie. "Red Dance, The"— Fox. Another story about the downtrodden Russian peasants, and the annihilation of those poor Romanoffs. Charles Farrell, as a grand duke, falls in love with Dolores del Rio, who is, of course, a girl of the people. Ends happily enough. Ivan Linow gives a distinctive performance. Dorothy Revier is a princess. "The Cossacks" — Metro-Goldwyn. Story of "Lukashka," of a wild tribe of Russians, who is accused of cowardice. He later proves his birthright by murdering a dozen or so Turks. Is spurned by "Maryana," who is betrothed to a noble. True to form, "Lukashka" abducts her on the eve of her marriage. John Gilbert attacks his role of "Lukashka" with gusto, and gives fine performance. Renee Adoree, Ernest Torrence, Nils Asther, Mary Alden, and Dale Fuller are conspicuous. "Wheel of Chance"— First National. Richard Barthelmess does some genuinely fine acting, playing the dual role of twin brothers who were separated in Russia. Margaret Livingston is vivid and fascinating as the wicked lady, who plays a part in the life of both brothers. Bodil Rosing is sympathetic in her role. "Big Killing, The"— Paramount. Last comedy starring the team of Beery and Hatton. Not quite as funny as predecessors, but you will enjoy Beery and Hatton. It's a farce about a feud among mountaineers. Mary Brian has an effective part as the mountaineer's daughter, and Lane Chandler is good. "The Actress"— Metro-Goldwyn. The story of a rich boy's love for an actress, back in the Victorian days. Atmospherically perfect. Based on the stage play "Trelawney of the Wells." Norma Shearer as "Rose" succeeds in being sweet. Ralph Forbes is convincing, if silly. Owen Moore is perfect as "Tom Wrench." "Telling the World"— Metro-Goldwyn. Poor attempt at being a great newspaper story, but is worth seeing because of William Haines, who is still prankish and juvenile; and because of Anita Page, from whom the fans may expect much. "Loves of an Actress" — Paramount. Cannot fail to please those who are loyal to Pola Negri. Set in Paris, and is the story of "Rachel," the greatest tragedienne of her day. Nils Asther heads the supporting cast, which includes Philip Strange, Paul Lukas, Richard Tucker, and Helen Giere. "Mysterious Lady, The" — MetroGoldwyn. Greta Garbo endows another picture with her personality, rather than adjusting herself to a new role. She is a Russian spy, and the picture has all the extra trimmings of missing papers, international complications and a court-martial. Conrad Nagel, with a romantic marcel, is heroic and convincing. "Scarlet Lady, The"— Columbia. Another tale about a Russian prince finding true love outside regal boundaries. The picture has vigor and is effective. Lya de Putti has a magnetic personality, but is hardly sympathetic or sincere. Don Alvarado is agreeable, and Warner Oland is ferociously villainous. "Terror, The" — Warner Brothers. A mystery movie, entirely in dialogue. Is too slow to make the most of thrillingsituations and a murder plot. Louise Fazenda has an unusual role. The rest, all of whom have lots to talk about, are : May McAvoy, Edward Everett Horton, Alec Francis, Mathew Betz, Holmes Herbert, John Miljan, Otto Hoffman, Joseph Girard, and Frank Austin. "Lilac Time"— First National. A little bit of everything you've seen in all the other war pictures, but done on a big scale, with sound effects and an effective airplane sequence. ' Colleen Moore's capers dominate the first part and her emotional acting the second, so you can take your choice. Gary Cooper. "Powder My Back"— Warner Brothers. A frail but diverting comedy. All about an actress who wins the love of the man who publicly denounced her. Irene Rich gives a pleasing performance. Andre Beranger gives a precisely comic performance. Anders Randolf, Carroll Nye, and Audrey Ferris. "Four Walls"— Metro-Goldwyn. The rivalry of underworld gangsters is the theme of this film. Not particularly exciting. John Gilbert fails to characterize the Jewish fellow, and plays himself instead. Joan Crawford is more like a pretty debutante than a gangster moll. Carmel Myers and Vera Gordon give authentic performances. "At Yale"— Pathe-DeMille. Rod La Rocque breaks away from serious roles and is seen in a genuinely amusing comedy. All about an Argentine youth who comes to Yale. Yes, there's a professor's daughter mixed up in the plot. She happens to be Jeanette Loff. "Forbidden Hours" — Metro-Goldwyn, Ramon Novarro is a king of a mythical kingdom. Falls* in love with a maiden, renounces his throne, and finally obtains both throne and maid. Aimless story. Novarro fans will like their favorite, however. Renee Adoree gives excellent performance. Dorothy dimming, Edward Connelly, Roy d'Arcy, and Alberta Vaughn. RECOMMENDED— WITH RESERVATIONS. "Gateway of the Moon, The"— Fox. Inane story of a girl who goes out to get her man, but he will have none of her. Finally he succumbs to her charms — as they always do in fillums. Dolores del Rio, Walter Pidgeon, and Leslie Fenton. "Girl from Chicago, The" — Warner. A refined girl mingles with crooks to track down the man guilty of the crime for which her brother was sentenced. Myrna Loy, Conrad Nagel, and William Russell are all excellent. "Good=time Charlie" — Warner. Sentimental, maudlin picture relieved only by Helene Costello's radiant presence. Story of a martyred father, who sacrifices everything for his daughter. Warner Oland, Clyde Cook, and Montagu Love are in the cast. "Magnificent Flirt, The"— Paramount. Smooth, polished and beautiful to the eye. An airy story. Albert Conti is nearly Adolphe Menjou. Loretta Young is exquisite, and Matty Kemp is convincing. Florence Vidor is as innocently wicked as ladylike decorum permits. Ned Sparks furnishes many laughs. "Hawk's Nest, The"— First National. Some excitement, much effective lighting and direction, but not much in the way of good acting from Milton Sills, Doris Kenyon, Montagu Love, Mitchell Lewis, and Stuart Holmes in this underworld yarn. "Foreign Legion, The" — Universal. A story no one can believe. For no good reason, Norman Kerry assumes the blame for a crime committed by the husband of the woman he loves. He leaves England and serves in the Foreign Legion. Not much sense to any of it. Acting of Norman Kerry, Lewis Stone, and June Marlowe is not much to talk about, though Mary Nolan makes a fine villainess. "Michigan Kid, The" — Universal. Commonplace story, told strictly in routine. Conrad Nagel, in title role, meets his childhood sweetheart when she comes to Alaska to marry the villain. A fight, a forest fire and an escape in a canoe have respective places. Renee Adoree is the heroine, and Lloyd Whitlock is the villain. "Beau Broadway" — MetroGoldwynj. The pictures has bright moments, but is absurdly dull in theme. The story of a prize-fight promoter who promises to care for the "child" of a dying friend, only to find that the "child" is a high-powered ingenue. Inconsistent ending. Lew Cody is clever, and Sue Carol makes the most of her role. Aileen Pringle has little to do.