The Big Shakedown (Warner Bros.) (1934)

(Review) ‘BigShakedown Fast-Moving Drama With Many Thrills Charles Farrell and Bette Davis Co-Star in First National’s Film of New Racket ELDOM have so many thrills been packed into a single bn, picture as in the First National production, ‘‘The Big Shakedown,’’ which was shown for the first time yester"oC Rat ab 0 | ah a A eA Theatre. It is a colorful underworld story of a new type of racket in which strong arm tacties play their part. Romance is added to the thrills in the love of a young pharmacist and his clerk, who innocently get into the toils of the gangsters and narrowly escape with their lives. “The Big Shakedown” has as its theme the racketeering which takes place among drug sundries, tooth paste and cosmetics. Can You Name This Blonde Film Star? urrent Publicity (END // FARR EL: SARS A HAS A MUD TURTLE AS A HOUSEHOLD PET CHARIES * 3 : ARRYSUE CAPTAINED THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY BOXING TEAM £0R TWO YEARS JL | RIGA R[0YO) CORmeZ AS A BOY SPENT His SCHOOL TIME AND HIS LAST PENNIES UN THE GALLERY OF EAST SIDE As a story it is powerful in theme and equally effective in production values. Warner Bros. have spared nothing to make it realistic and authentic as well as colorful, even moving an entire toothpaste factory onto their lot to reveal the processes through which the gangsters finally take over the field. Charles Farrell has been put in the role of the young druggist who is made an innocent victim of the gang and plays his role intelligently and .effectively. Bette Davis, his sweetheart, and later his wife, hasn’t had a better role since “Twenty Thousand Years in Sing Sing.” The reason for her rising popularity is further revealed with every new picture. Her work is always crisp, thoughtful and attractively dramatic. Popular Star Charles Farrell, favorite of the na tion’s movie fans, is seen again in “The Big Shakedown,” now at the Strand Theatre. He is teamed with Bette Davis in this film, and reports have it that these new screen lovers are — sensational! Mat No. 27, Price Sc. The role of the gang leader is not a new one with Ricardo Cortez, but is one of the best he has had since “The Maltese Falcon,” one of the really memorable crime pictures. He has a natural bent for the gangster role and brings to it a thorough realism that, while not always as heavily dramatic as that of some of his confreres, lacks nothing in power. This reviewer rates him the sereen’s best gangster actor. Allen Jenkins and Glenda Farrell prove again that they are two of the best bets Warner Bros. have. A long and well chosen east includes Phillip Faversham, Adrian Morris, Henry O’Neill, George Pat Collins, Dewey Robinson, Ben Hendricks and George Cooper. The picture is based on a story by Sam Engels and Niven Busch, sereen play by Buseh and Rian James, and directed by John Franeis Dillon. She is the blondest of blondes and she isn’t afraid to say “No.” She has never found a four leaf clover. She has never seen a king. She doesn’t care about Mahatma Ghandi fasts. She doesn’t like dolls. She doesn’t do ecard tricks. She doesn’t like to shop in the dime store. She didn’t wear orange blossoms at her wedding. She has never bought a gun. She has never painted china. She has never read the Elsie Dinsmore books. She doesn’t like petunias. She doesn’t like to eat at a counter. She doesn’t like to go to weddings. She has never seen a Grunion. She has never had the mumps. She has never seen a penguin. She has never been out of the United States. She has never met Charlie Chaplin. She wouldn’t spank a baby. She has never known a ecireus freak. She’s now playing opposite Charles Farrell at the Theatre in the First National picture, “The Big Shakedown,” a thrilling drama concerning a new type of racketeering. Her first name is Bette. What’s her last name? Opening Day Story Big Money Schemes Bared In Thrilling “The Big Shakedown” A new kind of racket, with a different twist of the gangster menace is revealed in the latest First National picture, “The Big Shakedown,” which comes to the ....... eae ap ei Theatre today. The plot concerns the activities of a former band of liquor racketeers who turn to the cut rate drug business when Repeal makes this game unprofitable. Sam Engels and Niven Busch, who wrote the story, “Cut Rate,” upon which the picture is based, put plenty of thrills in it. There is also a delightful romance in the plot. Charles Farrell and Bette Davis are the lovers in the picture, playing together for the first time. Ricardo Cortez is the leader of the gangsters. His two loves are Glenda Farrell and Renee Whitney, the first of whom he puts on the spot because she knows too much, after he has jilted her for the latter. There is a strong supporting cast of noted players, including Allen Jenkins, Phillip Faversham, Robert Emmet O’Connor, John Wray, George Pat Collins, Adrian Morris, | Dewey Robinson, Ben Hendricks and George Cooper. John Francis Dillon, one of the foremost directors in Hollywood, is said to have handled the picture cleverly, transferring the realism and suspense of the story onto the sereen. The play was written by Niven Busch and Rian James. THEATERS 1S TWO FACED....HE CAN LOOK FUNNY OR TOUGH AT WILL. a u., Y Ee Cs a WOVEN ate ten ICE CREAM ON ES IN ONE = ME SEQUENCE OF "THE BIG SHAKEDOWN” “THE BIG SHAKEDOWN,” STARRING BELLE DAVis, CHARLES FARRELL, RICARDO CORTEZ, GLENDA FARRELL, AND ALLEN JENKINS IS NOW SHOWING AT THE STRAND THEATRE, Mat No. 6, Price 10c. 1st day of run Ricardo Cortez, One Time Romantic Lead, Reverts To Villain Ricardo Cortez, who is once more the menace in “The Big Shakedown,” the First National picture now Showing ataetheso: set. . eek 2 Theatre, hasn’t always been a “heavy” on the screen. His’ first leading role was that of hero in “The Pony Express,” one of _ the western spectacles so popular in the silent days. After that came such pictures as “Voleano,” “The Sorrows of Satan,’ “Feet of Clay” and “Society Seandal,’ in all of which he won the girl by noble means: and true. Cortez was also Greta Garbo’s leading man in her first American picture, “The Torrent.” Again he was heroic in such later films as “Symphony of Six Million,” “Big Business Girl,” “Is My Face Red?” and “The Maltese Falcon.” But then came a change in character —on the screen. The Cortez suavity and poise have lately been lent to gentlemen of desperate habits. His two most recent pictures, “The House on 56th Street” and “The Big Shakedown” show him as a sinister fellow —though as dashing as ever. “What price virtue?” Ricardo might ask. Especially when wickedness brings in more fan mail, than nobility ever did. In “The Big Shakedown” he’s a tough gangster, who doesn’t hesi tate to bump off his moll when he tires of her so she can’t reveal his secrets. He is himself put on the spot later. The picture is a drama of many thrills concerning a new _ kind of racket. It is based on the story, “Cut Rate” by S. Engels and Niven Busch from which the screen play was written by Busch and Rian James. Charles Farrell and Bette Davis play. the romantic leads while others in the cast are Glenda Farrell, Allen Jenkins, Henry O’Neill,, Phillip Faversham and Robert Emmet O’Connor. John Francis Dillon directed. 2nd day of run Glenda Farrell Says She’s Never Been In Love, But Has Hopes Glenda Farrell, who has an important role in “The Big Shakedown,” the First National picture Now showine ab then sn evans +d Theatre, says she has never really been in love. Well, once maybe, but it soon mellowed instead into friendship only. “The trouble is,” says Glenda, “that I like to play. I just like to have a good time. And too often to be funny, the man I’m going with, spoils everything by getting serious. I want it to be all in fun. So before long we have to agree to disagree, and stop going together.” She sighed heavily and_ then brightened perceptibly at the mention of the rumors of her current boy friend, a well-known Hollywood writer. “Oh, Vm erazy about him!” she said. “I think he’s the most wonderful writer in the world. I admire him tremendously. What a grand person! But—” she explained afterall these eulogies— “it isn’t love!” Hearing a suggestion from the sidelines that maybe she didn’t even know what love was, Glenda freely admitted it, and made a further, more important admission — she hopes love will find her soon. In fact, she’s looking for Cupid, right now. In “The Big Shakedown,” Glenda ‘ has the role of a gangster’s moll and is bumped off by her lover when he tires of her because she knows too many of his secrets. The picture is a thrilling drama, which reveals a new type of racket. It is based on the story “Cut Rate,” by S. Engels and Niven Busch, from which the sereen play was written by Busch and Rian James. Charles Farrell and Bette Davis head the cast which also includes Ricardo Cortez, Allen Jenkins, Henry O’Neill, Phillip Faversham and Robert Emmet O’Connor. John Francis Dillon directed. Page Eleven