Universal Weekly (1932-1936)

18 UNIVERSAL WEEKLY /* Sept. 2, 1933 Reviews That Mean Money " The Rebel' Is Tremendously Vivid" says Claudia Cassidy in Chicago Journal of Commerce I F the arrival of General Balbo's * vivid armada made you feel your life a trifle flat and the budget admits no wanderings to high places, a trip to the World Playhouse takes you soaring over the Tyrolean and Dolomite Alps with a rattling tale of adventure as your guide. Seated in one of the luxurious armchairs offered by this little theatre, you skim the clouds, mount snow-capped peaks and loose deadly avalanches on invading villains — all without the curse of the suave voice of the movie travel talker and with the comforting participation of the vivid Luis Trenker and the calmly beautiful Vilma Banky. "The Rebel" is the name of the pic John Doles and Margaret Sullavan in a scene from “Only Yesterday,” which John M, Stahl is just completing at Universal City. ture, foreign made with excellent English dialogue, and its admirable direction focuses a dramatic camera on beauty. The picture teems with heroism but has no heroics. Despite this incredible beauty of the settings and the swaggering decor of the Napoleonic age, its story is told with simple honesty and the bravura gestures of the Tyrolean defense emerges as the desperate courage of an embattled people. Just how Mr. Trenker's hero, believed dead for a traitor's thirty pieces of silver, gets to that secret council of French officers I don't know, but granting him that dramatic license, he gets out with a thoroughly convincing trick that would do credit to our most polished actors. And when he reaches his own mountains with the secret of the Napoleonic advance, he turns into a wildcat with laudable vengeance. The result is one of the most exciting things I have ever seen on a talking screen— down in the valley the ribbon road over which the invaders ride In implacable formation — high in the mountains the grim defenders, snipers on crags and in forks of overhanging trees, waiting men with knives to cut ropes that will hurtle pent-up stones and trees in an ava lanche of fury on unsuspecting heads. The whole thing is tremendously vivid, and it releases that odd psychology by which most of us instinctly line up on the side that doesn't wear uniforms. Those Napoleonic outfits looked better in a ballroom, anyway. But there it is, a terrific battle that turns all the camera tricks to baffling use and makes you doubt the evidence of your eyes. + + + PETE HARRISON SAYS: ^^MOONLIGHT and PRETZELS” with Mary Brian, Leo Carrillo and Roger Pryor Excellent musical comedy entertainment. The music is catchy and the action is fast. Besides the backstage atmosphere and the usual, dancing and singing, there is a feeling of human interest throughout, which is brought about by the hero's efforts to make a success of his show. In addition, excellent comedy situations are provided by Leo Carrillo as a wealthy gambler who is enamoured of the leading lady. Suspense is sustained almost to the very last minute because one does not know whether the show will or will not go on and if It would go on whether it would make a success. + + + SUBSTITUTION FACTS: This is replacing No. 5014, listed on the contract as "The Flight Commander" from the play "The Empty Chair" by James N. Hall and Charles Nordhoff. It is a story substitution. But Universal deserves credit for not pulling it off and charging you more money for it, as others are doing with pictures that occasionally turn out better than the rest.