Variety (Aug 1930)

-Wednesday, August 13,; 1930 FILM E V ■ E W S VARIETY 15 Talking Shorts HARRY FOX «The play Boy" (Comedy) 11 ':Mins. ■ Strand, New York Vitaphone Noa. 1039-40 Harry Fox, musical Juve and vaudevllllan Is a kleptomaniac here. He's a rich young broker with a bablt of cqpplng and whistling while doing it. With or without a whistle* 100% proof Idea, good for as many laughs as the player can get out of It. ' Fox gets a fair quota and has .made an okay comedy short. Fox also .whistles part of -a song. It'^ a comedy whistle, Issued between the teeth; the sort the boys use to attract the girls' attention on the fltreet corner. Opposite Fox, as on the stage and In a previous short (singing). Is Beatrice Curtis (Mrs. Fox), as comely a foil as ever. At the finish the klepto is cured an$ congratulated by the doctor. Whe]£^oc walks out a load of his Instnnients drop out of the copping fellows pockets. Bige. •PEOPLE BORN IN AUGUST" Horoscope 8 Mins. Strand, New York Fitzpatrick August In the Fitzpatrick series of monthly horoscopes does not seem quite so absurd as others, be cause the peculiarities of August folk are told In subtitles Instead of dialog. Otherwise August Is about th0 same, but Only Interesting to those born that month. People born In August, according to this, are easily deceived. That goes for women as well as men, making them all chumps. Which Is flbmething to know. If you're on the fal^e. There's one unintentional belly laugh. After the title stating the August born are fond of amuse- ments, there Is a shot of the shoot- the-chutes at Coney. Prolog is interesting, revealing how the month was named. Caesar Augustus did It, after himself. Is the claim, clipping his last monicker to fit Bige. •ROAD KNIGHTS" With (Beorges Raillyand Eddie Davis Comedy, Singing, Dancing 8 jMt^s. ) Bsaton, New York Vitaphone No. 4122 This one has novelty In back- ground and Idea, to warrant its booking for best progranis. Besides comedy, it has singing and dancing, with entertainment value in each. A virtue Is the short is short and snappy. Opening Is a freight train. Inside and out, with' several gags for laughs developed through satirizing hoboes. It seems the gang Is going to a con- vention in Florida, with scene im- mediately switching to an outdoor set where the chairman announces various bits of entertainment and for the close causes a panic by ring- ing the dinner bell. Specialties including dance rou- tines by a trio and a single, both good; special song that gets a chuckle or two, and a line of chorus boys as bums doing a typical Shu bert show routine. Better photography would have brought out more clearly the effect of numbers, especially In that chorus boys' bit where the pansy stuff would have been more noticeable than. It is. On the recording end wholly satis- factory. This short cost a little more money to make than most but was worth it. Char. '^»E BUBBLE PARTY" Comedy 7 Mins. Strand, New York Vitaphone No. 967 After building In Interest all the way, "The Bubble Party" winds up "Ke a typical Mutual wheel bit. It arops dead at the finish. From the number. 967, It's an early make. Scene is an old-fashioned bubble Dubble party. A flirting lady has the wives of her admirers burning «ver her vamp stuff. Nothing much aono about it. Next best In the ex- citement line, a guy busting a bub we on his nose. An old time qi'ir- tet sings a couple of numbers and ine vamp does "the latest dance worn New York." K,^°aP bubbles, sideburns and bustles. Dialog might have been a lot brighter. Bige. NJCK and TONY c!!:rdT 18MinV Stanley, New York •NT! Radio OA^i Tony are two wop Pw dialecticians, used by Radio "ctures in a series of shorts. This " * "^turally humorous sketch and would get results without wop ««alect. It helps some. Both boys" are chiseled Into enter- On * show by the barker, "nce in they are made use of by Miniature Reviews "Queen High" (Par). From the stage musical of same title. While along conventional lines, this is getting one of the big- gest laugh reactions of any comedy since talkers started. Certain money maker for any type of theatre. "Recaptured .' Love" (WB) Weak sister, not for first runs of better class. Gets by on di- rection and performances, with poor story main drag. If bought ••rlB'nt, good for spots. "Liebe im Ring" (American title, "Love in the Ring")— (All Arts Picture Corp.)— Money picture from Germany, with Max Schmelingi star, and added box ofUce through that for German neighborhoods. Poor story but well handled. Some scenes not talking but as picture was done. It seems an all-talker. "Sea Bat!' (Metro). Thriller with plenty actloi\. Good for the neighborhoods. Contains good sea clips of divers going down for sponges and the menace of the sea bats. "Paradise Island," (Tiffany). Neighbs only. South Sea Island atmosphere with Kenneth Har- lan, Marceline Day and Tom Santschi. Old type yarn with little action and comedy. About four songs. "Sons of the Desert" (Uni- versal). Western romance. Ken Maynard sings cowboy fashion. Plenty of action and well done. Where Maynard rates the picture will slam over. Okay for western fans In neighbs as well. "The Lonesome Trail" (Syn- dicate). Unoriginal yarn, Ho-^ bokenized. Plenty of actioi^ and couple of funny spots. Swell for kids. Double fea- ture spots only^ "Wings of Adventure" (Tif- fany). Unimportant western. Rex Lease, Armida and Clyde Cook in cast. Too much Mex chatter and little exploitation possibility. Okay for kids with best bet double feature bills. QUEEN HIGH Paramount' productton and release. CI reeled by Fred Newmeyer, based on the stage musical coQiedy. At Paramount, New .Tork, week Aug. 8. Running time, about 75 minutes. Dick Johns Stanley Smith Polly Rockwell Ginger Rogers T. Boggs Johns > Charles Ruggles George Nettleton Frank Nergan Mrs. Nettleton Helen Carrlngton Mrs. Rockwell..,.Theresa Makwell Conover Florence Cole Betty Garde Coddles Nina Olivette Cyrus Vanderholt... Rudy Cameron Jimmy Tom Brown The screen version of "Queen High," dating back musical of same name to the stage way to "Pair of Sixes," packs more laughs per phrase In dialog than any theme yet remade by the talkers. Its dlscrep ancles, bromides, etc., are none too few, but the wise-cracking effusions are of the kind that register 100% with the masses. It is thus a cer tain money picture for any theatre. Gags about the traveling salesman and the line "I smell a mice," or "Why don't you sleep at night In stead of during business hours?"— all of these get big mirth reactions. The idea of abruptly swinging into song over a menu card In a restau rant is out of plaxie with many fans, but Stanley Smith puts It over, The lyrics for Charlie Ruggles' fea- ture theme, "I Love the^ Ladies In My Own Peculiar Way," carries a sock for most of the listeners. Ruggles and Frank Morgan rapid fire at each other with all of those pert bromides known to some, but seemingly new to all of the rest. As the partners in the garter works •vho take to cards to decide who shall butler for the other until their tendency to bicker has lessened, Nettleton and Johns make a great team. Incidental to tne principals, Smith and Ginger Rogers, the relatives In Job.9, carry on in a light, entertain- ing way. ^"'f- the magician anl hypnotist for fair comedy effects. Also used to sub for the Siamese twins, who quit. While posing as the attached pair, a doctor starts to inspect them. Smaller character gets sick and runs for it, pulling away from part- ner and disclosing fake, whereupon the customers start wrecking the Joint. Oke punch with both boys hungry and one pulling out a string of weenies. Says he has to re-enter tent, with other warning him against it. Does .so and emerges with clothes in shreds. When asked why he went back, he says: "To get the mustard for the hot dogs," and pulls out a bottle of mustard. All fairly amusing. The Shot in THE TALKER STUDIO (GERMAN MADE) Berlin, Aug. 1. Produced and released by Ufa. Directed by Alfred Zelsler. Story by Kurt Slodmak. Rudolf Katscher and Egon Els. Photog- rapher, Werner Brandes. Klangflim re- corded. Premier at Ufa Palast, Berlin. Running time, 60 minutes. The Fllmdlva Grrda Maurus Leading Role Harry Frank Production Manager Paul Kcmi) Assistant Producer Ernst Bclimer Sound Master Frledrlch Franz Stamjie Studio Doctor Peter Ihle Dummy Seeman Robert Thoeren temale Dummy Use Korsck Widow Bollmnnn Valeska Stock Criminal Commissioner Moeller Alfred Beierly This Ufa talker Is on the same line as the first criminal talker, "The Tiger," but not nearly so primitive. The story is Interesting and exciting and may be also suited to America. The scenario is so well done the audience only at the end can know the murderer. Gerda Maurus plays the fllmdlva, but Is not free from exaggeration. Harry Frank is "a leading role," and looks well, but Is rather help- less. Excellent are Paul Kemp, Use Korsck, Alfred Beirlo and Ernst Stahl-Nachbaur. The Berlin public and press, suf- fering frorh the lack of good talkers, are rather enthusiastic about this picture. It will do good business, especially as the costs for the pro- duction are probably not high. Magnus. MURDER (ENGLISH MADE) (All dialog) British International production and re- lease. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock from novel, "Enter Sir John," by Cleoience Dane. Recorded RCA Photophone, photo- graphed by J. J. Cox. In cast: Herbert Marshall, Norah Baring, Phyllis Konstam, Edward Chapman, R. Jeffrey, Donald Calthrop, Miles Mander. Length, 0,400 feet; running time, 110 minutes. Censor's Certificate "A" Reviewed Palace, Lon- don, July 81. Alfred Hitchcock's "Blackmail" was rated over here as the best of the British talkers last year. "Mur- der" Is by miles the best so far. If Hitchcock produced In Hollywood and was wise enough to keep his films to six or seven reels, he might be a rave anywhere. Original title of this one was "Enter Sir John." Based on a rather highbrow mystery yam, It tells how a girl Is convicted of murder on cir- cumstantial evidence and sentenced to death. One of the jurymen, an actor, is more or less forced Into bringing In a "Guilty" verdict, al- though he stood out against It for some time. While the girl awaits her execution he sets to work to solve the crime, eventually suspect ing a small-timer, whom he makes act a scene In a specially written play. Ever read "Hamlet?" Drawback of this type of develop- ment Is that the biggest kick In the picture occurs In the earlier reels. Well photographed and mounted, and contains all the gadgets of the pet Hitchcock technique, from quick cutting to skillful dialog blending. Recording flawless. Some of the technical effects in the trial scens here would make Hollywood sit up and take notice. The dialog has been very well written. Long episodes have cl6ver satirical values as attacks on the conventional and lower class Eng- lish. Next to the trial scene and the sequence .in the Jury's retiring room, which In the opinion of this writer, at least, are the best of their type yet done in the talkers, there are quietly amusing slants on the small-timers which relieve the story. Acting Is very good. Herbert Marshall beats the cast to It as the knighted actor who turns amateur detectlvef. Norah Baring Is sympa- thetic as the suspected girl, while secondary roles are uniformly well trouped, although just occasionally the satirical note Is overdone. As it stands, the film should clean up in the best houses here, whose patrons will revel in a film which doesn't mind getting dangerously near the highbrow at times. As a general booking it could have some of the middle sliced out to advan- tage. Cut down by a couple of reels it should be a business proposition In America. Chap. crown jewels and makes a getaway on his yacht, complete with kid- napped girl, The lover comes on by plane, crashes amidsliltmr;. is held captive, succeeds in esc&ping, and saving the girl Just as she is being forced into marrying the man with the accent. Picture contains about half a dozen song sequences. Numbers do not suggest smashes in the disc market, but they are sufflclently tuneful to make the grade. Dorothy Seacombe, who otherwise does noth- ing.to suggest why she should be in the film, sings quite well. 'Chief note Is the comedy, brought out over tlie trite story. Handled in approved Lupino Lane fashion, it possibly contains too much slap- stick, but has moments when It swings Into some original humor. One sequence, near the end, when Lane, as a crazy newshound, lands in the torture chamber of the East- ern high-hat, and goes wild in and out of innumerable sliding doors, is about the best piece of film comedy turned out in these studios. Sequence at the opening dealing with the raiding of the crown jew- els, kept in the Tower .of London, is likely to prove interesting to most fans, particularly those who have never been near the place. Detail here is excellent, although the cen- tral situation, that it might be pos- sible to lift said jewels. Is about as likely as the midget golf player beating Bobby Jones. Picture is well mounted, some of the ensembles being very good to look at. Lachman's direction Is good in straightforward fashion. Without attempting any technical frills he has put over a good piece of workmanship. He never over- came that Junk story, but did as much as possible with It. Oriental wedding at the end Is good In the- atrical fashion. Lane carries the film along with his comedy, WilUaim Shine giving him some support as a sap news- paper operator. Warwick Ward talks smoothly as the dusky bound- er, but It's the sort of role which doesn't give a player much. Dor- othy Seacombe is frankly bad as the girl, Haddon Mason and Wilfred Temple being undistinguished In their parts. Picture should make a lot more money here than most of the British talkers. Its story doesn't give It much of a boost for the States, but it might be worthwhile support In the neighborhood houses.. Chap. RECAPTURED LOVE Warner Bros, production and release. Based on play, "Misdeal," by Basil Woon, with screen adaptation and dialog by Charles Kenon. Directed by John O. Adoin. Photography by John Stumar. At Beacon, New York, week Aug. 8. Run nlng time, 04 minutes. Helen Parr Bcllo Bennett Brentwood Parr John HalUday Peggy Price Dorothy Burgess Rawllngs Richard Tucker Henry Parr Junior Durkin Crofts George Blckel Pat Brooks Benedict "G Sisters "G" Sisters days. Her burlesque of the addle- pated chorus girl proves a gem. Not a great deal of money spent on this talker and as a result It should be bought' right,' in which case it is worth booking. . Photography In spots bad but recording o.k. Char. TWO WORLDS (All Dialog) (ENGLISH MADE) London, Aug. 1. British International proJucllon nnd re- lease. Dlroctcd by E. A. Dupont. Olalop by Miles Malleson; photography by Charles Rosher. In coat: Randic Ayrton, John Longden, Jack Trevor, Donald Cnlthrop. Norah Baring. Constance Carpenter. Length, J.SOD feet. Running time. 110 minutes. Censor's Certlflcnte "A." Reviewed at Pal- ace, London, July 28. THE YELLOW MASK (ENGLISH MADE) (All dialog) British International production and rc- iea.<w. Directed by Harry Lachman from musical stage show by Edgar Wallace. Photography by Claude Friese-Greene. Stars Lupino Lane. la cast: Warwick Ward, Dorothy Seacombe, Wilfred Temple. Haddon Mason, William Shine. Recorded RCA Photophone. Length, 8,400 feet; run- ning time, 05 minutes. Censor's Certifi- cate "U." Reviewed Palace, London, July 30. More box-offlce material in this musical-meller than In most of the British productions. Picture never attempts to rise above the trivial- ities of a hokum story, but It has more entertainment for the masses than most of the home-mades which set out to be twice as good. Story of this one can be disml.ised pretty easily. It tells how just an- other foreign potentate steals the A weak sister that gets by more as a result of what the director has been able to do to wring Interest out* of a stereotyped story, with an able cast helping him a lot with clever performances In thankless, almost hopeless roles. Not for the best first runs In competitive situations and not to be counted on strongly in other spots. Including neighbor- hood runs. Picture Is based on the play, "Misdeal," by Basil Woon. It doubt- lessly relied more on the Individual perfo.mances and direction than story, that providing it hasn't been debilitated In transcription to the screen. Title of "Misdeal" strikes as better box ofilce than "Recaptured Love," neither hot Present title is the finale's tip-off. Otherwise there might have been more sus- pen e to the triangle situation In this case. Few stories are as bare of sit- uations and plot. It's the old one about the husband tiring of his spouse and ulllng for the baby- talker, >nly to return to his first love In the end. Little has contributed to plot the story up more than Is suggested In that epitome aside from the fairly successful efforts of John Adolfl to give It a semi-farcical touch, with his cast lending a willing hand In trying to get laughs out of other- wise dry situations. Belle Bennett as the first wife, John Halliday as the straying hus- band who returns, and Dorothy Burgess as the other woman, do not seem like much for a cast, but be- tween them tney carry "Recaptured Love" across the danger line. Miss Burgess as the frivolous chorus" girl to whom everyone Is "honey" with that disarming way about. lt, cops the picture. The way the girl cheats on her husband and at the same time has him going through the hoops gives "Recaptured Love" a flavor which c mbined with the acting and direc- tion ha.s a lot to do with getting it over. First half Is drowsy .stuff, but the last 30 minutes whips into pa- latable entertainment, with the final reel coming near to taking the pic- ture out of the weakling class. MLss Bennett's performance in that last reel, with her teasing the want-to- come-home-husbar. 1 until he nearly cries, shows her in a little different role for this w. k. actress of silent There's a lot that's very fine in this film; also a good deal which Is mediocre. It was made with a sharper eye for technical values than most of Its home-made rivals. There has been no stinting of the production cost Picture Is very smooth, clean cut and fine to look at Charles Rosher, who used to crank PIckford and Is now back here, mude his return visit worth while. In the case of one role—played by Randle Ayrton—the film has the heist spot of character acting yet put over in the British studios. Other roles are not so per- fectly played by a long distance, but the standard is . generally high. Leaving aside the technical aspect, and the recording all the way is flawless, the film has some bad sp6ts. It's a pity so much work should have been spent In produc- ing a story which never achieves anything but simple meller. Han- dling throughout - Is much too lei- surely to pass these days. It's a Dupont picture all over again. Since "Variety"—called Vaudeville" over here—this Ger- man hasn't seemed to have got Into his story once. He Just potters round It, making a slow moving pic- ture, always pleasant to look at but seldom if ever with a punch. Pa- trons of better class houses here win be forced to admire the pic- torial work In the film, but whether they will be greatly enthralled by the treatment Is another matter. Story tells how- a young Austrian officer during the war sentences a Jewish clockmaker to prison for as- saulting him. This Jew reg^ds the officer as responsible for the.'death of his son In a street brawl, and hates him accordingly. After a bright iilghf the soldier wakes up to find both the lady a.nd the Austrlans have leffwlth the hos- tile Russian armies In possession of the town. He tries to escape, Is wounded, and Is pursued by the Cossacks. ■ A young Jewess, daughter of the clockmaker, finds him In the road, ' brings him In and nurses him back to. health, forcing her father to swear he Is his son In order to stall Russian suspicions. Later, the old man, Imagining the aristocrat is after his daughter, leaves a letter In the Russian army headquarters glv> Ing the game away. But the Austrlans having recap- tured the town, the letter Is read by the boy's father, who, on discover- ing the youngster wants to marry the Jewess, shows him the letter and says he'll have the father shot unless the boy forgets the girl. This he fs forced to do, and the film fades on the scene of a heartbroken girl and Just another young man going oft to provide cannon fodder for somebody. Next to Randle Ayrton, whose old Jew Is excellent, Norah Baring, as the young Jewess, Is the best, Con- stance Carpenter has a small ro- mantic role In the earlier reels, and Donald Calthrop plays a Tlddlsh sage with something like burlesque, making a bad cog. John Longdon doesn't photograph well In this one, and the less said about his perform- ance the better. Picture should do well as a Brit- ish film In the better class neighbor- hoods here, mainly as a result of Rbsher's photography, Alfred Junge's art direction, ajid Ayrton's acting. Containing as It does the-familiar Dupont fault of allotting each se- quence too much footage, it would be a difficult Job to cut It to its proper length, about six reels. Chap. LIEBE IM RING ("Love in the Ring") (With Max Sohmeling) (GERMAN MADE) (50% German Dialog) Terra Film production In association with Terra-United Artists. Released in America by All Art Picture Corp. Story by Mai Glass, with music by Arthur Guttman. Dl- rpcted by Jose Santa. Photography by NIC- olauB Farkas. With Mait Schmellng (world's heavyweight champion), Frieda Richard, Rudolf Uiobrach, Renate Mullcr and Olga THchachowa. At Rth ."Street Playhou-se. New York, week Aug. 0. Running time, 60 min- utes. A money picture in German, with a smattering of English, French and Portuguese, for German localities in the U. S. Will do business not only because of the box office value of Max Schmellng's name and his pop- ularity with Germans, Including Amcrlcan-borns, but because of the profluctlon value. nilllng of 100% German sound and Kinging film is correct, tecb* (Continued on page 31)