Variety (Sep 1930)

30 VARIETY FILM REVIEWS Wediiebd^y,. September 24, 1930 COP CHECKERS FOR TEX. m Dallas, 8«pt. 23. Texas percentage indies were 'warned that Copyright Protection Bureau will soon bring its Burns cops into the southwest to check up on possible fallacies in-D. o. report>3.. Bureau informs exhibs that they'll be given chance to settle, In case of violations, the settlements to range from $300 to $4,000. No squawk from the indie so far, although it's first time the "op sys- tem of checking up coming into this territory. Tezans are kinda ticklish on that honesty gag, too. BOHB-WRECKED INDIE HOUSE IN HAMILTON Toronto, Sept. 23. Bombs have wrecked - one inde- pendent picture house of the circuit owned by Fred Guest in Hamilton, 87 miles from here, and damaged another. Hamilton Indies, who have been running an open shop, have suffered minor terrorism for over a year. Stench bombs have been tossed amoiig audiences, screens slashed, electric current cut olt; and now a house has been blown up. Latest move brought provincial police into the war zone. On com- plaint of Anthony Patzelack, owner of ■ Playhouse,. they arrested Wil- liam P. Covert, international vice- president of the projection machine operators' union. Covert is held on bail on a charge jf intimidatiun. He is alleged to have said to Patzelack, after an unsuccessful conference, "you wouldn't -like a taste of Chicago hero would you?" Covert is not charged with bombing ot. having anything to do with that Job which ruined the Queens. : Union projection men at first car^- rled their grievance to the public by ads in the dailies where they point- ed- out the added safety of a two- man operating room and - the- use of authorized men. Public took no Interest so letters stopped. Trade union also took no. action. After that the bombs began to appear. ' lihis brought demand for extra po- lice^ protection which was given. Bomb, which wrecked the Queens, was tossed into the auditorium after lid front doors had been blown open. Explosion was about 46 mln utes after the last show. Two eye witnesses have been unable to Identify suspects. Little chance of the house reopening. Meanwhile biz holds well at other spots. AFRICA SPEAKS (Continued from Page 23) to question as are some of the scenes. The latter become so through apparently a telescopic -camera always upon the cameraman taking the whplc picture, this Jhdl* eating two; cameras always at work; with one seemingly entirely out of danger. The second cameraman is never seen. The assembly of tho film, however. Is a very good piece of work. One view shows the expedition's leader, Paul Hoefier, with his white male companion at one instant re- moved from their defensive brush, in view of Hons who start toward them. They rush to their cover- age, accompanied by. the black youth, son of the tribe's chief. Of all of the tribe of male adults and lion hunters, this kid had been dele- gated by his father-chieftalh to lead the adventurers to the Hon cacbe. When within their brush battery and after killing one Hon with re- volvers, the boy is ordered by the white men to cross the short range In full open field to go to their auto truck and bring back rifles. While the lions are still hovering arpund. On his way to obey the command, given to a boy with the two men remaining behind the brush, a lion is seen chasing the lad, with the boy looking backward, in great fear. A skip, and the boy 19. heard to utter a frightful cry as the animal leaps upon him. This is also seen from within the brush as it is upon the screen. • The stpreopticon is now working. The two men had hot -attempted to use their revolvers once again, even if in vain through distance. If through distance- that makes the command to' the boy all the mpre curious. In fact all of this section is fishy, but action and ap- parent realism remain. It could not be trick photography but it could have been. a trained animal, perhaps by substitute, a police dog. Again when the Hon Is being ad- vanced upon by the tribal, hunters, it lies confortably upon the ground, looking around casually, and with- out the famed sense of smell and danger credited to the king of beasts. . As the hunters closely reach the animal, another skip, and Hon rushes upon the Invaders. Considerable adtlon here and the Hon, full of spears, is dead upon the ground. The lecturer stated the tribe's chief permitted the whites to accompany the hunters upon pledge of not using firearms. The rest is a wild animal picture, covering a large sectiori of Africa^ according to a displayed map. Its oufstanders otherwise are an enor- mous cloud of locusts, and a bevy of the saucer lipped Ubangi women, such as have been oh exhibition with the Ringling-Barnum Circus, with those Ubangi women from the French Congo. Exploitation wide for the picture, thougrh it follows others, and espe- cially the more recent "Ingagi" phoney with its s. a. Columbia's press sheet shows a strlklAg line of paper. Ad copy for the New York showing has been made at- tractive. Sime. Invitations Openings Stopped in Syracuse SyracuseTTfTT., Sept. 23 There will be no more 7:30 p.m, midweek invitation openings of pic iu^es on the local Rlalto. Complaints that the practice con stltuted unfair competition and par ticularly aggravating / at a time when business conditions aloxig the Main Stem were none too good have brought specific orders to halt them to local circuit managers. "Night" Rushed In rHer Wedding Night," the Clar^ Bow film, has been shipped by plane from the coast on t-equest from eastern P-P, for the Para mount, Broadway, Friday (26). It will replace "The Spoilers, scheduled for two weeks after open tng Sept. 19. WB's E^e m Okh. City Dallas, Sept. 23. .^Reports of first Publix-Warner elfish in southwest cbtaie froin.Okla- iioma -City. Each cbatn. operates 2^ houses in the town, with WB ettlner the edge due to downtown aubnopoly. i";iPabIiz has Pat McGee naaneuver- it^ operations, while WB imported j:^o mil from iSt. Louis, bringing ■0png a, H« Nieni«yer to evolve iwmS^liteh'ri><>vir -fexpioltaUon, Warner hUo lias the onljr vaude •tand in town, Orpbeum, , ifftjestlc and Tale town's only in jile. atancUk steadily, even to the Ppal fadeout Tlie finish is m comedy bit instead of a love tilDch—the love part had already been disposed of without clinching. In this Keaton has formed a company with his war buddies aa the board of directors with the tough sergeant the portek*. When a riveter starts to work on a nearby building th6y all duck from force dt habit and .th()'sergeant be- gins his familiar yelping. Most everything's unusually well done and the playing generaUy good down the line. Sally Ellers makes a nice oppo- site for Keaton. SheJooks and acts sweetly and neatly.. At one time, during the canteen show, she slips in a dance. In the show some of the boys get into skirts for laughs. These are the only skirts in the picture" besider Miss' Elleris'. 'Remainder is bandied mostly by Cllirt Edwards and Edward Brophy, latter as the tough aarg and cast to yell his lungs out to a good part of the 80 minutes. He held up under what must h^ve been a strain, but maybe he only , yelled in bits, daily. 'Edwards strums his uke and sings In several spots, otherwise playing the leads confidant Pitzy Katz gets a couple of nods as the customary Hebe- soldier and doesn't seem so isure before the camera as when down In the garment district. He'll probably relax when acclimated. No apparent cheating in the war sequences, all standing' up around the comedy efforts. Keaton and di- rector Sedgwick turned out an okay job. Bige. The Way of All Men First Nattohal production and releaee. Directed by Ftank Uoyd. Adapted by Biadley King from the "61n Flood," by H. Berser. Starrlns Donslav Fairbanks, Jr. In cast: Dorothy Revler, Robert JDdl- Eon. Anden Randolf, William Conrtney. at Strand, New Tork. week Sept. SO. Run- ning time, 02 mlnntea. DOUGH BOYS M-C-li production and release. Buster Keaton, star. Directed by Edtrard Sedg wick. CUK Edwards featured. Story by Al Boasberg and Sidney Lazarus. Dialog by Richard Schuyer and Mr. Boaeberi At the Capitol, NeW Terk. week Sept 1' Running time, 80 minutes. Elmer Buster Keaton Uary Sally Dilers Nescopeck cUlt Edwards Sergeant Brophy Edward Brophy Svendenburg '. Victor' Potel Oustave Arnold Korff Captain Scott Frank Mayo Able Cohn Pitzy Katz Iil6^t. Randolph .William Steele This Is Buster Keaton's first re lease through Metro since parting from United Artists, though a re .turn for him to the former company after a lapse of about four years. In "Dough Boys" he makes a success- ful comeback. It being his first talk- er and following a long period of .inactivity for this formerly active star. Picture Is a burlesquey low comedy on the army during the war, possessing a pretty consistent stream of fun and releasing many hard-hitting laugh, moments along the ^ay. An excellent comedy proi- gramer, besides a personal click by Keaton. None of the'Kedton Talks! ex ploltation with the New York (Cap- itol) showing of "Dough Boys," pos slbly because It Is neither a sur prise nor news any more that any picture player should talk. But somewhat surprising .to hear Kea ton's deep voice when cracked so- prano Is the usual pitch for his type of comic. Keaton uses his voice smartly, adapting It to his boob style of work, with nothing changed from the established character of silent'films, excepting the pipes, and the blend is alwaysi there. This is a gaggeia up army yarn, Cull of hoke on both sides of the ocean and almost as much as '^Shoulder Arms" had in Its trench portions. When the wealthy Keaton, as Elmer Stuyvesant, Is trying to court an unwlUlng shop girl during a recruiting t>arade, his chttuffeur blows him to Join the army. 'Whcjil iooking^ - for a nevr chaaf, £lm6r. stumbles into, a recruiting -Ofllce himself. Before, he can protest they've him stripped for inspection. That starts the comedy. It ry /ts ROAD TO PARADISE First 'National production and release. Starring I/oretta Young and Jack Mulhall. Riiynicnd Hatton featured. Directed by William Beaudlne, - Based on play, "Cor- nered," ty Didaon Mitchell, yv. E. re- corded. At the HlppOdrome,^ N«w Tork, week Sept. 20. Running tlm^, 70 mlnuteii Margaret Waring ..tior^tta Young Cieorge vr«\ie Jack Malhan Nlckju ■ Raymond . Hatton Mary Brennan. ..Loretta Toung Jerry '"The Q^^t" '.George Barraud Mrs. Wells Kathiyn Williams Casey Fred Kelsey Updike ...Pumell Pratt Flanagan Ben Hendricks, Jr. Lola.., ...Dot Farley Srewster Winter Hall ITvonne aeorgette Rhodes Re-edlted land classified as a travesty, "Tho Way of All Men" would record a maximum of laughs at each projection. . For that mat- ter, it is causing plenty of mirth now, but the derisive kind. As a drama it is raucous fun, too silly In the handling of its theme, general treatment and direction to be any- thing but that Intelligent first runs can't feed their patrons this kind of stuff and expect them to keep on taking chances. Most of the action occurs in a New Orleans speak. It's a hangout for btuikers, brokers and runners, all of whom have the word-battling in- stinct. Anders Randolf has a hatred for Robert E<deson. Fairbanks, Jr., oi>ens the picture by being fired and rushing to the' speak to stage a private party. The ^rl slatea as the victim Is Dorothy Revler, introduced and as quickly shunted. Fairbanks sells Edeson an idea to avenge himself on Randolf, meets the latter's daughter, becomes a mllUonalre and gets back, to the speak, with the mob, all within a few moments of tho picture's running time. The serious business then gets underway. Waters have swept over a levee and threaten to Inundate the speak, so much so that water-tight doors on the bottom and second floors. Installed for Just that pur- pose, Noah Beery, the proprietor announces, are closed. Inside there are two bums, one happening to be a scientist, who constantly reminds that if the water doesn't get them, suffocation must Also a half-crazed clergyman who, falling to murder a politician whom ho identifies as the gent who broke up the ministerial home, sells the inob on preparation for death and the brotherhood of man. What is expected eventually hap pens. The mob bursts into theme song, this time a sacred hymn be Ing the selection. The rendition of this funeral number, plus bona fide tears, handshakes and good will eUmlnates any possibility of mis- construing directorial intent. Frank Lloyd goes out of his way In his effort to register serious drama. The more he does it the more the audience smirks and grunts. Even the bartender confesses to the proprietor he has been tapping the tin and the prop, to make things more comical, rejoins that possibly the glass* wiper has been under- paid. In the meantime the camera glances Into an adjourning room where Miss Revler has slipped in just before the doors were slammed. Fairbanks, Jr., becomes as serious as the others, even shooing ..aside her story about haying to live, since he threw her over and her show closed, by entertaining men In the general manner. . Finally Jr., Just after the scientist announces the last of the oxygen shouts: "Let us die like men. Open the doors." When the portals are pulled back the sun shines In and people are walking on the sidewalk above. Quickly to aUbl this the director has one of the imprisoned men buy a paper which reveals that only part of the town was watered and that the levees didn't actually give way. 80i all ostensibly go back to their previous bickerings. - Fairbanks, ^owevcTr la - different. He' carries thr^tigh and the Jittle girl of his play days finds herself at the license biireaa with the favorite line: "Qee, how I love you." Walv. This piece of old melodrama rem- iniscent of stage and the films of five and ten years ago possesses a certain refreshment of color in its suspense and story mood that makes it obvious product for the combo houses and subsequent runs. Pho- tography isn't the best but the dia- log runs along the sluice and tlnie for which the filhi is actloned. Kids ought to take it in for its hoke romance, while the adults will go for it for several reasons, one is the righteous ending with Its tender direction. When "Cornered," the play from which this yarn is taken, played Broadway 10 years ago, Madge Ken- nedy did the dual role acted by Loretta Toung-. Henry W, Savage was the stage producer. The film In most every point is a replica of the play. From a sophisticated and rather ordinary modern view, film custom- ers ^ay find some technical fault with the unmitigated dumbness of police inspector, and also that finger printing was not indulged In rather than guesswork In trying to identify the principal character. Love angle Is weak, too, on the general tack. Imaginative direction saved the film from being overhoked on the clairvoyance / angle. This mind- reading touch spots tho film twice, once after the beginning and near the close, to work out passively. Any other way, unless out alto- gether If that were possible, would have ruined all chances of the film. Miss YoOng as society girl and the crook's protege looks attrac- tive. Beyond that there is some- thing to be explained in the fact that her precise enunciation, action, manners and grace are the same throughout. It infers she may not be suited for character work, and the producers were wise in not shoving her into that kind of dialog or else they flopped in overlooking that angle. Either way a mistake and may be in delegating Miss Toung for the role anyway. Ray- mond Hatton isn't given a chance. Some of the dialog is musty, es- pecially where it concerns the cop, Casey, played by Fred Kelsey who is better in silent struggles than In lingo. Jack Mulhall might as well have been a phonograph rec- ord as an actor. Every time he spoke It was automatic and in monotone. No reflection of tones and hardly the kind of acting that's attached to a headlined principal. Sets are limited to about four and mostly interior. One or two out- door shots that take little coverage. Canaries Sometimes Sing (All dialog) (ENGLISH MADE) London, Sept. 11. British and Dominions production; re- leased through W. & F. Film Service, Gaumont British subsidiary. Directed by Tom Walls. Production manager, Herbert Wilcox. Photography by Bernard Knowles. Recorded Western Electric. In cast: Tom Walls. Tvonno Arnaud. Athole Stewart, Cathllne Nesbitt. Adapted from Frederick Lonsdale's stage play. Censor's Certlflcate "A." Length, 7,226 feet. Running time, 00 minutes. Reviewed ot Prince Edward theatre, London, Sept. 10. This one keeps up the current British and Dominion tradition of making straightforward jobs of stage comedies which have clicked at the box ofilce. Result in most cases is good entertainment for English audiences, without the films ever threatening to become any- thing but photographed stage plays. "Canaries Sometimes Sing" keeps up the running, but is likely to be more limited in Its appeal than "Rookery Nook" or "On Approval." This is In no way due to the di- rection of Tom Walls, which is di- rect stage-to-film stuff, suffering from infrequent camera changes, but Is rather due to the ultra- sophisticated nature of the story and dialog. As it stands, this adaptation of a Lonsdale play which did not get the success in the West End registered by most of his stuff, although it held up at a moderate pace for some while, is likely to go big In the West End and the bigger pro vlnclal centres. It Is much too sophisticated for the sticks gener- ally. Story Is the flimsiest mixture, telling of two unhappily married couples, who switch over for flirta- tion purposes. One couple falls In love with each other, but the man dodges when It comes to running away. This leaves the woman's : husband, who was hoping to get rid of herein the position of having to stand by, so. Instead, he filts off with the other man's wife. In approved Lonsdale fashion the dialog Is developed along ultra- satirical lines, the whole film b«in. chocked up witb an atmospherTiS which infidelity is Kood Wn JS ordinary wives inevitably tedioS? Pi m contains many individuaS; brilliant comedy sequences,' 5*1 best, between Tpm Walls and Ath<S! Stewart, Is'wben the two huebwidJ are more or less deciding which S the two wives they shall eventuali* <jleaye to, meanwhile fraternlalii until they are drunken buddifes onS minute and daggers drawn the neri After this sequence the samrtiess of situation and dialog tends to nmto» the film drag. Tom Walls has so far got awav with his policy of directly plcturli. Ing stage comedies. "Rdoker^ Nook" cleaned up here and "On Approval," if not to the same ex tent, Is likely to go big. It's likely though, he will soon find his theonr of putting up a camera and crank. Ing off a couple of hundred feet of wisecracks not quite good ehougH. Acting of the stage trained cast excellent. Walls tops as onb ^f tha two husbands, trouplng the fashion which has made Mm one of the bigest stage draws here, 'tlvonne Arnaud comes out well, overcomloe her handicap as a rather indiffer- ent camera subject. Athole: :St^^> art makes an excellent foil to IWalls, Cathllne Nesbitt Is as color^s's as her role requires. One or two words ho^e got through the censoring, and Mme ot the gags are on the raw.;'All of which makes It better as "Wieist End material. !, It looks like no proposition for America, though. Chap. FAREWELL ("Abcchied") (GERMAN MADE) Berlin, S^pt. .5. Ufa production and release. Directed by Robert Slodmak. Written: liby W. Pressburger and I. V. Cube. ' Frodac- tlon and management Bruno - Dndy. Photographed by B. Schuefftai^;-sound. Dr. E. Lelatner. Recorded on.Klang* film. Cast Includes Drigltte .Homey, Arlbert Mog, Emilia Undo, Konstantia Mlc, Fraitk Guenther, Edmee Qymon, Olsela Draeger, . Brwin Bootz, Martha Zlegler and Wladlmlr Sokoloff. Running time 85 minutes. At U. T. Kurfuersten* damm. This talker is a very good tech- nical achievement of the . young Avant-Garde-Man Robert Slodmak, an artistic step in the development of talker possibilities. It cost a little over (15,000 and was made In 8^ days. "Farewell" Is not an. inter- national- artistic event and tierhaps it will not have exceptional busi- ness, although, considering its small cost, will turn out quite adviantage- ous for Ufa. ; Apart from the Relnhar^t"-actor Sokoloff, very likeable in a psycho- logically fine and deep episode role, all others are beginners who have hardly performed before In pictures. Slodmak succeeded in getting such good work from these beglnnlers tbe ensemble is of an astonishingly high level. '. Content very simple. Two young people in love for a period .pt time are parting. They are the repre- sentative of a vacuum , cleaner firm and his girl-friend. What sep- arates them is a misunderstanding. Jealousy of the man, who leaves the girl alone so as to get a better-pay- ing situation. He thinks the be- trays him, whereas the reason is on occurrence of everyday lifei The way in which Slodmak de- scribes every day's life in a squalid, cheap boarding-house, the faults and quahtles of humdrum people, reminds one of short stories Of Dos- tojewski or of Daumler. Brlgltte Horney, the youne ac- tress in the lead, suggests, .young and strong talent Arlbert B^og, her partner, impresses by his : natural reality. Emilia Unda acts; a typ- ically unllkeable .proprietreps of a boarding-house. Martha Zlegler acta In a touching manner as serViht gW who hurries from work to work. Sound reproduction on the Klang- fllm apparatus excellent. 1A'*®5-T long time again.) House applaudea liberally and greeted the stars ano the director enthusiastically, . MaHuus. BAR L RANCH F. B. Douglas production, jeleas^ ^ Big Four. Buffalo Bill, Jr.. 'Waly WslM and Taklma Canutt, feotured. Directed or Harry Webb, from story by Bennett Cohen. Photography by William NobM. Recording by Power's CIneophone. In c™V Betty Baker, Ben Corbett, Fern Enuneij At Ideal, New York, one day, Sept. "> half double bill. Running time, 00 mlnmw. This here horse opera gets the horse laugh at the Ideal, In a sec- tion where they go hot for the haro riding, quick trigger and rough anu tumble. Dull, draggy story of cat*'® f"'# tling with the hero suspected w thievery by the girl who owns ranch. Plenty of action but no sus- pense, a few • slapstick eequencw saving this one from being a tot»» loss. Repetitious sound of hoof beats during the chases and redundW"- use of dialog stand out as defecw Half a dozen fight sequences drc* laughs that weren't meant. fair for a double bill In the aatu changers. . .