Variety (June 1932)

Tnesdjay, June 7, 1932 P ■ C T E S VARIETY 25 COUP DE ROULIS CCaiiktlnue4 from page 21) HXanrice XArrooy; already turned Into aft operetta ^by Albert Wllle- metz with muBic by Andre Measa- erer- Direction is credited to Jean de )a Cour, .bat lie has been greatly helped by Leo Lasko, whose Ger- iiuinic 'tou6h can easfly be felt, with reininlBcencea of 'Ctaptain Cnul- dodc.' Story te strictly nautioal. show? le an Imbecile member*of Parliament, after denouncing: the navy, appointed as special Investi- gator, aoA making a cmise on board a jmahrot-war, srlth his daughter as secretary, . The politician gots in- yol'i'ed with a demi-mondalne, juid; the daughter marries a young <2fil- cer.;; The iwhole thiiig could easily ^be com'preBsed. into 60 minutes'; fast work. .Filin, when reachlr.^'the the- atre, lasted two hours, and had to be considerably cut down by the man- agemeiit.'. Much needless yddeling and slow stiifC/was weeded out, and prpductton Is now' shown, as fair entertainment, due to Max. Dearly's exceHent - acting, , with Indifferent support, especially from-the woinaen. Apart from, too -much, ^chorus sing- ing by sailors and olBcers, film in- cludes a tremendous amount of jrodeling by principals. Sound retakes are frequently tin- p^ea^intly noticeable. Some open sea views of the flec^ are okay, but: inside camera w6rk° ■ ia usually rather poor, except when JJearly ■ is. on the spot, for which special .care seems to have been taken^ .ClareU popular entertainer, adds sonie comedy bits as a sailor. For Dearly is an nnquallfled per-, sonal success, -the whole film hang-' ing on his performance.. B:e Is usually given to hogging footage, but this" time it is only to be re- gretted that he doesn't. All more. A sure bet for the provibces, and doubly so if re-establlshing slashed T^lts Dermits the hicks' to gape for uwo solid hours. Maxi, CROIX PU SUD ('.*'«. uthern Cross') ' (FRENCH-MADE) Paris, May 27! - An Andre Huson production. . Pathe Na'dn release. Made In Patbe Natan Joln- vllle studios. Scenario kjr Pan! Acbacd. Directed by Hocon. Regjateicd R. C. A.. Photophone. Running time; 00 nitnutes. CapiKlnesk Parts, Hay 21. . Cast: Jeao Toultfut. Charles de Bodiefart, Jean -Haute, MlbateMo, Tahar Uaaacbe, Suzanne Chrtsty, Kaissa Robba. Like 'Marchand de Sable,^ Andre Hugon's flbn is worth, less in the story than; In the fine Ouldool's Af- rican photography. The story tejld Qf ah African chief marrying a white £irl who,-with her father, fell Into' the hands of the tribe., but nevertheless Is unable to get his mind off a girl of' his own nation. Best -actor is lyilhalesco, who does a native beggar. Balance of acting a mere excuse for the outdoor back- . grounds,' which are much .admired. Show opened at the Capucines with- a gala and the personal appearance of Charles de Kochefort and Kaissa Robba;—latter doiiig some singing and dancing. ' JIfaxi. slan mannw. contrasting to a scene, a board with the Inscription 'riweet Home, Happiness Alone.* . Hoch- baum has the best of chances, if well condactied. He has to learn a lot still, especially continuity, preg- nant and real dialog <failu e in the present picture) and sure and ^niet directing of actors. Guiseppe's Becce's music, as al-. ways fascinating and . melodious, but without ia^ hit. Excellent is A. O. Weitzenberg^s photography. S)und reproduction sometimes incompre- hensible. Gina Falckehberg. in the cast, not sure of herself ahc hot attractive: enough.. Bxcellen>. as criminal type is Frledrich Gnass. Also Wolfgang Zilzer, well charac- terized as iiianistv' ■ ■ J^^ Coiffeur Pour^ Dames ('Ladies' Hairdresser') (FRENCH MADE) / Paris. May 27. Panmcnnit Jolnrllle prodoctton. Para- mout release. Directed by Rene Gulssait. drenarlo b^ Faul.Armont and Marcd Ger^. bidon; Vuaic by Claude PUtKaott. Re- coBded' Western :siectric. Rmuimc time 85 minntea. PanunoUnt, Parla. Harl6..i ....Femand- Giavey Mme. Gtfibeit.:. Nina Myral Allne... . .'.Sfomt .Goya Mme. LoQvet., . i ;^.-.;.VIrene -BrliUam Edraonde.. Diana Colette. ...SImone Heliard Denlas.,......; ...... Josyane Plovlnst Pala.u Gaetan '. .'. Jean Gbbet M. I.annen)at. :Georges Mauloy 1L Louyet..'.. .v .Chrlstfan.Argentlo No Heel Hollywood, June 6. Director, Interviewing Buster Phelps fw: a part, asked the kid how\^d he .was. Tm five and a Italf," the.boy replied, 'but take the heels of^ my shoes and 1 can play four- year-old parts.* Studio Phcements Tremendously ehtertaihing and clickiniT.. accordingly. Fiin comes not only, from amusing sltuatiods well acted or f^om dialog, but also from the continuous ridiculing of the current beauty parlor appeal on women- The raising'to the pin- nacle of an' uncouth shepherd who treats women like lambs and their hair like wool, is what nia.kes the film funny. As the shepherd who becorn'es the -Napoleon of hairdress- ers, Femand Gravey is excellent and happily ca^t in a part where-his sex appeal Is exploited. The girls are mere support, and entirely- isatls.- facton' in that capacity. • A certain amout of painted scen- ery has been used for.'b..ckgrouhd, anC apart from a couple of ritzy hairdresslng -parlor sets, production cost should be very small, making this profitable celluloid; . . From the technical point of view, film is okay; as well for direction as for photo and souiid. Tempo has been maintained evenly and fast throughout^ though at the cost of some slight slowing ilp It permits Inserting some songs by Gravey for provincial ahowings, where duration of featur-.; is appreciated more than fast.tempo. Maxi. RAZZIA IN ST. PAUU ('Raid in St. Pauli') (GERMAN MADE) Berlin, May 26. Orbis production and release. Story and direction by ■•Wemer Hochbnam. Photog- . railhy, A. O. Weitsehberg. Music, Kurt- Levaal. Cast: Glno FalckenberR, Frledrich Gnnss. WolfRanR Zllzer, Charly Wlttong. Runnlnpr time, 61 nalna. At U, T. Xur- fuerstcndamm.. Berlin. A picture produced at low cost. The subject is not original, but in- teresting tlirough the strangt; ar- tistic temperament of a young, so far unknown film director. The plctu re should bring Its investment, about ?8.<H)0. r The young director is Werner Hochbaom. He sometimes succeeds in breaking through the unoriginal manuscript, written by himself, to make it highly interesting. He shows a day and a night'in., the harbor liuarters of^amburg; He gives signs of a strong sense for picture characterizini; and artistic vitality. A young c^amsel lives to- gether *tith. a hoy. ^Vho plays .piano in a cheap bar. The life" with its" troubles has both down, and they forgot long ago whal they were to each other. The girl longs for. a sensation and this desire becomes a fact. A young criminal Is piu-sued • by the police for having broken Into a jeweler's. He chases over roofs, etc., and .lands in her room- They fall in love, want to run away, but not before saying good-bye to the pianist. But the police nab the criminal after a fight and the girl Continues her life with the pianist. Hochbaum loses him.«>elt in too many details and too many cuts, but all in. all be creates a'few im- pressive scenes. Fo.- instance, in showing the pursuit of the criminal by the police One seens nothing but chasing legs, in front those of the boy, followed by the legs of the policemen. Or HoChbauni charac- terizes a .person by showing his . room with a panorama shooting, t'lie untidiness, primitive .taste and Inclination for dollies such as are bought in cheap restaurants, show the pot-.tiohallty whose bacUitround they are, Or he shows, in the Busr - Per Schrecken der Garnison-. ' ('TTerror of the Garrison') (GERMAN MADE) . Tobls pniductioo andJTapital release over here. Features Fells Bressart,-with-linide ISnsllsche, Adele SaBdrock, Tamara 1)6801, Olsa Iilmbarg, Albert PauUe .and Ernst Beluner. Story by B.- K.' Lutbge and Karl .Not. ' ^npervlston' of Onstav AlthofT.- Dl' recced by Chrl Boese. W. Hamelster and H; Gottschatk, camera. Arthur Guttman, mualc. Gustav AltboR snd Karl Wllczyn- slcl, lyrics. Dr. Seldl, sound. . HUdcgarde Srebner. montage. At the Hlndenbecg titer atre. New Tork^ for a grind' run. starting 'tfey .Sl. Running time, 80 mlatttes. After waiting for more than a year for censor approval, this pic ture comes to.the screen. What the trouble'was can be gathered from the fact that this is a G^erman mill tary story, with tlie soldiers still after the girls. Another 20 minutes out of present 80 would probably help still more, for there ax% some overlong sequences which never wdlild be missed, the loose con struction of the story permitting the introduction of scenes which have no direct bearing on the plot. Better for those of German birth than those born in this country, since the essence of .the comedy is the flouting of the military system. Sound only fair, photography good and dir^ion excellent. But dialog all-essential in thin story. A private whose complete Indif- ference to discipline renders him popular with his superiors love.s a little girl who. runs a photograph, gallery, and for her he steals .some fruit from the palace garden. He is arrested, but begged . off by the young princess, who, in interceding fofTiTrri,' a:iso happily SolVeS'hef own" love affair with a subaltern. That's virtually the Story. Rest is dialog and comedy, situations. ■ Much of the talk is brisk and brings laughs, and one or two bits of business are tunny in any language, as when' the pest plays a penny whistle and one of the officers in the Princess' pri- vate orchestra fcJts blamed for the sour notes. But not enough of these to make the picture Interesting to the non-German-speai<ing patron. Apparently the .story carried songs, but these have been cut to a single verse. -Felix Eres.sart. a lank.v comedian with considerable unction and whose name is still box ofllce in Germany, does the prlvato. and gots. ample ifootage. Lucie En^lische is the principal woman; Who takes a bacli seat to the military scenes, and Tamara De.snl also figures birieflv as the young l)rinccss. Adelc,. Sandrock, a veteran' with a .splendid voice, handles somo coniftly bits" with fine and re.straincd offfrt, and there is a competent supporting cast. Katherine Clare 'Ward, 'Make Me a .Star,' Par. . Eric Linden, Arlene Judge, Greg- ory RatofC -with Lionel Barrymore in 'Sweenl-gs,' Radix Bruce Cabot opposite Fay Wray in "Kong,' Radio. J. P: McGowan to direct 'Hurri- cane EicpresS' serial for Mascot. BuStet -Phelps, "One Way • Pas- sajge.'.-WB. .. Hele-i Vincent, Jose] 5>h C awthorh, rchey Call It a Sin,' WB. . William Pawley, oft contract at Fox, goes to Metro for "a part in Buster KeatOn's 'Speak Easily.' (Gardner & Vincent placed). Sidney Toler, same picture.- Vi.ig Alia Bru.ce, Hedda Hopper. Marlon J . Lessing, "Down Stairs,* Metro. Bob iSteele, josie Sedgwldc, Earl Devlne,.Bob.Hamens, Julian.Rl'vera Carmen I.faR.ue,' 'Son§ of Oklahoma,' directed by Robert Bradbury, Mono- gram. William Boyd, Stanley Fields, Clarence. 'Wilson, 'After the Rain,' Fox. ■ Blanche Fredericli Grant Mitch- ell, 'Three on a Match,' WB. Robert Emmett O'Connor. 'Blonde Venus,' Par. Cieorge I>avis; 'Love M^ Tonight,' Par:.- ^- - ■ Frank Reicher, 'Revolt,' WB. Reginald Mason, 'Smillnjg. Thru,' Metro. Raoul 'Whitfield, term contract as writer, Par. Tom Jackson, 'Without Shame.' Metro. Anita Page, 'Skyscraper Souls,' Metro. Lina Basquette In next Hoot Gib- son, untitled, for Allied. Others: Helen Foster, Wheeler Oakman. Skeeter Bill Robb^s, Lale McKee, Billy Blechter, Tom London and George Hayes.. .George Melford di- recting. . George Brent, Ahn Dvorak. Ar- thur Byron, Warren Hymer and Hardle Albright, '20,000 Years In Sing Sing,' WB. George Plympton to Pathe to write treatment for first Spencer Bennett serial. Sidney Toler, Sarah- Padden, 'Two Biendfes,' Metro. Nicholas Kabllensky, technical adviser 'Most Dangerous Game,' Radio. Lew Cody, Kenneth Thompson, '70.000 Witnesses,' Charles Rogers. Gene Raymond and Frances Dee to bead cast '£:verything for Sale.' Par. Earle C. Kenton to direct. Yola d'Arvll, 'Man from Yrtter- day,' Par. Dudley Murphy to direct 'Hot Saturday, Pail Gordon Wescott In cast. .' , Cary Grant, .'Blonde Venus,' Par, Mona Maris, John T. Murray, •Man Called Back,' TitEany. Richard Tucker, 'Children of Pleasure,' Warners. . John Marsden replacing Wlilard Robertson, 'Cabin in the Cotton,' Warners. Roscoe Karns, 'Two Against the World,' Warners. David Manners, 'They Call It Sin,' ,]Wamers. Aline MacMahon, 'Silver Dollar/ .Warners. Carl Erickson working with Harvey 'Thew on the script. WB SHORT PROD. STAYS IN B'KLYN UNDER SAX ■After an- uncertainty; Of .several wieeks Warners has decided to coh- linue producttoh of its short sub- jects in the east. Sam Sax re- turns to.New York Wednesday and plans to reopen Immediately the Brooklyn studio, which hxj been close", for the past six weeks. ■: Sax .will be in charge of pro- duction at the studio. Burbank, June 6. Sax left Hollywood Saturday (4), after supervlsiiig six . Technicolor shorts at the local studio, ' - Be::e; that almost all people in ■N-ew York acceptable ■ for Warner's type of program filler had already been used^ and ^that shorts could be nui,die cheaper here than at the New York Ffotbush studio, were glveh as^ reasons why production inlght be'centered here. Sax ' discouTited this. He' said that inusical, vaude and night club personalities could be used over: again and that there was <mpugh new talent around New "TOrk for f»«!»h materlsil. ' , ' Sax will reopen the Platbush studio June 13, wltii production starting June 20. iRoy Mack Is staylrg oh here to: direct the last bf the half dozen musical shorts. MIX'S DIREaOR QUII^ BEFORE HE'S FIRED Bs Gets Terdkt, Stops Traffic in VaBBearen SiBt Hollywood,'June 6. "Too much allegied Interference from supervisor Stanle^ Bergerman in thiB making of Tom: Mix's current ■ starring picture, 'Kings Up' at Universal forced. Kurt Neuman, the director, to walk off the picture during final scenes. .' It appears Neumaii and Berger- nian were at loggerheads from the first day in production when the former attempted to pep up what he thought wias a wealt story, The stiper saved up his grudge until the final day of 8hootIn£ and told Phil Karlstein, assistant dlrectar^; and G^ne Lewis, dialog director, that the picture Would close that night. -They in turn told Neumian, .and when latter protested to the sur- pervisoi that he;had a bunch of close-ups to make. BM-germah, ac- cording to Neuman, told the.latter: he should disregara the . close-ups.' and that he would stand 'ln back of him while he madv- the long shots. Neuman then told him he' 'was through, with Bergerman shouting: 'You're fired.' Floyd Gibbons turned the Cen- tral Jury .Court intu an autograph signing bee during his q.t. appear-. ance in. a ^1,000 claim against Van Beuren Pictures, which eventuated successfully for. the . war cor- respondent. 'This being %Yiq first, time Gib- bons had sued anybody, and averse to creating any rep for himself as a litigant,: Gibbons attempted to get the trial over with as quietly and quickly as possible, with the court attendants facilitating mat- ters by contributing a be^ck exit. Amedee J. Van Beuren on the stand averred that Gibbons sub- mitted a script on spec but the jury 'held for the glqbe-trpttln^ newspaperman that be "had been invited to. write a short piece for a Van Beuren short at • the time of the Mussolini ^ vs. the Pope row. The short was never made. Harold M. Goldblatt represented Gibbons. More 'Dragon' Retakes ' Hollywood, June 6. After the first preview last week. Radio is planning retakes on 'Boar of tiie Dragon.' Picture had several story rewrites while in production, with the final results not satisfac- tory, ;So...far .picture .has set...Oie studio back around IJ-i56,bo6. iEOME LOT SHOSTS Hollywood, June 6. Educational will concentrate all short subject production at Educa- tional studies. • Features will be made at the Metropolitan plant. Shorts for new season start June 23. First will be the 'Jerry of the Journal' scries with Jimmy. Gleason. This will be followed by the. Harry Langdon comedy to be directed by Arvid GHlstrom. . Holanfs Coast Job Hollywood, June 6. J. J. Nolan, .secretary of RKp- Radio, is at the studio for three weeks. ■ I He Is sotting up a new accounting .sy.-jtfni to tulte care of KadJo's.dealT I in^^s with its index»cnucnt producRrs. Ralph Like Fixes Studio On Strength of Program / Hollywood, June 6. With two .more pictures to be completed on bis George Weeks- Worldr"Wide contract, Ralph Like expects to get under way on the first of his 30 Majestic features by July 1. The producer, operating on fi- nance previously forwarded by Phil Goldstqnf, is remodeling the old Charles Ray studio with fancy ex- teriors and an additional stage. - Studio Is being identified as In- ternational Studios' similar to the name 'National' afilxed to the old Stem Brothers studios when Gold- stone acquired the property four years ago to promote an . inde- pendent soiind recording leasing studio. Stenching and Bombing Add to Texan Headaches Dallas, June 6. Labor troubles adding to head- aches. Simultaneous boniblng of Palace and Llndsey, Lubbock Indie stands, last week left around $5,000 damage's. Piasts went off . 'while houses empty, one bomb planted under stage and other, in a wash- room. Both theatres been bothered since 1930 when C. C. Llndsey, indie wner, ditched unions. . Another stencher, tossed into the Gem at Greenville, during perfomi- Tnco, didn't pop. Lubbock explosion follows close on recent bombing of Publlx-Aztec at San Antonio, in which several patrons were Injured, Active Radio Hollywood, ■ Jo i>e.. 6. Radio piit three films into work Monday including 'Thirteen Women,' directed: by George Archainbaud, 'Chain Gang,' byJRo.land_ Brown, and 'Fraternity' House,"' by Gregory La Cavai Two others carrying over landed studio In top position for activity. HCTUEE to PICTURE Hollywood, June 6. Emil Jensen, vlce-rpresident 6t Patriciain Pictures, returned Wed- nesday (1) from a IHorida vacation with no production schemes. Patrician will lay low, said Jen- sen, until getting in returns from. 'Silver Lining* which it sold to United Artists for release. If onough rnoncy comes in then may- be a picture in the fall. Bradbury Directs. Son IfoUywood/ June 6. Bob ,"Steele's father, Hobfrt JJrad- bury, \h directing Ktoele in 'A. Sun oC [Jkliilioma,' a 'from ("aiT wc.xterr). I'ifture is for "World. WlOc rolea.sc. No Gilbert-Lldnu^ Hollywood, June 9. Held by retakes on 'Undesirable Ladles' for FVn; Paul Lukas will be unable to make Metro's 'Downstairs' which has already started. Actor wasn't - too anxioiis for th» M-O part as he would haver had to play second fiddle to JOhn Gilbert. ' Lukas' salary has been paid by Universal since April. 15, when his contract was taken ovel: from Par- amount, but he has yet to do a film there. Studio has found it profit- able to loan the actor out during this tiipe. Hollywood (Continued from page <) picture. Academy has no jurisdic- tion over the actress' lost time so decision Just a moral victory. Bachman's First J. G. Bachman's first picture will have a capital punishment thenie. Marlon Dlx and 'William Drake working on the treatment. Woolf in Short . German comedy stuff Edgar Al- lan Woolf pulls at parties appeals to. Metro for a short. He niay dl' rect, also, ntaking it, with and double-by Woolf, Metro Keeping Gibbons Metro working out a iiew coni tract for Cedrio Gibbons, art di- rector, who is on the last lap of his five-year term; Actors Want New Faces Glcndale Showshop went shut Friday (2) when John Dillon riay- ers finished eight weeks. Partly sparse houses and partly because most of company is joining a Sig- nal Hill tent show. ' ' Culbertson Shorts ZIon Myers ea.itboard to make .six Ely Culbertson bridge shorts for liadlo. Roach's Quiet Cast fJlydc (;ook and Hillic llcv,'ii.i liead rli;iluf,'le.s.'i 'Thiind'Tinfr T'lslcf:,' lirst of JIal Roach's Ta.xi IJoys series, I'aulrtlte, (loddiird pels 'fir.st Kcroen jiart a.s glrJ,. ' Heniainder oi cast, are Charles lilmbi, circus clown; Mar- vin -Lribeck^ Ni'l.«on .^torey, ."?am A.fJaThs, liiUy Kni?)c, Kranl: Rice and Jiilly i;Jetcher.