Variety (Aug 1932)

VARIETT 4| LOVE A PARADE' .With Harry Richman " Song .10 Min*. M«yfair, New York Stanley Distributing Corp. Such a short aa this one needs ippeclalized booking. It 1» an at- tempt to dramatize a slnerle soner. As such bookers have the question of how the particular slnglngr piece :flts in with the cadeiice of a par- ticular prpsram of certain houses. Mostly the piece must stand on the Blchman personality and manner of delivery. Depending: where the subject is screened it will receive diverse reception. . Kids In grind nelghbs 43hould like it; . On the. other hand, it should fit ealsfactorliy ais an overture Inter- lude in stage show houses.. At the Mayfalr, a straight film spot and de liize, It didn't get a single crack when caught. That's something to consider, as Richman Is best known on . Broadway from his legit and. yaude showings over many years. .The fact that it didn't get a ripple Is alddltionally surprising consider- ing Rlchman's supposed popularity oh the isilr besides his current, hold- over stage performance at the neighboring Paramount. Maybe It's the song, so far. as the Mayfalr audience goes. Been but a long time. If s(i, the lesser houses have this thing to figure also. Frbm a photographic angle the subject lacks punch. Mostly 11- t>rary fadelns and fadeouts of troops on parade in peaceful settings, while Richman sings, his face showing In double. One- laugh is the finale shot showing the organist and sup- posed accompanist,' disheveled from fatigue.. Richman . announces also and asks the audience.to sing as the words are Hashed on the screen. .When caught nobody joined. Supposedly one of a series and from all outlooks it looks like an lllrfated attempt of Mayfair bbokr ers to cash . In on Rlchman's pre- sumed air popularity as publicized, besides hlB current stcige anpear- anices. Bhan. PARAMOUNT PICTORIAL Novelty 10. Mine Stanley, Mew York, ' Paramount No. 6 ifot a particularly bright program ploce. A'little too snooty .In msike- upVof text and not, carrying enough Ihtere'st for the general mob. To rate as filler only. Nor Is the pho- .tqgraphy or style entrancing, fome- tblng it should be in-a; novelty piece thalt'fl mixed with travelog, music and advertisine:. - That ad bit may have been Just a voluntary tie-up, however. It's a. display of the 'most expensive only' In jewels as carried by Car- tier. Considering the times and con^ slderlng 9ven more the dally change grind where this was caught, show-^ Ing diamond structuries of from. 20 to 227 carats Isn't v6ry tasteful, and the photography doesn't help Inter- est. 'This clip, however, may be a re- peat in the Par Pictorial as the flies indicate. Also, that one on Vincent liopez In a childish display on "how to conduct an orchestra' seriously arid in one-lesson, - He plays a solo of 'Nola,' which is okay. If the clips are repeat then the- original subject which contained a clip in color of 'Big Boy' Wiillams' coast ranch has been re-edited. Present subject does not contain this clip. Also, that item titled, 'A Big Drink for Six MIUlonA^- on the New Tork water supply system Is lack- ing.- ■ ■ • • '. Opening clip Is a piece with liowell Thomas who, clad in khaki, against what looks like a phoney setting, details something about Yucatan's hemp fields. Maybe Thomas does the lecturing oh the other. clips also, but that's not shown. In 'The World at Large' this sub- ject which claims this title would fit only so-so. That's, from every angle. SfMn, 'CHINESE JINKr Cartoon 7 Miha. Mayfair, New York Van Peuren One of . the Aesop's Fables series and a good one. No moral attached. Just a pretty laughter piece with characters Jn animal typea, cats arid dogs. Actually has plottageV and r^asontible sequence with the laughs satisfactorily at times, all of which points that when preparation Is carefully pUuined and patnste^ngly manufactured, quality .i»rto6ns can bo made. It will Ht the best pro- grams and satisfy lustily.. A pickup puppy falls for a Chl- njse, doggie. Oftscceen ^ lingo and sound effects helping throughout, the piece moves in black, and white inking from a Chinese street scene to a laundry where the puppy saves the girl friend from a vicious Man- darin whom her pappy wanted to marry. The two escapo In a dragon boat. There are pleasing interlude^ of a singing duet between the puppv and hit gal, also a laundry quar- tet, three hounds and a cat. Action Is human and succeeds in being funny. Kids will love It. Shan. A SEAT ON THE CURB Comedy Sketch 7 Mine. Rivoli, N. Y. Paramount . Probably oiie of the reasons they closed the Astoria studio. A street sweeper and the ice man sit on the ciirb to eat their lunch and engage in highbrow chatter about opera, art and literature. They shudder when a couple of clubmen stand back of them and vote for a Harlem night club and a . burlesque show. The switch in the conversiational lineis Is the only humor until the end, when the iceman drives past and spashes t^le clubmen. Just what the latter are doing in evening dress at high noon Is not explained. Probably, will get some laughs, but.. not •nough. MAGIC CARPET SERIES 'Here. Cornea, the Cireiis' 10 Mine. Embaeeyf N. Y. Fox Movietone Life before and after the big tent goes up has been so thoroughly ex- ploited in feature-lehgtUB and news- reels that 'Here Comes the Circus' contains little that is new to the fan. The subject, however, .merits a place in programs using shorts since It Is edited to move at a good pace. Trucks coming Into a town, pegging the tent, parade, part of the show and a few himian Interest touches obmpose the subject. Waty. SCREEN SNAPSHOTS Novelty Newereel' 10 Mine.. Translux. N. Y. Columbia : EVen a novelty newsreel can relax, and depend upon magazine sub- jects.. ^Screen Snapshots,' which stairted out with a seml-news slant, meeting trains every week, now Ethows a tendency to be taking the easiest way. Those vau^e acts, beach parties' and etc. are all right If used occasionally. . Week after week; however, they tire even the most rabid Hollywood fans. Oscar Strauss at the piano is the best sub- ject in this release. ' Waly. 'HOLLYWOOD ON PA1IADE' Specialties 9 Mint. Rivoli. H. V. Paramount ■ Another niunber of a coyer title, Introducing Stuart EJrwin as m., c. with Bing Crosby, Burns and Allen, and Olsen and Johnson, the: latter working In a beaich scene with some bathing girls. Not much comedy from the latter pair, and the jokes are sadly stale, such as post office is not a child's game the way he plays It. SCREEN SOUVENIRS " " Novelty< 10 Mine. Rialta, N. Y. Paramount This Is one of a number of sub- jects released during the past yesu- where early prints are assembled with an ofC-screen wisecracker dubbed in. The Paramount offer- ing, however, is better than average thanks chiefly to the cutting job; Coney Island bathers, early fash- Ions and some scenes from an old feature are Included. Waly, ■_ 'SINGAPORE SUE' ANNA CHANG. JOE WONG Sketch OMins. Rivoli, N. Y. Paramount - Comedy sketch chiefly to give the featured Chinese players a back ground for a couple of songs. A party of sailors on shore leave go for the girl, but she is true to her Oriental sweetie. Not much to the comedy and little more to the sing Ing. 'WHO? MEl' Coniedy 21 Mine. Mayfair, New York Univeraal Anybody will laugh when that wop waiter isrets bis self and tray- ful tumbled and he warbes In lingo, 'Who's Gonna Pay?' That alone would sufilce to carry the piece. However, this is one of the rarities among two-reelers that while it re- veals in some pratfalls it la far and away out' of the class of the ordi- Hinafenre Rerim 'White ZonibV (ITA). Grip- plhg story of Haytlen obi sor- cery, with heroine turned Into a living corpse. IHne work of Bela liUgosl Is babked by .go(>jd| cast and' bizarre staging. Ex- cellent example of the supreme horror story. . 'R <i b e c o of. Suhnybrook Farm' (Foix). Sweet stuff, with ■ Marian Nixon and Ralph Bel- lamy no particularly scintil- lating cast namea Naturid. ballyhoo for this one is along .the lines that 4t's 'different' and away: from the sex, jungle and action stuff. 'Tom Brown at . Culver^ (Unlv). Story of a cadet school somewhat haihpered„by the ne- cessity for. paying off the school supplying- the back- ground, but none the- less of Interest. 'The ' Man Called Back' (Worldwide). Just a fair pro- gram feature for theatres changing during the. week. 'Hell Fire Austin' (World Wide). Better than average western, largely because It. contains numerous laughs, novel situations and some un- western atmosphere for relief. . Stars Ken Maynard. 'Rider of Death Valley'. (U). Tom Mix and his horse Tony both do a swell Jo>b, contrlb- . nting plenty of dramatic In- terest arid suspense away from the horse opera flavor. Cast- ing, direction, dialog, all ex- pert, 'Woman in .Scarlet' (May- fair) . Flimsy.: entertainment, largely. :becaU8b - of story. , A one-dayer. 'The Man from Hell's Edges' (Worldwide). - Better than av- erage Western With Bob Steele. . The Gorilla Ship' (Mayfair):. Strictly second half for double .feature .policies. A weak sister . chiefly because of story. 'Drifting' (Tower). Falr pro- .grammer for Iess.er spots. Not a self seller. form of obi, which, in turn, Is a super development of the voodoo of^ the Soi^thern states. - In this story Zombie Is a ydung white girl-just arrived on the Island to marry her. fiance. On the steamer she meets a planter, Beau- mont, who persuades the young couple to come to his plantation for the wedding. He plots with a sor- cerer to Induce susperided' 'aiiima-: tibn, but when; the body, is re- claimed from Its coffin he finds no delight In the company of the soul- less flesh arid pleads with the sorr cerer. Murder, to restore her to normal, even though she despise him. However, Murder, too, has come under the spell of the girl and plots to make- her his own. She Is saved through the Intervention of her husband and a priest, Dr. Bruner, regaining her normal fuh&- tlons when the. hypnotic; Influence of Murder Is i-ellevied by his death. Now and .then a tendency to byer- i>lay jars slightly, but In the main the atmosphere of horror is well sustained aiid sensitive picturegoers wIU get a full quota of thrills. The macabre atmosphere is evenly maintained aiid heightened Tom Brown of Culver IjDlversal prodooUon and t«Imuw' ftom a story by Geo. Oreen and Dule Vm IBvery. Scnea play by Tom Backlngliaia.- ■ ZH- rected by WllUam, Wyler. Camera' work by Chee. Stumar. At the Mayfair. ft, T.. one weels commencins Jiily 20. Running time. 70 ntlns. ' . . -* Tom Brown > .Tom Brown Dr. BroWD., r.........H. B. Warner Slim Slim Summervlltei Bob, 9BAdolpb .Richard Cromwell llalpli. ...Beii. Alexander Major Wborton.....^.........Sidney Toler Doctor .<Ku!|selI Hopton Captain AVhlte...,,...'..WlIIard Jtob.ortaon Carruther^..."...N orma n PhUllpa. Jr. . John ..a....^..... ,Tyrono Power. .Jr.. Boxer ... ....'....^w. .Kit <3uanl Actreas .Betty Blythe In spite of the-fact that there is too much story to malce tills, a. good propaganda film or too much propa- ganda material for a good story, Tom Brown of Culver* probably will appeal strongly , to th($ Juve- niles who haye yet to go through prep school, just as Una college stories Impress In spite of the' fic- titious coloring. ^ 'Browa' i-J n6t a faithful story of cadet scbool'llfe, but It Is what the juveniles want to think It is,: and also carries the impression the school autiborltlea , would convey. It stresses the by the action and the settings, character-forming beneflts of the nary slapstick gads^ets. It's good because It's written well. Gags are piinchy and. action, at tlm^ bears subtlety such as' the, hotel clerk punching, his signal boat>d memos to- the:hotel dick and his skimpy mumblings anent the character of the prlriclples involved. Photography Is good and thetact- Ing and direction okay all the way. Has to do-with'ft 'pair of elopers, groorii of which pair gets mixed up by trying to help his wife's girl friend out of an Iriheritance. jam. His doubling as a hubby causes the laughs. The fact that the six or seven members of the cast are the only folks seen about the hotel' in question may look offside but not serious. Not a cheap piece . to make iut also not too expensive. Settings and dialog fit. one of the better subjects. .' Bhan. WHITE ZOMBIE '~Halp«fln- 'i>rodactIon - and United Artists releaae. , Stars Beta Dugosl. Story and dialog by Oamatt Weston; SettlngA by Carl Trlschler, Kalph Bereer, Howard. An- derson. . Directed- by Bdward Halperln. Wm.'Cody and Herbert Olazer, asst. dfrs. Arthur Martlnelll, cam6ta. Muslo by Abe Meyei^. Pete Clark, soand. Harold Mc- Lemon, editor. At the RIvoU theatre, N. T., for a run starting July 2S. Bun- nlng time, 68 mlns. Murder .......v...... Madeline .. Dr. Bruner Beau'mont . Nell ...... Driver .*........ Silver Plerro ............^..r. Chauvin .•.....•...« though' one seashore set:is too pal pably scenic to be convincing and would better be cut to a flash merely to . establish " the locale. Events are. ordered In nice progres- sion with -mounting suspense, and the few attempts at .comedy relief through the priest are not Inter- ruptive. The story Is fairly steeped in gloomy mystery. Bela IjUgosf, as Murder, the sor-f cerer, Is the chief flgure, and a dbm- Ihaint one with a not too- horrible make>-iip.and a sinister air h6 never: loses; He gives an exceptionally good performance, but the producers wisely did not place: their entire dependence upon hlnu! The entire cast is well selected and- the acting is bit an ever, texture, which is not always the- case In a practically one-man story. Robert Frazer, John Harron. Joseph Cawthom and Brandon Hurst all help to maintain thia atmospbere.and Madge .Sellamy is lovely to look at and not callied upon for much dramatic exertion. Clarenpe Muse, a negro actor, also contributes a nice performance and it is he'who strikes the first note of thrill as. the bridal pair come upon a funeral which opens the action. » • • • • • < * a • « • e • • Von Qelder. ......Bela liUgrost ,. .Madge. Bellamy .Joseph Cawthom ....Robert Frezer John Harrota ,.. .Clarence Muse ...Brandon Hnrst ......Dan Crlmmlnl ...John Peters , .Qeorge Burr McAnnan Victor Halperln goes to Haytl, hotbed of obi, for the latest addi- tion to the blood curdling cycle; and with good results. Like other horror stories the return wlU depend large- ly' upon v/hether the Ihterest cre- ated In the novelty character can overcome the revulsion of the more timid against the horrible, It does not appear that the horrific is necessarily a deterrent, and 'The White Zombie' maintains curiosity, without actual horror to other than those who shrink from, the suggies- tion of death. Not quite up to Broadway. Zombies, as has been explained in recent literature and at least one stage play, are the reverse of ghosts. Instead of being disem- bodied spirits, they are aninKate bodies without souls, generally corpses disinterred before dissolu- tion of the yhysical structure, and .£ndov;ed. wl.th the power of motion and limited thought and sensibility by magical means. It is the highest R^ecca of Suimybrook Farm, . ./ . Fos ttrodnetlon atad..-^release. DIrect«4 by Alfred Santell from story by ICate Donglajt WlgKln and .Charlotte Thompson, adapted by -S. - N. Behrman and Sony* Ijevlen. Camera, Olenn M^cWIUlams; bound, Joseph ' Aiken; . art, Duncan Cramer:- assistant director, Marty SantelL.' Running time,. 76 mlns.; At the Para- mount, N. .Y.. week of July 20, . Rebecca '....^....Marian Nixon Dr. Liodd... .Ralph Bellamy Aunt Jane...Mad Marsh' Aunt Miranda........iKiulse Closser Hale Mr. Cobb..,.,».........,..Alphon« Etbler Mrs. Cobb. Mr. Simpson.;... Mrs.' Simpson.... Emma Jane..'... Mrs. Randall.... Jack-0-I<antem . Jaco b ft.9 Pif( Woman.,... John Randall...; Billy RandaU.... V.V.V.V.\V.°.'J^Un''Hfti"t granting the tpncesslons' It Aa ^ - • rather a series of interludes, with military system of education with- out reference to the isometimes se- vere first-year having" by VJUch these results are attained. It prob- ably will got derisive chuckIea:trQm cadet graduatf^, but women wlU think It lovelyt. arid the grade school- boys . will thrill. Incidentally It probably will not be received-; with acclaim in towns .where therei are military schools, since headmasters already rbaent the almost oxcluslve use of CuIVet for 'newsreel -and drama shots, regeiJ^dlng. these' as fa- yokltlsm. . But by and lai«©' ferown* should do a comfoirtable busihess in tiriost sections, though it kcarcely h.a8. thier Broadway appeal. For one thing there is. no-love lnter<tst and "ho girls' with the single exception of Betty Blythe, seen in one Very brief sequence. . On the other side It is a nicely- handled story of a boy taken up by the local legion because! bis fatheir was posthumously awarded - the Congressional Medal for. bravery, and which sends him to CSulver. The father later ttlrns uii, con- fesses to Tom's foster father': that he really deserted, after' having maintairied a dreissing^ station In the face, of a retreat,..permlttlrig it to be supposed that he was ,killed. Eyehtually he Is reins'^ated, .and,his ison pins oh his breast .the ch'er- ishqd-decoration. There, are soma genuinely touching bits inter- spersed with very ordinary ' scenes of- school routihe;, aind .'oiie bt- two .^lerigths which are. merely: an- ilius* trated catalofir of Culver* Most of the action is asstgheft tha boys, wd they luuidi<i .lt Aiceiy; giv- ing a touch of reality .to the situ- ations, but there' Is not a sustained appeal which would make for real merit. It Is like the Army and Navy .films; too thoroughly tied .'down by the demands .vof the body .'.Eula . Guy Charlotte Henry .....ClaJre McDowell ..Ronald Harris ...Willis Marks Iiucllle Ward ..i....Tommy Conlon .......Wally Albright A sweet picture and hinting : at :fair business. That's the Initial and ultimate) summation of this talkerlzatlon of the classic 'Bebec<ia' which Mary Plckford did as a sUent and which was slated for Janet Gay- npr, but wound UP not so bad 'with Marian Nixon in the saccharine as- signment. . Ralph Bellamy Is a isat- Isfactory vis-a-vls. He subs for Charles Farrell, -who was originally slated opposite Qaynor. Away from the sex arid blng-bang stuff, 'Rebecca' has that summer- time advantage as a smooth, PoUy- anrilsh little picture; which about sums up the exploitation arguments for the production. It would have meant more Unquestionably with the Oaynor-Farrell pair, hence it's a bigger prbbleof selling the relar tively Inconsplehous pair,. Nixon and Bellamy., 'Rebecca' Isn't without Its mo- ments. Miss Nixon establishes the Wide-eyed in^enxie character im- pressively from the start as she sets out to win over her dour rich aunt and reform the atheistic Zlon Simpson, who, in turn. Is. Inspired to make ah honest woman of the common-law wife whom he seem- ingly loves with a somewhat pagan genuineness. ; Idttle Miss Fix-It also rings in Dr. Ladd (Bellamy) for some Idyllic community work, and so it winds up hunky-dory all around. Nothing much can be said about a smooth procediire such as this. It .doesn't irisplre to any extraordi- nary direction, : and Al Santell doesn't evidence any. liQulse Closser . Hale as the grouchy aunt milks a good oppor- tunity, and Is alone outstanding in any individual perfprniarice. The rest are tritely adequate. Production looks a cup of coffee and Indicates a good break all 'round for money possibilities. A house like the Broadway Par with a big stage show, can carry this one for a week's deluxe cnsage- ment. Ateh the stoiry thread too lotfely . woven in to grip real interest, and yet It probably will make acceptable film fare to other than irritated cadets. For one thing it gives SUm Sum-, merville an excellent opportunity to demonstrkte that he.' Is capable: of. better things than slipstlck Com- edy, and H. B. Warner is again cast in a father role. Fate seems'to be making him a sort of masculine Mary Carr. Tom Brown la con- vincing, as are most ofi the other boys in the cast, thbugh he handles the bulk of such action as there is. The photography is excellent save In one faulty traveling shot toward the close, and the-sound Is good. The Man Called Back Tiffany production, released through Worldwide. Directed by Robert Plorey. Based on the Andrew Soutar- book. 'Silent Thunder.' At the RIalto, N; T.. beginning July 20.: Running time, 70 mlns. Dr. David York*..*. i,.Cohrad_NaBel DIanha St Cl.alr. ;Doi;Ib Kejiyon St. qialt.'..... .John Halllday Vivien liawrence,..-......Juliette - Compton Dr. ■ Atkins........,.'.... .Reginald .Owen Iillaya.......>'. i..-..Mona Marls King's . Counselv......Alsn Mowbray Defense Counsel....... Gilbert Emery Rosle ......................... •MoeJJusch Corns John T. Murray For theatres changing three times a week, and still better dally, 'The Man Called Back' la fair: program entertainment of a very familiar kind. Houses that risk It for a week will have to work up a spe- cial ballyhoo that may boomerang when the public finds that It was produced before a recent, playboy tragedy arid that none of the char- acters in the cast Is suggestive in any way of those mentioned by newspapers at the time of the ac- tual happening. Unlike other pictures that open in the South Seas and close in Lon- don or New York, there is none of the physical in this Worldwide ror lease. Possibly this company, form- erly Independerit, decided that being metamorphosed Into the Hays army means shaking off all the good old fashioned rcbust qualities of free lance days. The total abserice of a thud In the barroom, although Mae Busch as the hostess, a bit part, does hei; (Continued on page