Variety (Aug 1932)

Tuesday, August 23, 1932 FILM REVIEWS VARIETY Talking Shorts •GET THAT LION' Game Hunting 29 Mins. Cameo, N. Y. Principal Pictures One of the finest, because it Is bnei of the most natural, mountain game chases ever brought to thei ficreen. The camera work is espe- cially excellent.- Long enough to satisfy on a double feature program, It Is also of a quality, as well as proportion, to substitute for shorts In key '.houses... It is seldom, that an audience at pome time or another during the projection of a theme of this kind 'does not sense artiflcallty. There Is neither staginess on the part of the sole" human In the cast nor tameness in connection with the huge mountain line Inispiring the chase. ■ ' . ■ ■ The cameriEi. has caught the beast In some remarkable poses. The sheep and cows that he has killed are covered stifflcientiy without be- ing overdone. Aa the chase wears on the lion takes on more and more the rdle of an animal which la obli- vious to everything but the man with dbgis and a gun. .Lassoing the beast high up in a tree and letting him hang for his ranch . r&vages actually provides a climax .to a continuity established by careful editing and a well worded off screen voice. Waly.. 'MEXICO, LAND OF CHEWING GUM' Travelog 16 Mins. New York, New York T. P. Epics No. 3 Alternating femiiie and male lec- ture voices are heard, offscreen de- scribing . the, silent scenics and action of this subject. It's not the- atre stuff. From a technical stand- point, the femme . voice doesn't register with interest, anyway. Most of the action looks, staged, particu- larly a kidnapping scene, where the suitor calmly grabs his bride and d^'s a.Lochinvar. . It's still Yucatan, howevier. The same Yucatan described In an earlier subject of the same series as 'Land of the Feathered Serpent' Now it's chewing gum and natives are shown drawing the chicle sap from trees and cooking It into cakes. Also a glimpse of how the cakes' look when reaching the gum factories In the States. Shan. . MAGIC CARPET SERIES 'Broadway by Day' 10 Mins. Embassy, N. Y. • Fox Movietone . Broddwayltes will notice that this episode in the Catpet series hardly scratches Times Square^ife. It is too big an order, however, to do that since It traces the steiti from Its source in the country right down to the Battery all in 10 minutes. "Broadway by Day' reviews scenes familiar to every New Yorker. For the out-of-town theatres all over It Is an eifceUent glimpse of the big .Jane. Waly. 'DEAR OLD LONDON' E. M. Newman Traveltalk 10 Mins. Winter Garden, N. Y. Vitaphone 1361 Okay Newman TraVeltalk on a par. with the rest of the series, highlighting London although sonie- ) how four minutes or so of the total 1.0 devoted, tb shots of the superb London zoological garden^ seemed a bit too much for a travelog, on London, which could have been ex- tended to dwell more on various de- tail In the outlying sectors If .the i highlights of the Parliamentary ; buildings, changing of the guards, etc.; was fio soon exhausted. Still It. made for a satisfactory enough iravtalk, Newmaii: doing the spieling. Bert Frank editcid as usal. He should have cut down oii the zoo stuff in favor of the actual London life. Aiel. 'OUR GANG' Series 'Choo-Chbo' Comedy 20 Mins. New York, New York Metro-Goldwyn One of the lesser 'Our Gang' comedies that features the flst bust- ing Infant, Spanky, who doesn't scream, sing or talk, but merely jabs his right Into the faces of his elders. McGowan has done a piece here that's .below his usual standard with the same kid troupe. It's a kid mixup on a moving traiii with animals interspersed. A pansy takeoff bv the male guardian of the klda en route is all out of order. ' Shan. 'YOU'RE KILLING ME'. Comedy Dramalet 10 Mins. Winter Garden, Y. Vitaphone No. 1401 Hokum mystery comedy drama- let with a few laffs and one of those 'cheating cheaters' twists.. Janet Rathbun, Victor KUian and Ray Collins are thei principal people, and scenario is from a story by Jack Henley and Glen.Lambert directed by. Alf Gouldlng. Sequence of events is built around a pseudo-corpse and the mulcting of victims to pay for funeral ex- penses with the turning of tables in a sequence of burlesque de- nouements. An okay one-to-fill. Abel. .1 Miniatare Reviews 'Love Me Toniaht' (Par). A money picture, probably stronger In Important spots than for general releasei. Chev- alier In a particularly engag- ing role with Jeanetto Mao- Donald, A spicy musical com- edy with a captivating score. 'The First Year* (Fox). Janet Gaynor and Charles Far- rell in a plot ^that's a haltural for them.. 'Devil and the Deep' (Par). Submarine thriller wUh a sus- penseful problem: play back- ground. Notable performances by Charleis Laughton; new- comer heavy, and Gary Cooper. Film of femme Interest despite lukewarm performance of Tal- lulah Bankhead. 'Speak Easily' (Metro). Bust-, er Keaton, Jimmy Durante and a goodly supply of laughs In a comedy talker that should please alL over. 'Crooner' (FN). A tearer- downer for the radio speoie of warbler with audience sym- pathy so oiUenated from the central character that It re- actig against the, entire pic-' ture, despite! the basic desire : to create that spirit of razoo for the crooner , character. Lightweight stuff, not espe- cially well done. ^Two Against the World' (WB). Mild Constance Ben- nett picture. A cross between a parlor ■ and court .room drama with ■ the formula too familiar. ' 'Hold 'Em Jail' • (Radio). Wheeler and ; Woolsey satire on college football with tlie comedians in Jail. Good where the stars are popular, but probably an in and outer, 'Unholy Love' (Hoffman). Allegedly an adaptation of Flaubert's *M::dame Bbvai?y' but in modern clothes and lo- cale moved to Bye, N. Y. Over- acted, overstaged and badly handled. Strictly for twin- feature layouts. 'D6r Fail! cles Oberst Redl' (Sonbr). Heavy German spy and mystery film. Too bard to follow, 'but with good acting by LU Dagover and Theodor Loos. For strictly German audiences only. building up to just such a story In all of their past films. They love • each other. Their troubles are typical. They surmount the handicaps and emerge trlumph,- aiit with love In their hearts and cash in the bank. Could the Gaynor- Fari'Cll following ask for more? Maude Eburne, Robert McWade and Leila Bennett are the comedy relief, the first two as the girl's lov- ing parents. Some of the old man's snappy answers to mother's choice cracks are examples of shrewd com- edy writing. Equally well written for comedy effect Is Miss Bennet's colored maid role, but the not so convincing make-up makes ■ It tougher for. h^r than anyone else In the cast. . Production is inexpensive looking but okay. Naturals like this one don't valk through the studio gates often. When they do they can carry themselves. No splurge necessary in this case, and none giveni_^ ' * Sige. SPEAK EASILY Metro production and release. Buster Koaton and Jimmy Durante starred. Di- rected by RilRar Sedgwick. From Clar- ence BuddlnRton Kelland'a novel, 'Foot- llehts.' Dlolog by Balph .Spence and Laurence E. Johnson. Harold Wenstrom, photos. At the Capitol, New Yorlc, week o( Aug. 10. Running time, 78 minutes. Professor Post. '. .Buster Keaton James. , .Jimmy Durante ' Pansy Pcets. ...Ruth Selwyn Eleanor Eapere Thelma Todd Mrs. Peets '... Hedda Hopper Grlffo. William ;Pawley Stdgo Director. .Sidney Toler' Dr. Bolton..Lawrence Grant Tony.....Henry Armetta Reno....... Edward Bropby ' DEVIL AND THE DEEP Paramount production and release do- starrlnE Tallulah Bankhead' and Garry Cooper. ' Directed by Marlon. Gerlng. Screen play by Ben Levy ^rom story by Harry Hervey.. Camera. Charles Xang. At the Paramount. New York and Brooklyn, ATicr. 'lO. Jlunnlng time, 72 mins.-- Pauline Sturm ..Tallulnh Bankhead Lieut. Satrtper....;............Gary Cooper, Commahd9r Sturm.....Charles Laughton Lieut. Jiiekel.....i............Cary Grant Hassan.. Paul Porcnsl Mrs'. Planet.............. Juliette Compton Mth." -Crimp.. ... v.Dorothy-Ghrlsty Mr. Plant...... Arthur Hoyt Hutton . Henry Kolker LOVE ME TONIGHT Paramount production and reiease star- ring Maurice Chevalier. Directed by Rouben Mamoullan. Featured players: Jeanette MacDonald, Charlie Rugsles. Charles Butterworth, Myma Loy and C. Aubrey Smith. Screen play by Samuel Hoftenstein, Weldemar Toung and George Marion, Jr., based on a French play by Ijeopold Marchant and Paul Armont. Mu- alc and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Xiorenz Hart. CamerA, Victor Mllner. At the Blvoll, New. lork, Aug. 17 for a run. Running time, Oi) mlhs. Maurice Courtelln Maurice Chevalier Princess Jeanette..... .Jeanette MocDonald Vlcomte de Vareze^ Charlie Buggies Count de Sa'vlgnac.... .Charles Butterworth Countess Valentine Myrna t-oy The Duke...' C. Aubrey Smith. First Aunt Elizabeth Patterson; Second Aunt Ethel Grlfllea, Third Aunt Blanche Friderlcl The Doctor Joseph Cawthonv Msjor-Domo Robert Orelg' Dressmaker Ethel Wales? Bakery Girl .Marlon 'Peanuts* Byron Mme. Dupont. ;...Mary Doran £mlle Bert Roach Iiaundress .Cecil CunnlnRham Composer; Tyler Brook Valet. .Edgar Norton A gem of a class production, and. With that aura that surrounds Che- valier, a cleanup for the run thea- tres. Sublimated light sbreen cn- ' tertainment, done into a musical fantasy. Probably will be rated be- low 'Love Parade' for America, but likely to overshadow that semi- classic abroad, where it will be ac- . claimed, both for Chevalier and Jeainette MaCDonald, who makes a happy contlnuaricis of the partner- ship with the Frenchman. Angle that the picture will miss slightly for general release here arises' from the fact that It com6s from an original source alien to American Ideas. Nearest thing to It In fllmdom was 'Congress Dances,' the social sa:tlre of which was large- ly over the heads of Yankee fans. There are often subtle comedy twists to 'Love Mo" of the-same sort. Story Is innocent of that cpm- mpdlty called American hoke, and few pictures go to the heights with- out It within Mr. Hoover's borders. Which Is another way of saying that the p.cture is too good to rate a sensation, but good enough, to bring home a barrel of mon.ey from the rteluxo dates and ricle auccess- ■fully through the bulk of subsequent releases on the strength of Che- valier's prestige. Abroad It will be accepted as miatching the French- man's best, and prosper accord- ingly. Treatment takes on the color of a musical comedy frolic, whim- sical In its aim and dellclously car- ried out In Its pattern. In Its play- ing and In Its- dlre^ctlon. Effect is altogether delightful. Gives Miss MacDonald an excellent opportunity for (iuiet comedy playing, which she rises charmingly to meet. Design of the story is as though Gilbert and Sullivan had dramatized one of the Grimm fairy tales and Ring Lardner had Americanized It. The comedy is exquisitely, amusing, particularly In all too brief se- quences involving Charlie Ruggles and Charles Butterworth. Adapters also have given the dialog a num- ber of swift and spicy sallies that count for solid laughs. And the production throughout has stunning pictorial beauty. Here is seen the fine hand of Director Mamoullan, who. In this effort, challenges the supremacy of the great and tricky Lubitsch in the management of gay elegance in atmosphere and back- ground. Mamoullan. reveals a shrewd flair for novelty angles, notably in the fascinating opening, sequence de- signed to sound a key motif for the gay syniphony that it introduces. It Is dawn over the vSrcant, sunlit streets of Paris. First a street worker hammers at the pavements, a cobbler pounds at his last, a vagrant snores in a doorway and a knife' grindev grates over his grind- stone. Gradually other sounds of the waking day work into a Jazzy cadenza as the camera walks into ih". bedroom of the gay young tailor (Chevalier) waking to a new ddy with a song on his lips. Roulade is 'Isn't It Romantic?' a rollicksome canticle that seizes everybody he passes on the street; until a squad of maneuvering mili- tiamen out in the country bring It to the ears of the Princess heroine; Opening supplies the strain of gaiety that runs through the whole footage. Other musical numbers furnish a light thread of melody that accompanies the story to a climax near the end Vhcn everybody 'Concerned carries along. a fefraln, 'The Son of a Gun, He's Nothing But a Tailor^' a sniashing bit of musical and comedy build-up and a: fine bit of stage culmUu.tlon. Couple of • bits of spicy reveal- ment of the MacDonald figure, un- draped, notably a deftly handled scene In which the wise family physician tries to diagnose the ail- ments' of tbe lovesick heroine. Story has to, do with Chevalier, the Paris tailor, going . to' a great French castle to collect a bill run up by a scapegirace scion of the family, and being introduced as Baron Courtelln and held as an honored guest to keep his mission secret. Fun of the situation arises from the presence of the lively young Parisian commoner among a crowd of fossilized old - nobles of both sexes. Musical numbers are as amusing for oi;ce In their lyrics as they are attractive in their melodies, and are blended in smoothly with the action, a trick in which Mamoullan excels. Rush. THE FIRST YEAR Fox production and release. Janet Gay- nor and Charles Farrell starred.. Directed by 'William K.' Howard. Adapted by I,ynn SlarMiig from Frank Craven's sta'ge play of same name.' Hal Hohr, photdg. At the Roxy, New York, week of Aug; 20. Run- ning time, 80 minutes. ara<!e Livingston .Janet Gaynor Tommy Tucker.'. .Charles FarrcU Mrs. Barstow.'. .'.-...Minna Gombell- Hattle ;...' Leila Bennett Dr. Myron Anderson .Dudley DIgges Fred Livingston....';.; Robert McWade Dick Lorlng. ... .George Meeker- Emily Livingston i-. Maude Eburne Fete Barstow.... .....Henry Kolker Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell in a story that's as close to perfection for them as any piece of screen writing could be. Hadn't Frank Craven written and John Golden produced this play for legit In 1922 it could easily be mistaken for a tailor-made Job for Gaynpr-Farrell in 1932. Craven couldn't have done better for this screen' team if he had had them in mind when writing it. • ' : ' ^ When the connection between plot ' dud-the players is aS' close as It Is in this instance, no more than adequate' direction and production are neces- sary. 'William K. Hpward provided the proper pacing with his direction, and ♦he result is a natural. This playing house as a couple of kids in their first year of married life may not have been a romp for Miss Gaynor or Farrell but It looks to nave been. They have been A neatly built up theatrical story with a world of dramatic tension which loses much of Its errlp by the lifeless and superficial pliaying of the most synthetic of actresses, Tallulah Bankhead, the weak ele- nient in a good story for the flrist time/ instead of being the strong factor in weak plays,- which has been her experience; for the most part lately. - Sums up as a fair commercial release and ought to get a nibd- erately good play from the femme fans. Certainly the male side of the cast will attract and please the women, since the subject marks the return after a considerable absence of Gary Cooper, looking better than he has In a long time, and making a'stunning figure In the uniform of a British naval officer. This angle and also the swell menace as con-, trlbuted by Charles Laughton are the picture's principal assets. In- deed Laiighton's heavy is really epic. Part is that of a British, submarine commander, apparently normal and popular with his asso- ciates, but really a madman, his Insanity being directed toward the delusion , that every. personable yoUng man is his wife's lover. . This is the situation .which works to the climax when the mad cap- tain sinks his own submarine with all oh board to destroy the woman and his Lieutenant (Cooper), a dra- matic sequence developed with art- ful and telling effect despite Its chylous theatre. At least It's thea- tre In a highly tense and absorbing form, done, with utmost. realism In the setting of a submarine control room and with all the camera tricks to lend It punch. Much of the suspense hangs upon the deft playing of Laijghton whose acting of the lunatic menace calls for nice shading. It is such a part as could make an actor's field day, but Laughton plays It with just the right measure of artful restraint and equally artful emphasis where the story calls for vigor. Scenario has been shrewdly handled for the strictly British pat- tern of seeming calm that conceals the turmoil brewing beneath the surface In this group of outwardly conventional people In a North African submarine base, a -locale, by the way that is nicely capitalized for exceptional atmospheric sur- roundings. Cooper shows a great Improvement In acting method quite as agreeable as his freshened ap- pearance. Hei-e he achieves a simple directness .that goes most engagingly with his stalwart mas- cullnlty. Sequences aboard the submarine are extremely, interesting and con- vincingly done with some smashing dramatic, effects as "the insane cap- tain a.t the periscope deliberately steers the undersea boat into col- lision with a steamship, grlpplngly brought put by alternate shots of the officer In his own control room and long shots of tlie approaching crash as seen through the periscope. Clash of the crazed captain, the wife he has lured aboard and the hero is strongly developed and the detailed views of. the escape of the crew through the manipulation of .steel hatchways carries, a thrill. Rush of water into the sub as the mad captain brings about his own destruction is a pictorial smash. Happy ending, bringing the lovers- together again. Is neatly contrived in an engaging light comedy finale thiat is one of the most satlsfylnfr episode;? of the whole subject nnd finds Miss Bankhead at her hcft, aomcvrhnt redeeming a dlsaiipoinl- ing earlier performance. Jiunh. Plenty of dead pan from Buster Kipaton, of rtose from Jimmy Du- rante and of. lookft from Thelma Todd, plus an unbelievable, but very comical, scenario. The combihatloh emerges ^s a slapstick talker with a cT>nte4y wanQp and a cinch pleaser ahywhere. It j\'oiA.g» down on the record books As "a rSasterpiece of screen comedy because It hasn't the elements of greatness; but it will make them laugh, and when that can be, done today It means busi- ness. W*-' •^•w >» . The Keaton of 'Speak Sasily' is a much more satisfying comic than he has been in \Aa last several films. Perhaps for the first time in talk- ers he really finds his olili stride. And oddly enough, no change In voice or manner of speech turned the trick. Keaton is chiefly effec- tive In his effort when taking falls. : He takes plenty of them; as only Keaton can. ft Durante clowns his way in from the opening shot and never loses the grip. He has his best moments, too, and these arrive during his two or three chances at a piano. While . playing and singing he gives 'em that antl-Barrymore proaio and now and then Just slips In a full flashw at the Durante pan. At the Capi- tol they howled when he looked at the camera. .When a comedian can , make them laugh with a look, noth- ing could be softer. On top of that he gives a corking vigorous comedy performance all the way through, which should give Durante an extra lift in hlsa te ady climb In the talk-,, Miss Todd, rounding out the lead trio. Is a naturial opposite for the laugh pair. She works with Keaton mpstly." but dpubles with Durante Just as well. There'a a. reve-se make reissle by Miss Todd and Keaton on a sofa as the extra climax of a darb, drinking scene that holds every- thing In a low- comedy way for a mixed team» Her stripping down to undies doesnH "harm the iscene at all, for Miss Todd Is an eyeful ot lines [arid curves. A's the picture's con- trasting good feirt, Ruth Selwyn Is rather held down by the script and although winning out Mn the ro- mance department, she 4oesn't hold her own against the competition. The story Joins the gags in being nutty. Keat-n Is an absent-minded professor who's In the dumps and In need of son^e high life. His de- voted butler plants a phoney, letter to effect that the prof has Inherited $750,000, and Buster goes stepping. The other principals are members of a road turkey. Keaton Is their pal Immediately upon his squaring a sheriff's attachment and'/the wind- up has him bringing , the show to Broadway. It's a success becaush Keaton Inadvertently , stumbles on the stage at the opening and be- comes the hit of the show. That re- , lleves . the ■ audience -of worryli^ about what will happen when the Inheritance hoax Is discovered. Starts and ends with a laugh and contains enough giggles in between to sustain a regular comedy , pace. Direction keeps things moving at the necessary gait. Bigc. CROONER First National production and release fea- turing David Manners, Ann Dvorak, Ken ■ Murray and Guy KIbbee. Directed by- Lloyd Bacon from story of the same name by RIan James. Adapted by Charles Ken- yon. Camera, Robert Kurrle} art, Robert Haas; nim editor, B. Bretherton. Running tllme, 04. mins. At the Winter Garden, ' N. v., for week commencing Aug. 18. i^O'ly .....David Manners ......Ann Dvorak Hat Check Girl Sheila Terry Pat...-......;,.. ..Winiam Janney Y^Tnry:. ; Eddie Nugent Meyers..,. j. Carroll Nalsh His Secretary Betty Gillette The prunlc Guy KIbbee Theatre Manager .Wllllom Halllgan •............ ."Teddy Joyce "°>-'" ..;..,........Sumner Getchel i"™ • ......;...Clarence Norstrum • •/ • • ■ Allen Vincent Head Waltef ; 'WlHiam Rlcclardl Constance.;....................ciolre Dodd Apart from the 'Crooner' being a " general slap at that ether pest, who for a time, held popular sway, with the Rudy Vallee Inference by no meand disguised—although It's far from a faithful, burlesque of the Vallee-Columbo-Crosby clan — the picture is a lightweight. It's predi- cated on a totally ungracious pre- mise, wholly lacking In sympathy, and by Its very aim to pyramid pub- lic antipathy to the breed, it riulll- fie.s Its box-ofllce chances. There Is no .sympathy for any- body In the ca.st once the rnachlha- tlons of the director and scenarist hit their stride. The crooner is a .swell-headed, impos.sible sapadlllo, and wJilIe everytliing about 'Crooner' Is (le.slgnecl to s^v.-ay negative public rc.ictii"')) against the central char- acter, the fact has been lost sight o£ ' (Contlnuoil on page 19)