Variety (Nov 1933)

20 VARIETY FILM REVIEWS Tuesday, NoTember 28, 1933 DESIGN FOR LIVING 'Paramount production aiod release. Di- rected by Ernst Lubttach. Stars Fredrlc March, Gary. . Cooper. Mlrlim Hopkins And £], B. Horton. From Noel Co^^ard's Slay of some ifamc; screen play. Ben [echt; cainera, Victor MUnor. At Cri- terion, N. T.", for tWice dally run; $1.65 top^ Nor. 22. Running time. 00 mlns. Tom...........,....,.. Fredrlb ' March vGeorge .i...,......;«*.«».«-'-Cafy Copper Gllda Miriam Hopkins Max ........ i... ;Edward Everett Horton Mr.; Douglas..... ,■.. ^Franklin PanBborn Lisping stenographer .Isabel Jewell Mr. Bgelbauer Ilarry Dunkl^son Max'Q butler....i Wyndham Standing Can't miss because It holds plenty.. The inarquee names of Fredrlc March; Gary Cooper, Mir.- , . Idm- Hopkins, and .Edward- Eyere.tt or aealn, she. spIHs a hot,water bag Horton, co.-starfed, • Insure boxofflce from an upper bierth on a bearded thin when stretched to 90 minutes | of celluloid. In consequence there are three or four sequences of a slapstick nature, that outrage the spirit of the story And gain laughs at too high a cost by turning, the yarn Into a twe-reeler. The guess on 'Bean* is that It will not do big Mairio *Dj?essler, of com'se, is ire-: mendously popular, but this is jiot one of her outstanding perfoi'm- ances. If it went all the way and was frank hokum It would be: a more satisfactory picture. As It Is 'ChHstdpher Bean* Is most : of the tlnie a 'faintly ironical study pf hu- man greedi At other ,moments'Miss Dressier borrows, from Sennett-and even does a runaway comedy Ford. virility. Errist Dubltsch name fur- ther Insuries that awd Ben Hecht's screen trieatment has transmuted Noel Coward's Idea better than Coward's original exposition. It's a competent job In every re- sipect. What matter It-ror perhaps It does—If Hecht threw Coward's gentleman: occupying the lowet-i These custard pie touches: look like i after-thoughts spliced Into the fllni. They successfully cheapen what | should have been a picture In uiore mellow tempo. Lionel Barrymore is good. He I generally is. There are plausible ihaniiscHpt -out the window, arid. s6t j^j^^j able characterizations by oth about, writing a brand new play? It ^^g^ notably the mother df Beulah was a wise move. . The intra-trade Bdndl who did the same job In the temerity and arched bi-ows wherein j^g^j. production whicli starred Paramount and Lubitsch saw^any | pauline l4ord. screen values in . the orlglnar Cow- ard script are answered by this • new daring, in Bicreen transmuta- tion—given an idea, for which the tirlglhal dramatist mtist needs be compensated", the Hollywood artl-: fleers can improve ort it. This, is against all legend of the Hollywood malcontents who complain what Production values froih: the flaws noted. okajr apart Land.. DUCK SOUP (MUSICAL) Farahiount prodacUon and- release.. Stare the Four Marx Bros. Directed by Leojac; Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Arthur Johnstpii, •musical advisor.' Additional dialog by A''- thur Sheekman and Nat Perrln. H«iry Bbarp. photog. At'Rlvoll, N. T., for grind run Nov. 22. Running tlpie, 70 ihlns. RufUB T. .Firefly..., ..Groucho Marx ChlcoUnl................ ^ .V ., • Chlco -Marx Brownlei..! ^ .Harpo Marx. Bob. Rollaind., ^...• .Zeppo Marx vera Maroal..,.......Raquel Torres Ambassador TrentlAo.,.'.,.. .Louis. Oajlhem Mrs. Teasdale,. argaret Dmnftnt Secretary'.^«•«' • • • • • • Vema. Hlllle Agitator i.., .I^eonld Kinsky. Zander. Edmund Breese Secretary o< W^r. ...Edwin 'Maxwell Peddler..,. Edgar Kennedy they do- to their brain-children but carey. story, music and- lyrics by Bert there; but Lubltsch and Hecht here' — a-w... proves the wisdom and practica- bility of such literary herefiy. While it's two other fellers, so far as the' scripts, are concerned, Ilecht's version is certainly an im- provement on the origin*^, partic-' ularly in view of. the celluloid me- dium involved. The dialog is lesd lofty, le^s ■ epigramatic, less arti- ii<:ilKl. There's jaoioro teallty to .a basidally fantastic quadrangle as liubltsch-Hecht propound It- While Ilecht is sole authored, unquestion- ably. liUbitsch's contribution , was more than casually collaborative on the script end; as is the case of every Lubltsch production and par- ticularly in a delicate presentation such as is unfolded In 'Design for Living.' In truth Hecht, In program nbtes In the form of a biographical sfant on the director, credits LiU- bltsch with literary collaboration. Coward, of course, has contrlbr uted a baslo premised that's arrest- ing and which already has Im- pressed the 'Design* theme and title across the land as ah exposition of somewhat delicate, certainly risque, and not to mention meretricious re- lationships, aniohg a girl and two men all of whom are very . fond , of each other, Horten, as the patient mehtbr of the girl (or, as the dia- log puts it, 'in other words, you never got to flrat base') is built up here; as: much by the script as his own personal histrionic domiriance* -Miiss Hopkins' expert handling of the. delicate premise -which moti- vates the other three men Is a. con- 6ummate performance in every re- . spect. She glosses over the dirt, but gets'the punch-over none the be but little captlousness with ner Iihilosophy that she Is simulating the masculine trait of amorous ad- Miniature Reviews 'Design for Living' (Par). Tip-top tiubitsch production expertly scenarlssed under orig- inal adaptation. March, Cooper, iaopkihs and Rortoh as marr .quee names. 'Chpistopher Bean' (M-G). Hoked-up fllm , version of sen- timental comedy depends strictly oni Marie Dressier and lilonel Barrymore. Otherwise, pretty weak. 'buck Soup' (Par). Com- pares ..favorably with past Marx- Brpal. ..comedies^: Less, gags hut more bits this tlme^- Chahge is for better arid pic- ture looks assured of laughs and coiri. 'H a van a W i d o W (FN). Rowdy farce with high boxr office potentialities, Joan Blon-> dell, Glenda Farreil and stand- ard cast In a gold digger car- nival. 'Worst Woman In .Paris' (Fox). Major type of produc- •tlon given an Indie type story. Lacks the ap];>eal essential to success. Take • Chance' (Par), Eiastem-prdduced (Rp-wland- Brlce) Indie musical with at- tractive cast. Good entertain- ment on Its; girls, music and comedy. Adaption of foriner legit musical of aame title. piece, Jenkins bandllng It In flhtshed style, Sonef numberp are entirely inci- dental, having to do with Havana cabaret bits which background the actidn Itself, Therein it .|;ets away froni the backstage story technique and classification as a musical .com^ edy Biibject, Light thread of ro-. mahce runs through the story with Lyle, Talbot dealing handsomely with thia^ quiet pash character. Re- lease Is offered, with no more than program pretentions, but: by. reason^ of its honest rough fun it qualifies as a distinct box ofQce exception.; Rush.. Wbrst Wokhan in Paris j^sse ii. .Laaky production'«nd Fox Tre- lease. Features Adolphe Menjou, . Benlta HUme^ - Harvey Stephens, Hdlen .Chandler. Directed and written by . Monta Bell. Adapted by Marlon D\* and Monta Bell; dialog. Miartln Brown; camera, Hal Mohr; sound. B,: C. .Chapman; music,. Iiouls de Francesco. At Mayfair, N. Y., Wiaek Nov. Running time, 75 mlns. Peggy Vane..Behlta Hume Adolphe BallouAdolphe Menjou John Strong..............Harvey Stephens Mary Dunbar. . Helen Chandler Mrs. IStrongMargaret Seddon TAKE A CHAIjCE (MUSICAL) (Rowland-Rrlce production and Paramount release. Directed by Laurence Schwab and Monte Brlce. From legit tauslcal by Schwab and Buddy DeSylva, additional adaptation, by Brlce. Muslo by-Jay Qorttey, lA>a Alter, Herman Hupfeld. Lyrics by B. T. Harburg, Billy Rose, Arthur Swan* Dtrom. William Stelner, photog. Dances staged by Bobby Cohnally. At Pftramount, N. T.. 'w^ek.Nov. 24; Ruonlng time, 80 mine, Diika. >*•••'•*...... .....v. James.-- Duint'*- XiOUle..,,.•••«.•.•«r.'.i.»•..,.CIIII.' Edwards 'Tonl.,,^-^»»....•,v^...1..June Knight Wanda. ; .Lillian.. Roth - Kenneth,,,.t.,,, .Charlea 'Buddy Rogers Thelma....-....-.....;Lilian Bond Andrew Ralelgft..... v. .Charles Richmond Conauelo RaleighDorothy Lee Mike Caruso... ..,>i ,,Robert Glecklor Miss Jersey City. ..•^../.Lona Andre Practically everybody wants a good laugh right now ajid 'Duck Soup- should mkke practically everybody laugh. It Is humorous in the typi- cal Marx Bros, style, a style that happens to be popular. Picture should draw- and please iftll over; The laughs come often, too often sometimes, which h£|,3 always been the case with Msurx talkers, althoug'a in this instance moire care appears to have been, taken with the timing, since the step-on gags don't occur as frequently'as in the past. But a picture that contains enough howls to lose some of them without the los8<i^ being; noticed needn't fret. Less gags thla trip with more ac- cent ' on ^situations.' . That, doesn't hurt; either. Radio-has killed all the good gags and is .responsible fOr the present low caste of straight gagsters and gaga. The shift to the 'situation* in this picture therefore is ;a relief besides belner, for the iarxes, a inean s of changing the pace that' wnr"3raw dWla^2K^ the boys in the future HAVANA M^IDOWS First. National, production and release. Features- Joan BlondeM, Qlendi Farreil. Guy KIbbe. Lyio Ttlbot,. Allen Jenkins. Frank McHugh and Riith Donnelly. Directed by Ray Enright. Story by . Earl BalA-wln; dialog, Stanley Lbgan; cameraman, Ge^orge Barnes; fUm editor, .Clairehce Kolster. At Strand, N. T., week Nov, 22. Running Ume, M4a Knigbt..,,'.;.,...Joan Blondell Sadie Appleby , .. ,..01enda Farreil Deacon Jonea ;Guy KIbbee Bob Jones Lyle Talbot Herman Brody Allen Jenkins Duffy ,'., .Frank McHugh Mrs. Johies I ...Ruth Donnelly Mr. Otl9 r...w,,.,Hobart Cayahaugh .Butch O'Neill.,,,;. /Ralph Ince Mrs. Ryan 'Maude Eibume MuIIins George Cooper Ti'mberg. ,...;...,...:.,,:«• .Charles' Wllspii Wheelman^ Gary Owen Tip tojp rowdy, comedy with a provocative title calculated to draw those who look for: light entertain- ment, and. they'll be entertained f rouL- start to finish', i Hasn't been a picture in weeks with the same con- teiit of rapid fire lauehs, all leglt-^ imately ^ned ^nd inescapable. '^On that score it will click. Flock of cast names will mean something to the fans and the playltig .of this troUpe will wow 'emi from ,the cities to the ymy stations. ' Picture's 100% on what it goes after. Joan Rlondell and Glenda Farreil are out on the loose as gold ^gf^^l^orB^salirlirtlra'fiplcy'^ ings of Havana undergoing an In _ _ , In place of the" constant punning j vincible sequence of circumstances venture wi«i seVeral^before_^^^^^^^^^ ] and ^-j^cerSil'clpplJg^"^^^^^^^ Allen Jenkins has the low com such bits as the old Schwartz Bros. | edy character he's been waiting for on, one, for she confesses quite naively she is stumped—she likes both Tom and George (March and <:iooper). Hecht patterns Cooper to - a rugged chajpeau and March to a more formal top-piece, and Miss Hopkins interprets her reactions in relation to wearing one type of hat or apQther with the shifting moOds. The film should be a commercial click in the subsequents apart from the reserved seat or deluxe houses. Admittedly, it's not the type of plfer ture the average fan will relish If coming in. on the middle of , it. That ' may be an exploitation wrinkle for exhibition that might be bally- lidoed to advantage -where the mass turnover problem isn't, too gre4t. Regardless, the film holds a lot. for every type taste. The fans will mirror routine, so well dOne .in the hands, of Groucho, Harpo and Chico that It gathers a new and hilarious conledy momentum all over again. Story is a riiythlcal kingdom bur- lesque that could easily have been written by a six-year-old with dust In his eyes, but it isn't so much the story as what goes with and on within it. Groucho is the prime minister, who takes his job as seri- ously as a jiidge .in 'Irish Justice,' and gives this, champ of comedy a. long tinie. Picture baa been fitted with an appropriate line of rough and unrefiried dialog -with a laugh -wrapped up .in every other line Completing the welcome package there are lively tuneis, an abundance of undressed girls and Just the right amount of slapstick fun to give It climactic vigor. Action starts with the gun Misses Blondell and Farreil are couple of hardworking, tinderpaid dialog a,-,yeritiable Yankee Stadium l.gals in a honkey tonk .chorus, dls- to work Ifl, For his customary dowager-foil he has. the high, wide and handsome Margaret Dumont, making it. perfect for iGroucho. While Groucho soft pedals the verbal clowning for more physical couraged when; they're, suspended for iBmall' Infractions of the rules Mourning in their furrilshed room they get word that Havana'ia the land of promise, knee deep in mil lionaires. They nick the boy see Cooper giylni? probably his best effort this time the other boys also friend (Jenkins) for the rpll to. make portrayal; llariih ais an arresting romantic lead; Miss Hopkins as a dramatic comedienne of impressive range; Horton as ever the droll stooge, and altogether a highly in- telligent yet piopularly appea.ling production that does credit to all concerned. The* forepart Is a bit sluggish and cutting would help that retarded portion, considerably, hilt, in this main, the montage is not only highly satisfactory, but quite distinguished. Abel CHRISTOPHER BEAN Metl'o^oldwyn-Mayor production and re- lease. Co-stars Marie Dressier and Lionel Barrymore, ' Harry Rapf associate .pror =--ducer.^Dlrected=by--Sam=wobd^^=:=Bascd=pn^ Sidney Howard's play of same name; ad.aptcd by Sylvia Thnlberg and Larry JohnSonfc ■William Danlela. camera. Hugh Wynn, film editor. At Capitol, N. x., week Nov. 24. Running time, 00 rtlns. Abby Mailo Dressier Doctor. Lionel Bfirrymoro Wife. .-. : .. >. BeUlah Bone' Ada Helen .Shlpmnu Susan.. . •.',........». ,.. r..Helen- Mack •Rosen ..... ..i •. •... Jean HrrshoU Davenport ...i,.H. B. Warner make a quick change. Chico arid Harpo omit their musical special- ties, which should make it much easier for the piano and harp num- bers the next tiriie, if needed. Zeppo is simply. Zeppo. ~ Press sheet says, 'Zeppo, despite his straight ohar- aeten is a most Important part of the team. He's ah expert gag man and is so splendid at imitating any one of the brothers, that should ill- ness stop one from maklrif art ap- pearance, Zeppo can Immediately take his place.' Clearing up that mystery. , . v Music and lyrics, through which much, of the action Is In rhyme and song, serve to carry the story along rather thari to stand out on.pop the venture, Jenkins borrowing the coin froth his gangster boss, loislng it at the wheel , and making it up by a rubber check transaction. AU this Is packed into the early footage. In Havana they pick lip their vie tim (KIbbe, of course), and in,work ing pui. their campaign to take hlm^ acquire an iriebriated lawyer in the person of Frank. McHugh, >Iean while . Jenkins catches up to the Havana mlxup with his gariibler boss in pursuit and the tangled threads of story Come, together in a whooping finale involving the Cuban army, local police and fire depart- ment and most of the populace Finish Is a roar, although the!tag is a little weak. But the tout ensemble 'Christopher Bean' is so-so. Metro evidently found that what made a good Broadway play was pretty (jnng.-mftrlt nri-itheIr - Ow.n._.-Ev ery--„ JS, a lively thing's in keeping with the tempo | haWa of the, production, the Marxes per sohally staying on. top of the story at iall tiriies and on top of the music as well. 'J;'he biggest slice of song- writirig arrives irt the heaviest pro- duction number, a satirical congres- sional or parliamentary session in which war Is declared. .Everybody in;'the. support cast, excepting Edgar Iteniiedy,' plays straight to the" Marxes. I^cnncdy has two swell .sessions with TT.arpo and Chico. Bige. Studio gives the picture every thing In the way Of backgrounds for. fast farce. Miss Farrell's charac terlzation of a hiain chance choline putting on the dog Is a gem, while Miss Blondell does the roughstuff Bits between the hardbolled pair are the cream of the comedy., McHugh has some solid .laughs as the half conscious stew with Jenkins top- ping the male division with his tough durtibbcll, Latter role Is the best bit of fresh low comedy in the That this -Lasky production is playing, the sluft Mayfair inistead - of one: of the houses having first and second choice of Fox output carries the index, number. -Nice production has be6n sunk Into a story that does not give promise- of scoring; in any placement. Just another case of writing to a title, though even^ the title does , not sug:gest box . ofllce draft. Splendid photography, Une settings, and sometlmies good acting: shows through, but no suspense, lib appeal and little conviction. Plot sbriiewhat suggests a Pola Negri Picture'made some time ago., which might have given a precedent had it been remembered. Main idea is. the mistress of a French l>on viveuir set down on a prairie in the States and beating it when she reaillses that she is upset- ting things. Not even plotted to give plausibility to the main idea. Heroine, Peggy Vane, Is' an American art student in Paris who has gone the -wrong road and gets ta,ngled with Adolphe Ballou, mil- lionaire shipping riian, gaining from the association the soubriquet of the Worst Woirian in Paris. Nothing to clirich this fact save the showing, of; a newspaper page and the cOm^ merits of' peOple in the restaurant the- pair visit after an episode dragged in to show Peggy in a mthtub. No' one' even tells what she has done. They ju&.t say she IS, and you can take -it .or leave it. She has a spat -with Adolphe and etarts for home. Near a Kansas town her train is wrecked. She saves a child and is acclaimed a heroine, settling down in the home of the Stronens; Here she breaks up the love affair'between the son of the house, a school teacher, and his secretary. She takes a fancy to him, but scrams when she sees the ruin she has ° wrought, and. partly diecause she learns her old boy friend is broke. She goes to Paris, gives, him the Jewels he gave, her and with the new stake he recoups his foj^tunes and marries her. In the same restaurant as that in how she came back to him when be came, into money again. The outline is none too strong and an almost childish development of the plot brings no big moments; merely a fleeting period in which the spectator is not sure "whether the girl is responding to her better emotions or merely h^kering for the -fleshpots of Paris again. Noth Ing on which to hang^ the. interest; merely a poor patchwork of garish- ness and home cooking, the two not blending. Miss Hume Is sometimes convinC' ing, but generally not; She's try ing too-hard to be mysteriously al- luring. Helen Chandler not much better. Menjou, does his best for the few sceneis in which he appearSi arid'Harvey Stephens works histrd as the young schoolmaster. Coincidence' that the swan bath tub In this picture is oddly like the swan couch used in 'The Golden Bed.' made by Cecil DeMUle and oikayed by .. Jesse ^Lasky several years ago. Mr. Lasky should avoid swans. Chic. Second;-feature lerigtli musical by the indie liowland-Brlce firm rinade in thie east. Despite, any limitations, it stacks up favorably against the more elaborate Hollywood niuslcals whose much higher costs naturally permit a lavish ie^rade of production which Take a Chance' doesn't en- joy,;- ...' . -. What audlerices will be interested in mostly, or only,; is the entertain^- ment.- 'Take a Qhance' is sufflcieni. 1y entertairiing to take care of that. It sibounds.-in pretty girls and music; These items, plus, a sustained coni- edy strain, nullify the effects of fia-ws in other departments. .As for cast, this-converted .ex- legit, musical probably coritains the most ambitious name line-up. cap-., tured for any eastern indie "produe-. tion in recent yesirs. Ranging from good, to fair in. marquee strength, rating, the principal players are Jamed Dunn, Budidy Rogers. June Knight, Lillian Roth, Cliff Edwards, Lillian Bond, - Dorothy Lee, Lona Aridre. All the fcnimes are lookers with the two girls , called upon to sing, the Misses Knight arid Roth, beirig at homo with words and music. Both are experienced musi- cal show players, and are not away fron. home on the screen. Although ineyltable comparisons with the stage original give: the lat- ter the edge on comedy rating, the film version manages to get its share of laughs. It's all done in a purely comedy vein, taking the curse off the backstage story with its urilmportant developments. The Jams Dunn and Edwards, ais a cou-^ pie of dips, get Into aren't-aa siighifl- caht.as the laughs they obtain while getting, out of them- brigirial script Is closely followed, but the score Is practically all new. Orily 'Eadle Was a Lady," done here by Miss- Roth, is retained. New tunes are bright without being ex- ceptionally strorig, although an ovrl lyric .and It's Only a Paper Moon* have posisibilitles. There are moments when the original script is followed too close'^ ly, particularly during exchanges of comedy dialog. This phase of the direction is orthodox leglt-musical, its alien nature and pacing being quite obvious oA the screen. There's a big difference between stage arid screen dialog, as is always illus- trated. :when typical stage methods used In a picture. There are also old directorial rou-. -^nes.4ha)trthe-4nore, progcesalxflLJIalsu. lywood meggers have dropped, as for instance - the device of showing an audience irii the thrOes of hilar- Icus laughter. The 1933 idea is to lot the real audience decide for it- self; the screen plants, rather than addirig to the e yety, tending to re- duce effectiveness by distraction. In .'Take a Chance' one of those properly tinted, laughing audience shots: alternates with the delivery of the best lines and comedy situa- tions in the Daniel Boone scene which survives in the screen adap^* tation. It was the funniest scene in the stage show, but not in the. pic- ture and that prop audience might be the reason. In .the V picture the comparatively tariie' mind reading sequence is much more effective^ simply because the customers are not Cued into their laughs. The value of letting 'em latigh where and when they wlll^ and without strongiEurming, Is olf. info in Holly- wood. The comedy dialog bits. ar(6 where' (Continued on page 43) J!fee Wom€in ^s Angle 'Duck Soup' (Par). Handsoriiely mounted madriess makes the ladles chuckle, though the Marx .appeal is essentially directed toward mascur line b. o. • 'Havana Widows' (FN). Strldient, labored farce further handicapped by an unfortunafe title ■will preverit likeable and talehted ciast from drawing their normal quota of femme attendance. 'Take a. Chance' (Par). Stage technique hampers cbritlntilty a!ndStory. .clar4.ty,;=,,b.ut=.plcture=attains=niGdeEatei:flap^^^ of cast names. *Worst Woman i Paris' (Fox). low story and unexcitlrig cast out- weighs excellent production for the ladies' money. 'Christopher. (M-G). Typical Dressier hokc pumped into a iegit- imdte character comOdy Interferes with the sihcerity of treatment it re- quires.. Title a deterrent; also. Result is short of the usual Dressier hox office strengtlf. ' 'Design For Living' (Par). The three-star cast alone is worth the admission, and Just naughty enough to remain nice.