Variety (Jan 1934)

Tuesday, January 23, 1934 PICT E S VARIKTY 21 Film Reviews In the Let's Fall in love (Continued ft'om page 13) title song, Gregory Batoff, tlon and the fate that befalls him, at one point, is a gem of a scene. In a. farm shack where he's held captive he heai'a his mother's voice on the radio in a plea for his isafety and the poasibility that the lack of ^nd his return. Kid bewllderingly thousands of girls and tremendous production numbers niay serve as a welcome change of pace to the patrons. With a stronger story In band the treatment given. this re- lease niight have developed it into eock proportions because for what It is it's a smart sample of celluloid; From the story angle It's as if a synopsis had been whipped to- gether and then the boys, went looking for someone to hahg It on. No mean choico to have picked Ratoflf who has become one of the best hatracke In Hollywood. He holds 'em up and again this time despite that he is once more im- personatltng a film producer for comedy purposes. The yarn only tightens once, eoniewhere along about the fifth reel when liowe's irate fiancee (MItiam Jordan) exposes his foreign screen find (Miss Sotheni) as a circus sideshow attendant; the same situation which has intermis sioned many a musical comedy with no mystery concerning the final, an- £w&r. Lowe plays., a •film director and other than occasionally letting his tempo becoine abnormally elow does well enough with it, David Burton, who directed, has both covered up . and spread the Btoi-y over 67 minutes with not a few of those minutes devoted to two tuiies, eaOh of which is reprised and' the plug ditty twice. A work- manlike job which might have been impossible minus the footage Usurping of the songs. It's neat be looks at the radio and. around it for the arms that go With the appeal. In its early stages the picture works up. excitement through the campalg:h of. police and others tov the discbyery of the missing child or its captors, "with Federal aid and coropieration of mothers all oyer the conntry .Invoked In the seaVch. C3ops play an' important part of the first half but are chlded by; inference as their efforts fall. It's a farmer's wife out in the linely country Who by chance stumblfes on the baby and, grabbing, it, races madly to town in a flivver with the kidnappers in pursuit This is the part, played , by Alice Brady, which steals the picture. Besides running away with the story, Miss Brady has the lines and: action .which de- liver the laughs, her four kids and a husband helping in that direction. Dorothea tVieck is an acceptable film. star type whose grief over ber missing son Is properly tempered with hysteria. At first Miss Wieck Is inclined to overact noticeably> go- ing through motions, that veer . too strongly, to the theatrical. The long title will be no cinch for the theatres. Char. LADY IS WILLING (BRITISH MADE) Colombia (British) picture reieRs«i] through Columbia Pictures. Directed by Gilbert Miller. Cast: Leslie Howard. Ceilrlc Hardwlcke, Blnnie Barnes, Nisei Playf.uir, Oraham Broxviie. Nigel Bruce; Previewed Prince Edward theatre,. IiAtidon, Jan. 2. Running time, 70 inlns. This Is the one arid only produc-. tlon made in England ,by Columbia Picturies, Oii form It would, seem the com- pany had designed this film to be bullet-proof. The screen play is by Guy Bolton, then .Leslie Howard came over for it and they aug- mented further with such formid- able EngllsTi support as Cedric Hstrdwicke, Blnnie Barnes atid oth- ers. A couple of technical experts also arrived from Hollywood,: etc: Then Columbia niade one -grave, er- ror.. Gilbert Miller was recruited to direct. Principal complaint about the pic- ture is Miller's direction. It has all thei attributes of . stage techniquie;. It is a stage play and not a motion picture. . It is to be hoped that sonie day Columbia, profiting by this experi- ence,.will have another tty at Brit- ish production. But the miss is most, apparent, Jolp^ MYRT AND MARGE (MUSICAL) Bryan Foy Production and Universal rer lease. Stars Myrt end Marge, radio team, Direction and dialog, Al Bpasberg. Orig Inal story, Beatrice Banyard; dances staged. , __ , _ _ , by Jack Haskell; songs, M. K. Jerome and cause the running time infers adroit Joan Jasymh; photography/ Joseph Val^' " ^ that cduldh't I tIne,^At Mayfair, N. T.. three days, start from the magazine yarn by Eustace L. Adams. There are some soft spots, notably, a misuse, or rather an. inept use, of comedy; there is a failure to develop fully the menace of the moment and in the fight , se- quence the punch Is not fully car-. ried over to the spectator. But,in the main it holds attention and ranks 8is a very fair: progranier be- low the toppers; That it'a on a double bill here 1^ due more to the need of the other half of the bill. ■ Yarn tells of a young sponge fisher who borrows mon<5y for a boat from his would-be rival. Idea )s to make it impossible for him. to repay the loairi and so mak* it impossible to marry thO girl. She defeats this objective and. the heavy's suicide clears the way to their happiness; Most of the action takes place on tbe sponger with quite some footage on the sea bottom with the divers. Plot chiefly delvfes with the tampering of the pumps and diving suits. Underwater stuff well done and convincing, photoigraphy is excellent, the picture using Gata- llria Island for a background, and the sound is well registered. In | general the direction . is good, but toward the closei the comedy is brought in to break; tension which should have been. maintained. This is the first chance Creighton Ghaney has bieen given at a lead. He's no collar . ad,. but vigorous and youthfuli The girts "Who like caveman .stuff may fall for him, arid the'men are pretty tjertain to like him. Sally O'Neil seems a bit too mature for skittish soubret parts.* She carries on and for a brief bit wears a. backless bathing suit that is pretty close to front Most auto race pictures lack nov- I les$, too. Maurice Blacky turns in elty becausO there seertis to be only his usual smooth tousl* villain wniie This tiirie it's a George Begas is the lacquered Si Jenks loolcs after most Studio Placements STRAIGHTAWAY Columbia .production 'and release, r Stars Tim McCoy.. Directed by Otto Brtiwer. Sue Carol featured. Story, and •.screen play; Lambert Hillyer; Frank Geraghaty, asst. dir.: Dan Clark, camera: Glen Romlnger; sound; Otto Mayer, editor, At Doew.'e New York, Ni T., Jan. 11$, on dbuble bill. Run- ning tim^, 58 mlns. cutting on a story stand any padding. Burton'is only . slips appear._to be in passing one line of dialog and taking for granted that the discovery of a new screen star is page one streamer istuff across the country. This, is much like that Coast foible that everyone in a screen audience ap plauds. The othei- misstep is per mitting Miss Sothem to yerbally predict she'll be the biggest star in pictures. The immediate reac- tion to that out front is, 'Smile when you say that, sister.' But as she's crying at the time the audi ence snickers for. her. Musically the picture Is something of a surprise " considering that Harold Arlen has written the melodies. A sweet tiinesmith who's compositions usually wast6 no time m getting from ear to toe, the odd aspect is that neither of the two tunes offered even borders on the hotcha, 'Let's Pall in Love' is a foxtrot-ballad, and a good one, while the other, presumably called "Ixjve ing Jan. 16. Running time, 66 miris. Myrt Minter. .. . • Myrtle Vail Marge Spear.;/.. ;..Donna Damerei Her Mother... Trlxie FMganw Comic................. Eddie Foy. Jr. Producer............. J. Farrell MacDonald Angel Thomas Jackson Mulllns........... .Ted Healy His Helpeira,....Howard. Fine and Howard Clarence. Bay Hedge Myrt and Marge' as a film is for the residential neighborhoods and the sniiall towns where the reputa- tion and popularity of the CBS gum headliners may lure'em away from the dials and up to the paybox Film lacks production qualities to carry it in the more exacting deluxe and downtown spots. Film arrives belatedly in Manhattan Bing Crosby appears to be about the sole radio exception to date to get a break in Hollywood on proper handling. Meanwhile, there's a whole list of radio folks who went to Hollywood, made one picture, and apart from a piece of change did That's about one objective. threat of a murder trial for the hero if the kid brother trlns the race. Ambitious but . not quite enough. Just another auto race* picture with plenty of library stuff,, but no real punch and not iE>Iannesd to raise In- terest in the players. Tim McCoy seems, to be feeling around for a new meter. Production looks Cheap with action on . the tracks at Altooha, Providence, Utica, Blgin and Indianapolis. Clips, show what seem to be authentic shots of all these speedways, but the Intlr mate action In all of these locations are backgrounded by a couple of, hills which grow strangely familiar by the tinle tho blowoff comes In Indianapolis. Intimate details of the races are likewise backgrounded against the same track, thotigh the long shots show the track where the action is supposed to Ije., That doesn't help^ nor does the enthusr lastici crowd of perhaps 150 extras. McCoy tries hard to make it look like something and Sue Carol helps, but it's a forlorn hope. Chic. THE LASt TRAIL vi.^ vv».«., tf , themselves littlo good Is Love,' Is more of a Jingle though what has happened to Myrtle Vail they won't remember It as easily. | and Donna Damerei, otherwise Myrt No one Is going to fool Columbia much on tunes with Max Winslow, of Berlin, Inc., now lending an ear between putts. So much so that In order to take no chances with the title tune Art Jarrett i$ used to in troduce It, supplemented hy a femme vocal octette, after which Mis 5 Sothem does the reprise. She intrs it nicely, too. Tala Birell makes the minor part of the temperamental star,, who has to be replaced, stand out while the motherly soul who teaches the and Marge, here. This twO-glrl team (mother and daughter) has been on the air three years and among radio's 10 most popular programs for two years, T'bat bespeaks a boxofflce value for the picture which on Itai other values It obviously wouldn't possess. Film was'diredted by a gag man, Al BoaS' berg, and the dramatic sequences and generial pace of the narrative shows it. Laughs there are, often some. good hokum comedy, but the plausibility of the characters and the heavy... — . . . of the comedy and is effectlve^.when not overworklhg. ' CMC. LA RUE SANS NOM ('Street Without a Name') CrRgNCH MADE) . Paris, Jan. . Fellegrln production. Directed by Pierre Chenal. From a novel by Marcel AVme. Made In Montmattre studios ^Camereclalr Radio. Running time, 82 mins. Different and most realistic, with P^bla Blery giving a fine perform ance. Story Is of a sordid neighbor hood where a girl comes to live and causes havoc by her beauty. Figures of Interest to American theatres showing Prencb product RICO Cameo/N. Y.» Shifts Harry Shiffman, head of the Brill circuit which operates .mostly on I Staten Island, In association jwitb [jack Shapiro, has taken over the Cameo, New York, under a lease with M. Shapiro &, Son, contractors who built the theatre about eight I years ago. RKO has had the Cameo under I lease. Same policy as with RKp, Fox production and release. Directed by Jame.s Tinllng. Features George O'Brien. •Clni're Trevor, El Brendel. Lucille La Verne. Story by Zane Grey; Stuart Anthony, screen play; Arthur Miller, camera; Royer, cos- , , , , . i. _ i« tumes; Bernard FredrickSi Sound; Arthur playing arty and freak pictures. Will l^nje. music. At Sta«l^^^^^ continued by Shiffman and on double bin. Running time, 59 mins.. \"~ ■ __ ' . o o ' Shapiro, at a 56c top. S&S go in circus girl her Swedish accent also Incidents and the general quality is holds up hw coi'ner. But basically | marked by awkwardness the picture is Ratoff with his in- imitable dialect and mannerisms, a | new girl and a new face, a nice pro- duction to frame an anemic little | story and a fetching tune. It should be a handy item to have around, same going for, Miss Sothern. Misa Fane's-Baby Paramount production and release. Stare Dorothea Wieck and Alice Brady. Directed by Alexander Hall. From . original ^^k«- ppvt Hughes; screett play.^dela Rogers St. John; continuity, Jane Storm: pbotftg^ raphy; Alfred Gllks. At Paramount, N. T., week Jan, 10. Running time. «T jninBj_ Madeline Fatie .Dorothea Wieck Mrs. Molly Prentiss.......... .-Alice Brady Michael Fane.....,,........ .> .BabyLeRoy Capt. Murphy,» William Fjawley MacCready. ;George BaAler Sam",. .....Alah Ha'e Bert .Jack J^Bae Do tty ....... .Dorothy Burgess Joel Prentiss.........Irving Bacon Johnny-Prentiss, .Geo. 'Spanky' McFarland BlHle Prentiss....,.. .... .Culleri. Johnson Minnie Prentiss........Carmencita Johnson Baby Prenttas Kay. Lou Biarnes The snatch racket, page one staff for sometime now, becomes A-1 screen entertainment In 'MiSa Fahe's Baby Is Stolen.' This, the first pic- ture of its Kind since the Lindbergh kitnapping, Is both box oflSce and punch film. Despite the liberties taken In the plot it is material that carries a convincing and arresting ^ot^..:,^ — In many respects the story follows the lines of least resistance In pat- terning Itself, except for the in- evitable happy finish,' after the Lindbergh tragedy. A film, star's baiby figures here, .living in the lap of otoi.stered luxury at a Beverly Hills pstate. Kid Is Baby LaRoy, whose cuteness quickly engenders a symp.ithetir lntere.^<t on hi? and his nnit1i>i''s behalf. The babe is care- fullj' nuMiPuv red throush Itjie ac- Trixle Friganza, a good trouper on the stage, is strictly synthetic as. here presented. Her personality, customarily gay and infectious. Is pseiidOrjovial under Boasberg's di rectlOn. Grace Hayes got lost on the cutting room floor while Ted Healy and his stooges, Howard Fine and Howard, by sticking to their own vaudeville technique, and prol? ably undirected except by Healy, come through with a minimum of stilted moments, Eddie Foy, Jr., and Ray Hedge, as a pahsy, come closest to copping any honors the picture holds. Part of Myrtle Vail is not extensive while Donna Damerei, with more footage. Is presented as an ingenue a trifle too unworldly for conviction. Story involves a theatrical troupO with financial difficulties. It finally reaches Broadway and takes the town by storm, chiefiy .\vith a pro duction humTiier.representing a cobra snake, a bit of whimsy without grrandeur or ingenuity to square the reptilian mOtif. Girl numbers are cheaply done. Couple of fair songs are used. It's a tab all the way and the arrival on Broadway is incred- ible after the quality of the sho.w within-a-show is made manifest At the conclusion It all turns out to a radio broadcast with the varir ous characters takln.g their final bows while Myrt and Marge croon -ingly_.f ade- out,- ,^.—J^ _,L«nd.. Western story, but better than average. Based on a Zane Grey yarn and apparently much material added. Nothing new though shrewd- ly assembled and makes fast mov- ing ientertalnment. Off to a good start with O'Brien boarding a train to avoid a posse and a friendly gangster, on the ob- servation platform, . discouraging further pUrsUlt with pineapples. This establishes O'Brien later on with his new found friend's gang, racketeers gone west to steal a ranch and start protection for the ranchers on approved Chicago meth- ods, O'Brien IS selected to pose as the heir to the ranch to which, in reality, he is the proper claimant, and the rest of the development works this out. Love interest Is contributed by Clair© Trfevor. osten- isibly' onia of the gang but a neW.s- paperwoman after the story. El Brendel Is in for.comedy which he handles nicely. Little time taken out for laugh Interludeaf other than a bit where O'Brien is required to spend the night in the room with Miss Trevor, to whom.he's supposed to: be married. This is handled nicely.ajid. is not Ihterruptlve." Api.rt- from th'ls it is. fait arid doclslve ac- tion. rO'Brien,heads the cast Well, get- ting good support from Miss Trevor, Brendel, Matt McHugh and J. Car- rol Naish. The others. Including Lucille LaVerne, m for blts^ Chic. Saturday (27). 3-WAT ^AB GOIXAB. Hollywood, Jan. 22. Albert D'Anno is colabblng with Jan© Hinton and Harlan Thompson on 'Cosmetica' for paramount. Title Changes Hollywood, Jan. 22. •Sonata' to 'Sisters Under the Skin,' Col, 'Trigger' to 'Spitfire,' Radio. Par's 'Death Takes a Holiday' to 'Strange Holiday.' Metro's 'It Happened One Day,' retitled 'A Big. Day,' will be released as 'This Side of Heaven.'- 'I Believed in You* is the rtew title for fox's 'Disillusion,' featuring Roseniary Ames, Victor Jory and John Boles, and directed by Irving CummingS. 16 FATHOMS DEEP Monogram production arid First Dlvisiim relen.se. Features Sally O'Nell and Gj■el^'h- ton Chitney, Directed by Armarid Sfliiisfer. Paul Malvern, producer. Story by. KiiHtftcc Tj. .A<1nm.s; B. IJ, Barrlnger,. adaptation; Norman Houstpn, screen .play; Archie Stout, camera.; J, .A, fltrapflky, Jr., .sbiinil. At ayfalr. N.. T., Jan. 18; On dou^^lo hi 11. ^l{iin.nlrig._ttTne,_G. 8L,m.l n h . Hollywood, Jan, 22. Warners has taken ' rights ' to Cosmo stories .by Arthur Sbmers Roche, 'Lady Dick', arid .'Roadhouse.' Metro has purchased the screen rights for Riidyard Kipling's .'Kim' and -Captains Courageou^' ■ Universal has' closed for screen rights to 'f^anny,' French play* by Marcel Pagnol. Monogram has bought "rights to two stories, 'City. Limits,' a novel by Jack Woodward, and 'Million Jjollar Baby,' orlg by Joseph Sant- loy. Russell Mack Set Hollywood, Jan. 22, Russell Mack hks been assigned to. direct 'Tish' at Metro, the next Marie Dressier starrer. James K. McGulrineps is adopting the several Mary Roberts Klnoli rt 'Tifli' .otori'os Into a pi'-tiiro yar Joe . ;■. , Savanis .-i,', N'lck ....... (■jUi , Athna... Vouhtj .\tho.s .fJltrios ,.,.,. BiHili>ln ...',,. (.'ro'-'ltoit' ,,,. > t t I • 7r,".«<ally (■•'Nnu. Crieighton Clmnfy .(Jeorge IJ»'s<i>' Maurloe r?l«"U .liloyi] InKraiD- .i Geijrcp .,. .i. , .Robert' Korttian ,, , . .SI .Jfir.;!. ,.,KusBeU .Vlii)i>.>=o'r; >i..,....ft,, ... 1.*..■•,..'»•*, *.....,...., Contracts Ic . Indie producers still, have thlnK.<? ti) learn, but they're learning. Mi)nogram has done a good .job on tir i^Uiry oi:, the sponge tib'hAri".^s Hollywood, Jan. 22, Eddie Foy, ,Ir., given a one ticket by Roach with an option. Universal has exercised Its option on Roger Pryoir for six months.. Hf'hry WWsworth, jUve, paotf at Metro, following part in 'It Hap- pf-n^d One Day.' Hollywood, Jan, 22; A. S. ByrOn replaces RoUo Lloyd, 'Countess of Monte Gristo," U. Kurt Neumann, megs, .Pat O'Brien and Gloria Stuart. 'Where's Brown,' U.- George Nicholls co-directs 'Fin- ishing School,' with Wanda Tuc- hock; Radio. Carl Brisson, 'Cosmetician,' Par. . Stuart Anthony,, scripting for- Sol Wurtzel at Fox. . Betty, Mack, Tommy Baird. and Harry . Bowen, ' untitled- Charles Chase comedy. Malcom Stuart Boylan; writer con-, tact at Fox-?Westwood. Claud Allister, 'Bull Dog Drumr morid "Strikes Back;' 20th Cent.. J.. Walter Rubeni .directs, CUv© Brook, 'Family. Man.' Radio,. Mills Broa., Eugene piallette;. Nydia Westmari, Elliott Nugerit, di- recting;, 'Dynariilt^.^ Jiinmie, Dur- rarite pic. Radio, . Howard J. Greeri scripting ' Mdgoo.' Par. Otis Harlan, .'Wonder Bar.' WB, Patricia Elilsi Mayo Methot and Marjorle Gafesori, "'Fui> Goats.' WB. brislow Stteveris, Ada Ince, 'Van- ishing Shadows.' UA Edgar Ulmer li-ects 'Slack Cat.' U. . Llta Chevret, Henry Armetta,. 'Warreri Dpane short.' U. Irene Harvey, 'Three on a Honey- moon.' Fox. Dor© Schary continuity, 'Hell Cat.' Col. . Richard Dlx and Dunne, Stlngaree.' Radio. Complete; cast of M; H. Hoffman's 'Take th© Stand': Thelma .Todd, Jack I^Rile, Gall Patrick, Russell Hopton,: Leslie Benton,. Sheila Ter- ry, Paiir Hurst, Berton Churchill, Vine© Barriett, Bradley Page, De- Witt Jennings, Jasori Robards, Ai~ Hill, Arnold Gray, Eddie Kane, Lew Kelly, Charles Wilson, ; Richard Tucker> Judith Vosselll and Bryant Washburn. Walter Weems scripting at Hal Roach; James Forbes callablng with James K. McGulness on "Tlsh.' Metro. Robert Tasker dlaldging 'Crime Doctor.' Radio. . Katharine DeMille, Gertrude Nor- man^ Sidney Toler, 'Trumpet Blows.' Par. " Walter Catlett, Gloria: Warner, Anita Carving Arthur Houseman, James Burtls, Greta Meyer, 'Play- ful Husbands.' Radio. Henry Folker, Samuel. Hinds, Frank Morgan, Arthur Hull, Monr tague Shaw, Robert Graves, Selma Jackson, 'Sist©rs Under the Skin.' Col. Billy Seward, Ward Bond, Kane Richmond, Francis McDonald, Frank Leighton, Alphonz Ethler, Joseph Creehan, 'Storm at Midnight.' Col. .Robert Graves, CXeLra. Blandlck, Kane Richmond,/ Isters Under the Skin.' Columbia. Walter Conhelly lead 'Charlie Chan's Challenge.' Fox., Rlith Gillette, "David Harum.' FOX; . Robert Frazer, 'Men in' White." Fox. Otto Kruger, 'Crime Doctor.' Ba- dio. Phillip Faversham, 'Pur Coats.' WB. William Kelghley directs 'The Key.' WB. Agnes Christine Johnston script- ing 'In Conference.' Par. Monte Blue, 'Come on Marines.* Par. Willis Goldbeck scripting 'Murder on the Black Board.' Radio. Maude EbUrne, 'Lousiana. Lou,' Metro. Pat Flaherty, 'Come On Marines,' Par. Tom Siatterfield to Par as arranger arid composer, Virice Barnett, Century. William . Frawley. borrowed by Radio from Par for 'Crime Doctor;' Red Stanley, 'Love Detective,' Col. Warner, Oiand, 'In Old Loulsina,' Mett'O. Marjorle Lytell, ' Radio. Norman Foster rillte,' Radio. Mary Kornman, ^Barbara Weeks; Addle Herring, 'Underetariding Heart,'.Chesterfield. Doris Lloyd, 'Sisters Under the Skin,' CoL Joyce Compton/ P&r. Toby Wing; Lohd Andre, Pat Fla- herty, Fuzzy Knight, 'Come Marine,9,VPar. Wm. Frawley, 'Crime Radio. Groves Jones arid William C, Mc- Nutt, scripting 'Flfty-twO Weeks With Fleurette,' for LoUis D, Light- ton, Par. Victor McLaglen, 'Murder at Vanities,' Par. Gale Sisters, •Melody in Par. . . . -^miirx^weir'^cnrabTrf^ WB, ' • Edward. Earle, ' moon,' Fox, Ferdinand Gott.schalk, M »>tro. ►Spenrer .short, Hadlo. VVard Bon term a^ Midnlylit,' Col. . ■ . Berton Cburohill. Take, the Stand.' Liberty.