Variety (May 1934)

Tuesday, May 1, 1934 FILM REVIEWS VARIETY 15 Journal of a Crime FINISHING SCHOOL RKO Radio , production and release. l- i-ected by Wanda Tuchtfpk a:nd. Georf^e Nlcholls. Jr. Francea Dee, Olnger Rogeirs, Blllle BurHe. Bruce Cabot, John Halltday - stuff between l^o^^r- --'^ ^ ««n.„. ... • T&S-MeX|Armstrong and Miss Bradley is ^"f'"''iw-^^^ Claire Dodd .pretty warmly presented, Miss Bradley featuring fuU bosoms and MacJ'ariand......Bru^ Cabot Pouglas Dumb llle ni,onnP«'nnVi that nlavc 'St tbuis Mr. RadcMfti, .Johh HaUlday A Y ■ Mlaa Vnh Alsty«.;.. i...Beulah Bond! ..Philip Reed Blues.' The Eilers-Arlen. romance, mIss Fisher ..Sara Haden Henry Kolker | the other hand, is free from Ruth ......i... .Marjorle'XjjnteU fleshy thoughts. . »:r^At^;^vn: a I Except for some carnival lot' 1. ^^„^/t an \ footagc, actloh is conflncd to a Voman who loved her Oiusband bo tourists' camp. Armstrong has a inuch she killed his Paramour, and thoroughly unsympathetic role, I frankfurters around his neck. It's a toss-up for the kid between get- Warner Bros, producrtlon and releaae. ting killed by the tiger or catching etara Ruth Chatterton, with Aidolphe pneumonia in the Ice-box. And Menjou and Claire «!iP_^„^^^^^ runs out of the -jlc^u^es™" win ^^^^^ the kid in the box. Hugh Herbert and Charles Kenyon; cam- era, Ernest Haller, At V.oxy, N. T., i never explained, -wreek April 27 FrancolsB Paul.... • • 1 • • Odett^ Chautard' •,.•••«"»•'•• Cartler CostelU ....« ♦ •' xoung Man •'• penrl This is the case history tain, then Ken as the strong brother weeps, pays back the money, and marries the .girl. And the girl, in Cecelia Parker, never gets her finger wave ruffled or forgets her expression of glassy-like innocence. 'Waly. with that secret between them tried playing it so that he becomes Jin- A combination, •Flaming Touth'- Maedchen in Uniform,' portraying the trials and tribulations of 'the l,ye with mm to a .h^t ot>MJ J^SS&jSfS^WXi'*^ ^ •»* »" ^ «~ < * As'Journal of a Grime records this | ^j^^ ^^^y continually believable j anobblsh school for girls, Ga8» history dpWn to a unique cH-.| character. The others are over max It lis traveling a trail of drama] shadowed by Armstrong due to the high ii» sympathetic interest andjiiature of th eir parts. Btge. force. Bingiiiarly rich in material for women audiences, It Is at -the came time a good man's picture, and except for children should get the support of the masses. Riith Chatterton 'Journal* Return of Bulldog Drum- mond For no dice as a picture. A well-behaved and hlce-loplving cast tries hard, but can't offset an underlying lit- erary handicap that clanips the lid dowiv at the start and keeps It there. Novel twist la given at the begin-; riing on the title sheet After the characters are mentioned, the vil lain is announced. Vll is the school (BRITISH MADE) - .- . ■ ^ ■ . . , I Aaooclated British Picture production, re Offers the best part she has had leased through British international. ■ Dl Bince' 'Madamei X.' As the too- rected by waiter summers. In castv Ann _ ^. ^ loving Wife Who was guided as much J^^^^ Ji^'^ ^^fntg building ^^^^^.^f ^SJ}^ In protecting her husband from a time, 7» mlns« Previewed Prince Edward takes place. Authors theory, as dangerous infatuation as she. was theatre. London, apHI lo, ertactCQ by the plalyer?, Is that the by what would seem a pardonable — . J owner.*, of such a high-toned place tense of jealousy, the Frahcoise of This, story is adapted from' Sap- Crockett Hall don't care what the script Is Miss Chatterton at her per's noyel, 'The Black. Ga,hg.' He a girl does, or what happens to heir, •best. also wrote 'Bulldog :Prummond,' so g© long as the school's reputation As In 'Madame X,^ though nOt it was probably figured good box remains'unblemished, over such a long period of . years, ofHce to utilize the Drummond I Frances Dee, daughter of wealthy Miss Chatterton transforms from a name In the title of the present parents, is hiade a victim of the pretty young wife'to. a woman who's offering. Captain Drummond is.now school superintendent's prudish- broken In spirit and on the r ge of married, living. In seclusion, and ness. She falls in love w^th i mental collapse. By degrees the after a period of retirement is once I. young Interne, who doubles as a script takes her ^rom the moment more drawn into action by the in- [ hptel waiter and therefore ^pe^^^ ^ she thought she was saving her own I vaslon of a band of foreigners Who rate socially. School mistress keeps tieart and her husband by the mur- are agitating for the making Of theih apart for 71 minutes. Biit the der of the latter's girl friend, up to armament: His old enemy, Carl picture runs 72. the point where agony'of conscience Petersen, turns up again, accom- Miss Dee, as. the wealthy but un Is driving her to confession and jail, panled by Irnia. ' . happy Virislnla' Radcliff, takes her Meantime, she has been paying af Melodrama of the old school Is troubles very seriously, even so far heavy l)enalty by living with her rampant, with enoagh incidents to as contemplating suicide on one husband under the halo of a hatriedlmake them Interesting. Picture, occasion. But it's doubtful whether that is both enervating and painful. I however, is spasmodic and epl- the part, as written, will Induce When it appears there I. nothing sodic, rather than sequential, a;nd, audiences to take It as seriously as else to do but let the woman .confess j while some of It is very good, other does. her guilt, she is struck by a truck, sections of It won't bear close Ginger Rogers'role Is much more^ With this turhjrthe husband's hatred scrutiny. acceptable. . As Miss Dee's room mellows, whether It Is but of com- Finish has a 'terrific' fight be- mate. Miss Rogers is the unconven misseratlon or not, and on recover-I tween Drummond's band and .the Ujonal type. Regarding, the school's Ing from the accident the scenario horde of aliens. The way the two rules and regulations. Miss Rogers sees to It that the wife's memory of. sets of contestants struck each gays, 'You can do anything you like, the past has been entirely oblit- other would give the impression of ' eratedi This enables r.n ending that acute femininity pf the clinging deviates from the almost Inviolate vine type. rule of films that all crime must be There is more thsui sufficient In paid for.. [the picture, plus the drawing power Having , lost her memory , of the Of. the title, to ciash In on It as a past, but having the faculty to re- top feature for England, and it member In the future, the fade has could easily be utilized as a second Adolphe Menjpu teaching Miss feature in a double program in. the Chatterton her primer again.. | U,-S. Jolo The star comports herself as the self-punished wife in a manner that ■ ^ -j*, E>i>miiiKT«? deeply Impresses, while Menjou ac- | BEGGARS IN ERMINE aults himself creditably in an as VERKAUFTE BRAUT CBqrtereU Bride') (GERMAN MADE) (Operetta) Relchslisa . produictlon ' and . .-, jClne™**^' tradie release, starring. Jarmlla .I^pvotna.; DliniCted by Max Ophulsf story based on oper^ by same , name by Smetana. No other cr«dlts available. - At the Tork: vine.-N. "T., week AptM 20; Runrilns .time, WltCHING HOUR Bayard . Velller production and Para- mount reieiiise. Directed by. Henry Hath* ivway. From the play by. Augustus Thomas. f!allsbury ' Field, adaptation; Anthony Velller, scrc>ea play; Ben Reynolds, camera. At the Paramount, N. Y., week April 27. Running time, 04 mln. . Martin Prentice.........Sir Guy Standing. Jack Bro'oktleld .....John HaUlday Nancy Brookfleld.............Judith Allen Clay Thome........Tom Brown Mrs. Thorne, Olive Tell Foreman of Jury..William Frawley 80 mins. Mairl^ .,.. Hans Wenxel Esmeralda' .... Buerftermelster' Mlctaa: Frau Mlcha . >. Kezal Brummer .w...^ Freu Brumiher.. Pollile)^ ,,,.,....., Jamlla Nbvotria 'Illy. Domgraf-Fassbaehder ,. . i.; .Paul Kemp le Soerenaen .;.;.. •. Max Nadler , ,.. .Hierman. .Kner ..vMarla Janowska . .Otto Wernicke . .Karl Valentin .LtesI Karlstadt ....Karl Rledel f^w . £lllngerv..,.,. Frank Hardmuth; District Attorney; Chief of Police.,. .Richard Carle ....Ralf Haroldo ,....Purnell Pratt ...BVank ' Sheridan ilgnment that Is right up Ills. alley, I Lj'^^JfSram^l^^duc'lon and release, stars as long as you don't get caught.' Miss Rogers proceeds to break the .rules, wise-crack)lng all the while, and classes as the picture's one and only comic. In many respects Billle Burke's part here is so similar ,to her role, in 'Dinner at Eiefht,' she seems to be reading .the same lines ortce more. .She's the girl's mother, car- ing more about her. social obliga- tions and the hang of her gown than the welfare of her daughter. Script gives Miss Burke a chance to troupe as she best knows how , . -,. >,,. I Directed by Phil Rosen. , - . , . . . Itlso. The murdered girl is Claire From novel by Esther lornd Daly; adapu- and as a result she appears to top podd, Just the type. tion by Tristram Tupper. ^'holography, tj^Q cast on performance. John In the direction^Willlani Keighley GUbe^^^^^ Ni„3^-. Halliday. Bruce Cabot and Beulah has steered his story and his cast j^h^ ijawoon ......Lionel Atwiii Bondi, In more or less straight with captainly understanding of Marchant ..;....^....H. B. Walthall parts, are.satisfactory. dramatic and sympathetic values, Joyce. ...Betty Furness piot might have been more valu not overlooking the details that are ^arioy '•V''*™''J^S,es lush able as a musical comedy book. ,and Important and avoiding those that vIvlan..i..!!IlIlI!.sI^I!^^'.Astr^d Aiiwyn is still serviceable for musical aren't. Picture runs 64 minutes, I joe wnaon... ....George Hayes | adaptation, because 'Finishing Bedrich Smetkna, Czech composer of this opera, probably would be very much abashed by Its mien as a fllmi It's a beautiful opera, ac- tually, but fllmatically emerges Weak musically, although not so bad from a straight farce comedy stand- point. Director of the film. In try- ing to avoid. stamping It as an opera, swayed back too far. It's how neither fish nor herring, too high-brow for ordinary farce-lovers and too bad, musically, for those who might be attrisicted by its lame as an opera. Jarmila Novotna, best of the Czech singers and with considerable fame through Europe, was a bad choice for the lead in view of the Aim's unmusical handling. She can't act well enough and doesn't photograph any too well. Sound also, sLs It happens. Is way off, making a complete hash of It. . Paul Kemp and Otto Wernicke, German film comedians, come out best, in the supporting cast. • Story Is one of those mixed ro- mantic themes of two boys and two girls who falMn love In criss-cross fashion. SeveraL^ntanglemerits all. four ways before It's straightened out, although possible considerable of the audience, even it thoroughly acquainted with German won't get , the tangles unsnarled at all. With- out a knowledge pf the language It's completely hopeless. Kauf. Adieu Les Beaux Jourft ('Goodbye, Beautiful .Days^ (GERMAN MADE) (French Talker) UFA production and release, starring Brlgltte Helm and featuring Jean Gabln. French version directed by Andre Beucler as based .oh the original direction of Johannes Meyer: French dialog, Pierre France;' music. E. E. Buder and Raoul Ploquln. At the CSStb St. Playhouse, N. Y., week April 21. 'Running t{ms. 05 mIns.* . Olga. .Brlgltte Helm Pierre Lavemay. .......Jean Qabln Alexander Henry Bostc The Jeweler Dergan.... Luclen Daylo Professor Ronnay 1 Henri Vllb^rt .Commissioner Marie Andre NlcoUe Maf-lette '..Olnette L«clerc Commissioner Damprel... .Thorny Bourdelle F^ed... Jean Carette ftnd hence Is compact. Char, Scott Taggart Stephen Gross SHE MADE HER BED While lacking soniewhat in ro- I mantle-appeal and following a w.ell- Paramount production and release. Dl- j. worn melodramatic cljiannel, 'Beg- SSd'^Sa^fy "E&''feSS?4d.''AX*ed^^^^ In Ermine' Is satisfactory en- B^^ryT ^b'^^J'^S ??eVfc'e^SoxV'j^^^^^^ ^^""^ and Bhould Cain; Milton Krasner, photog. At Riaito, appeal. New York, starting April 20. Running ' Mme, 71 minutes. Wild Bill Sml .......Richard Arlen liura Gordon ; Sally Ellers ... Duke Gordon............Robert Armstrong a similar meller course, is a plot ri rGrace-Bradley ' . .. . j:- _ _ School' isn't likely to be seen where the good ones are played. Bige. Honor of the Raiige Universal production and release. Star- ring Ken Maynard. Directed by Alan James. Story by Nate Gazert. At Tlv- oll, double feature bill, April 27. Runr nlng time 00 mlns. Done by Paramount as: a silent in 1921,. the: Augustus Thomas, Stage , play still has a punch for the nabes artd probably will make fair grosses in. the more. Important spots. Should' build on word of mouth for run spots since the acting and jproduc- tlon nyerages: are excellent. Han> dicap Is a lack of names for .the marquee. Something might be done- to overcome this in tbe advance ad- vertising. The story Is a bit Old-fashioned. Hypnotism was newer when It . was first staged than It Is now, but It still packs a punch for. those who dp not Insist on extrCrhe plausibility, and the master touch of one. of our few great native dramatists still stands out In; the photographic translation. , It does not help much that there's a. Court room scene, but It is,, well, at times deftly, handled, and the scenarist rates a shared of the credit, but It Is the acting arid direction which will chiefly put this picture 6ver. A few coriiCdy touches riilght have been better, but. In the main the action moves fluerifly and swiftly. Story Is familiar to most persons; the hypnotizing of the hero, who unconsciously takes, more than the Intended suggestion' from his mag-, netlzer^ and In addition to overdbm- Ing his aversion to a certain' Jewel also shbots a man, wUb the Jury swayed for acquittal when the shrewd old- lawyer has the same .man hypnotize the foreman of the Jury. Sir Guy Standing heads the cast ais the lawyer, but he shares the honors.: wltb John HalUday, as the gambler'; a good part even In Incomr potent hands, but gaining through the certain touch of the- present player. Judith Allen, Who does not always screen well, is acceptable, but unimportant, as the girl, and Tom Brown makes a likable and convincing 'youth. He had a, fine chance! to tear passion to tatters and spoil things, but he doesn't. Other chief players hold their ends up, but a couple of bits stand out better, particularly 'William Fraw-^- leyk Ferdinand Gottschalk and Pur- nell Pratt. Picture Is well: staged, In the period of the '90's, and If you can accept the hypnotic. ■- angle. It's thoroughly well done. Chic, -Bve -Richards.; . . v.-.. Santa F«.. .*• foe Olseh Ron...... What helps to set the picture Ken '...Ken Maynard apart from the general run charting ::::;;;:::;;;;.V.\\\V."Sia"pa?kOT " " ■ Rawhide .Fred Kohler -Boots ...............Frank. Hagney R«c^ Ates. backgrourid o^^ >•••«••»••• Jack Rockwell Charley Qripewln I-art for Lionel Atwili which makes I Ju^er .James Marcus Richard Arlen, Jr. | " Smoky .Al Smith him a crippled hero. CharUe Eddie Barnes Eased out of a steel mill as «s ||l^°n''T'^.^^^^V.•:::::f.?^^^^^^^ head by a treacherous aide de camp, This Is so weak . In every other respect, it's doubtful that even i . , „ >„,. Richard Arlen. Sally Ellers and who not oi^^^ grabs Robert. Armstrong as. cast names can pUU' It through. It's - a com- tertalnment purposes Story swiftly establishes Arm strong and the very s.a.'ish Grace iBradley as. a pair Of unquestion ably bad 'uns. But Arlen, sup of western groceries contains. Ac tion Is there In broad cuts and so are laughs that dime audiences ap- Why he did It Is not explained but Ken Maynard In doubling for — _ .,,1 A mountain blows up. A horse the man's Wife as well after Atwiu nonchalantly kicks open rock doors ...wuew. x.o .X suffered the lo^s of *V5.r^^^. Uhat a score \>f mCn can scarcely blnatlon comedy and drama, with P}?* begins to cl^anK©- ^'i?^ budge. A bad ..man, has a church a melodramatic finish, that Just ^^^"^^^^R oy®"; camp and . during a doesn't work out for screen en- the efforts of AtwIU to organize Kj^ttle the herd's girl plays It. Those 'them all Into a fratenial and flnan- - j^gn^a this basket cial order,. wealth of which even- tually enables him to regain his steel mill. The Atwill part Is developed with ^^ii.^ii^"'*t^«";'jr;«fi«^'' I Jteen understanding for dramatic posedly representing the opposite y^ ^^^ j^ .^^ ^ ^ type of person, and the hero of ?l'J^."^*"^.*^*j^Y T^^^ his, . the picture, struggles with a vague- ^'^l S^^JSti weak brother proves tliat once written characteHzation. His ^^^^^JJ^^^^^^^^^ SL'er'^ac' actions are Implausible, as is the L„j„ g^ck to him. To some extent, 'he saddle never a ch^^^ •tory most of the time. Lfforts to stress the Companionship tor. ^et yl.ce-versa, Fred Kohl^^^ For suspense, script resorts to the the steel magnate with his work- P';ove3 that a character man can loosing of a tiger In a baby's bed- L„, ^hose Invistments In the mill ^^He any kmd of a Pfrt and put It *oom, and the sustained possibility Lj^ere Impaired at the hands of the over. Kohler does the bad guy as that the baby will be devoured. It villains In control, la a little over- though he had been brought up In ton't^very^pleasantT;^^ .^p^j^.^.^^- .J..the^saddle.:. . — .^^^^..^ ^^ The baby Is Sally Ellers and Atwill gives a smooth and com- This isn't to be mistaken for the ^Armstrong's. Father Is a bad egg manding performance. Dialog has average shot-6ff-cuf£ western. U and a cheater, Arlen being the nice favored him, plus the effective back- " ~ " * " boy who's in love with Ellers. The ground of steel mills In operation father redeems himself by going He has with him as a beggar ally Into the house to save the baby, but Herir}^ B. Walthall and as his heavy, the tiger gets him. A fire starts, a Jamleson Thomas. Both oke. The , gasoline oan explodes and the girl Is Betty Furness and the boy rocket-like glares that streak out house both blows up and burns for minor love Interest, James Bush, of six-shooters every time a trig down. But the baby Is saved— Generally the supporting cast has ger indicates squeezing, mother had put him In the Ice box. been well chosen, except that Bush When Maynard as the weak Latter is the only piece of furniture hardly fits as secretary of a big steel brother, who gives the safe com- remaining after the Are, and the corporation and Stephen Gross as blnatlon to the gang and tries to baby is found snug and safe among Its head counsel appears tdo much steal the girl, repents and touches the vegetables and with a chain «C the Juvenile type. fiAiir- > off the fuse which rocks the moun went to a lot of trouble and the camera crew had to do more than the average angling. They even have a. getieral store giving up to flame effects as phoney, as the For obvious reasons, producers of this film are hiding their Identity and presenting It as Com2>letely French, afraid that the German origin may hurt Its b.o. . potentiali- ties. Well, It might, too, because; as a French film. It stands a pretty good ohance; it's better than the average turned out by the French on their own. Nevertheless, Its ap- peal In the 'United States Is neces- sarily limited. It's a crook yarn made by Ufa with an entirely French cast, Ex- cept In ..the. .instance, of. the star, Brlgltte Helm, who speaks .either French or German equally well. She made both versions,; of the picture. Film has a lfit of appeal on Its own because It Is fi fast-action yarn photographed against a background of beautiful scenery., Miss . Helna is a hlgh-P.ressure crook. By a Very clever ruse she steals ai costly pearl necklace arid escapes In-a high-powered car to Spain. That allows for a lot of beautiful scenery and plenty of action, as she's almoisfr caught sev- eral times. A young and good- looking advertising man, Jean Ga- bln, helps her out of her dilemma unwittingly, and she spends several beautiful days with him. It's al^ legedly love, at first sl?ht ahd all is well. But after a few days the cops, trace her and airrest her, giv- ing the film lt.s title, as the youijg lad walks away, puzzled by his adventure. Miss Helm is, and has been for a number of year.s, one .of Ger- man y-s=-best=aGtpe.sse.s=and=ls=as-^ef- fective here as she has ever been. Gabln Is one of the younger French Juveniles who. seema to have a fu- ture. With .gome adroit handling he can develop Into a big star. Picture has that excellent produc- tion value for which Ufa was once famous In Europe and stands out above the run-Qf-thfi-mill P'rench product. Po.s.slbly realizinnr that it.s appeal is limited, (ll.strlbutors liav( not bothered with supeHmpoKod titles, but use some cut-In tables of explanation Which seriously hnmnor action, Kauf, El Agua en el Suelo ('Water on the Ground*) (SPANISH MADE) Madrid, April 18. CIFESA release of CEA production. Di- rected' by Euseblo F. Ardavln. Story an4 screen play by S. and. J. Alvarez Quln« tero; music by .MaQ.'.trp Francisco Alonso; features Ma'riichi Fresno, Kicholas Navarro and Jose Calle. At Callao theatre, Ma- drid. Running: time, 65 mlhs. 7hls Is a distinct Improyemerit on recent Spanish films. The Alva- rez Quinliero brothers, noted local playwrights, have tried their hand at the screen- with their familiar style of dialogue, which their com- patriots like. Direction of Eusebio Ardavln, an. author, looks okay. He gives the film a tender and relig- ious, touch which oould have-- Ij^een mishandled and miscued If It had been In less able hands, conSlder>- Ing the delicate theme. Story Is .about a beautiful gir l who If encsuFaged in her religreiis~' and charitable activities by a young priest. A scandal sheet publishes a poem In double-entendre about the couple and they have to leave the town, each going his and her sep- arate path. A few years' later the author of the. poem meets the girl for the first time and falls in love with. her. The Inevitable for- glvenesB by the gal and later by the priest bring the pic to a sentimental ending. .Jose Calle sua the priest stands out in the cast, with Nicholas Navarro second as the poet. Se- norlta. Maruchi Fresno, femme in- terest, has plenty of what it takes as. far as looks are concerned, but depends tod much on'looks to put her over. Another weakness In the cast Is the use of character actors whose . voices are not clear and who can I hardly be understood. ' Photography by Hertry Barreyre and Jose Beltran Is oke. Couple of cathedral and hillside shots are ^pips?^-- Film looks very good for Cath- olic countr'.-'s, with a Spanish viewpoint, but probably no go any place else. laymon Ends 'Coin'^ . Hollywood, April 30. Gene Laymon hag finished 'Broken Coin' and l.s readying two more Klatf ri«Iitors. 'lied .Steel' and 'Help Wanted.' Irnpcria: Pictures state-rights' Laymen's films.