Variety (Dec 1934)

Tuesday^ December .18, 1934 E V I E W S VARIETY 13 LIMEHQUSE BLUES Paramount production nnd release. DU r«cted by Alexander Hall. .- Original atory, Arthur- Phillips; ■ screen play, • Arthur FhllUps' and Cyril Huiiie; mualo and lyrics, ' Sam , Coilow. Harry FlachheoK ShotoKrapher. ■:. At Rlalto, N. T^;. week lec. ii\ .'-purining time, 03 mlns, , - ' Horry. Younjc Toiil . ,.:,......>:;,..•• Tii Tuan. ...:...>.f...... . Eric Benton.; ..... Pug Toijbut. V.-. V . i. Rhamn .......... -. Chins Lee, ,..... 'Ihapoctov, Shcrlddh. C., McDonald.',-..... flmokey... _ Iv^ft'.t;. JL'on»iulss,loner:. Kenyohi, Wyndhkm StaudlHB . .Qebrgo Rdft ,... .Jean- -Parker ,An»a May "Wonu ,.:;,. Kent . Tnylor ;. . Montagii. Lovo ».:.;illlly_ Bcyan . vliOiila •Vlncenot ..10. Alyn Wiirrci'i" . lioberf Jjdrainc FoVrentor -Harvey ;.iJoihn llouer3 son In military school xliscusslher di- vorced klda with another victim of a split-up. This loadg to the father's announcement that he'll call off his eneagement in ord^r to devote him self, to the boy. It makes a saint of the father and . something . of a iicol of the-mother; In the stage version; both parents drifted away from the kid \v}io was left to grow up on his dwn In the bbarding acad- emy.--/ . .- ■■./■.:■. - There- are exproltatiGn values to the story and as a . simple, jioii >^^•oachy presentation of the cortso qpenccjs of divorce upon the oK" spflng. ..thera, will, be ..many..^e!rious citizens minded to endorse the pvo- duction. - Land, ■. Weak plctu except for, Its sup- : port: cast. ■ Though exciting in .^potB, this', offshoot of the: Mast Is . East and West is West theme never conies within the- kerii .of gripping d»*ama; Won't satisfy the average , jCaii biit the: George Ripift hQ,me- may help,. t^ithotighV in any case, = plcturei '..'viU"-rieed:-h.e^pv■^•-; ■ \ .: ;iilmeh6Qse. < Biues' -achlevea its \teBt : dramatic moments ■ 'in. .the eiarly . reels when the director Bketclies in the story's background. Once, the tale, departs from its unr ; derworld > entanglements, to dwell on the ways'b-f love and sacriflce; things go soggy. liaft isn't giv«n a chance to step out and d6 iaomethlng at any po'int lit'■ the, recitaL As a half-caste' migrate .from New Y.brk'a China- town, hia'is a part thalt. citlls for little other ihan giving, ilpsepvlce to bis lines and matntiiining a dead ?&n. Of the two women linked' with his' leader b£ the Xlniehouse un- derworld /Anna. May WOnisr offers an attthehtlci' piece ,of work, capturr " Ing what minor sympathy the pic- ture affords.' In. the role of the White '. guttersnipe, who acdepta : Raft's pi^otjection but retosea his love, Jean. 'Psjrker gives anjrtHing but a persuasive ■ cba(^ct,eri9kt}.Qn. ' Payoff to. .this .ihiscastlng is 'illss Parker's Mkylfdlr iniariher.'. Real :6ub'staiice and puncb dC' rives, from; the players in the lesser roles. As ..Ximehouse's: top : <^ence Montiagu Iiove makes everything count. Billy. Sevan Imparts many light touches, 7».obert Loralne looks and sounds like a. piollce Inspector, John Rogers adds color with his allqiy behavior and S. Alyn War- ren spouts azionis and comports himself in the, accepted ways of a (Chinese sage. A fourth: corner to the triangle idevelops when Miss Parker meets Kent; Taylor, owner of a pet shop. ..It's a case . at . ilrst sight, but she resists his. marriage pleas because ahe feels that she's not his kind. The half-«»Late (Raft) and the White youth eventually ineet and .the fonher arranges to pull ai khife on .blm. Raft leaves the taak to A henchmaii and . leaves, taking Mis s Parke r with him. Meantime, the scorned I^Iilnese glrf settTes by~ tipping the police and then com- aaitting suicide. , An inept^ contrived scene de- •crlbes how the half-caste realizes that it's thei other fellow that the White girl really loves and, brav- ing a hall of piollce bullets, he saves the white youth. The sus- pense cooked ni by this antl- ollmax Is negligible, while Raft'^ saorlflcfr ending in death, falls to produce the. intended emotional ef- tect. odeo. ROAD HOUSE '■y--^' (BRITISH MADE) ■ London, Dec. 1. ■ daumont-Brltlsh.. prbdubtlon - and relensc pircctod by Maurice Blvey.' Starring Violet Lioralne-and Qordon Harker, RvuinlnB Oiue, 70 mlns; Previewed Prince Edward theatre.. London,. Nov,-20. ■ ;. .-. • ^ : . Very little more tliah the name of Walter Hackett's play: hag. been left in the screen version. It .was a wise thing to mttke .such a .di-astic adap tatlon,: because the original play was p. trlfle.above the hoa:ds of most: pic- ture goers. . Then, again, ft was .nec- essary to find legitimate excuses for Violet Loralhe to. sing songs, for which she was .famous in pre-^war and wa,rtlme musical shows at the HiRpodroine and. Alhambra. ; Gordon'Harker is cbrstarred^ and has the rule . he .loriglhated in the stage play;-; Hdckett wrote It as a satirical -'comedy.. Fllmlzatloh is istraight melodrama, . containing equally direct, and appealing, heart interest, plus -Barker's compelling cockney humor. As a plot In its present form it can't ,v§ry well fail. It hasn't done so in: the past and, when .'attractively surrbunded as. In this instance, there is no reason for expecting it-to. . Mlsa Loralne is ideal for the role; of barmaid who marries a 'sWell' who Ms killed in the war. She sup- ports herself and the: child by be- coming a music hall, singer, puts the baby out to an iexpensive.school, and says the child c Is an orphan. Girl grows up and when she gets into a Jam and is about to elope with a married man; a very high note Is struck with e 'me child' scene. May sound cheap and conventional, but it couldn't possibly be with so care- fully directed and produced a plc- turizatlon, augmented by a cast of praisewbrthy players, :lhcludlng Emlyn WUllams, jEileeh Marson, Hwtley Power, Anno Qrey, Stanley Hollowayr Marie l^ohr and Edwin Styles. No reason for this film failing to entertain audiences oh both sides of the pond. . joJoJ BABBITT WroNESDAY^S CHILD Badtb liroductlon and releoM. Directed - John 8. Robertson. Adapted from wjioia AtlunAlay by. Willis Qoldbeck. oamera, : Harold Wenstrom, At Roxy, N. r., week peo, 14, 1M,4, BunnlhK time, TO mlns., hobby: .... Bis Father.......... ais Mother..;;,.:..... ^OUlae ■ • ; . . , . i .-.••-«•...., . .ouinojr urujr Skips'-* .Robert Shayne Chick . ....,, David Dnrand First National production and release Features Guy KIbbee. AMne MacMahon Directed by Wm. Kelghley. Prom the Sin- "2*'^Tom Reed, Nlven Busch adaptaUon; Hary McCbH, Jr., screen play Ben ^ Marksoo, additional dialog; John Hughes.^art; Le* P. Porbstein, music Arthur T<>dd, camera; Sam Blschoff. pro ducUon. At the Palace, N. T;, week Dec 14. Ronnliv time, 70 mina, ^ZSi ^^y^V ^ • • • • • •. A«ne MacMahon Sf"^**v^i.^**^*"'............ .Giiy KIbbee T^nls Jndlque.....,,.cialre Dodd Verana Babbitt.......,1...Maxino Doyle Tod ^ Babbitt........ i. .. aien Bolos Paul Relsllne,. ..;, . .Minna Gombbll ^t^^rUeUcKclvey. .. ,;, .. .Alan Hale Judgre Thompson,.,,,,.... ,Bertori Churchill Commissioner Giirnee.. . rRnsaell Hicks Kunlc« Llttlefleld... Ntin Gray Zeke ....,.... i .... . ...Arthur Aylesworth Martin _Gjinch. ...:. - Ho i-,y_ffLy>r^ THE IRON PUKE (BRITiSH MAPE): Iiondon, Dec. 3. Gauihont-Brltlsh production and release atarrlns GeorKe Arllas, . Directed by.Victor .lavlljo. Previewed at the TlvoH,. London, Nov. :iO,. Kiinnlpg'time,'SO ml;tB.. ■This picture is of sufllclent Im-f portance tb warrant columns of cbmrnent in any newspaper, but what is most • impbrtaiht is: the "faidt that it is, a satlsfactbry commercial propbsltibn throughout the world.. .Basic idea of the picture is ;to show. ...Weliihgton to have- been as great a statesman as he was a soldier. ■ ■ ■ •Although there is a most effec- tive and carefully: selected cast, Ar- liss dominates throughout. One foi'sets, as time; goes on, that:. he. isn't the massive Wellington of his- tory, What he lacks in physique he compensates for in mentality. It is in histrionic and produc- tion detail that the iQlm makes its finest impression. Just a flash 6r two of the epoch-making battle 'of Waterloo suffices to give the requl site atmosphere, and • a mere hand ful. of the Scots Greys with the famous line:>: 'up Guards and at 'em,' conjures up sufficient action taking place, in: this historic battle Returning to England, the Diike is attacked in the Hbiise of Lords by peers for failure to secure greater reparations for England His reply is similar to those often heard today In discussing awards after the last war: "Tbu could have had your pound of ^esb, but you would have plunged your knife into the heart of Europe.' . Joto. H<ell in the Heayeris ' Fox-production and release. Stars War ner Baxter, Features Cohchlta Monteheero, Russell Hardle, Herbert. Muhdln and -Ralph Morgan, Directed by John Blystohe;,'Based on pjay, 'The' Ace,'. by ^Herman Rossmann Adaptation, Byron .Morgan and Ted - Par- sons; addltlonaji dialog, !jack Yellen. Pho- tograpihy, Bert' Glennon.. At Mayfair, .N: Y., week Dec-11. Running time, 7!>-m(nB, Lieut: Steve Warner.:.'....:.'.;Warner Baxter Almee. vConehlta Montertegro Second Lieut. Hartley..Russell Hardle 'Granny' 31ges. Herbert Mundlln Sgt; 'Hani' Davis.;...;.Andy Devfne Corp^ Teddy May......... .William .Stelllng Lieut...'Pop' Roget....Ralph Morgan Ace McQurk^....w.Vince Barnett Capt. Andre DeLaage.......WlUiain-Stack Sgt. Chevalier.. ..-;.J. CarroU. Nalah Clarence Perkins....'.......^Johnny Arthur Baron.Kvrt von HageB...;.-..;.'.Amo Frey for a phoney iefflciency engineer. .lAtter trades his contract as en- gineer to a mythical kingdom for Kelly's show. Kelly finds the prin- cess Is the king's daughter, so they clinch for the finish. . Vet: ; performers ' like ■ Franklin Pangborn, Ferdinand Gbttgchalk, Edgar Kennedy and Otis • Harlan hb.ld the piece from faHlrig apart, even in their brief roles. The girls aboard ship arc mostly negligible. Irene Ware is d former 'Vanities'^ girl who first went to the Coast for Fox, ■;:■■„■ Bhaii. ■: Miss; McGoun.' . ..Mary Treon .Prankle Thomas ..Edward' Arnold Karen Morley Shirley Grey 'Wednesday's Child' is nicely done and tells a story off the beaten track, put both in lt3 running time, a short TO minutes, and in its general rating •a a production It will probably have to be well fortified. With that stipulation in mind it's of sxiflflcle'nt humanity and poignancy to com- Uand respect. Parents aiid adults Will probably find the tragedy of a *f-year old boy when his parents ,«lvorce very tbuchlng. Prankle. Thomas from the legiti- mate stage makes his film debut. 5« did this pilece bh -Brbadwiy. and «ils fall has appeared with the Bert - liytell show, 'First Legion.' He's a 1^ with a capacity for the heavier «ind Of juvenile emoting and this nlra should attract attention. Not good looking but rugged and ftianly, apart from the bleached hair Holly- Wood gave him, the kid has what it takes. Whole structure of the stoty tests upon him. _ Cast is not box office. Karen Morley is best known, .Edward Ar- nold only slightly and ybung Thomas not at all. Which means w> picture has only Its own merits OI,stofy-telling to: attract 'em. Miss Morley and Arnold, especially the f*"?f' are real and human in their marital floundering which so ad- Teraely Effects the health and hap- piness of the boy whom both love : JU.t cannot iflt into the new lives re* tl^o divorce and the :«cquisitlon. Of. other spouses. . Hollywood has written in a happy sodlng. The father overheats blip Just about 10 years ago Warner Bros, made Sinclair Lewis' story into a silent film while the bbbk was still rocking the Rotary clubs and shaking most Main streets. Two things militate against this revival by First National; .cast and general style of picture too closely paral lels 'Big Hearted Herbert' aind the finish has lately been copped out for Til Fix It,' a Columbia picture: Former ,1s the greater hahdlcap.: It's a smooth, pleasant, but trite story of small town life, not helped along by a sluggish direction^ a cer tain chopplhess of action and pau city of material. It Is not big time stuff, though it should get business at the naboo.-and-^it- will piobably do best once it has passed the key spots. KIbbee can look the part without acting very hard, but he puts noth- ing bn the ball and blusters through like Babbitt himself. No shading nor subtleties of character. Aline MacMahon. is again the long suf- fering but everrloving wife, with Maxine Doyle and Glen' Boles the family this time. Bright spots are contributed by Claire Dodd; as the vatnp,. and Minna Gombell as' the nagging wife. Both get little foot- age but make the most of limited opportunities. . . Picture gets off on the wrong foot by too, slow a pace at the start, fol- lowing- Babbitt around the house to establish the atmosphere. After -that seta the tempo the rest of the picture follows the beat, with inci- dent either clipped too close or un- duly prolonged. KIbbee and Miss. MacMahon make a good team for a picture, but KIb- bee lacks the variety to keep. re- peated productions from becoming rubber etamjt, . ; VMoi just another air picture that. sug gests. but mild reaction at tbie box- office. • Story Is particularly weak, deal- ing more In situations and action background than in: plot. Much of the footage is take up by fighting planes with long sequences of guii nln£> among the* clouds and stunting pilots, manbeuVerlhg for position. Interesting but probably too fa- miliar ht this date; —Iibcale:is-the-posltlon.of-a-French air squadron with an ace HUn, known as the Baron, proving' a tough ogre of the air. - As the pic ture opens a replacement group comes- in to relieve a battered group, Warner Baxter, an Amer lean, being one. of these. . It's his ambition to add laurels to bis rec- ord, by getting the elusive Bartin: This he does after much celluloid has flowed without stirring suffl clent excitement to make the Baron's capture much of a ollmac tic thrill. The girl Is woven Into the yam in about the same manner ad usUal in sky Items of this -type. She lives with her mother. Who Is never seen, where the fliers are housed and gets 'in theit^ way aa often as. possible, Baxter becomes her chief goal, which she achieves in the final reel. Conchita Montenegro plays the her- oine, giving It. inore than enbugh French chatter for flavor. : Dialog is no inore enlivening thaii the story., Plot also Includes the young lad who has lost his nerve. Baxter gives a smooth perform- ance but the assignment offers scant opportunities. For a little comedy the. cast offers Herbert Mundln, Vlnce Barnett and a couple of others, but Including a bit by Johnny Arthur that Is a gem. : . ' Char. KELLY OF U S A. (WIIH SONUS) Monogram production and release. . Di- rected by Leonard Fields. Featurejj .Guy Robertson. Edgar Kennedy, Irene Ware, Screen pilay by - David': .SUvierstein and Leonard Fields, from original • of . George Bertholon and . Howard Hlgglna. Music, Bemlei Grossiiun; lyrics, Joe- Sanders, Photography. Robert': Planck. , 'At. Stanley, N. Y.. one day, Deo. 13, 'as halt double bill,'-Running time. M mlns. THE GAY BRIDE Metro production and. release. Features Carole: Lombard and Chester Morris. Dl-i xeoted by Jack. Conway. -Based on'story, 'Repeal,' by Charles- Francis Coe; adapta- tion by Bella-and Samuel Spewack; pho- togt .Roy- June. At Pox,, Brooklyn, week Dec.. 14, ,1031, RuiinlniB time, 82 mlns, . \.. ~.'. .\..'.,' Carole - Lombard ,.,....,;;, ..Chester Morris .. ..1........... .Zasii Pitts .. '..Leo Carrtllo Shoots Mag(^....;... .Nat Pendleton • • •' • • •' • • • • • • ... • - .Sam Hardy MaCPherson.,Walter Wolker Mary, ,'.'.•; Office' Boy'. Mlrabelle.. Mickey Gangster pictures are gone, .and this one won't do anything to bring them back. It'll do more to cbnsign them permanently to, Davey Jones' loclcer down where grosses don't count. It deals with hoodlums in a post- prohibition era, but fails tb freshen up the story and the con- ventional means taken to ca^ry it out. ■■.' - The slight flavor of satire - given •The"Gay" Bride* on*occa^loh"is not much, more in Its favbrl That has been the treatment in many cases and with better results than here. Picture ' Is. long,. 82 mihUtes, goes overboard on plot and climax, and misses being: convincing in most respects; Its top names are Carole Lombard and Chester Morris. ' : 'Repieal,' Charles Francis • Cbe's SatevepOst story, "concerns Itself With a- racketeer leader, bWner of many speakeiusies, • Who goes sappy over a gal in a show he is backing: She develops Into a slick gold-: digger : who 'marries the over- dressed hobdlUm ahd; suffers his nth avenue accent that she may share In the will he Is likely to leave behind him any minute. She becomes the sole beneflciary and takes her groom on a European Jaunt on which she gets him to buy an ISO.OOO painting, amcmg other things.: She sells the painting for 1100.000 and buys a cheap copy, ^e orders a 17,600 car, and through a deal with the salesmen for a split, gets a bill for $14,600 sent with the bus. Whett p^a rodman dies, his speaH business has. Vanished to the point where he's deeply In the red a;nd the widow Is left penniless, creditors even having attached her profits on the painting. Some of the sequences dealing wlth this .pbri_ tlon'of the pI9t iare' passably amus- ing.- The gangster touches' other- wise; aren't Scenario attempts to whitewash Morris, keeping, him free from the stigma of- mobsterlsm because he's satisfied with just a salary. It starts whitewashing the ghrl toward the end, also, hut falls to explain why she rUns out of her faney apartment with • the stolen trUst money. ' -. _ . ^ Morris and Miss Xombard are handicapped by both parts and dialog. whUe ZaSu Pitts and Leo varrlllo. among supporters, go no- where. Nat Pendleton as a gun- man-seems-to have gotten the best break. Sam Hardy pla:ys another gangster okay.- riht^r, CZAR WANTS SLEEP (RUSSIAN MADE) Produced by Belgoaklno; distributed 'in U. S. by-Amklno. Directed .by. Alexander FelnzImmer; scote, Sergei' Piokoflof. Cast include.? .B. Gorlngorlantnov^ M,; Yahshin, M, Shatevnikova, S. Magarlll. . B.' Uttrln, V. Lepke, M, Rbstovtsov. At Cameo, Ni Y,, Dec, S. on. grlnd, Running, time; 09 mlns," Soviet picture Inakers have raked up some more dirt about one of Rus- sia's former rulers and put it to sly use In 'The Czar Wants to Sleep.' Filni talies: 69 minutes to relate an ..ahecdpte .fubm: the .JLlfe,.ot the:' Mad. Czar Paul I that could have been fully and patly encased In a 2-reeler. Even with frequent resort to land- scape and sky shots to pad out the narrative, the thing emerges as a humor tickling document of appre- ciable proportions. : Acting fo't the most part stands - wiay out; above the directibn. Same edge applies in the comparison of the' background effects with the megglng. Commendable all around Is- the almost cpmplete absence of overemphasis. Picture has a satiric talo to tell and the fun - poking touches are deftly conveyed without distortion " of the characterizations, overstressing of the humor of the situation and other katzenjamnier. . All dialog-scenes have their super- imposed .vSngllsh titles, but even with; these won't likely draw any element outside of those whb mak^ regular habit of following the Am- klno Imports. - ; Recounted is the gag about the non-existent soldier that the twist- ed emperbr first banished to. Siberia and then ordered brought back to become head man of the Russian army. Hoax deyelops .when the Czar,, .dlisturbed" li his sleep by the - cry of a palace emissary who had been pinched on the backside by a playful lady's maidi demands that a list of all those who had been .In the palace at the time be brought to him. ■ A clerical error results in the In-^ elusion. of >a Liieut. Kidje, and. it. is on this figment of the pen that the Czar vents his brainstorm. Odec. -.. LADY IN DANGER (BRITISH MADE) .London, Dec. 2. . Gaumont-Brltlsh. prodnctlon and release. .. Directed by, Tom Walls. In-- cast:' Yvonne Araaud, Tom Walls.' RunntBg time, OS mlns. - -Previewed' Prince. Edward theatre,- tiondon, Nov. 27. UNDE LA MONTAGNE (Mountain IMan) (FRENCH MADE) , Paris, Dec. T. _SeytarKem production . distributed by 2!?fi v°'5***^^ toy Serge de Pollgny. aa- 2?'.^^'J?*."' Henaff. Script by Anton Kutter; dialogue, Andre T^grand; music, Ja^aes Dalltn. Featuring Gustavo DIessi, .vrtth Leon^ Bellere, Slmone Bourday, ' Jean Toulont,* Maxlmlllonne,. Stephen Blotzer, BenI Fuhrcr. Jacques de Feraudy, Marcel ^^berti Paul Clerget aiid Luclen Dayle, Tradeshown Dec. 3 at Edouard VII, Paris, Running time, 00 min. ' Here is a picture of a very special type which ought to appeal In Amer- ica because: It ahoWa thingg iinnh- Torai Walls exercised much re- straint In not pernilttlng'himself hls- usual surfeit of leering. - There are-, less- 'than . haU-a-:doaen occasions Whiein he Indulges himself this -time, and they are handled subtly. At the conclusion of this delight-, ful comedy one can form one's own -opinion^ aa-t6whether-^ail8.-actu--. ally had an .affair 'With his co-star : or merely uttered a. few sUgg'estlve wisecracks.. : ■ A .continental' country, where French is spoken. Is In the throes of a feyolutlon, seeking the downfall of the monarchy. An BngUsh business man alights from his airplane into the . middle of this flghtlnjgr and is requisitioned/ by the leader of the Insurgents, who Is really on th^ jstde of the royalists, to escort the queen over .the border Into England. The king Is safe, for he spends most of his tlhie In Paris with other women.. Walls is the Englishman and .Yvonne Arnaud plays the queen: as : probably no other woman in Eng- land could have. The English gen- tlen^ji-4akes-herrto-'h!s-iaat--ln-£ion-— don and, of . course, this leads to complications with' his fiancee and business associates. Whole thing is handled with a deft, light touch, neatly but unos- tentatiously, produced with ia cast of more than ordinary local reputation, Including Anne Grey, Hugh Wake- field, Marie Lohr, Alfred Drayton and Leonora Corbett. None of them has a role sufficiently lengthy for them to score any-individual honors. This Is undoubtedly the best bit of picture producing and starring ever done by Walls, and no small part of it is due to the manner In which Miss Arnaud supports him, if, in- deed, she Is. not the star. It can be easily recommended for American distribution. . Jolo, Kelly, TahU.. . Happy.., Brockton Maxine.. King.... Stranger 'Minister. .Guy .Robertson . ^ i... i';1. . Irene .. Ware ..........; Edgar ■ Kennedy .i.......-.-.Franklih. Pangborn .... ...... .JoycO ' Compton ......... Ferdinand aottschalk ....William . von' TJririrken ..V........Otis Harlan. Indifferent script, with no danc- ing:, makes this neither operetta or musical, cbmedy. Picture' promiseis sorhcthihg as a support feature and Is funny in spots. To,o little ac- tion hurts. Except for 'Right Next Door to Love,' the three- songs artf inconseriuential. : Guy Robertson sings. He's from legit. Story Is, of an. American show, producer mcctin-: prlticess.aboard on a trans-Atiant. liner..,He falls for -the gal/- and ilu; live' or six girls who .comprise his troupe fall tainable there and at the same time is good entertainment. . It's a .film of Alpinism, In which dizzy high climbs over Ice and rock were shot on the spot, in Swltzer- and. You see the use of skis for breakneck descents, the hewing of steps In almost vertical glaciers with ice- axes, and the use of cord and spikes in. scaling rock preci- pices. All is put into a good story, laid in the Swiss Alps, in which the cUhibing is a real element, not Just, a stunt lugged in. Well known guides, skiers and climbers are used for the technical parts, but the. leading parts, requir- ing acting, are taken .by genuine players. ' ■ / :- ' Story centers'-on fact that Jacques (Gustave Dlessl) gets a big heritage if he makes a particularly danger- ous climb, never done before. Ad- ditional thrill, with fine photography and sound, Is derived from an Inci- dent in which wlhtei: sports hotel is saved from an aValanche. - Photography alone, with nio\itU,itn scenery, la. worth Belling, titcrn. AGAINST THE LAW .Columbia'.production -and release. Stars John: Mack - Brown. Features Sally: Blane, Arthur Hohl. DIrected:by Lambert Hillyer.: StOry . and' screen play, Harold Shumato; - Photography, Al'Setgler. At Zlegfcld, N, Y.. ns half double bill, three da:ys. Running time, 01 mlns. Stove Wayne , Jack Mack Brown Martha Gray..,....,..., Sally BlSne Kelly.... „. 4,,.. J. .Arthur Holil Bert Andrews.... ...i.....;.. .Georire Ifeekcr Dedicated to the ambulance driver, that character gets all the brealcs in a.-fah-ly obvious plot. Won't smack so well with wise audiences. But for the kind of screens this picture- may have been intended, okay. It's - fairly well made and acted. Plot Is about airt anibularice driver- whb sacrlflces his own iuterests, in- cluding a nurse, for the sake -of an Interiie pal-who h'a.s become involved in unethical'afflllatlbhs -with an un- derworld mob. Eventyaiiy the gang- sters, kill th'e Ittlerne, -In p'Tdltioh to .some -bther.s,- and the • ';'"'->ulanc(i ■ driverVreadhe.^ a ; hapj)v-'' r'Umax. iMonl'ji- of ariibulalite, chas' ..- in the film. . ■ tshaiu