Variety (April 1926)

VARIETY FILM REVIEWS Wadnasday, April 7, Wtt FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE A HaroM LloyJ production from thi.- ttory by John (Jrwy, vViMa nnJ ClyJt nru;-kn):iii l>iicJod by Sain Taylor. It*?- Itui. by I'arainuUQt. At Ululto theatre. Ni'W York, for a run beginning April 4. Running timr, 58 minutes. Thh Uptown lu.y Harold Lloyd 1 ho Iu>wiUovvii (Jirl Jobyna R.iUton The Uuukilmt'cli Noah Vour.s Tho CatiK^t^T JameM Mason The Oi'timitt Paul VVlesei This in the first of the Harold Lloyd coinody f^'atures t«> be made by the coincillan'a own company for release through the Parnmoiint or- ganization As a fjai? pli'ture it Is a perfect wow. And this despite the fact that In some quarters prior to Its showing; there were rumbles of doubt as to the strength of the fea- ture. After ueeing it there is no doubt but that it is a picture that Is built to order for the exhibitor. It is full of laughs caused by ac- tion, with punch following punch in rapid Kucccssion. and the running time is just short of an hour, ho that tho theatre can got the turn over of tho crowds. The first two days of the picture on Broadway at the Kialto found all house records shat- tered with an $8,150 day for Sun- day (opening) and better than $7,000 for tho second day, with the indica- tions iK>inting to u $50,000 weeic with 1,900 seats. This will smash records there for all time. That, in itst-lf, Ih the answer to those who thought that the picture wasn't "there" before It opened. As to actual story, there is very little of that in the picture. Just a slender tliread of a love tale on which to hang the gags. lJut it aufFices to link things together and hold the lau^Tlis in place. Lloyd porlrayss. ; young society boy who has more niondj' than he knows what to do with. An ex- ample of liis wealth is immediately registered when he buys a new car to match his trousers, and on wrecking it immediately walks into an auto salesroom, leaps into a car on tho floor, writes out a check for nine "grand" and drives it out, only to have it wrecked a few minutes later after having helped the cops cliase a gang of Jewel thieves who shot the new machine full of holes. To cap tho climax the car stalls on raili^oad track, and as Lloyd is cranking it along comes a train and takes the car oft the crank handle. That's the uptown angle of the picture. The downtown end has Jobyna Ralston as the daughter of a mission worker In the slums. He has a little coffee cart from which he caters to the w^ants of the needy, his daughter assisting him. Along comes Lloyd and burns up the stand, giving the mission worker a check for $1,000 to repair the damage. But the missionary thinks It a contri- bution for the establishing of a mission. The res\ilt: Flaming head* lines In the papers, "Millionaire Es- tablishes Mission," which works up for another good gag and establi.shes a reason for tho Lloyd to go back and see what It Im ail about. Then the fun begins. Lloyd and the daughter of the mission worker meet. He falls and pulls a flock of laugh.s in a chase designed to round up business for the mission. This sequence had the Monday night au dience rocking with laughter. The gangsters whom Lloyd hud worked up to chase him Into the Mission become his friends when he pro tects them from the coppers and finally the leader of the crowd, who has not been convinced. Is knocked cold through a series of gags, ho bellevlTig that the dude did the trick then also falls into line. When Lloyd announces his en- gagement to wed the little mission worker, his society friends decide comedian trying to herd the com- mittee of ftve drunks, is just that much solid laughter. Lloyd, Miss Kalston and Noal. Young carry the entire picture and tho action is always In Lloyd's hands. The gags are so numerous that they have to be seen to be ap- preciated. Sam Taylor directed, and has turned out a decidedly business-like plcturizatlon. lialph Spence did the titles that fall naturally. "For Heaven's Sake" may not stand up as "The Freshman" «Ud to some people, but from an exliibi- tor's standpoint it is a better pic- ture, for it has all the laughs that any audloiico could ask for and. in addition, has the advantage of run- ning l«'H.s than an hour in length. The Kialto has framed a show w ith the feature that needs but an hour and a half for a de luxe perform- ance with a presentation. They are grinding 10 shows a day at the house from 10 a. m. to midnight. Fred. ress has held up so good a record In recent years as Miss Talmadge, It might be well to recall no other actress on the stage or H reon has played such varied roles with unmistakable skill and ability. "KikI" is a box office setup and Koo'l f(»r all over the country. KlKl First National ri:leaM preaentt^d by JfMtcph M. Scbcnck wUh Norma TaltnadKC starred In Hans Kraly's adaptation of the PIcard-Iielasco pity. Itonnid C linan fea- tured. Directed by Cl.irence Brown. At the Ca;*ltol. New York. April 4, week, flunnlng time, 00 minutes. Klkl Norma Talmadge Victor Itenal Koiald Colmaii Paulelte « (Jprtrudo Astor Baron Happ Ma.rc MacDcrmott Adolphc Gnirij.? K. .\rthur lirule.. William Orlamoiid Joly Kiwtn t'onnrlly I'itrre Kr.uiM-i l>arro TaHtryman Mnck Swain The Flaming Frontier Unlvi re^al .Super-Producttoo presented by (•.:rl Ivipmn l". From the atory by IMward ^I'iKWick, also dirt-cted. fIfV't «;ih.son. i»;j!>tlii Fnrnuiii. Anne ('ornwall. Kathlren Key foHlnr. (1 At the Colony. N. Y., for u run br„int)iiiif April -1. Runiilnic time 101 niliiuteti. Boh LanRiton Wool Olbaon Cctty htanwocl Ann- Cornwall I.lcut. Col. CuHier Dust in Karnum .Sam Peld. n » Ward (Vane Lucretia T.elden Kathleen Key ".Tonesy" Eddie Orlbbon "California Joe" Harry To<ld r^wrcnco Stanwood Harold OoodwJn Kenator Htanwood Oeorge Fawcelt Sitting Mull Noble Johnson Senator Ilargea Charles K. French Cyrus ivnfleld "William Steele rresidrnt Orent Walter R<»«ers r;rant's St-rrotriry Ed WUaon Italti-In-ThP-Fat-e Joe Bononio th« raHroad and her dad with a number of companions are on the observation platform. An' boy how she drives that car! Just rtins a flivver with a young lawyer (Jack Holt) »ff the road and steps away from a motor cop, who, when he Anally does catch up with her. re- fuses to turn her in. She's liiix Biw^ When Jos. M. Schenck bought this pl'. turo from Uelasco and paid a)K)Ut $75.0uO, Variety published the story, and it met with denials on all sides. If $7.'),000 is really the price paid— it wasn't too mucli. "Kiki" has made a whale of a good comedy, not as well suited to Miss Talmadge as many other vhiclcs, but so tilled with situations, slapstick and laughs that in Its present e.xcellent scenario form, there's not a chance of its flopping before a real audi- ence. Most peculkir of all is Mi.ss Tal- madge In the title part. She is not a comedienne and never has been; she is too large and too tall for tlic part. But with all these things against her here, she gives a credit- able and amusing ixjrformance, which, if It Isn't as subtle as it might have been. Is about as effec- tive as possible in its slapstick way. Miss Talmadge falls over couches, gets kicked out Into the alley, kfcks a valet around, does a little rolling over the floor and is a gvnera) roughneck. The story, as almost anybody in a city of any size will remember, is of a Parisian gamin who falls In love with Victor Renal, a revue manager. She Joins his sliow, ruins the open- ng night, but by her keen mind and various methods of trickery, so in- gratiates herself into his affections that in the end he Is only too glad to give up his old sweetheart and marry her. And Kikl. despite her vicious tem- per and uncivilized ways, is as pure as snow and determineil Lo keep her- selX so until the time when she mar- ries. Thus, is the curse of the French play taken off, for in photo- play form, this Is thoroughly in keeping with the requircnients. Ronald Cohnan, as tlio adored man, does well; ditto Marc McDor -mott as ^n old roue. XumeroUG smaller parts are well taken. Aside from the work of Miss Tal mndge, Clarence Brown, the director, is entitled to much credit, for his There are a flock of credits given for this picture on the program. It would have been more appropriate had the program stated who was actually to blame for havlng^rned out this ordinary western with the idea that it could get over as a special. Universal undoubtedly is counting on the tremendous adver- tising exi)enditure that they are putting behind the picture to carry it over. j:ut the truth must pre- vail. At best the picture only ranks us an (►rdlnary western, not any better tlian the average Hoot Glb- 9f.n that IT is In the habit of turn- ing out. How Universal or anyone else expects to get away with this one on Broadway at two-shows-a- day, with a $1 and $1.50 box office top scaled for the Colony theatre, is too much to flgur«. The chances Custer'a scoutfl, and is one of th« few to escape death In the battle. The Senator's son, who is In Cus- ter's command as an officer, makes a confession to his chief Just before the flght and his story it included in the last dispatches of the iQdlan flghter. This clears tho former pony rider and secures for him J^J^J^J^j-.. .laughter, and that's the reason. " mission In the ^"^'Py ^J^*, f^J^r The lawyer then butts in and In, fully should have had and also per- ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^n. mltH of a happy end ng. tlien tu^ns In the «>^,,^^*""',f*^^^ the girl and gives her a bawling really but one in the picture, and ut. recalling to her at tho .same time that has been done so often that it ^j^^^ ^j^^.y ^^^^ ^,^,3 ^^^^ j^,^^^ ^ lacked novelty. It was the burning ^^^^^^ ^j^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^.^^ . of the dives that the representative father the works to help tho voung- of the Indian Ring was running Just L,^^.^ ^long. with the result that he off the reservation. The gathering of iy appointed to the District Attor- the Indian tribes, the dances be'ore n^y.^ ^^^ff the battle, the batUe Itself and all |_he meantime the motlicr of of the scenes in these sequences are hhe girl Is still alive. A has-been so badly handled and directed that prima donna with a cheap sliow, she the least laid about them the better, manages to work her way from the Sufflce to say that Indian scenes coast to New York to see her daugh. had the same shot repeated ftgaln ter. The father forbids her seeing and again until they became tire- the child, and she gets a revolver to some. The battle stuff was awful, kill herself In her former husband's Other things were Just as bad. j home In the event that her last ap- As an instance. Hoot Gibson at peal fails. The man, however, flnal- West Point was a nice blonde boy, ly convinces her that it would be but just as soon as got back on the folly to have the daughter kn»»w that plans he was possessed of long black her mother is what she Is. in the hair. Things like that were noticeable light of the belief he has built up throughout the picture. Gibson, by I in the girl's mind, and the mother the way, failed to get over the wal-Trees the logic of the case. She leaves lop that he should have in this pic- the revolver and takes herself off. ture. He was much too Jowly for Then the partner of the contractor a boy who is supposed to have lived appears with the information that the hardy life outdoors in the great the grand Jury Is conducting an In- .^^.f nf/«Hv ^nv- vestlgation on one of their Jobs, m west of early days. Anne Cornwall, opposite Gibson, certainly made the most of the role and scored at every opportunity that presented itself. Dustin Par- num, as Custer, was all that could be asked, while Geoi'go Fawcett was the good old trouper that he always i.s, and delivered a sterling perform ance. Ward Cr.ane was convincing which the partner has cheated. When Big Bill refuses to permit a brlblnrr seheme, the partner shoots and kills him with the woman's re- volver. A perfect case of elrcnm- stnnflal evidence is built up against the woman, who, remembering her promise to tho dead man, refuses to reveal her identity. Just as the Jury Is about to bring as the heavy, while Kath.con Key. verdict a dictophone recordlnsr as a vamp, managed herself nicely. brought in as evidence IMdie Gribbon, In a comedy bit as k,^^, ^y,^ guilty man caught through a bootlegger, managed to slip over | jj^^ dving contractor having spoken are they won't be able to get past [whatever laughs there were in the K^e words naming his murderer, and picture, and he was an honest re- tj^g woman is freed. There is al.so lief. The balance of the cast was „ reconciliation between the girl and seemingly adequate. the young lawyer, who, knowing the "The Flaming Frontier" won't set woman's story, resigned his i»!ace Are to any boxofflce record. Fred. in the public prosecutor's office to the barrier. As a matter of fact it really seems ret^retable that a story abounding with so much red blooded historical fact should have been so terribly butchered. It Is understood that U originally Intended this picture to be a story of the founding and the early operation of the pony express. , ^ - _j , • « .» Thev stirted on thft nletur« and t'aramoupt picture. fcatuHnf Jack Ho.t. *ney siariea on ine niCUtre «"«» Ernest Torrenre. Ksthpr K}>l»ton and I.oulse then Famous beat them to the punch | ureset. From the novel by Arlhur Train. Adapted by Hope lA>rlns and Louis D. THE BLIND GODDESS Lighton. Script' by Geriude Orr. At the keeps the audlcnce keyed up all the Rivoll, N. Y., week April 4. Running ^j^y. Frcd, time. 77 minutes. HuRh Dillon Jack Holt "Hi»C Ulir- Devcns Ernest Torr-nce , »riJl? KIli^U'T i^DV Moiia Devena listhrr Ralston THt NlCirl 1 CKY Mrs. Alleon Clayton Louise Dreneer **»*-• aia'^*** . Tr.icy Redmond Ward Crane 1 presented by the Warner Brnii. with Rln- Honry KellLig Hichard Tucker i-jn-Tin as alar. Story by Phil Kle n and Taylor Ixjuls Payne n:s-.rlct Attorney Charles Clary ( h;»f Detective Erwin Connelly Judtfe Charlea Lane by issuing a program picture with the same theme and title. Then they let the picture rest and swung it around to Custer's Last Fight, spending, so the reports have It, some $400,000 on the production. It doesn't show (hat in the flnished product, but the chances are that someone did bum up that amount The theme deals with the swin- dling of the Indians out of lands by the corrupt political Indian King that was in power in Washington during the administration of I'resi- I Here Is a semi-society melodrama dent Grant. This finally led to the with a ' Madame X" or "Stella Dal uprising of the Sioux and other las" angle to it. As a picture It tribes and culminated in the mas- stands up as better than average .sacro of Custer at the Little Big program production, with a lot of Horn and the Indian War that fol- suspense In the action. The story lowed. There Is a pretty love story builds up perfectly on the screen, of the pony express rider who, as when the wallop comes there is Custer's protege, receives an ftp- considerable kick. The cast Is nicely polntmcnt to West Point, entering P>5'a"ced, -xnd the picture looks as the school at the same time that the 'ho^Rh It should stand up very well at the box ofllce. There are four defend her, and thus became es- tranged from the girl he was to marry. For the final fadeout mother and daughter are left together. The picture Is perfectly played and the direction by Victor Fleming car- ries the story along at a pace that handling Is apparent In many spots that they are going to take a hand I Moreover, the scenario is unusually In matters and kidnap the groom- fine, while the physical end of the to-be. with the reception committee production is lavish, solid and hand of gangsters going after them to find some. out whatMt is all about. The final Thus, as a whole, "Kiki" Is Just 14 minutes of the picture, with one more good picture made by Joe Lloyd and gangsters getting back to | Schenck with Norma Talmadge the mission by Vcarious means, the starred. If any other screen act- son of Senator Stanwood does. Tho Senator obtained the rider appoint- ment for Custer and the two boys become pal.s. The ring in order to dl-scredit Senator Stanwood with good names featured In Jack Holt, Ernest Torrence, Esther Ralston and Louise Dresser. The latter in a mother-who-has-slnned role makes Ty^r.^f^^^* I 1 ut 1 It almost as fl»© a piece of work as President Grant plan to involve his Bennett's Stella Dallas, son in a scandal at the Point, but ^he tale revolves about a wealthy hi.s pal takes the blame and is d s- contractor who, through political missed from the academy Just prior power, has risen from a pick and to the time that he was to have shovel to the millionaire class. The graduated. There has been a love role Is in the hands of Ernest Tor- alTalr between the Senator's daugh- rence. Esther Ralston as his daugh- ter and the young westerner, but ter has been reared by the father in when he is before the head of the the belief that her mother Is dead, school and refuses to offer an ex- she Is a headstrong flapper who has planatlon she believes the worst of things pretty much her own way. him. I The opening shot shows her driving He returns west, becomes one of a Ilispano on a road that parallels Fdwnrd MeaRher. Directed by Herman Raymaker. At Warner's. N. Y., week April ^. Hunninf time, 55 minutes. "RInty" ^.. .Rin Tin-Tin .Tdhn Martin J>'»in Mnvron .Mrs. Martin .Tune Mnr'.owe MiRUcl Hernandez Clnyne Wii'tman 'Pimy (. h.'irlf'p C'onl:! n Pfilro Dm Alvi"e« Uaby Martin Mary l.oui.se Miller This Is an out and out thrill pic- ture with a dog star. It is a little different from the regular run of story in which Rln-TIn-TIn has been shown, but the story In a sense Is somewhat similar to the original in which Stronghcart, another dog star, appeared. The latter was ac- cused of being a cattle killer and was finally exonerated. Rlnty Is marked a sheep killer and doomed, but likewise escapes paying the penalty when a condor Is discovered to have been the culprit. From an audience standpoint T'^r the average neighborhood house the picture looks as though It would stand up for two or three days. For the de luxe presentation houses It Is not sufficient in itself, and its Broadway punch may be laid to the fact that the dog star and his trainer are making pe-rsonal ap- (Contlnucd on page 38) FRANCIS A. MANGAN NOW STAGING PRESENTATIONS roR ALBERT A. KAUFMAN AT FAMOUS PLAYERS-LASKY PLAZA THEATRE LONDON, ENGLAND 4,000 MILES FROM CAPITOL, CHICAGO