Variety (Aug 1927)

VARIETY FILM REVIEWS Wednesday. August 24, 1927 LES MISERABLES Film verpioti of th« Victor Hugo cUnwIc. vriirinally done In 82 reel* by the Cm#- romana Cle In FYance, an4 now aditeil down to U raala for American praaentatlon by UnlveraaL Mualoal aettlnf for this rn- raffement by Hnya RJaaenfeld. Directed by i^ui» Manpaa At ikm Caotral tk«»tre, Isew York, Aug. M, Car • m. Rnnnlns time 1411 mlnutaa, Iwilptllg iBtvmllaalon. Jpan Taljean 1 M. Hadvleina \ M. Csbriel Gabrlo «'nani*>mathleu J Jav«rt M. Jaan Toulout MtT. Myrlel U. Paul Jorse Jiarius M. RoiPt Vhenardler M. O. galllard Oarro<*» U. CHarlM Badllole Fantine I Coaatte ) Vii Sandra MilowanofT OlllFnonnaM M Milliard Knjolras M. Paul OulJe Mllc Baptlsttne.Mme. Clara D«pc*y-ltoch»» '■o-^ctte (Oblld) Mile Andree R'll.in** Klcinlne Wle. NIvetta SalllarJ lA Tbenardier Hma. Renae Car) Thte version In Ita boiled down form ha* all the breathless haste •nd llerce economy of a "synopsis of chapters already published" In a magazine f=*Tial. Not for a single moment does It live and breathe with any touch of human Interest. Instead It Is a long and tiresome parade of stiff an<l piilwa molo- drama. The result of a determination to present a large design on a small canvas could scarcely be otherwise. This is merely a machine shaped skeleton of th* lurid passages in the great novel—rtbe scaffold upon which H«g» inrovcht his epic. It has no sugKostion anywhere of a (r.inscript of life. In its literary quality as here pre- .wcntfMl it has no merit. As a tllm it.s tcelinical quality is astonis)iin£- ly i>oor. rin.tuprapiilo texture is (iislinrtly bail; settings Rive little or no illuFion and the acting is un- equivocally b.'iti —in short tiic whole enterprise falls short of even mediocrity. There arc nionienls of f^hocking crudity in acting and staging. One has the feeline that a great literary work lias been degraded to cheap melodrama in some of the episodes. Javert registers grave though by tuckinar his band in his breast sug- gesting the travesty of the "ham" actor in a comedy quartet. Tbenar- dier expresses crafty eunnlnc' for all the world as Bddic Cantor might in a comedy scene. These crudities probably are nothing more than the Inept treatment of a tremendously dignified and solemn subject. A mediocre actor playing Kins Iiear would be twice as absurd as If he were dealing with an iBoonaaquen- tial role. It is pos.«ible that in its original 32 reels the pntduction might have had some sweep. If anybody should be a4>lc to translate "Les MIserab>ps" to the screen, surely it would be the French, inspired by their Intense national pride in the Hugo tradition. But if the larger pattern bad dignity, spirit or com- pelling crip, It bmm been tort in this tranaeripUon. It mart have been a atanarioK phjraleal task to ent the flim from 13 to 11 reels, and to preserve any lldelily to the written story in its human quality seems to have been Impossible. Character exposition is lost in the mad dash to cover the vast ground of material presented In one of the longest books in any langu.ige. Motives are obscure. Kor in.starH;o when Javert In the end l.s confront- ed Willi tlie conllict of eitlier com- promi.'sinK witii his conscience, or sending Valjean, who had just stived his life, back to prison, the screen device is brutal. Javert is shown staring down into the Seine. A title explains briuquely what la on his mind; and, presto! Javert Is a splash In the river. The business of getting over the passage takes up probably 75 feet of film. And thus la dismissed an episode that has the material In it for a three-act drama. Thai's the trouble with "Lea Miserables," There Is a super-film In every chapter and any effort to crystallize the whole book within the limits of a picture is absurd. William Far- num once figured In a version, but, if memory serres, that adaptation departed somewhat radically from the book in seauAneas and merely dramatized a few. dUMctera and pasaases Inrtaad of attempting the impossible of a fall rseltaL The 11-reeI anaogement Is planned for a twlce-a-dyy showing. Another arrangement has been done In eight reels for regular release. This version entirely eliminates the •iMMrtar of Fantlne which takes up neatly half the longer edition, and concentrates on the more spec- tacular passages of the Revolution which Involve some big crowd effects In the views of fighting be- hind the Paris barricades. These bits are well done compared to the earlier chapters. Which IMYS for the most part backgrounds of aaualor and misery. As It stands the picture baa very little appeal as art and none what- ever as entertainment. "Les Miserables" never had much of a kick as light summer reading in book form, and about thrs* weeks ought to use-up-ths-patrcoaca of high school students who go or are asBt because overybodjr ought to know .what "Lies MisarablM" la about. UNDERWORLD Paramount picture dirocted hj JoMf Von Stemberc from atory by Ben Uecht. Adapted by ChariM PDrtbman ' and acenarlaad by R. N. l.,««. Running time 73 BBlnatas. At the Parvnoont, N. T., weak e( Awm. ao. "Ball" Wss*. Oaersa Bancroft "ReUl Here*" Cllva Brook "Pwtbara" Bralyn Brant "SUPDT" Lewla I^arry Samon "Back" MulllKan ITrad Kohlar MelHsu'a Olrl Halaa I^naoh ■■Htth Oonar" Sasi .KkH Msns Par. Intended "Underworld" as a special for a run at the Rialto or Rivoll. What it might have done la that class ean't bo said but the oh say did you see! Douq qp y t — t taipo, with hnm of maqyti) ^Have 70a got Douglas MaeLean in *'Soft Cushions" booked? Have you seen the picture? If '7«li Imvcii^ do us a fiiYor, pleaae. Do yourself and your bank aoconnt a favor. Screoi it. Bvre y— r jPiaramonnt exchange sweoa Ul It*s that ne plus ultra (Harvard for ^greatest") j»f_raritie8, men—a natural knock-em-dead comedy gem! A^*BamM^ Urn fmaaT. q Smart, soplribttwled, yonthftiUy bMcay. And awfully, awfidly liuii^.:, IJtt c fct j T dlff wroty daifaij|^4oo. ^Bi|^ In^ftni^ widi ftke^oM. Dong's great. Sue Carol, the 'giri« is a gorgeous newoomer >vith "it'* PLUS.f QEv^ Hollywood.New York wayfarer brought yfwi *^itikO0iKimf*,wm a pi|>. But tve wovldnH ndtrartiM it till ive*d •eem for ourself. We saw, men! And how and what we saw! 4|Bat8 off to Doug and the Douglas MacLean Corporation. A bow for the wisb boy who put Dong wise to this rdDidung yam by the late Gem^e Randolph Chester. Tne croix de box oHwi fe (Wllh ■ nillluM ylnw all appl aiitoi^ to Eddie Cliue, director. And congratulations to you lucky exhibs who Ben Hecht story under Von Stem- berg's treatment shapes up as a whale of a film yarn. It has every- thing from roninnce to thrills am! the un'ier\\oilri stuff i.s the bii; wow genera 11.V. The title Itself is half the battle. Whatever morbid or other Interest actuates human curiosity In any- thing pertaining to the underworld, it certninlr works well with this picture. Tho opening day the crowds seemed abnormally largo even considering the weatner and the Saturday half holiday. "I'nderworld," without mention- ing Chrcago a.s the ^eene of the en-- suing machine gun warfare be- tween the crooks and cops, evident- ly is a page out of Ben Hecht's underworld acquaintance with the Cicero and South Side gun mob. The "hanging by the neck" death sentence is another tlp-oS that New York, at least. Is whitewashed, and It makes one wonder how the Illinois and other midwestern cen- sors will feel about some of the niceties of highway robbery, foot- padding, double-crossing, martial warfare with the authorities, and other fine points in underworld mis- behavior. As far as Jiew York is concerned. It's a pip picture. There's a wallop right throu;$h and yet the film retains romance, clicks not a little on comedy (through the medium of Larry. Semon) and even whitewashes It- self with a "moral" that banditry cannot successfully defy the law and that the wages of sin Is death. Hecht could have made "Under- world " a true biography of Cicero with Its "alky" gun mob, with a little switching of the motivation, but instead of bootlrf^i;inir. our hero is a Jewelry store sampler. If his "moll" fancies a baulile he politely excuses himself and fetches It forthwith. GeorBC Bancroft as "Bull" M'eed, a sympathetic crook, exjilains why Paramount re-signed him by his performance in "Underworld." Ban- croft will be heard tnm Important- ly from now on tf kgitla^ven half the opportunities that are In this picture. Cltve Brook, cast as ttk» regenerated drunkard, and Elvelyn Brent, as Bancroft's girl, complete the outstanding trio. Larry Semon, doln.? a foppish shady character, impresses with his "mannerisms as a dandy and dude. Kemon does more legitini.ite worl< than ever be-, fore in his character, in Just these few scones. The triangle situation of "Bull's" protegee, the reclaimed drunk, who falls for and is loved by "Bull's" girl. Is tho basis of "Underworld." Around this is woven a fart SMV- ing, spirited tale, replete witft'-M- tlon and situation. Fred Kohler as "Buck" UulUgan, a rival gang leader, bumnsd off by "Bull" following his stnmpt M steal "Feathers" <Wead's . trail), does excellently as the "teenaoe.'^ The punch ie a wow. "Bull" Weed has made his escape from his death cell. He suspects Feathers and "Rolls Royce" of duplicity. Royce wants to be true to his pal despite the girl's inclination to "start all over again clean, etc." Back in their hideaway, an avenue of escape throui^h a secret ch.amber is closed to tile fugitive murderer. '■Rolls Royce" alone has the keys. The latter makes his way through have ''Soft Cushions** on tap. Allah is sure good to Paramount showmen! this is Sue "WHAT PRICE,, GLORY" The World's -.vUh GrealostTheatre « 11 TOR ](eI,AGL,EN KDMUND LOWS Ooen aa<e II :30 A. M. DOLOKBS UU. MM IIRO.lDtVAT A T SIST CAPITOL LON CHANEY in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's MOCKERY ~ Aha a Brflliaat Sarraaatla, PntWii •* Eatertaiaaient „ „ , DOon.« OI'K.N AT 12:M '^"'KlUH!!''' f«n>»—rhe»ter Hsls OMi CAPITOI, <iKANI> OKcnwnM Direction—STANLEr CO. OP AMEniCA MILTON SILLS 'HARD BOILED HAGGERTY' A lir.st N:.iinnMl ri.turp Ufluiual Bill ftl Supforling NoveltMl MAKK STRANn SV.MPIIONV OHCH. GIORF 'I'll-^ ll«.,v * <«ih Street. "'-'-'"'^ 'I'w.r.. J..,il> -o and • 30. "The Patent Leather Kid" F' .1 n In.i; Richard Barthehness Af^VUEIl SWTKM, Froilnrllo* KrPKKT HrtJM]:.'-- Kiimtiuq Sttrj A Vimi Niillntiitl Ilvtarf ICrfiiK:(*rHt4>(l ) Wiintrr IJros. J'rM«Bt WARNER Theatre Broa.i»H.T in "Old San SS;;', Francisco" •iM aad •:»> and Sa ■!«. 3 », la. I New Vitaphene^