Variety (May 1928)

14 VARIETY FILM REVIEWS Wednesday, May 30, 1928 The Lion and the Mouse Lios Angeles, 2>l,Q-y 22. Warner Brothgra production (Talker) re- lease. Directed by Lloyd Baron. Camcra- iiian, Norbert Brodln. May MeAvoy and Lionel Barrymore •featured.'.. •.Vltaj)hone talking production, based on ihe-.,play by Charlea Klein. Scenario by Robert Lord, Edited by Hdrold J. McCOrd. Titles by Jlmmlev^tarr, At Wami-r's theatre, Holly- wood, beBlnhlng May '21; Running time; 65 minutes. ■ Shirley Rossmoro'.V...........May McAVoy John (Heady Money) Ryder .. . Ijioiiel Barry more judge Rofl.sinore.. Alec Francis Jeffer.son Ryder., Willldm Collier, Jr. Dr. Hay.s.. ......i-.i ,,.Emmett Corrlgun Smith i.'cfC's valet)...,, Jack Ackroyd ParaiVhrasing' the title of the pic- ture. It is not a .lion, nor yet is it a inou.se. The truth. ridt^s .somewhere between the sizes of . the two. Great production It Is not, becau.se basic- ally it lacks, the interwoven essen- tials of such, a structiire. . What success, it registers Is; diie to Its novelty, the appeal and the Interest that reside In the human voice from the screen, even thoueh that Voice sometimes be indifferently repro- duced. • Added appeal In emotional scenes. Aindoubtedly comes with the voice. It. is this factor which qtrcngthens, the closing scenes of the picture and which will serve to lift this subject over the hurdles and help it to make a lot of money. This picture yraa advertised tts : "the first talklnff motion picture," . thereby oari-ylng^ the- impr«.ssion it was to be. a 100 per cent dialog subject, even If accompianying Bound effects were iibsent. Mil the Interest of historical acr curacy let It be set.down "the first tailking motion picture" is yet to come. ; A casual mental record of the sequences, 13 In all, shmycd the first to be a dialog between Lionel Barrymore and Alec Francis. Then, for seven consecutive sequences, the titles were wotking full blast, with not a single .word vocal. . The cori- cludihg five sequences were dia- loged. And the interest chirked up 'appreciably as a result,. In spite of uneveness in volume and clarity. The reviewer, purposely took a seat near the rear of the balcony In order that whatever there might be of the vocal order could be com- pared With the spoken di'ama of the legitimate. . The newcomer does not stand the test With credit, not In its present, state of development. Angles of contrast between the oid and the new are many.. In the new, when looking, on a close-up suddenly flashed out of a long shot. , one naturally, coming Into the same room with the players, as It were, expects the voice to be raised, even as he looks' for a lessening In vol- ume when from a close-up the play- ers are removed to a distance. But the voice holds unchanged In vol- ume, whether the. speaker be near or far. Again^ when In close-up the actor speaks, isynchronlzation to the pa- tron seated 200 feet from the screen seriously Is Impaired. At that, dis- tance from the stage the auditor In a legitimate'drama cannot note the movement of the players' lips and so detects no difference between lip movement and sound. In the screen's colse-up, hortTVor, the dis- parity between movement and sound sticks Out, especially if the enunciation be Indistinct or low or both. And in nome instances in this picture that was the ca.se. . Ji.specially was this true where May McAvoy first came within the range of the mici-ophone. Her voice hardly carrled/to the back of the house, giving the Imprcs.sion it was Insufllciently robust. Yet, in a later sequence It came clear and strong, showing earlier lack of cohesion be- tween the n^onltor and the director Upon the "former, it may be ex- plained, ordinarily rests the respon- ' slbllity - of rregulatihg volume as it may be Indicated to him by the loud speaker In his sound-proof room adjacent to the recording stage. Where In .an ordinary silent pior ture the onlooker.Is annoyed by an absence of agreement between the movements of the Hps and the words put into the speaker's mouth by the title writef- after the picture is photographed the unpleasant Im^ presKion Is intensified Immeasurably where a sUen^ sequence follows one vocal. . In a majority of caises where the voice was recorded the words came from a single close-up. Rarely from a two-shot, and not more than.once or twice were there three, persons within the range of. the camera w)i!\n any*talklng was heard. Oive m.ajor error In "The Lion knd the Mouse" seems in making the first sequence vocal. That ac- tion materially damaged the illu- sion, as the person following the jstpry, after having been told it wag a ••talT{Ing""piclurfr«0«tInTml^^^^ wondering when the voice would be recovered—or If It wiu3 hot going to be after all. And after a half dozen silent isequehces file by the impatient customer Is about ready to give up the guessing match. Kven with over 50 per cent of the picture silent, the settings prac- tically all are Interiors. Scenic and outdoor, photographic embellish- monts are lacking, and the absence Is felt. There are six in the cast as fur- nished. Actually there were but four, as two of the six had little to do. All were ^perfect ladles and gentlemen,, except John Heady .Money Ryder, who sO:. fs^r fi-ac- tured the conventions as to declare and reiterate his son was a liar tind to denounce Shirley Rossmore as a thief. But now a blow was struck. The absence of that physical action may .be felt In industrial and other sections where raw meat is dc- manded. The clearest voIcCj consistent in quaUtyi was that of the oldest player,- Alec Francis. He had not so rhuch to say aS some of the oth- ers. Young Collier's voice Sounded differently In. different sequences, In one place as if someone else were speaking the lines he apparently ut- tered. The . volume seemed too great or . the tone too heavy, or too bass- like for. the frarne from "which It came, In the quarrel between son and father, for example, it seemed the voice, of the father 'W'as accomr panylng the movement of the Hps of the son. : Barrymore's , vblce accomplished many of the things the pliayer sought.to make It do. Not always, however—patently due 'to mechani- cal Inequalities—was it distinct even when sufficient in volume. Again, It came clear when. low. .• This half .picture, half photo- graphed stage play, Is worth seeing. It is eloquent of What the future holds for the screen—rand that sen- tlment rather thaii one of critical annlysis will animate ; the average picture^oer, STREET OF SIN Paramount production and reieasei Star- ring. Emil Janninga and .featuring Fay Wray. Directed by Maurltz Stiller. ?tory by Jcsepli Von Sternberg arid Benjamin Olazer, latter supervising.. Chandler •Sprague, scenarist, -with V. Milner and Harry Pischbeck, photographers.. Titles by. Julian Johnson. At the Rlalto, New Tork, for grind run. starting May 26. Running time, «2 mlns. Baaher Bill...... i........., Emil. Janorlngs Elizabeth. . .Fay Wray »Annie...}..:. ., i , ^., .fOlga Baklanova Mr. Snlllh ....^.Ernest W. Johnson-. Iron Mike..George ICot8ona,ros Cronies of Baaher Bill.... } John Gough 5 Jphnhie Morrle Shorts A pause In the Jannings series. About the best thing that can be said of It is that it won't seriously Interfere with others to come. It lacks smash box office potentiali- ties and is fat' short of being, a holdover feature. Yet the Jarinlngs name should turn in satisfactory weeks for the' theatres and its full circulation won't hold many regrets by Paramoui>t other than that the star mlgiit have been given better material. But Jannings pi"obably has a say In his subject mattei', so he can shoulder his share of the resppnslbllity for "Street of Sin." Picture has production, photog- raphy, Jannings' vulgarities as a LImehouse bully and Olga Bakla- nova, playing his woman, to see it through. These count eiMUgb to class the film as first line fare. - Why Pay Wray is featured In this Jannings feature. Is one of those studio mysteries, although she's on the '28-'29 as a starred and fea- tured player. If anybody deserves magnified mention it's this Olga. Baklanova, who does a J.ack Con- way prostie well enough to equal or eclipse the work oT Jahnlngs and edge In on Mae West's •'.'Diamond Lil" sans the "Ice.'' ~ MIss Wray has been given a Sal- vation Army bonnet, folds her hands, looks good In the slum surroundings and waits for Basher Bill (Jannings) to break into her room. Meanwhile, AuTje (Miss Baklanova) has turned over her night's earnings to the Basher, been thrown out for holding out and taken back and burned up by her mart suddenly taking the veil because of his yen for Eliza- beth (Miss Wray). It's all curtains when Annie, fran- tic with Jealousy, tips off to the cops who d id ■ th e am u scm eh t part stick - up and the bobbles ride Into Har- mony Row for ia. gun play raid. The Basher takes ai bullet from one of his gang's guns and expires after he has saved the babies In the SaN vation Army center, the ; spot his former co-workers have picked for defense. A number oT tots are used, niostly all crying.. There are one or two smiles In the way Jannings handles them. But nothing to equal the three-part yell of surprise, contempt and mirth which greets Jannings' morning ablutions when he gargles, spits the water Into cupped hands and then returns It to his face for an. economical cleansing. "There are a few other touches, not quite so rough, but on the same pattern. That first one Is going to disgust a lot of people, probably please the art. mob and amuSe others, but It doesn't seem entirely necessary. All it needed was "sound" to make It doubly sure to register and turn a few more stomachs. =^eawcra"-'-=WTJrk^Df™MIlner-^^ Pischbeck has aptly caught the In- tended lilth of the locale with Stil- Icr's direction particularly to the fore If he handled Miss Baklano\'a. Picture looks to have been abruptly chopped in a couple of places which, although it explains the brief run- Ing time of 62 minutes, is Just as well. Jannings gives a standard per- formance without highlights and has a couple of spots Where he ap- pears a bit foolish. Notably where Elizabeth prays him out of the Idea Which has brought him Into her room, her linen or cotton nightgown GEORGE LYONS AND HARP VOCAFILM Carlton (Pet), Brooklyn, N. Y. Brief bit by Vocafllm's Improved process is chiefly ihteresting for Its promise of possibilities. The quality of sound reproduction for music Is exceptionally fine, matching the best, Lyons makes a good subject with his syrApathetie. tenor and his per- sonable: manner/ bpth Teglsterlng unmistakably. Subject Is not well hiandled. from showmanly angle, Lyons is intro- duced cold In. pantomime without sound effect In a film "leader" last- ing perhaps 30 seconds. During, this time Lyons Is seen fingering the harp istrlngs but making no sound. Then, the sound record is switched in and froni therei on the record is agreeable. . Introduction was Intended as a preliDiinary gesture but. this au- dience didn't see it that. •-ay. They thought the ."new ; fangled thing" wouldn't work and. there .was audi- ble giggling, growing, to a broad laugh. When the very , agreeable niii- sical accompaniment came in, , they were (^uickly .won and subject got applaiise.- Both harp accompaninient and singer's Tpice came out flawr iessly. . Rush. File These Reviews It's respectfully suggested to those who may be interested in the .Talking Shorts that these weekly reports as pnnted be filed (titles .and numbers) for future! reference. .The reviews wUj not be re? peated in Variety. VVith :ihe• talking equipment ^sloWly in- •tailing, theatres which may be equipped some time , front now may then. want to refer back to the nptibes, as sub- jects are submrtted to them. Merely offered as a suggest tioh through most of the Talking Shorts reviewed being usually identified . by ] their numbers, rather than titles. RAblO FRANKS VOCAFILM 5- Min. V-' ,; ■^■" Carltonr Brooklyn, N. Y. (Pet;) Radio team in .'song numbers make a routine sight-sound subject. They appear seated, pne before a pIaho> other nearby in a bare setting, apd go right into tiielr "kello" number, madie familiar by radio. Song bits follow with no action.. Musical quality of reproduction re- markably good. • Chan'ce to see the usually invisible radio pair would be a consideration for the public, hilt the turn is a particularly wood- en affair as recorded on the screen.- Seems to be a case where the act doesn't register "personality" on the screen. - * ^ Audience liked It. Rush. WILL MAHONEY MOVIETONE 2>/^ Mins. Globe, New York Amounts to a mere Introduction of Will Mahoney to picture. house fans, with the laiighter-provoicing star of "Take the Air" limited to one "number. It consists of a nicely t£LbuIated series of yawns mixed with dialog and brief Interlopations of song. ■■. Ma.honey registers for comedy re- turns on mugging. Opening: apjpear- ance is of a full slie view of a well- tailored back, topped by a derby oh a slightly bent head. But the con>e- dlan doesn'^t follow up .with - any-r thing, owing tp time limitations, and' tlie -offering only rateis filler space in a Movietone progi-am of- shorts. Photogra-phis Well. Mori MOVIETONE NEWSREEL Vol. I, No. 26 15 Mins. ' . Globe, New York Opens with a group of southern beauties grouped on . steps singing "Dixie" at a Columbuis, Ga., gather- ing. Semirlong shots didn't give a good squint at the gals, thierieby violating the showmanly ■ maxim, "get in the sex appeal." Brief shot of Private Halllnger, last and sole survivor of the Civil War : vets of Indian Hills, N. J. He laid a wreath and spoke of his de- parted comrades and. being ready to join them' when his time came.. Appropflate for Menioi:Ial week.. Quick flash and a; few words from Secretary of Niavy Wilbur lii presenting an aviation trophy to Major Lutz; the running of the Kentucky Derby in the mud; turn- ing on ttie water for the season, at the famous Versailles Gardens in Prance; and feeding seagulls at Lan^s End, . quaint English sea town. • All interesting. Xiand. being a help, and when "Iron Mike" hits him on one side of the Jaw bo that he turns for the second punch because of the girl's teachings. Re- mainder of cast Is replete with types. Josef von Sternberg and Benjamin Glazer are credited with the story, probably also suggested by Jan- nings. Sid. Laugh, Clown, Laugh Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production and re- lease. Directed by Herbert Brcnon. L>on Chaney starred: Adapted Irom 'Ouvld Be- lascb-Tom Cushing stage play by EUzaboth Mcchan. Caiseraman, James Tont^howe. Titles by Joe Farnham. At the Capitol, New York, week May as. Rupnlns time, 06 minutes. TltOv—7-T4¥-.-.v,"rv.-.-»i. IiOh...Chaney. Simon.. I....................Bernard Slegel Slhionett«. >... .. .Loretta Young Giaclnta.. .Clesy. H'ltz-Gerald Lulgl.. Nils Asther Diane.......ii...................Gwen Lee Another romantic play with a semi-tragic finale, the fortunes of Which are always anybody's guess, in this case, Lon Ghaney as the star should be almost an insurance of a draw/,- star's name value is the film's best asset. Production. Is excellent In Herbert Brehon's best style. Ele- ment of uncertainty comes entirely in the character of the story, built upon aging man's hopeless love for young girl and his death to open the way for her mating with a young lover. Any way you look at It the fan's simple reaction is unfavorable to the bumping off of a character that had aroused sympathy. , That's what happens here. Chaney does some splendid acting as the clown who makes the world laugh"-while-hIs^heaEtJs.JC>JceaMiDgj with a vain love. Sentiment some- times gets a bit sloppy, but this actor always has the situation In hand and carries through some pas- sages that call for dalflty treatment and nice Judgment. Rest of the cast Is up to Its as- signment, although Loretta Young is rather a pale personality for the principal feminine role. Story de- velops with irritating slowness. It has a good screen climax in tlie epi- sode where the clown brings about his own destruction while making a sensational "death-defying slide on the wire" in the theatre in order to. free the' girl he 'loves from the sacrifice of marrying him. This scene is similar to the finale of "Ex- cess Baggage" story. There Is no true screen action In. the whole picture, . as commonly happens With . stories brought from stage or book. Progress, of action therefore has to be expressed In facial pantomime and the conse- quence is an over-abundance. of closeups and plenty of titles. . Com- edy Is almost absent, coming In such sequences as the clown's vl.sit to a specialist for treatment of his melancholy, only to be told that he ought to go see Flit, the down, to be cheered up and replying. that he Is Flit himself—the subject of a hpaify^old..gag._ ■ . Background of the circus" '^afid' stage is here exceedingly well pic- tured, but that locale is no longer a novelty as It was probably, when the Beliisco play was on the boards. Certainly It's not a screen! novelty at this time. . In the absence of dramatic action Here, back stage atmosphere doesn't mean much. The.pleture never once establishes tension or suspense, Is entirely without vigorous comedy and Its romantic appieal Is prac- tically nil. Al that's left for audi- ence effect is Chancy's acting, and a scenic production that has a good deal of beauty, small ground for film fan response at best. Result is a program picture that will: have to do business on the prestige of its'star but won't add to It. Rush. farther away from Broadway It goes the better chance it has with the rufala. As a first runner In the de luxes it needs plenty of stage -or other film suppoi*t, and more than It has currently on the stage at the Strand. . If anything were needed to show up this picture back stage story it^a the small, time stage unit vaudeville at the Strapd this week. Coming before or after the picture, It's a.toss up as to which may be prefei red.. Jack Mulhall plays a small time magician with plenty of live props. Hisj girl assistant Is Dorothy Mack- alll. "iiiey. are always together, In theatre and the;: boarding / house when both are starving, with the di- rector making: it evident they are not doubled up. Toward the finish when there hasn't been, a laugh for 2,000 feet, the director made three principals throw paste and powder over each otlier, Mr. Mulhall, Miss MackafU and NIta M'artan. If that's considered funny or filthy In Holly- wood, it will be no place else. : ■. ■ Neither of the two mixed teams looks sniall tlmey. The other is John Mijan and Miss Marian, as adagio dancers. Ml Jan looks > as much, like one of those dancers as Roscoe,Ar- buckle. It would have been better it. a piano player had been cast for the role. Miss Marfan was okay as his opposite, although a bit heavy. , Mr. Mulhall and Miss Mackaill seemed too healthy to be starving, missing 13 meals at a time. At one point, when Miss Mackaill pulled but the waist of her dress to prove how thin she; had gotten, Mulhall tried to do the same with his coat, but foolishly had on one of his reg- ular garments. ; MiJan Is the villain, trying to make the magicla.n's assistant, who. Is Miss Mackaill. The magician said a real ti'ouper, ill ia. title, wouldn't bust up another artist's act. Name of title writer riot mentioned, If adagio dancers are real troupers it must have happened very recently. There's the boarding, house keeper who wants her room rent, the ex- pected suggestion of the gli'l that the magician kill his prop animal pets for meals, which he refuses to do, and everj'thing else that might be looked for from some one writing about something of Which he ap- pears to know nothing, arid also played as well as directed that way. Still these back stage plays seem to hold Interest In the sticks and "Lady Be Good" had a w. k.. stage name. So did "Abie's Irish Rose." Picture runs 69 minutes and can , be cut to anything above 55. No action Is the worst mark against the film. After that It's the scarcity of comedy in a story of this character, with but a laugh or two in the ordinary captions. You can. walk in or Put on this picture at any time. HIS TIGER LADY Paramount production and release, star* ling Adnlphc Menjou. Evelyn Brent feat- ured. Directed by Hobart Henley. Adapted by Ernest Vadja from Alfred Savolr's play, ^'Super of the Gaiety." Camerfunan,' Harry Flschbeclc. Titles by H. J. Mancklewlcz. At the Paramount, N. T„ week of May 20. Runjiing. time, 57 minutes. Henri Adolphe . MenJoU ' The Duchess Evelyn Brent Mme. DUval Tlo.se Dione Stogb Manager...... ...EmU Chautard Duke .....Mario Carlilo Count . Leonard de Vesa Marquis Jules Rancourt LADY 3E GOOD ; Flr^t National . production and release. Direct(;.d .by Rlchttrd Wallace from the siafte munieal—of=-«Rme==tlHer^Dor^thy^:MacluUU and Jack Mulhall featured. Credit slides removed from screen by Strand, New York, where It is playing this week. May 20. Running time, 60 minutes. ■Tack Jack Mulhall Mary.. Dorothy Mackaill Murray. John Mlljan Madison.. NIta Martan Texas West... Dot Farley Trelawney West... James FInlayson Landlady. ;Agfgle Herring Dancer..... Jay Eatpn Dancer. ISddie Clayton Assistant Tola d'Avrll A picture of small time vaudeville in the main, it looks to have been played and directed Irt the small time way. Which means that the A typical Merijou cream puff. Un- real, unconvincing, unimportant, but moderately amusing because of a riovel slant on the usual masquerade idea. Merijou, an extra In a Parisian revue, falls in love with a beautiful and haughty duchess. To win her he borrows from the theatre wardrobe the costume of a rajali. Having awakened her Interest and bluffed his way up to the point where she confesses her love, the extra reveals the deception and leaves. The next day the duchess shows up at the theatre-as one-of the chor.us,_^nd .the^ final clinch indicates that thoy Will take tho vows. Picture represents Evelyn Brent as a posey, Indolent dame who fan- cies tigers because they have claws and scratchy habits. The idea of the slumbering histrionics is evidently to convey an Impression of a volcano in repose. Put down the tiger part as baloney. It would have been a better picture minus the Elinor Glyn sash hitters. Miss Brent looks: great, hoWever, and wears a couple of nifty gowns. Menjou's'Performance Is smooth and pleasing. There's nobody else in the cast to speak of or about. Film Is okay for the spots where Menjou Is a fav. It will be quickly forgotten. Meniou has been getting some palookas lately, and it may be a pertinent point whether a strictly so-so picture is good enough at his present stage of popularity. A very moderate moderate. Land. THE NEWS PARADE FOx production and " release, featurlnS Sally Phlpps, Nick Stuart and Enrle Foxe, Directed by David Butler with J. A. Vil* entlnp. and C. Wagner camerapien. Titled by M. S. Boylan. At Roxy. New York, week Moy 20. Running time, 67 mlns, Nick Naylor. . Nick Stuart Snlly Wellington Sally I'hlpP* Ivan Vodkoff... ICarlc JloM Nowareel Editor Truman Talley A. K. Wellington Brandon .Hi"* Prince Oscar. Cyril BinK Snappy Walpole.. Franklin Undcrwooa^ First of the newsreel romance pictures to come In and leaving the field wide open for the others on the (Continued on page 30)