Variety (Feb 1929)

f 1 .i 1 ' J I' "C't HI ■ it; 'I ■ 4 C V,'" • in it • '.J li J,- 24 VARIETY FILM REVIEWS Wednesday, February 13, 1929 FLYING FLEET (Continued from poge 13<) on the sidolines , Avaitlnp to be grfiblioil for the flnaj clinch by Xo- varro. ■ ' , ppcriril mention should bo ac- corcUnl Ira Morgan, chie£ camora- nian, and Charles. A. Marshall, Ecrecn-croditod for the aeroplane :phot6f;raiihy.. Director George Hill Ivus pciil'ornnnl expertly and deftly his appointed task, of wresting en- tertainn'ioiit out of■ what must have been far from fool-iiroof :raw. ma- terials,' ■ i - ■ "The Flying Fleet" ^vill not bo •sensational, but it • should be a pteady if .jnodorate grosser. It. is a Urst class program attraction. . LoTid. TRUE HEAVEN (SOUND) Fox pioduuilon und leiease. Produced and directed by James Tlnlliig. Story by C. ii.. Montague with scenario by. Dwight^cum- mins. Featuring George O'Brien and LrOia Moraii. At Koxy, New York, week Feb. 3. Runnlnp time, C3 mina. Philip Orcsson.......... Judith. Colonel .Mannon, German General Sergeant Major, British Spy... . . British Colonel. Mme; Grenot... Chauffeur. .■ .,. .George O'Brien Lois Moran ....Phillips Smalley i Oscar Apfcl ■. .Duke .Martin ....; . Andre Cheron .Donald MacICenzie ....Hedwig Relcher Will Stanton Small money picture for the smail houses;' little chance in the big the- atres. .One of the usual programers and doesn't mean much. ' ■ ■ , Another wa;r picture, unrelieved by any new twist or combination of circumstances. Based principally on the love interest but suffers from the. war. surroundings and doesn't figure for any matinee business. Sound effects seem to have been attached after the picture was made and mostly Ineftective, with the ex t:eptlon of the synchronized score. O'Brien and Lois Moran, kept to the foreground throughout, photo- graph W'cU in mo.st scenes, with but one or two exceptions, and work as interestingly as possible under the circumstances without overcom- ing any'of the delicienciea In con- struction and direction which drag down the production. Aside from, the unwanted war theiiic, story Is neither strong, hovel noi' .suitable. It conf.-tM'ns .two spies, m;in and worhnn.. The gl.i'l Is lirst introduced in the bar room of a Bel- gian town distributing caresse.s I'j cely to miscellaneous ofllcera. It's supposed to be part of her job but it doesn't go well with the innocent bftby stuff handed to this girl later. In an effort. to get the plans, the giil makes a play 'for the English soldier. Later she falls for him, saves him from death by cauterizing a wound and soph after vanishes upon orders from her superiors. The English soldier soon after goes spy- ing Into German territory in a Hun uniform. Torn between duty her country and love for the English- man, the girl finally has him arrested after spending the night with him. Its unconvincing because the lead ing feminine player doesn't looK like that kind of a girl. Officer is saved at the last second by the signing of the armistice. Cut to 55 minutes it moves swiftly^ but; expert cuttinig couldn't overcome so many handicaps. Mori girl under false pretenses, and finally attempted murder with a hammer, . It all seema endlessly prolonged and bogusly dramatic. There can be no permanent place or toleration of such cinematic blah. Land. LOOPING THE LOOP (GERMAN MADE) VFA production. Paramount release over hero! Direction, utory, • tltlp.-i, etc, not credited. Werner Krauas, Warwick Ward and .Tenny Jugo featured, No other blUlnR. At Hippodrome,, New York, week of Feb. 10. Running time, 70 minutes. Botto...... .Werner Krauss Andre................... . .. .Warwick Ward Ul.mnhe ...Jenny Jugo CONQUEST (DIALOG) Wiirner all-talking production, starring Alonte Blue. Directed by Roy Del Uuth from a story by Mruy Imlay Taylor Adapted by C. Graham Baker. Camera, man, Barney Vale. At Strand. New York, week' Feb. 0. • Running time, «.3..mlna. D in.tld Overton .Monte Blue James is'arnham ;........ .H. B. Wnrnci Diane Holder... ... ........ ... .Lois Wilson Doctor Gerrj..........TuUy Marshall Mr llolden................ .Edmund Breese PICKARD and PAL The Seal with Personality Two Seasons With Earl CarroU'B "Vanities" NOW WITH PubKx Unit "Cooliit'Off" This Week (Feb. 9) PARAMOUNT, NEW VORK Next Week (Feb. 16) PARAMOUNT, BROOKLYN ThankB to Phil Tyrrell, l.yonB tt Lyons OlBce Without dialog this would ratt with the quickies. It never achieves any real terisioh, although on this point the inclination is to absolve the director and blame, the story, one of those "Well, what of if?'* plots. Monte Blue has a following and . that, plias the all-talker label, may carry the picture for nominal box-ofUce results. As entertain ment it's a washout. A year or so ago. First National imported and exhibited a German picture called "The Strange Case.of Capt. Ramper," telling the story of a polar explorer whose airship was Wrecked in tho land of chilblains. That central situation or idea is used in "Conquest," although the development: is different and there is no further resemblance. "Con- quest" Is a dime novel iSlcposition on the subject of broken faith bc: tween comrades, whereas "Ramper" was, aftier the German fashion, a dramatized lecture in psychology. . "Conquest" refers to the discovery of the south pole, with Its early pas- sages strongly reminiscent of the preliminary preparations, including radio publicity, used by the Byrd expedition how down at the foot of the world. Ihcideritally, imaginative exhibitorsi might work up some sort of a tle-UR between the present Byrd expedition and this picture.. Cast is competent, dialog straight away, businesslike, but minus bril llance, sparkle or other antidotes to accumulating dulnesa. H. B. War- ner is a thoroughgoing scoundrel whose catalog of misdemeanors lists desertion of a wounded and helpless comrade, acceptance of honors not rightfully his, marrying his pal's . This is not a story of Chicago's loop, nor a geographical study of that "L."-Burrounded section below the stock yards. It's a German-made tale of cirqus life. In Germany and German cir- cuses, a Loop is an apparatus for "death slides." In this film the Loop and the looping are secondary. The story, is that of a PagUacci, with slight. variations. Bitto, clown, as played by UPA's Werner Krauss, contends that no woman loves a clown—all they want is a laugh—and starts out to prove it. He doesn't, as there arrives a gal who doesn't laugh but loves. And a happy ending for this Piagli, which may be new. One large hole in the narrative about ruins all other stabs at re- ali.sm. It isn't very easily understood how Bitto caIn conceal , his identity from the girl from one end of the picture to the other, meanwhile keeping her plenty classy in furs and duds. To her he Was "Mr. Ber- nard, electrical engineer," and she didn't even seem shocked .when Bit- to told her he was Bltto. Krauss is way off form in "Looping the Loop." Role probably too soft. If wishing to succeed Jannlngs over there, this one won't help him at all. By far the best performance is Warwick Ward's. This Englishman plays the carefree romanticist throughout, going the limit at the linish by winking . at the pretty nurse while apparently dying of a broken'neck after a spill frorri the Loop. jenny Jugo is best in profile or when looking up. She's better look- ing than acting, but a good looking Ingenue who. possibly would amount to something on this side. No credit to the director, photog- rapher or author. Either they asked to be out or were forgotten in trans- lation. Trick shots and dissolves are in abundance, though little new Ger- man technique. Before the sound vogue on Broad- way, this foreign made might have chanced a week on that street. But it's silent and hot strong enough in sUence to now stand the big street gaff, and that tells Its story. Bige. SQvklno Bister. It makes the effort but dragia. Too much of the story action has been left by the director for Inside gesture and facial expres-. slon. It is devoid of the staying qualities necessary for Broadway qr the bigger first runs. At the most in general bookings probably not a safe bet after a single day. Considerable footage interestingly expended on statues, steeples, bells arid portraits, apsw-rently in St. Petersburg. Flashbacks several times abet the generally slow pAce and should be clipped. Only action centered on Governor in opening aind closie. Weakening to pressuje by Czar's friend causes him to order massacre of strikers. Even in this situation, the only one: hearing bigness in the entire 75 minutes, director sacrifices dlsjjers- ing crowd for clos^-up , study of Governor. The same study tires'^ahd lessens Kachalov's role, because) of repetition. Finale value diminished by pro- tracted art gallery perusal of camera before spy, spurned by police aftier Identification by workers, shoots the Governor. Only reference to Czar la picture of his hand. This takes up lot of time in close-ups of pens and writ- ing materials which wearies. . Major reelage devoted to drawing and playroom sets with no other movement thau lot of lip moving, frowning and backslappihg. WaVy. Man Who Cheatea Life (GERMAN MADE) Produced by Sokal G. M. B, H.. .'Released by Affiliated European Producera, InCi Di- rected by Henrlk Galcen. Based on the story by Edgar Allah Poe, with scenario by Hans Ilelnz EweH. FoaturlnB Conrad Vetdt and Werner Krauss. At Little Car- negie Playhouse, New York, week Feb. 0. Running lime over 60 :mlna. started climbing down the scale. He played'cards, drank good German ale and lager, and showed all of the other well-known film Indicatlona of a fallen and dissolute person, As a last resort he called on his Ijeloved, hoping to find peace In her love. She was ready to forgive and forget, but the lad was silly enough to tell her he had sold his shadow, H6 stood before a piirror, no re- flection showing, and the countogs passed right out. . For the finish the unlucky crittur . shot his shadow straight through the heart, but woke to find he had shot himself. Foreign critics hailed it as the height of something or other, Amer- ican critics may pat its artistie shoulder and ease its suffering with words of kindness; yet it still be- longs and won't get any further than behind the bars as a clrciia freak, the Little Carnegie taklng- the place of this circus. Afori. RAMU Produced by Capt. Edward A, Salisbury. No distributor credited. Travelog dt South Sea Iflles. At Fifth Ave. playhouse., begin- ning Feb. 0. Running time, 08 iplnutea. A 10-minute lecture and sub-titles describe, this one as a study into an almost extinct race on Islands in. the Southern Pacific. Ordinary tra- velog stuff and very mihof study of natives. Production several reels too long for, material it ha.S to of- fer. Good for non-theatri<ial and highest class community houses. Picture takes in. trip of Wisdom n, Salisbury's aichooner. Stopoffs at several islands. Including Pago i?ago,. Tahiti, and the Marquesas. Titles play ijp Polynesians as dying race reduced from about 80,000 to 2,600 In. 15 yeairs because of white (Continued on page 30): The Lash of the Czar (RUSSIAN MADE) Mejrabpomfllm released In U. S. through Amklno. Directed by 1. A. Protozanov. Soi-narlo by director and Olga .Ijconldoff from Andreyv's '.'The Governor." At Cameo, New York, week Feb. .0. Running time, 70 minutes. Gnvenior V. T. Kachalov High Governing OfflcIal....V. E. Meyerhold Chief of Police.;. A. P. Pctrovsky Police Spy ...Ivan Chuvelev Governess Anna Stenn This Is fat- from another ''Czar I Ivan, the Terrible," although its title, "The Lash of the Czar," would make it appeared outside as greater sen- sation for morbid fans,. Picture has pone of the vividness or pace of Its Even his best friends failed him. He was the most popular young man in Prague early in the '90's, to judge from the costumes; the best fencer in the country; quite a dash- ing blade with the women; all the normal signs of . a promising an ' prosperous future. But there. wa.s something wrong with Baldy, thie Hero of this liegend. A moodiness besieged him that was inexplicable. To the breathlessly expectant ex- hibitors of America the secret will be unfolded early in the story. Baldy, the young rascal, had sold his . shadow to the devil. for the goodly sum of a million in gold; stage money. Blithely he took the money, un- suspecting of the .evil the dirty Devil had in mind. The devil, Wer ncr Krauss, intended as a; terrifying individual, appeared in the guise of Count Scapennelli and created quite a furor among the art worshipers, causing many to laugh till modesty forbade further demonstrations, Scappy had a mean way oiC sneak- ing up behind Baldy that was just one scream after another. When it was supposed to be unearthly and spooky, too. Every time Scappy ap- peared in his three-gallon under- taker's hat and the pawn shop Prince Albert, embellished with a velvet collar, every one felt that he was supposed to look mean and conniving, but thiey only laughed louder. That kind of killed off sus- pense and such thj|;igs. They can't make a sucker out of a menace with impunity. Later there was a duel on. between Baldy and the Baron, The former didn't want to do any killing, but while he was hastening to the scene to call oft the duel the devil used his shadow to kill the Baron, while old Baldy got the blame. One thing led to another, and finally Baldy West Coast Motion Picture Directory of Directors and Writers Doris Anderson 4 Dialogue Paramount-famous-Lasky Carlo De Angelo Directing Movietone for. M-G-M Boylan Titles DI ALOGU E F^X (TITUI,AR BISHOPS) Horace Jackson Writing for Paths Neirt Week (Feb. 16) at tiie Par«^ FOSTER GIRLS in "CARNIVAL COCKTAIL" ^ 344W.72St.NEWY0RK TELEPHONEis - SUS. 0790, TRA. 7327 CARGILL-SANDERS 1560 BROADWAY, NEW VORK Byron Morgan Original Stories Current Release, "Flying Fleet" GEORGE SCARBOROUGH Consulting Dramatist United Artists CUNTON E.LAKE 6E.NERAL MANAGER JULES KENDLER ATTORNEY 14 V/tRY NtW FOSteR ACT HAS A NtW \OtA Experienced Dancing Girls always wanted.. Apply at 344 West 72nd St., New York City. Earle Snell Writing Feature Comedies RALPH SPENCE DIALOGUE FOR M-G-M