Variety (Dec 1929)

22 VARIETY FILM REVIEWS Wednesday^ Decembef is, 1929 Talkiiig Shorts QILBERT-SULLIVAN Ensemble METRO , 5 Mins. New York, New York . Kecording gives this the k. o. It's too bad, for the 15 males -who sing in chorus and display good knowl- edge of Gilbert and Sullivan music unify tones and blend music har- moniously, but incoherently. Subject carries air of having been manufactured in . early talker days when synchronization of yolqe and band was in experimental stages. Chorus i.'. clad iii tuxedos with setting in lounge room of men's club, providing neat backgrbvind aiid is well photographed. major to he naine "SKIRT SHY" with Harry Langdon ROACH METROTONE Comedy Sketch 29 Mine.; Comofdy Sketch Gaiety, New York Rates showing on the screen without threatening i-iotous. Hfirry liangdon's may catch interest and the dlimb pan clown should make good on the promise through the hoke in- volved. Two-reeler is somewhat over- hoard on footage and eould be. ad- vantageously sliced. Tells " of an elderly woman on the verge of be- ing dispossessed unless her aged suitor rises to the occasion with a proi)t>sa1. I^angdon. as thei butler, and a maid go to the front, the girl dress- ing I^ngdon as the matron: to fool the aged- Iiotharjo who loses his glasses to make it easier. Mix- up arrives Avith a former flame of the woman, a two gun totiii* six-; jEooter ■ from the west. Chase and shots in the garden, including brlclt throwing which sends a bee-hive into action. Gaiety %2 audience accepted It' mildly, perhaps because of becom- ing somewhat impatient to see the feature, "Sky Hawk" (Fox), as a dual newsreel, a cartoon one-reel^r and a screen piano solo of "Annie Laurie" had preceded. Some funny stuff at variptis spots in this two-reeler with Langdon, vaude and screen vet, knowing how to cash when the op'portunity arises. He's also capable of giving slow spots some pace. Langdon is. a, pleasant prpspedt for shorts, it being a fluestloii with! him, as with others, of material. Sid. "THE DOUL SHOP" METRO COLORTONE 15 Mins.; Revue :: New York, New York Tempting short morsel with color, setting and action . so completely oversliadowing the. weak song structure and faulty recording as to raise what otherwise would be just a good, subject into the x'ealms of the big. Good anywhere, Seeing this short raises *the ques tion of comparison with - stage units. Eveii at this stage Ihe vaude presentation is' at a disadvantage in at least one aspect, and that is music. The short has special num- bers built for it. TVhat's better is the staging. In ^'The Doll Shop" Metro has proWded ah appetizing color atmos- phere . and fragile . daintiness in stage action impossible to achieve in stage units : because of photo- graphic/illusions which permit dis- tancing of characters in films' so that, they appear inanimate or life- lilce, miniature or full size. "What depth phbtography, wide screen; and better' attention to recording may do: '^ith such color can be. imaginecl. Only one scene, a doll shop. When the toy. maker leaves the room the dolls begin to carouse. Military numbers, adagio, etc. A hot dance is included as a flapper doll In Hawaiian; cpstume sings. A corking great short. GEORGIE PRICE . COLUMBIA 8 Mins.^ Comedy and Songs Globe, N. Y. Could have- been slapped together on the run, a.hd proliably.was.- Disi- criminating st)ots won't be able to see it, and-where they don't niind crude jdbs it will get by as comedy. Titled "Station B-U-N-K," with Jasper Ewing Brady directing. Radio studio orcheistra is playing, and annduncer'is frantically asking if Eddie Cantor, Al Jolsoh, and Will Rogers have dhown up for the pi:6- gram. They haven't. In "stumbles Price, looking ;for a job, and yolun teers to Impersonate the threie. He does, recognizably, and in doing Cantor becomes so excited, he waltzes out of the studio and down the sti'eet with the announcer fol lowing ^ith the microphone. ' Clever in spots, but hapha^tird' di- rection and photography limit its appeal. Bradford Brown is the an- nouncer. This short was recently used ahead of a Columbia feature at the Cohan, New York. Bang, AARONSON'S COMMANDERS METRO 8 Mms.; Band - Commodore, New York Immense improvement over the first short made, for Metro about a year ..ago. AlthougH not up the Commajiders' standard as recognized in the flesh. Just three. hunibers. Two recog- nized . pops, "Nobody's Sweetheart Now" and *Tli Get By." Other was a comedy number,: "Juist a Sailor's Sweetheart." Both pops are ante- dated, which gives ' the short the flavor of produced months ago. Audience recognized both as obso- lete but nevertheless liked them, due to the instrumentation. Assisted in short comedy warbling bit and straight Vocaling by Red Stanley and Phil Saxe. Also inter- weaTe some " "hot-cha-eha" . tonsil work that promoted the enteitain- ment., ' . T^ipugh tunes are. either of Ul choice 6r Iphg on tlie shelf, will be go wherever musical shorts are liked. «'GEN. GfNSBURG," with Nat Carr RCA PHOTOPHONE 20 Mins.; Comedy Sketch Gloiieii New York Two reels of laughs about a Hebe at the front for America during the big fracas. Bound to draw solid responses all along the line. Pro- duced by Iiouis Brock in the Gram- ercy, N. Y., studios. Mark Sand- rich credited as director. Opens with Carr and three bud dies in a trench playing poker with J idAiov Kelson the water up to their waists. Game lu>rd Bardeil «... derable Judge Ar ur cans 1 SKY HAWK (ALL DIALOG) Fox production aiid release. Features Helen Chandler,. John Oarrlok and Gilbert laniery. 01r«ct«d.by i^ohn BIyetone, ttom a Llewellyn Hustaeo macailne «tory. Adap- tion and dialog by Hucliea and Campbell Gnllan, latter alao ataelnr. Cameraman^ Conrad Wella; aound, MV, Vf' tltidBay. Mechanical ellectB by Ralph Hammeras. At Gaiety. New Tork. $2 top, twice dally. Dec. 11. Running time, 75 rains. - Joan Allan ....^He]eit Chandler Jack Bardell ................John Oarrlck ....;.< Gilbert Emery >.... .'t ......> >LiQnn4>x JPawle stretched out for considerable I Judge Allan Xumaaen^Hare of devilled ham against Carr's her- ' ring and drawing a gun to convince . CaiT his four aces are no good] "Sky Hawk" will do busineiss on a^inst threo queens. One of the its air battle between a Zeppelin and boys, big: and homely, talks pansy I a. lone plane over Liondon. The and knits during the game. ] screen shows all three. This is Carr is called to drive the Gen- slightly more than a two-reer se eral to Paris. While waiting for quence reported to • have. cost the the gen, after getting him to tbe Fox studio not far from |260,000 by city. Carr puts on the oflacer's coat ritself; worth It because it's the plc- and hat and visits a cafe.. Mprerture. Otherwise, "Sky Hawk" is a laughs in his being mistaken for Xambs Club delight and due to Its an officer and raising cain Witb a J very British flavor general trade in bullying lieutenant. Also mistakes | t^est will- alMo center dh its re an Apache dance for the r^l thing i t^pUoA itk Shjigrland. Picture will and winds up by staging a wrestling | particularly -please the iaien, be- match with the girl and throwing i.cause of .the. .air fight, and few her twp times, out of three. . :women will walk «ri it once" theji^'re General enters and finally tell^ I in. ' A good film'yrhlch should , run Carr he Will fee. decorated for cor- f;up better.than average grosses but nering the .lieutenant, wanted as a snltcher: General also says QinS- bufg will , be given ^a commission. .♦'I 'don't. want a commission," dis- cidea' CMnsburg;-' "just put me ■■ on straOght ■ salary." . Carr's Hebe is a, 4arb. ; Bang. -_ doesn't suggest .general holdover .qualifications. '' . So It looks as.it Ralph: Hamtperais toiight to get the credft for this re^ lease's financiat-iiiconie.' Hatnineras staged the air fight, with: highly I igeared slow ' motion •. camerai;: <'An4 built the. liOndon.T.eet in a .4irj^ible hangar atVArca,dia,_Qalii llesult'"l"a' as sweet a piece of miniajture woxlk'-as has ever been turned qiiti; ' And. the accompanyiing sbuhd^'' track is equally expert, ^which ahout makes "HTtO BUFFQ - METRO S Mins.- : • ^^ommojloref New iVork- For thlis latest of his many shorts, I this release a triumph tot the tech Rii|Ca hasKCfaosen. a,j9ubje.et: un|^- nlcal staff. mUtar hy^ far to th^ majority of :the As the story has been molded Into laymen. , It la .i1a«o*a.-Credo,'^ to I celluloid it's distinctly secondary to charadter, addressed tQ Des4emona,|;the mechanical effects. But it would Both jire froni VQthellq." • ;• . .. :be, tough for any yarn to dominate Ruilo, In 'medieval ralnient; ispthei aerial warfare as here staged close-up thrmighdut,' not bo - for- if or'the ■camera. Much of the Lon tunate for /Ruffo , as ' his fertenti; don-set is' smothered by a smoke facial contortions, In keeping-with sereen (fog) so that only one or the subject of the credo,-brought |, two/shots imply its magnitude. a smattering of snickers in this East Side house. Voice is resonant and registers clearly. The aria, though vocally intricate to handle, was rendered easily enou'gh by Ruffo. Delivery fluctuated' from tenor to baritone according to the mood of the lyrlos. Will be liked only in the class houses. Gamble for' the btheris. thati that toward the end when bHa yreaxB a :whlte gown. CanadiaSS :aii|e;le , In the story stands off heo llack.oif a consistent broad "a" whllo jail other participants are relegated ito hltSi First love scene between the principals evoked a noticeabid snicker'front all portions of the hQUse (not oh opening night), for no apparent^ Screen reason other ithan the |3t,rlct]y British dialog in4 volve^ .• . Directorial^ backgreund touches Include .the waves of apprehension which swept= London at the air raia signals by poking the caniera's nose into flats, pubs, night clubs, under- ground (subwajr), and a theatre Where the comedian announces the raid, goes on ':wiiji the performance and nobody leaves the theatre. But the top sidelight introduces the. Zi3p,$equfcn<;e when a captured R, F. C.y captain Is brought before the commanding German ofllcer for questlonlhg. ' -Sdene Is particularly welt :hahdlfid, yAnd superbly played 'hy ' the, iwinah- tovolved, unmeh<« itlcTied In. tli9'>^.^if credits. Interiors lof the Zep'f^n^ain c^bin hold when-^ iever fl<<slxea;ithe Gerjnan tongue be- Jing giyien.iillJ.reih, and the stoicism' jOf the crew as the air giant catches jfirt is also, gptteh" over.- There is ■jib (^I^parai^ng ot thfe ieheiny . at any, Klm^e^d thpse> looklng.for a preach- ment :against ■war; Will -find it in ai 'IHre-iplinner '|>arlor'.' discussion bet tween-Joan, her fath.er and the ma- jor which alirto^t, jsrivve this pictm*e jtlie title of *"i?it>e "W^brlcl Moves On." "iSky Hawk*sV^, ^un, at the Gaiety, win bib no criferibii as to its pro- ■ grain :! value. - It=- -'was abruptly brou^t in to flriish out the Fos tenancy of the hbuse' expiring Jan, 1. DUe to its nOrmai running time a double newsreel (Hearst and Fox), sound cartoon, Ro^foh- two-reeler. and/ a piano short item are pre-, ceding it here. Sid. Ed and Lou MILLER IVIETRO 12 JVIins. New York, New York. - sweet subject made-by male duo, baritone and tenor,' recruited from vahde/ who know ho-w to warble without tiring audience. Recording is clear and photography talking pair in closeup stays pat. Good filler any program. ; Boys sing three' tunes, "Auf "Wie- dersehn," "Rigoletto," and ^"High Upon the Hilltop." Pair seemingly tune in better on the classical or near than on. the popular melody attempted, but this is due to the numbers rather than voifce defect. Baritone attempts jazz movement in last number 'which could have been dispensed with. It only cramped air of gentility .that pair got across in preceding two songs and Which' should have remained put through out. "FANCY THAT" with William Frawley PATHE Comedy 21 Mins. Colony, New York Two-reeler that packs lots of en- tertainment in form of a story and tlie perfor,mance of WUiam Fraw- Jey. Playable ahywhere, . This is one of a Pathe series ^pro- duced by Frank Davis (Davis, and Darnell—vaude). Frawley. is a musical comedy comedian, now in a B'way. hit. Frawley and Earle Dewey are two bums on a- park bench. Tliey read an announcement of a society affair. Frawley tells his pal how he would run such a party. En- suing action is ,the Frawley idea. Many funny social errors and much good comedy by-play. Bige. **DONT GET EXCITED" EDUCAtlONAL Comedy 25 Mins: . . Stanley. New, Y erk_ ^ This is bad, and not to be con- fused with Vitaphone short of same title made by Qeprgie Price. Here tvi< laughs and one is silent. De- served hangout is interior nelghbs. ■ Comedy is one of Tuxedo series and demonsl^atesliow talker should not b0'mk&e, possesses all faults that -talkei" ' critic? rave about Pauses are too Ion? and actloh in- cbhereht,' flfepending : forr ' biggest laugh on old silent slapstick fea- jture of undressing principals. VITAPHONE SYMPHONY ORCH. "Poet and Peasant" VITAPHONE NO. 447 8 Mins. Central, New York Good sound bill Opener for thea tres catering to niusically inclined audiences. ,Uot strong enough for, late spotting nor fast enough to fol- low averfige action short. . No individual billing. , Through the camera, seemed to be'about 60 pieces in size. Even dozen in the first fiddle section and balance in proportion. Playing of "Poet and Peasant* unquestionably fine. This may be Vita's regular symphony for scores and accompaniments, with possibly some added instruments for this occasion. Bige. "THE: MAO'HOUSED* . EDUCATIONAL Comedy 18 Mins. : Cameo, New York" ^ A bare, two-reeler of no value .in the first 'runs.and.of little appeal in the neighborhoods. It's a Jack- White short with Eddie Lambert, ' Monty Collins, Addle McPhall and LiUciUe Hutton. Lambert, standard - vaude comic, heavy on Yiddish ."dialect, threatens to junij) out ajid save this short several times, but nothing happens, story material. is very poor. Harks back to the silent days when slapstick ran amuck and hoke was the keynote. Title of this one tips what it's about. Mad, noisy apartment house with neighbors clashing, scram bling, fighting and biting. Princi- pals are two families deciding to switch apartments, each believing the other's is the choicer. Start moving in on each other, busting everything but the floor and the ceiling. Climax is bed thrown out of the window landing on three autos below. Cheap, mawkish laughs. Span. "FEMININE FITNESS" PATHE • Sports Novelty 9 Mins. diet St., New York Interesting one-reel' filler In the Grantland Rice Sportlights series, and suitable for better class thea =treSr=-^=^:.=^^.«^..„=^;...=_^=^^,^ "Feminine Fltnes!^" is an all-sound and all-talking (where talk'can be used) short, showing girls at i femme college participating In varl ous outdoor sports, including has ketball, golf, rowing and baseball l^he golf .and'rowing sequences have ' coaches, whose voices are heard instructing tHe gals in the "do's -and dont's of gblf" aiid the technique of handling the -shell. Photography average. Recording o. k. Hhar, THE GLEASONS "Garden of Eatin'" (Comedy) PATHE 20 Mins. Commodore, New York Bereft of the many laughs which the usual (3Ieasons short contain. 'itather. .surprisijig.. In yiew of the ■publicity plailhed on this tremen- dous miniature. That the-set hasn't fully Ijefen brought out" S^e'msl in a^ wayi a pity. Perhaps the best thing Blystone,: dlrectlr:-, hks done with the film is to have had the good sense to hold it down. Fina,l , half hour is com- pletely Qohsuniecl. Yrlih bi^ildihg up pto .aha then launching the .Zep' raid ll IfolIoW'ed'by the' dirigible's destruc^^ lltioh. Frojn thi^ pojnt a.direct .cutis ifliade to the ■horieymtfoh - getAway V>f the • vfcstbriofus Rosrai' Flying ^Jorps: ^, lieti;tehant and his .Canadian ^ brJde- for the finish, - — - - - - ■ It may be that the British'haV* never had' such sUVtes^'iit Sn' Amer- ican picture,as:.th^jr gel he)^e.. Story is heavily sweetened bir-'Johix. Bijli accejits, Atmosphere' a^nd slang ex- pressions as'.called for hy the locale. And the cast's 'Cohitc'ComeS'>i^o .^clo'se to stealing the picture on perform^ ance that- there's not - much, differ- ence. Billy Bevan plays the aero- plane mechanic, servicing young Bardeil's ship, who becomes . the heir's defender'when ,his valor is smirched by suspicion^- This is be-, cause of a crash'as he-returns from an against orders, flight to say good- by to Joan. Real British landscape for this flight is credited to a Fox' sound news cameraman over there. That Bardell is due to fly to France that afternoon explains the infer- ence that- the crack-up was inten- tional. Temporarily paralyzed from the waist' down, Bardell has' a con- demned plane slipped oVer to his father's estate where the loyal ser- geant spends his evenings putting it in shape. Meanwhile, the boy has broken off his engagement be- cause of his unwelcome social and military position. Arrival of the Zep over London causes Bartiell to have his bus wheeled 'out to go Up against the dirigible'.alone, despite his legs, for the happy ending^^ ^hat no other R. F. <j, machine, takes off . against the THE B'WAY HOOFER <ALL dialog;/ with Songs) Columbia |froductl6n and release. Featur- ing Marie Saxon,' Jack Egan and Loula9 Faze&da. Directed by George Archainbaud; produced by Harry, Cobn. Original story,; continuity and dialog by Gladys Lehman.. Cameraman, Joe Walker. Chief sound engl^ neer, John Llvadao'. Sound mixing engN neer,' Harry Blanchard.. Asst. director^ Dave Selman. Film editor, Maurice Wright. ,In- projection room, New York. Hunnlng 'time, 03 mtnutea. ,A3e1e'. Marie Saxon Bobby,.-... Jack Egan J&n°e. -/,v. 7... V • Louise Fazenda Xiariy-«.. ^....« Howard Hickman Morton:...'.4 .Ernest HlUlara A-flBbelle.V.. Gertrude Short Dolly..;... ,.{, Eileen Percy, Ma^le,,../..V,.Charlotte Merrlam BUIy...ii;.'iI ,-;'v:. :•. . :.. (... .Fred MacKayo " ....BUly Franey Not the fault Of Jimmie Gleason or, , ,- • i., j.,. ^ Lucille .Webster Gleason, but the i^y.^®"^ a license,which the story skit, which possesses barely any of f -^'^ae ^uppqsitlon Is that the smart-cracking repartee with *^^5? ^^]^^^ !^^^^*^^^fr^Tit ^^^I?® which the Gleasons' shorts are as- I at Croydon (flying flWd), either the sociated. Both the Gleasohs squeeze their material of whatever laughs they hold, and so receive a few spasmodic chuckles. As is, will be best appreciated by family audi ences. Th4 Gleasons play a married couple running a small cabaret and kicking because there'is not enough profit in the game.: iWife fall^ for adiaipter o^ 'Alhi <^tte^ has failed to make this dear. 1 •. Bevan gives art >excellent per formance in a sympathetic part aided materially by production judgment to make the carefree courage of the English Tommy stand out, In a couple of spots he is capably aided by Daphne Pol- lard as a pub habitue. The direc glib talk of two con men. Against missed with Emery aS the the wishes of her hustiand givi^s jip niiddle aged major who Is doomed her last'cent and modernizes the to disappointment in his delicate place, with the two eons as part-I suit for Joan. Instead of evoking ners. Jirtimle, who prevloufifiy' led sympathy evidently figured a classical band .'Composed oliftfiir upon for the character, the way the old fogies, is now forced )to trap Picture unwinds leaveis Emery as drum in- a Jazz unit led by one of | not much more than a necessary Jthccima..^. ^ . . Much against (he desires of both; the two cons start smuggling liquor. Happy finish Is former head waiter turning out to be a prohibition agent and arresting both, with the cabaret returning to the Gleasons. atmo.spheric inclusion. A good per forniW'lTirbttled by"unToreseen"cif cumstances. John Garrick leaves a pleasant Impi-e-ssion as a symbol of the R F. C, but, perhaps, without that fire to make It a memory. Helen Cliand- . 'Punch Is Jlnimle Gleason always ler may have been permitted to di desiring and talking about possess- rect herself. Slither way, her intona-f Iri'g a fur coat and finally getting tlons constantly imply/that grhe's,on one gratis, as one of the con mt'n the verge of tears, a- dettimerital lugged to the hooSegow leaves 11 method of dollvei-y over a period of behind, and won't be back for it for an evening or a picture.. Her ap- 10 yeai's. i pearance is wholesome and more ;Baifs^r,lHnii: - :An hehtettaining^ ■^little program t^kei?.'that.-^tablishes. Mai-ie Saxon«. a fe^ufe'.from^. the-musical comedy sta^gCi .tjbr, the jtalklng/screen. The picture phouid- iarry neatly in the three^day ' oi* '^e"s'6 • -inn-: houses, and looks-like. certain pleader for the shdrter than a -week stand neighbor- hooderS.; . •; . -' . ,' - ■Besides the - most a/erreec^ble Miss Saxon there is -a boy h^re, who seems to' have ^e, future-.in filmsf. Jack Egan. About the only picture name of any weight in the cast Is Louise Fa2enda. Exhlbs will have to exploit more on the entertainment end and youth in the picture than ajiything else in -sight, eiicceptlng In those towns where Marie Saxon may; 1)0 known from her stage musicals. With a back stage story that takes in a burlesque troui>e, It opens with a 2legfeld "Follies" production num- ber. Miss Saxon Is in the centre of 24 ,silk-hatted boys, all danc- ing,viwith her dancing as effective, on the screen as it always has been on the stage. It's a very fast start, almost' tod fast for the number side of a turkey trouplng burlecue show to follow. The numbers staged by Jack Cunningham, and with the stage part supervised by Rufus Le Malre, the burlesque portion is made to do nicely. This section,, however, lacks the rough low comedy that easily could have been inserted and which thie entire picture misses as well. Probably no better system ever has been devised than Colum- bia's to keep the cost down and still get away with it, but sometimes a little more in the overhead, llk« heire, might turn a fair picture into a very good, one, especially with, the talkers; . . . In the tale Miss Saxon is a star of Broadway, closing a hard season after a long run. She's going away, for a rest, with only the maid ac-. conapanying her knowing her where- abouts. Drifting into a tank town and taking a cottage. Miss Saxon is shoved onto the stage of the local' opry house when there , is a rush outside by locals looking. for the, chorus job advertised. She is walk- ing by. . Mr. Egan, the young an.d good- looking head of the troupe, from author to manager and taking in the principal juve role, picks Misfl Saxon as likely for the line. They mutually notice each other other- wiserafid^tife =f iPinhinks^t-wili-Jo a lark to go along, assuming the name of her maid, Jane Brown. .She goes with the troupe, is rapidly advanced and in a short time is co- featured with. Egan. Meanwhile her Broadway manager is frantic, as his ett^r has not re- ported for rehearsals. And the maid grows -alarmed • over the growing, attachment of. the young couple. She.>vlres the manager, who rushes (Continued on page 28)