Variety (Apr 1930)

2£ ARIETY FILM REVIEWS Talking Shorts EDDIE BUZZELL and Co. (4) "Keeping Company" Chatter (Comedy) 14 Mins. Winter Garden Vitaphone 963-64 A pleasing comedy short running to i^ovelty In production and a sure fire matinee attraction for the kld- .dies^ It has the smaller animals and birds In it, as the scene is in a bird and- animal store, with the picture winding up in a dog race on a reg ular dog track. Pictures of birds and little ani mala, pups, different kinds of dogs and some cute sights in the store, with Eddie Buzzell as the youthful but busted owner, who doesn't know where the sugar Is coming from to feed his charges their next meal. His clerk is a young girl whom Eddie would like to marry, but as he can't feed the little birds, he's afraid to ask the big one. That's all straightened out at the dog track. One bit of business is in for a yowl In the right spots though a bit obvi- ous as worked. Buzzell looks well In his Juvenile way, talks the same and his opposite is a personable young womanl , Short should be used to close the shorts on an allrsound program and a dandy one to ^jlay if the feature talker is a bit too drab. Simp. LOU HOLTZ "Idle Chatter" (Monoloa) 7 Mins. Winter Garden, New York " -Vitaphone 954 Lou Holtz, of som6 stage lame, from White's" Scandals" for produc- tions, and vaude headllner In recent times. Monolog, with special mate- rial by Holtz for short, rather wise, and "Mio" not in. Will go better in towns where Holtz is not too well konwn and identified with that blue snapping "Mlo" number. Some laughs In Holtz's talk and eong, besides nance gestures. Where Holtz may be strong through his stage appearance, of course this can be played up in those spots, if any. Sime. Program Layouts /Sample of all sound programs, as arranged by some key city theatres. Printed for such in- formation as the programs may furnish for those interested. Programs furni«hed "Variety" through courtesy of the booking offices of chains included.) SENATE, CHICAGO (April 11-13) (129 Mins.) "Irish Fantasy" (Novelty)... 10 Coriibinatlon News 12 "Jazz Rehearsal" (comedy).. 10 Organ ■ • • 9 "Tiger Rose" 61 "Night Owls" (comedy) 21 Trailers 6 HARDING, CHICAGO (Week of April 11) •(145 Mins.) JaSz Rehearsal" (comedy).. 10 Combination News .. . 12 Organ 9 "Interesting Tales" (Sport- light) 9 "The Girt Said No" : 92 Good Old School Days" (Fable) 7 Trailers 6 MARYLAND, CHICAGO . (April 6-8) (150 Mins.) Sound News 9 "Show Boat"...- 128 "Sky Skipper" (Fable) 7 Trailers '..... 6 (April 9-10) (113 Mins.) "Mandalay" (Song Sketch).. 12 Sound News > 9 "Uneasy Street" (comedy).. 9 "Dangerous Paradise 58 "Hotter Than Hot" (comedy) 19 Trailers 6 (April 11-12) (142 Mins.) Sound News 13 Museum- Art" 9 BEN BERNIE And Orchestra ^ 8 Mins. Winter Garden, New York Vitaphone 958 Ben Bernle and Orchestra, just that. Days of orchestras on shorts look shot. Regardless of name, and there's considerable exploitation possible with the Bernle handle. It's only another orchestra. Not only for Bernle now, but any . other before and any other to come. Here Bernie's 14 men play, with one girl singing and talking, a couple shown seated on a-bench Ip. the woods while the ballad goes on off screen, and again a parade of beauts coming down stairs and dis- appearing as the short, with Ber- nie's orchestra still playing, fades away with them. Too bad so many orchestras sound all alike on the talking short screen. Otherwise there would be plenty of money In them. Bime, "Don't Believe It" (comedy) 19 Trailers 6 CENTRAL PARK, CHICAGO (April 6-8) (130 Mins.) Sound News. 9 "Black and Tan" (Colored Band) 19 "Kibitzer" 76 "Stepping Out" (comedy).. 20 Trailers 6 (April 9-10) (128 Mins.) "Mountain Melodies" (Scenic) 10 Sound News 9 "The Virginia Judge" (Wal- . ter C. Kelly) • 9 "Street ot Chance" 7B "Let Me Explain" (comedy) 19 Trailers i. 6 (April 11-12) (128 Mins.) Sound News 9 "Sound Effects" Trick Drum- ming) 8 "Condemned" 87 "Uppercut O'Brien" (comedy) 18 GEORGE SIDNEY "Cohen on the Telephone" Comedy Monolog 10 Mins. Stanley, New York Universal ^. Monolog that will be recalle/J by many as a best selling phonograph record more than 10 years ago, monkey-glanded In screen transfer and delivered through George Sid- ney, becomes a good comedy short. Chatter should get Its former quota of laughs, while Sidney's mugging will tickle them where the chatter doesn't. This Is the one about Cohen, and the broken shutter, with Cohep tell- ing it to his landlord on the 'phone. "Last night the wind came up and blew down the' shutter. Please send one man to mend th© broken shut- ter," etc In Sidney's own dialect. 1 Bipe. HERMAN TIMBERG "The Love Boat" (Travesty) 10 Minutes Strand, New York. Vitaphone No. 955 , Amusing but by no means com- paring to the best of the recent Warner shorts from the eastern studio. This one Is weak on light- ing and photography, having been shot almost entirely from one angle. Even in the possible event that the i amperage at the Strand was In- sufllclent, ■ the technical end Is not up to the ultra quality of recent Flatbush product. Comedy lag and laughs go long way In standing off short comings. Short "has the Important advan- tage of fast movement. It never lags and it Is often funny. Part of TImberg's : most recent vaudeville act Is used. iScene is a boat whose bewitching feminine passengers drive men cfazy with their tantal- izing petting. Most of the clowning Is between Timbferg and Barbara Blair, the slick blonde with him In vaude. Land. JACK McLALLEN "Oh, Sarah" (Comedy) . 10 Mins. Central, New York Vitaphone No. 946 Practically, word-for-word from Jack McLallen's vaudeville routine. Smart etuff but not beyond the average mentality, bo has the un- usual and double advantage of pleasing everybody. McLallen's style of working is smooth, easy, unhurried but certain In effect. He has a woman partner who Is one of the ttest straights In vaude, her feeding being adroit. In toto, reliable laugh-getting short for any show. JLand. ORMOND SISTERS (3) "Toys" 10 Mins. Rialto, New York Paramount . One of the Long Island studio shorts made by way of experiment to determine reaction with a view to formulating a production policy. It may safely be assumed this Is hot the type of short that exhibs or public will want or that will be made. Its chief fault is that it Is so overwhelmingly commonplace, trite and, done-to-deathish. There Is no slur upon the Ormond Sisters, who do nicely what they have to do, but upon the Idea of the short, a child among its toys falling to sleep and the wooden sol- diers, as expected, coming to life. Three numbers, bit df song and tap dancing, done nicely but can't gen- erate any response. Directed by Ray Cozine. Not hot. Land. "DOGGING IT" Grantland Rice Sportlight 9 Mins. Greeley Sq., New York Pathe An interesting sportlight. Begins with various types of cfinines doing tricks and jumps and then goes on to show how whippets arc groomed for the big racci Latter clips were most interesting. Mutts who are .put through trick routines are supposed to have been taken from bide-a-wee homes and trained. Nothing unusual in their routines, but their throaty barks and the shouts of the trainer builds immensely. Whippets shown are beautiful animals. An off screen voice explains everything. • ■V\'ihere animal stuff is liked, sure- fire. "FOWLER'S STUDIO VARIETIES" Singing and Dancing 9 Mins. Colony, New York Ted Toddy An indie produced and released short that puts a sort of condensed vaude show into nine minutes, using three different acts. Of average value and suitable for general run of Ijouse.*). Trio of acts, Mile. Jazzclle and Co. in a gypsy song and dance number; Four Harmony Boys do- ing "Song Toy," novelty number, and Charlie Wellman, radio enter- tainer, backed with a band. Out- standing Is harmony quartet, doing act in a Chink laundry set and pro- loging with some comedy. Recording on RCA Photophono Miniature Reviews "Under a Texas Moon" (WB). UnusuUy pleasing "western," first in all color, with theme song and Frank Fay's out- standing performance. Deluxe programer of kind. "The Man Hunter" (WB). Awkward, dull and silly. Too weak to shoulder responsibillty.- "Girl Said No" (M-G-M, Wil- liam Haines). Fails to blend slapstick and romance. Mist- cast, Illogical story presages weakness at box-office, unless Haines with Dressler-Moran team can hold up b. o. on it. "Hell Harbor" (UA). Pro- duction of great beauty and ultra quality retarded by a story that falls to achieve any great tensity or Interest; A progi'am booking for . any de- luxe, for an average gross. "In the Next Room" (FN). Conventional mystery meller with plenty plot sitviatlons, menace, suspense, and comedy to mak« it a business getter. Great small town fare. "Guilty 7" ( b. 0,1 u m b i a ). Strictly a grind picture. Jun;- bled story with nursery rhyme dialog poorly recited by the cast. "The F ghtihg Legion" (U) Sa % dialog western, with Ken Maynard. .Not first run but good. Bit phoney yarn, stereo locale, but plenty story, action and some comedyl Recording and photography okay. "The Man from Nowhere" (Syndicate). Silent western with Bob Steele. Not worth considering except' as matinee extra feature for kids. Cus- tomers kidded the film when caught. Under a Texas Moon (All Dialog and Color with'Song) Warner Bros, production and release. Frank Pay featured. Directed by Michael Curtlz. Original by Stewart Edward Wblte, adapted by Gordon' RIgby. Cameraman, Bin Rees, Song writer, Ray Perkins (Remick). At Winter OardPn, New York, on gr! - ' 11 n (new pollnv^. $i top, April 8. Runn!.- ; . j, 70 minutes. Don Carlot Prank Fay Raquella Raquel Torrcii LoUta .Romero Myma Loy Dolores Armida, Jed Parker N'oah Beery Pedro ,i Georgle Stone Phlllpe... ...Oeorge Cooper Bad Man of Pool Fred Kobler Girl of the Pool Betty Boyd Jose Romero,... Charles Sellon Buch Johnson Jack Curtis Fancho Gonzales 5am Appel Aldrlch Tully Marshall liOllta Roberto Mona Marls Antonio Francleco Maran Tom , .....Tom DIx Jerry Jerry Barrett Mother Inez Gomez Moza Edythe Kramera Don Roberto Bruce Covington A light, pleasing, talker-singer in all "Technicolor of a western sort, planted on the Mexican border, giv- ing plenty of fiash in ensemble scenes for color, with an unexpect- edly smooth performance by Frank Fay In his Don Juan way standing out and carrying weight, making this a de luxe programmer that Is apt to beat the avei-age gi'oss any- where the strong lean is toward westerns at present. Good perforinances are uniformly here. Women rank alongside the men. One of the girls, Armida, that Mex protege of Gus Edwards, can outtalk for speed Floyd Gibbons, this bringing to her'extra attention. Somewhat subtle all the way, for the picturlzing of the story rur.s to the satirical, at least for the Win- ter Garden's first Invitation house with reserved seats under the War- ners new grind ($1 top) policy there. Satire is where Fay shines, whether in vaudeville, show oi* on the screen. He can now thi-bw his m. c. hand- kerchief away—It's among the also rans for him. The more sh«i'p-wlt- ted scenarios Warners give Fay, the better Fay and the pictures will bo. For Fay Is surpri.slngly good here, so much so forget "Show of Shows" and'his m. c.'ing in it, A customary western's plot of the lost cattle and the disappearing rustler here as elsewhere on the frontiers, but set differently and done differently. Even if Fay and Michael Curtlz, the director, did not speak to one another during the making of "Under a Texas Moon," as reported, neither has a squawk against the othrr's work. And If they work so much bPtter with grouches in Hollywood, the grouch season should be declared at once. As .tlip. direction , here,, cannot b(? overlooked. A theme song aftrr the picture'.s< title sounds all right but is played, as tango. Fay, later declaring himself as the boss ruHtlfr offors to get the cattle thief for a rownrd of $7,- 000, gold. He has 10 days to make It. In those 10 days he makes In- stead every .sonorlta In sight. At o. k, riiologrnphy nlso pa.<isc3, Short is upprirfntly flr.'^t of'a Horlos to ho known i\r, "Knwlfr ."-Jtudif) Vh- rletlp.s,'' prodiiffd by llorman Fow- ler on the wcHt coiKit. Char,. i Wednesday, April 9, 1930 one time there were so many in ■hacienda that It looked a$ though th© Don Juan had picked a spot for himself that called tor the Mexican army. Whenever Don Carlos saw a woman he started to sing. It was a cue for his two body guards to tune up the stringed harmonicas they carried on their backs. That grew to be quite funny as Don made progress with the women. Includ- ing one Itl swimming. Many- fiestas on the Mex side, plenty vt girls, lots of color and some fun, besides shooting, riding and tricka by crooks. Those fiestas with girls are something «very western hasn't had. As this Is the first western all In Technicolor, there's something else again for Warners to talk about, besides the production Itself. Th© latter very excellent and high class for a west- ern talker. While the hardbolleds may say that after all just a western. It ha3 much else, and those who pay are not so hardbolled; neither do they want to be, which may be the best way after all. Sime. THE MAN HUNTER (All Dialog) ■Warner proJyctlon and release. Dlrectefl by Ross Leredman. Based on story by. Uly Hayward, with dialog'by Jimmy St^rr. Carheraman James Van Trees. At Bea- con, New York, week tAprll 4. Running time 00 nilns. George.Castle., John Loder Lady Jane Winston Nora L,ane Jim Clayton Charles Delaney Rlnty nin Tin Tin Crosby.- Pat Hartlgnr* Mnld ', ..Christian Yves Slmba Floyd Shnckleford! nuRpF Billy Fletcher Charlie John Kelly Dennis Joe Bordeaux Clumsily thrown-tpgether melo- drama of a type Warners made years ago In their .«?hoeatrlng days. Comes as a shock to find after the notably advances made on that lot it is capable of compiling 7,000 feet of such inferior old tlmey quality. Picture is unworthy of anything above the quick change houses. All wrong from the start. Dialog Is florid, unnatural and sappy, and Ross Lederman, director, has shown no capacity to lessen its horrors by breaking up th© lines by timing. Jerky, out-of-breath scenes, stiff Hal Reid speeches, perfunctory heroics that Incite laughter rather • than thrills, spell mintises in prac* N;lcally all departments. Photography and sound recording, however, meritorious. Nora Lane given no dramatic coaching from the side lines and wa3 swamped in her own lack of ex-*l perlence, play ing a role of con.^ siderfible length. Charles Delaney, who has done some • good work in the pistst was neither better nor worse than the rest. Plot is full of absurdities but es- sentially it's a case of silly dialog transferred to the screen under un« Imaginative direction. Land, GIRL SAID NO (All Dialog) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production an4 release. Directed by Sam Wood. Star- ring William Haines. Story by A. P< Younger. Photography by Ira Morgan, Running time, 90 minutes. At Capitol, New York (week), April 4. Tom Ward Wllllnm Haines Mary Howe Leila Hyams Polly Polly Moran Hetty Brown Marie Dresslef McAndrews Francl.s X. (Bushman Mrs. Ward Clara Bliuidlclc Jimmy AVard William Janney Eddie Ward .....Junior Coghlan Alma Ward Phyllis Crane Another mistaken effort to blend young romance and comedy types. Re.^ult is a program picture that sadly overstays its time and leaves the spectator bored. It has a few genuine laughs, a title that has pos- sibilities It doesn't live up to, and 100% cast of players, all out of their element except Polly Moran and Marie Dressier, a team that hasn't to date once failed to come through. It will have to depend or draw en- tirely on the Halncs name and th© girl comedy team. Error of judgment In. the first place Is to hand William Haines an unsympathetic part. Fresh rah rail youth who combines all the irritat- ing qualities of the type and is a strong-arm go-getter on the dam© angle as well, might serve on com- edy side, but when he's iprescnted in a sympathetic light as a- ro- mantic hero he's sand in the teeth. These cocksure young dame killers are hard enough to take anyhow and Haines is a particularly obnox- ious member of th© trlde. Some of his early exploits mark him as a plain mutt. For instance, .he trie.s to grab a girl frdrt) a'young man rival in a night club, and goes about by means of bribing a waiter to .spill a tureen of soup down the rival's neck. That's a sweet start. Fatal error in picking the rival, too, giving the role to Fr'kncis X. Bushman and then maneuvering to get,across the point that he is a comic .«!ls,sy. Bushman, of all screen personalities! It isn't until th© flna.lj^footngo that it occurs to some- body around the studio that by some devloo' thoy must make the Bush- man character unsympathetic. Up .to that time ho had made himself much bettor liked than the hero and the bu.«lnc."?R of alienating the audi- (Contlnued on page 39) I DUCI DE KEREKJARTO Violinist 6 Mins. Stanley, New York Metro Extremely weak short by Duel De Kerekjarto, vaude and concert vio- linist. His dead pan work is bad enough without the screechy tone when the muffler is taken off the fiddle. Selections, "Serenade" and "Witches' Dance." Second seemed 'way off. One of the early eastern shorts. Looks like a two-year-old shelfer and should have stayed there. Biae. . Trailers "BOWERY BIMBOS" Cartoon 7 Mins. Colony, New York , Universal Cartoon in "Oswald, the Rabbit," series, well packed with laughs, nov- elty and "situations." Where car- toons are preferred, will click. The rabbit hero is a cop and heavy a burglar, with usual kidnap- ping and rescue for action. Besides o.ffstage voices, both talk'and sing for the characters to Increase the talker value, there Is an Apache dance for novelty. Drawings clever, dii-ectlon good and recording fair. CJuxr. "PEOPLE BORN IN APRIL" With Zanzimar Horoscope 7 Mins. Loew's New York, N. Y. RCA One of the James P. FltzPatrlclc series ' of monthly horoscopes and similar to the previous ones in de- tail and action except that another month Is dlscu3.god. As good as the others from the novelty angle. Qood filler anywhere. "MICKEY'S STRATEGY" Comedy 20 Mins. Stanley, New York Radio Following pretty closely the kid comedy precedent set by "Our Gang," "Mickey's Strategy" includes the usual juvenile giang hoke. A few good situations and some well directed kid stuff makes it a satis- factory 20-mlnute entertainment. Should find the neighborhoods es- pecially soft and ease by elsewhere. Mickey's gang starts ttt here with a bunch of mutts,. amusingly run- ning a "dog laundry." Home-made cleaning devices, , a la Rube Gold- berg, are good for some laughs. Goody-goody kid of the neighbor- hood, named Stlnkey, has snitched to the dog catcher about the stray hounds and takes them to the pound. Mickey's mob must dig up money to buy licenses and redeem the hounds, so they enter an ama- teur contest at the local theatre to get it. WHiile there they frame the dog catcher, also in the contest, and Rtinkey. Mickey gets the prize. Finish is Stlnkey kicking the con- test ni. c. in the rear. Just a cute kid in a cute part. Fontaine Fox would- never recog- nize his Mickey now. Bige. LOU MAYOR "Gym Jams" (Club and ball jug- gling) 8 Mins. Winter Garden, Now York Vitaphone 965 Classes as novelty short, good for spot as here, opening a program of shorts. Vaude act in its routine of Jug- gling Indian clubs aiid rubber balls. Club work ordinai-yi but ball jug- gling original and exceptional for most part. Set in gymnasium, Smo.