Variety (Apr 1930)

S8 VARIETY FILM REVIEWS Wednesday, April 30, 1930 DOLORES EDDY AND DOUGLAS Late Feature of '^Broadway Nights" M CONCEDE NOTHING IN DARING AND RECKLESS ADAGIO DANCING CO-FEATURED with HELEN KANE PAUL ASH and LARRY RICH Paramount AT THE NEW YORK THIS WEEK, APRIL 25 in "SATAN'S HOLIDAY" Their 6th Consecutive PUBLIX UNIT THE GOLDEN CALF (Continued from Page 35) unmaskine takes iiiaco for the"" fin- ish. El Brendel of "Cockeyed World" fame, shoulders burden o£ comedy relief and Is amusing- most all of the time with mild material. Comedian docs one song, "A Picture No Artist Can Paint," for pas.sing notice. Picture atarts with a .song, best in the production and likely to be a hit. This is "You Gotta Be Mod- ernistic.'" It is done several times and has a pleasing swing, "I'm Telling The World About Tou" is also a good -number. This is used for the finale and is built up by a clever dance scene in which the world is represented with var- ious costumes applicable to different countries. Other numbers are "Maybe Someday," sung by Miss Carol and "Can I Help It?" Marjo- rie White, whose wisecracking man- ner Is her greatest asset, and Rich- ard Keene, her partner in Vaude, do both "You Gotta Be Modernistic" and "Can I Help It'?" several times,- g-etting numbers across neatly. Excuse for working in much of the music is a show given by the illustrators. Walter Catlett appears here as m. c. and takes part in one of the sketches, a typical blackout with a mild kick. Record o. k. Photography also first rate. Char. Ship from Shanghai (All Dialog) Motro-G old wyn-Mayer—production and release. Directed by Chas. BraKln. Thcmo hnsed on Dalo CoUln'a novel, "Ordeal." In cnat: Conrad NagC', iCay Johnson. Carmel Uyer.s, Uolmea Herbert Zattie I Tilbury, Louis Wolhelm, Ivan Llnow, ,Taclt McDonald. At Capitol, week April 23. Running time, GG minutes. CUve Brook and others, of having to pay real money if they make too mudi of an actor. Benita Hume weak and mlscaeit as heroine, femme end failing to Betty Bolton for a nice characterization of a Russian maid. Theme Is strung, very lightly, on Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade." This part, kept In from the first-made silent, Is easily the meat of the film, and is a fine piece of work. Sound effects in music have been dubbed onto this with no very great success,, but the ex- cellence of the staging of the cav- alry charges . minimizes this en- tirely. Some of the shots .are as fine as a Caton Woodvlllo draTvirig, and the drama of the charge is well bi'ought out with a few mid shots and some good cross-cutting. Good popular Stuff here in places where they don't take their drama too seriously. No visible angle for American relca.se. Frat. CRAZY THAT WAY (All Dialog) Fo.\ production and release. Directed by Hamilton UcFadden and based on Vincent Lawrence's play, "In Love With Iiove." Joan liennett and Kenneth MacKcnna fea- tured. In cast: Jason Robards. Reels Toomey. Sharon Lynn, Lumsden Hare. At Loew's New York ono day, April "4, on double feature bill. Running time, OO minutes. A steward witli a complex against society which develops into lunacy timely enough to provide the happy ending for his peers, is the basis for •'The Ship Kroin Shanghai." All of tlie action, with the exception of-a short preface in China, takes place on a ship. It has sufficient high- lights to make it mediocre thriller stuff for short terms in first runs, but generally it is an uninspired picture, so hacked in many of Its attempts at drama that audiences of the intelligent caliber laugh in the wrong places. Despite ancient dialog and dove- tailing situations, Loula Wolheim manages to make of the steward role the strongest and most Inter- esting thread In the production. With the big Ivan Llnow as the dumb cook who blindly follows the irate servant, Wolheim works the crew on the ship into a state of mutiny. There Is a great brawl se- quence with Linow standing off the crew. This is the nearest thing to realism and provides a genuine thrlUei', A storm sequence is also convincingly handled. In between Conrad Nagel and Kay Johnson, contesting for each other's love, do a highly artificial performance. But the steward soon discovers his own affection for the blonde girl, and thus her opportu- nity to save friends from the last extreme of scuttling the ship by surrendering to the servant. Before the steward loses his hold by becoming insane, thus joining the sharks to which he had sent the captain, there is another brawl on deck, less realistic than the first, in which Nagel Is quickly dispatched by the giant Linow. ' Holmes Herbert and Carmel My- ei's fill incidental parts as the own- ers of the boat, returning to the Wahj. In every respect "Crazy That Way" is a neat little comedy. So far superior to the average in enter- tainment value that some of the first runs can easily find place for it, while seconds may safely hold it for longer than average. Just about three men and a girl, and, with the setting- confined to a country club lawn and suburban home parlor, this adaptation of Vin- cent Lawrence's play is sustained by dialog never slow and by a cast that never permits things to lag. Mac- Fadden's direction and the cutting room efforts also exceptional. As the girl who can't make up her mind tintil a gruff young engineer (mechanical) shows her the way, Joan Bennett finds one of her most attractive roles. Kenneth Mac- Kenna does a nice job as the engi- neer. Where so many theines of this kind are spoiled by exaggeration everything In "Crazy That Way" Is just so. Jason Robards and Regis Toomey as the boys competing in the race to place the ring keep ac tlon keyed up with their persistency. Epglneer puts over the moral of the clean-cut young man indifferent to women but aware of all that Is going on. But nothing mollycoddle or Insipid. The Robards-Toomey contest in the garden is the climax of a suspense builder surprising In its proportions for a theme so lean ^yal!,. wJCkui* l»^^) PRINCE OF DIAMONDS Columbia production and release. Alleen Frlngle and laa Keith featured. Directed by Karl Brown and A, H. Van Buren. Story by Gene Markey. 'Adaptation and dialog by Paul Hervey Fox. Photographer, Ted Totzlatf. At Loew's New York, New York, one day, April 25. Running time, 67 mlns. Eve Marlay. Alleen Pringle Rupert Endon Ian Keith Lolfth Frit7,l Rldgeway Lord Adrian Tyrrell DavlP Gilbert Craylo Claude KImk 'Williams.... , Tom Ricketlp LI Fang E. Alyn Warren fmllh Gilbert Emery Ormsley Hatchett Frederick Sullivan States. BALACLAVA (BRITISH MADE) (70% Sound) London, April 3 5. Produced by Gainsborough Company. Directed by Maurice Klvey and Milton Ros- mcr. Story <b,y Boyd Cable; scenario by Robert Stevt-nson. Camera, James Wilson and Percy Strong. RCA recording. Pre- view, Tlvoll, T^Jndon, April 14. Running time, 9u minutes. Originally shot silent by Maurice Elvey and in large part made over by Milton Rosmer, this costume mcller suffers from the comparative slowness of the sound-sequences against those made silent—a factor which seems to arise whenever this making over happens. Story is routine, dealing with a quarrel between two officers, a duel, false accusation of murder arising from it, and the eventual confession of a trooper after the oflflccr-hero has been cashiered and rejoined as a horse soldier. Love interest in- jected via daughter of a Scot living In Russia falling In love with falsely accused hero and putting him wise to spy masquerading as a Russian priest. Cyril MacT/aglen, broUier of Vic- tor, is hero, with Miles Mander as the bad officer who gets killed. Mander has one of his stock parts of a dissipated gentleman. He al- ternates these with Oxford-ac- cented dope fiends. Pretty good performance cornea from Alf Goddard as a wisecracking soldier of the Crimean period. Some time) a producer here will got wise as to this large-faced boy's possi- bilities and do something with hira, unless they are still afraid, aa they li.ivft boftn with Hrrunw.tll Flotoher, Better title would provide this film with greater glamor. It's too flip and so takes away a certain something from a quite thin story, borne out okay by the cast but not fulfilled in romance and depth of imagination for the customers in subject matter. Has exploitation possibilities and Ian Keith is a Inark for certain types of women. Photography shows faults but not serious and recording is okay. Not deluxe film but fits of the Columbia type. It's an original something fanci- ful in detail but not enough detail, Relating how a diamond merchant vies with a poor landholder for the hand of a girl. This is in England where most of the story takes place. The girl is also sort of poor with luxurious tastes and rich ap- pearance. ... Story sounds fruitful but essen- tially is more picturesque than the film reveals. Too much staccato stuff In dialog and there Is an ap- parent attempt to make things move too swiftly. As great a fault aa moving too slowly. Showmanship -coxild have been evidenced in giving the Jungle scenes more leeway for sentimental action. In the photography sphere the heads of some of the characters got to strut higher than the screen- ing length of the curtain. As Is the picture could not have cost much to produce and whether which way, it will add profit to the Columbia exchequer. That's the first principle thei-e. Alleen Pringle does fairly. She suited the vole. In the heart beat scenes Miss Pringle was not so hot. Keith has personality and an Intelligent look besides speaking right, but he acts too leisurely Ought to work up some human gen- erator stuff, even for this Columbia speed film. Claude King Is the same as usual. Others suit with the possible ex- ception 01" ilie polii'ft eliiff or what a*