Cinema Reviews

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21656, 14 December 1935, Page 10

Cinema Reviews

V;‘ regent ' 4* ; “ACCENT ON YOUTH” ‘‘Accent on Youth” has a complicated Etory for a comedy drama, but the direction of Wesley Ruggles gives it clarity in the telling and acting. There is much more of the drama than comedy—and perhaps even a little melodrama. ' The humour is more or less ironical. It is an ironical situation for a playwright to be forced to live through the bitterness of a dramatic romance which he had himself conceived. ■•The splendid acting of Herbert Marshall—virtually the outstanding point in the whole production—is based ,on this ironical attitude to the strange development of his play in real -life. Marshall has the right touch for this sort of work —his quiet, deliberate voice and slow smile intensify the effect. Not. many men could have made of the role anything else but a sensual old' man trying to find his youth agairj. - ■ Sylvia Sydney, playing with Herbert Marshall, has an even more difficult assignmeht in playing the role of a misunderstood young woman who is more or less thrown about callously by men who love her, but who cannot decide whether their love, runs to the length of marriage. She is the young secretary to the successful playwright (Marshall), and it may have been auto-sug-gestion that made her fall in love with him (in spite of his 50 years), after he had written a play about the love of an ageing man for a youthful girl., The romance developed beyond suggestion and the playwright found himself face to face with the reality of his stage problem. He cannot solve it. She dives deep and marries another man. Her husband symbolises the youth which the playwright advised her to seek.. She finds that youth cannot attract her. It is a problem play, after all, more than a comedy romance. But a good one, nicely acted and of course with a leavening of comedy. But it would have made an equally successful straight-out drama. The supporting programme has one of those still popular cartoons about the,'spinach-eating “Popeye,” the sailor-man whose feats of valour and strength are almost as amusing as Mickey-Mouse at his best. This is the best “Popeye” effort yet.

MAJESTIC COMEDY; AND DRAMA For those who like more than an hour’s continual merriment, the main film at the • Majestic Theatre this week, “The Man on the Flying Trapeze.” can be safely recommended. It is excellent American comedy. There is not a moment in it that has not some new action or thought which nrovides an even flow of merriment. That Tom Walls of the American screen, W, C. Fields, is in his best form, and his clever fooling and unusually ugly face are the making of a' production. His talent is not the only remarkable thing about “The Man bn the Flying Trapeze.” There is an -(extremely humorous plot. Fields is the gay sypporter of a family of parasites, a nagging wife, an exasperating mother-in-law, and a., fat- and lazy brother-in-law. ‘ ( Fields always seems to have an almost uncanny knack of involving himself in scrapes. The plot of this picture relates his many misfortunes when he is tempted to tell his boss that his mother-in-law has died from alcoholic poisoning so that he may attend a wrestling match. .Kathleen Howard as the nagging wife, is almost as funny as Fields himself, while the menace of Field’s life (in the shape of his mother-in-law) is made particularly fearsome by Vera Lewis. Mary . Brian is the attractive daughter who sides with her father against the strong disapproval with which Fields meets from the rest of the family. The few scruples an American sensational newspaper editor has in ruining lives so that he may get his ‘‘front-page story” forms the theme Of White Lies,” the other attraction. The film tells in a very vivid manner the dramatic story of a ruthless publisher whose search for sensational news stories makes his own daughter the defendant in a murder case. Walter Connolly is the newspaper editor. The part is a difficult one, but- Connolly scores just as big a success'as he registered in his former film, “The Caotain Hates the Sea.” The whole cast, however, is exceedingly well balanced and the idea is in many ways an original one. The programme, which' is completed by a newsreel, is one that should'not be missed. * ■ TIVOLI “SHE MARRIED HER BOSS” Two things make “She Married Her Boss,” which has been transferred from the Regent, to the-Tivoli, a really outstanding'romantic comedy. One is _ the work of Claudette Colbert, which is s 6 well knp'wn'that praise seems unnecessary. The other is the reappear- ~ ance, and at his best, of Melvyn Douglas. This star seems to make such infrequent appearances in films of, any importance; that his name slips'.'frqm the memofy '-Uhtil'he virtually leaps into prominence in some characteristic role which more often than not makes a film worth’.while; in. face of all the insistent pushing forward of the .principal part It , could nbt ; be said that Claudette Colbert, who is starred ostensibly without majev support in, this film, needs any pushing forward, but Melvyn Douglas could hardly be dispensed with in the role which he lakes here. With Claudette Colbert he makes the film remarkably good. There is another fine portrayal in this film. A small child, Edith Fellowes, playing a stubborn little girl part, has so notable a success" that it is easy to prophesy a starring career for her, and perhaps even as rapid a rise as the much younger Shirley Temple. Her part is no “cute little child” one. She acts a difficult role with ease and understanding, developing a link with “the Test of the story so strong that audiences wait for her; reapparance, women even sniff sym-; pathetically with her when she cries; over a domestic squabble which; threatens her happiness. In fact, she! succeeds with as subtle a piece of l sentiment as could be thought of,| nicely wedged into comedy and just) as nicely tailing off into comedy again! at that critical moment when some] sentimental member of the audience; might be constrained to weep loudly.. Here the. direction of Gregory I-a' Cava reaches its best. He makes good use of rare talent. Edith Fellowes is a “find.” . The comedy in the story is bright, and rare—nothing stereotyped,. noth-; ing monotonously , funny. It deals with! the story of a pretty but too conscientious secretary. The only insubordin-| ation of which she is guilty, is .to-fall' love with her “boss.” He marries her for her efficiency, she marries him for his love. They discover it to be a bad- bargain and finally strike a new and apparently better one. One of those entertaining -and intriguing rhapsodies in colour which; threaten to supplant even “Mickey; ■louse” cartoons and their like from; he. supporting programmes is among he supports.

CRYSTAL PALACE “DU. SOCRATES” Paul Muni, as a dramatic actor, takes his place with those few who impose limitations upon themselves because they are concerned with interpretation. They are of a school that at present is not favoured; they have been thrown into unfair competition with the John Boles type. Yet Muni is still loyal to his beliefs. In “Dr. Socrates,” which yesterday began a season at the Crystal Palace, he takes a part which allows him the privilege of personal interpretation. while it fits neatly into a quite unhackneyed and pleasant sequence of events: '• * It might appear a blatant contrast to have Muni, the embittered, banished man of “I am a Fugitive from the Chain Gang,” cast as a doctor. Actually there is nothing amiss. Perhaps Muni’s claim to any achievement is his ability to live a part instead of merely .being a convenient dummy to fill it by looking pleasant. He makes as convincing a doctor as he did a fugitive. Dr. Socrates has been forced into an exiguous country practice because he has lost his nerve and is able no longer to be responsible for important operations. In a village he is bemused, uncaring; his failure to get patients turns Mm into a brooding* defeatist. He only reads; and his reading of philosophy earns .for him the ironical name Socrates. Meanwhile there have been lurking in the background rumours of the doings of a gang of bandits: They are active in the district where Socrates meditates and earns no money. His peace is disturbed, however, by the leader of the gang himself, who forces Socrates to dress an injury received in a brush with the police. Shortly after that again the gangster and the doctor come to have a mutual interest. Thfey both are attracted by a girl; and while it is the prerogative, of the doctor to give the girl shelter in his home, it is the gangster’s contention, or threat, that he saw the girl first. Such an argument is typical of the general mental outlook of the man, whose custom it is now to call upon the doctor whenever any of his men are injured. This fight of very different tactics between the men brings a good deal of excellent “theatre” into the film. But more, it provides a study in the slowly recovered awareness to life of Socrates. His doping of the whole gang with injections against a fabulous disease he diagnoses in every one of them is probably one of the finest nieces of restrained comedy that has. been seen for a long time. The supporting programme is generous and very good. PLAZA “THE GOOSE AND THE GANDER” To mix up three couples in the most absurd and complicated manner so that at one stage there appear to be three, women who are the wives of one 'man, was the task of Warner Brothers in their hilarious new picture “The Goose and the Gander,” which began a season at the Plaza Theatre yesterday. The film is directed by Alfred Green; it includes some good mountain lodge scenery, and one excellent shot of surf-bathing. The stars are Kay Francis and George Brent, who both prove that they are most competent in comedy parts. The story begins with Mrs Summers (Genevieve Tobin) and Bob McNear bathing in a fine rolling surf; they land on a raft and discuss a plan for eloping the next day; and as they sit there Georgianna (Kay Francis), who was Ralph Summers’ first wife, climbs up and inadvertently overhears the conversation. But she has seen Bob

McNear and has made' up her mind that the woman who took Ralph Summers from here is not -going to be allowed to leave him 'in the lurch just when she wants to. This first picture of Kay Francis is a fine piece of photography. * .When McNear and Betty Summers decide to go off to the mountains for the week-end, Georgianna decides to invite Ralph Summers (Ralph Forbes) to her lodge; the lodge is on the way to the week-end Resort, and Georgianna arranges things- so that the eloping pair are" prevented from eloping and are forced to, stay at her lodge. Complications, set in when McNear begins to fall In love with Georgianna and to discover that he does not love the second’ Mrs Summers after all. Further complications occur when two jewel thieves steal Georgianna’s pearls and Betty’s emeralds and cat; they also are forced to remain for the night at Georgianna’s lodge. During the night the'thefts'are discovered and most of those in the party begin to feel about three times as uncomfortable as ever before. Things are made worse when Georgianna announces to McNear that Ralph Summers will arrive in time for lunch; Betty is determined to get away, and the thieves are determined to prevent her or anyone else until they have the jewels safely and are able to leave without trouble. Helen Lowell takes the part of Georgianna’s aunt Julia with the utmost of calm and self-possession. To prove that the complications are not easily cleared up it is only necessary to say that handcuffs'and a prison cell come into the picture before the end—which, of course, is satisfactory to everyone concerned, except the jewel thieves. This is . a bright-comedy tha-; is' particularly well acted. - There, is a golfing special in the supporting' programme that all golfers would find interesting: j-jbby Jones gives sortie hints about handgrips that are well received by the golfers in the picture. There are also musical hits and a comedy in the supporting programme. .

something intriguing about Egypt and its ancient tombs Therefore a picture where a great part of the action fakes place in a tomb, and the rest in an Egyptian town, and where the leading role is that of a Chinese detective. is almost certain to be a success. No actor could better fill that leading role than Warner Gland and it is very difficult to conceive of better use being made of so unusual a setting. For these reasons “Charlie Chan in Egypt” is an outstanding mystery film. The atmosphere of suspense is created in the first few feet and is skilfully maintained until the very end. The selection of the villain is satisfyingly difficult,’ and he who makes the correct selection before the end will be clever indeed. Warner Oland is supported by a cast of more than ordinary competence. Comedy touches, which are introduced at appropriate moments, are supplied by a comical negro servant who rejoices in the name of Snowshoes, and cn rarer occasions by Charlie Chan himself. The most interesting things about Charlie Chan are his proverbial sayings, which are unusual, apt, and forceful. He uses a good stock of them in this film with marked effect. The supporting films are unusually interesting, and include two news reels, two comedies, and an animated cartoon. Fsing Crosby appears in one of the comedies and sings with his usual skill. He has more acting than singing to do, but does it really well, making the film notable for a short comedy. The other comedy is composed entirely of stunt flying and is aptly called “Air Maniacs.” Trie whole programme is well balanced and should not be missed by anyone who enjoys mystery and thrills. .

GEAND “GIVE HER A RING” Three actors who combine very well are Clifford Mollison, Wendy Barrie, and Zelma O’Neal, and in “Give Her a Ring,” which is now showing at the Grand Theatre, they act very creditably. In “Give Her a Ring” a clever blending of music and scenes make a very pleasant film. As in most musical comedies, the plot is not very deep, but the film' is notable for its excellent music and delightful comedy. “Crime on the Hill,” which is the second feature, is a clever story, brilliantly presented, of the efforts of Scotland Yard to solve several murders which are committed in a peaceful English village. Sir Nigel Playfair, Lewis Casson, and Phyllis Dare are the leaiding actors.