“Hop-Along Cassidy” Is Lavish Western

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 6, 8 January 1936, Page 5

“Hop-Along Cassidy” Is Lavish Western

THRILLING STORY OF THE WIDE OPEN SPACES

(Kosy: Screening Saturday.)

There are some film studios which seem to think that a Western pictutre does not need as much care as is lavished on other types or drama. Paramount is not one of them. This company’s stories of the wide-open spaces , are always well presented, well acted and excellently photographed against fine scenic backgrounds. “Hop-Along Cassidy,” the film version of Clarence E. Muliord’3 famous book, measures right up to Paramount’s usual standard in this respect; while in other ways it is well above the average Western.

In the first place it has the advantage of bringing to life one of the favourite characters -of this most popular t.>po of fiction; again, it avoids many of the usual wearisome melodramatic sequences in favour of developing interest m the strong plot and the splendid chaiacter drawing of Clarence Mulford; and thirdly, it has the benefit of a fine and. vigorous performance by William Boyd in the title role. He brings an entirely new type of two-gun hero to the screen, and one whom it is hoped will be seen again soon in other stories by the same author.

The plot of “Hop-Along Cassidy” revolves around the adventures of three cowboy comrades (William Boyd, Jimmy Ellison and Frank McGlynn, juur.). Inseparable pals, quick on the trigger, they spend their time riding the range looking for trouble, and generally finding it. As soon as Robert Warwick and his daughter (Paula Stone) move next to the Bar-20 ranch, complications ensue which consist of Ellison falling in love with Miss Stone, while the two ranches, Bar-20 and H-2, become enemies. This is because a rustler (Kenneth Thomson) is stealing cattle from both of them, while loading each to suspec t the other.- When the three friends decide to track the rustlers to their hide* out and give them their just deserts, excitement mounts to fevcr-pitch. Sensational riding, dangerous cliff climbing, dynamiting and desperate gunbattles are among the thrills in tlie picture, while delightfully spontaneous humour comes from the performance of George Hayes, as a veteran cowboy.

Songs and Fun in Entertaining

Landi Picture

INCORPORATES SCENES PROM THREE POPULAR OPERAS

(Regent: Screening To-day.)

Comedy, romance and superlative singing are blended in Paramount’s “Enter Madame,” which features Elissa Landi and Cary Grant. With the story of an opera star’s life and love for its plot, “Enter Madame’ ’ takes advantage oi its locale to introduce a number of scenes from three popular operas; not merely incidental scenes, hut actual opera, faithfully, beautifully and effectively performed.

The voices of Eichard Bonelli, Metro* politan Opera star, and Nina Kashetz, famous sopruno, are heard in these scenes and add immeasurably to the delight of the picture. In and out of the opera dashes a diverting tale of marital misunderstanding between a beautiful prima donna and her handsome but neglected husband. The climax of the story comes when he reverses the treatment and Miss Landi pursues him and brings hna back to her arms by an ingenious ruse: Miss Landi and Grant in the principal featured roles again give evidence of their unusual comedy talent and are a delight to watch. They get excellent comedy support from Lynne Overman, Sharon Lynne, Frank Albertson, Adrian Eosley and Paul Porcasi, featured in the supporting cast. Directed by Elliott Nugent, “Enter Madame” has everything that goes to make for an hour’s capital entertainment. It has eye ap peal, ear appeal, and more than its quota of laughs. Miss Landi, who has four published books to her credit, uses a novel tech* nique in imaginatively bringing to life the characters she plays in her film roles. When the script, w r hick necessarily only contains a portion of the life of the character she will play, is delivered to Miss Landi, she sits down with, paper anad pencil and constructs an imaginary life history of the character. Employing her literary imagination on the character, with the play for her starting point, Miss Landi thus learns to understand the character better and to build up mannerisms and motivations which help her to portray the subject more faithfully., New Developments in Screen Cartoons

Announcement that he has perfected a practical third dimension process for screen cartoons as a result of experiments extending over a period of years, was made by Max Fleischer, producer for the Paramount studios of “Popeye the Sailor,” “Betty Boop” and other film caricatures.

“I have just completed a series of experiments with some new attachments to our equipment which will not only increase depth effects in our pictures by 75 per cent., but will have the effect of our characters operating well within the scene instead of in the foreground as before,” Fleischer reported. “A preliminary test has proved the new development to be practical, and I am rushing our machinists to tho utmost to apply the new departure to ‘Popeye tho Sailor Meets Sinbad tho Sailor,’ the two-reel colour picture now in preparation at the Paramount studios.” <s> <s> <♦> <S>

The third Tarzan full length film to co-star Johnny Weissmuller with Maureen O’Sullivan, .entitled “Tarzan Escapes,” has now been completed at Hollywood. Benita Hume, William Henry and John .Buckler are in the film, which was directed by James Ms* Kay.