Judge — October 13, 1928 — page 25: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUDGE = 7 JUDGIVG H=MOVIES By PARE LORENTZ reads that “A alyze wit and humor can un ) be too incisive ommend that you is that old bromide which man who would derstand neithe Buster K see his picture, teats so T shall aton, but rr “The Cameraman.” Indubitably the picture is not up to the standard of Keaton’s earlier pictures, “The Navigator,” “The General,” and “College.” He has gone to work for another company and their production has not com up to the well-polished excellency of the comedies turned out by Keaton’s own outfit. But, uncritical or not, this wooden-faced lad docs x to be re fect of space, and es. hands and feet that are is and funny. in the “Cameraman,” as there usually is ina Keaton movie, in which the hero plays a baseball game by himself to the cold sterity of the deserted Yankee Stadium, The idea is amusing, but Keaton, by virtue of knowing the art of pantomime, peoples the diamond with uniformed athletes, fills the concrete tiers with shirt-sleeved fans, and so animates the picture you Mr. Rickard’s trained troop of surly morons, whom he jovially calls ushers, leading late customers to wrong seats. concerning not need a story, a leading lady, or a new ga entertaining. Give him six squ he'll do things with his e) neat, spontanc There is one ace scene can even. sec Because of the love interest the movie is long- winded and the last dull, But, for the sa scene wherein the ¢ Harry Gribbon, aton sit in the drivin and test each other's reflexes, I urge you to see it. Then there is the place where Keaton hops on the fire-truck—but why should I sit up all night telling you about it when you can go downtown and sce it yourself? labored and and the named sequence is of the comi al-faced fellow vce inoa a lean and hungry director sneaks into 1 studio with a st phone that synchronize, and gets it on the screen without too much box-office deletion. Such an incident occurred when the comparatively unknown Von Sternbe “Underworld” into a can and shipped it East to startle a sleepy public. Since then the Paramount offic Mr. Sternberg breakfast in bed, so to speak, but he hasn't done anything worthy of note since. Possibly, it is not his fault. O east, and a m y,a tossed s have been giving Anyway, he brings forth another picture that has the Sternberg mark of veracity, the black-and-white beauty he can grasp from the dingy hold of a ship or the unpainted bull- pens of a waterfront, but the story he was forced to portray fell into the backwater of his waterfront at- mosphere with the pudgy splash of a cratcload of garbage. A simple theme, itn Love’ avistic, stern, and fade-out must have the hero, a dull-witted stevedore, jumping overboard to swim what one presumes was a xood portion of the Atlantic Ocean in order to rejoin 4 prostitute whom he has married during the momen- tary excitement of his one night ashore. The theme of salvation is not objectionable. It is, however, in “The Docks of New York” entirely out of keeping with the illusion of the story and, as a result, artificial and cheap. The big moment would have been a corking situa- tion fora play, As the drama depended more on the dialogue than the photography, it was weak in a mov “Stark moving. As it is, the nt have been another This moment comes when the lusty stevedore, taking his fun where he finds it, decides to marry the wharf-rat he has saved from suicide. The wedding (Continued on page 27) The Movie Guide Two pertermances a day only shows) “The Terror (Warner's) —Lons janay in All talking “hie Circus Pe ing and a ailly story time fy “white Shadows" (stor) photography and eapabl Hive. Kase! on Fre dictment of the wh of the Pacific “Lilae Time” (Central) —A sloppy steal from all of the other flying pictures of the year * (Criterion) —The long-run p ' is still, despite its hammy Lest pictures of the year. So » the beat Rying picture made tyuenees, anpoying at times, b Jannings makes this German ¢ powerful piece of work “The Cameraman” —Buster Keaton in 0 very funny scenes. “Submarine” (Embassy) —\ fair treat ment of a thrilling eubject. B. rinking of the S51. Recos lovers of the Macabre “Her Carddeard Lever"—Marion Dsa- vies in a very improving production, ‘The Magnificent Flirt” (Royal)—An amusing piece, with Florence Vidor. “The Racket (Palace)—Louis Wol- in an honest version of the stage jccess. An exceptionally authentic pee “The Docks of New York" —A robust story that gets salvation in the end. George Bancroft and Baelanova. (Continuous pertermance movies.) “Steamboat Bill, dr." (Nemo)—Bus- “Fanil™ (Fox's Audubon, Park Plaza, ter Keaton at his worst is funnier thar Academy)}—A terrible example of Arabian the ordinary comedian. One very love and American independence ot scene with Ernest Torrence that iting be worth a half-dollar