Judge — October 27, 1928 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

JUDGE AviNe used up much space in this column at H various times, lauding the first American effort of the Austrian director Murnau, I am more than reluctant to admit that his recent produc- tion, “4 Devils.” has no more satanic power than a small boy with a pea-shooter. You see the same finished work that made “Sun- and the music and sound se- ris powerful j quences have been synchronized with the same good taste, but an effective atmosphere is about all Mr. Murnau manages to muster with all his equipment and direction. There is no story, and n had there the wouldn't known about it. I haven't seen so many stupid humans since the last time I appeared before the committee on classifics tion of grades. I’m not sure that Mr. Murnau gets the blame for his cast. Mr. Fox, the mother expert, might have boxed them up and sent them to the di- or's tion over his protest, but whoever got those five people together did a dandy job. The story deals with the life of four acrobats and jady with a lech, Unlike “Variety,” that very ex- ‘lent picture with which Emil Jannings took this country by storm, these acrobats live a monastic ex- nce of self-denial. If you remember, the variety troupe in the first acrobatic opus spent their leisure time drinking beer and p Personally, I don't know but I feel that if I spent my working hours hanging by my toes from a trapeze I would spend my off moments doing something more exciting than reading the “Harvard Classics.” But let me tell you the story. Two orphan boys and two stray girly are taken in by an old clown and trained to be acrobats. They eventually make as “the + Devils” and live the simple life of home- loving acrobats, until the head man is seduced by a been cast have re loc ing cards, with variations, thing about acrobats, good JUDGIWG TeM By PARE LORENTZ O ow) Y lady with a low-cut gown and a receding forehead. This salacious experience disrupts the troupe until the little girl who has been deserted by her back- flipping squire takes a dive off the handle-bars and convinces him that he belongs among the tight ropes rather than the titled boudoirs. Maybe it is a good story, but you'd never know it the way the cast goes at it. In the first place, the two male acrobats, from their appearance, would be t home swinging behind a counter from the dainty end of a roll of ribbon rather than a trapeze, and the girls, prob in Brisbane's column that trapeze work keeps you in good humor, nd tittery from morning ‘til night t I soon nourished a growing desire to sce a trapeze bar lift them a good one in the teeth. That's how much I care for a titter. Of course, there’s Janet G Hailed as the emotional star of the screen, Mr. Fox, that lancholy old watchdog of the mothers of the land, lls her before the camera every time she passes his office to do a bit of crying for him. I'll admit she does it very well indeed, but the sight of a be-tighted young lady swinging from a trapeze bar with gentle tears trickling to the sawdust moved me no more than if she had been eating crackers in bed. It’s not that Mr. Murnau doesn't know how to make better movies; he’s either held in or has decided that the movie public is worth nothing better. While I think of it, a young lady called Mary Duncan through some of the strangest contortions, putting oss her sex appeal, that have been seen in the movies since the days Theda Bara used to let down her hair and swoon to her tiger ski It’s possible there was an error in the program. Miss Duncan may have been the contortionist of the troupe. That's (Continued on page 28) more bly having re are so coy 4 nor. new Des: ac ve day shows only) wings” (0 p Reviewed in this (Continuows performance mories) “The Docks of Mew York” (T: —A robust story that geta sal vation cod. George Bancroft and Baclanova “Fant” —A terrible example of Arabian love and American independence not o¢)—Beautiful and capable acting by Based an Frederick O'Brien's f the white man’s civilization mining “The Cardboard Lever" (Gotham)— The Movie Guide on Davies in a very im “The Magnificent Flirt ((sle An amusing prece, with Florence Vi “The Night Watch" —Reviewed i issue. Sat his worst is fui ,°, fs comedian. One “The Paviet”—One of the best pic: Ernest Torrence that should be worth a tures of the year. Sound sequences an aifdollar noying at times, but Emil Jannings makes the German drama a powerful piece of “The Terrer"—Long, but funny to work places. All talking comicbooks.com