Judge — November 17, 1928 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

JUDGE aifs anways get my Lon Chaney the new Ford anecdotes and this, coupled with the recollection of his last three performances, > me pretty sore at the double-jointed Mr. jokes confused with While the City Sleeps,” display the surly characteristics of an old-time de- tective, and in order to impress his enthusiastic audience, Mr. Chaney alternately grits his tecth and a grim, and rubs his aching fect while the now ever-present sound accompaniment plays Hearts and Flowers off stage. We've had so many gang pictures well done, this production comes out of the scrap album with tell- tale evidences of several plots, It is not convincing for any three consecutive seconds, Cl » looks like a cross between an undertaker and eter inspector, and as usual, he suddenly becomes sex-conscious toward the middle of the pic- nd runs home to have a good ery all by him- I've never had it explained to me, but it seems as though it is an unwritten law around the Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer studios that Mr. Ch. must never, never be allowed to do more than stand off and re- gard the lady of his heart with moist eyes and a rebounding Adam's apple, and the After all, in a while, he is called upon to ypears ve ture self. idea becomes they might give him a wed- and I, for one part of the Chaney audience, am rather tired of sceing him turn pale and go picking at his watch-chain the first time he takes a crack at holding hands. So much for the sex notice. There is the usual machine has become a dramatic fixture in the gang movie story, and Chaney brings a gang of indifferent mur- derers to justice, meantime saving an innocent: girl and denying his love well, because monotonous, ding once gun sequence which for her beeau that’s hi and he's going to stick to it. about all. s not worth much time. That's qron the flat sum of Two Thousand Dollars Ul submit a better scenario on any subject than was presented in “The Midnight Taxi.” For Three Thousand Dollars I'll do a better piece of ing in any réle except little Eva than Helen Costello turned in during the run of this crook romance, and for Pour Thousand Dollars just mark the envelope “Private,” because I'll consider practically anything. To get the scenario out of the way, we are shown a bootleg gang en route to Vancouver with a last- minute addition of an innocent girl who in reality is following them in order to recover the stolen bonds end set her lover free. One of the bootlegs ntleman, it turns out, and she is won over to him her lover, once released by her hard efforts, again turned over to the police for being careless with some bonds. This mild little ror so bewilderingly it is not antic bit is so poorly cast hacked up into talking sequences fun. The Warner Brothers might better have served humanity by building a big airy clubhouse for movie critics. However, the! cre redeeming feature in “The Midnight T; axi,” and it is the part of the hero-villain. I find a movie hero with whom I and much is one am first see him in prison, iv x through the bars to his » the brave little girl who spends her week-ends gadding about with, bootle order to recover the stolen bonds, and when to the effect “A: in jail. pple Why don't you get under way, ete.” The Movie Guide Two Pertormances Daily Shows. Con- ‘sult Daily Papers for Theatre changes.) ety) —The producers {rae Shadows" (Astor) taking photography, a story that ast misses being great. The peace yet (Continuous Shows) “Air Cireus (Daly)—You've heant iam Fox and his mother love ther example, and given hima p Very weak stu ‘The Home Towners™ (Warner's) — All talking. To be reviewed next week. “Lise Time” (Central)—As was overteant to say, the pictu but the music is so sweet “The Singing Fost” (Winter Ga: And certainly that is true of th ‘This is “The Cameraman” (F So long as Keaton still reviewing wll eever be euch a bed job. 2d St.)— “The Cardboard Lover” (ark west) — in) —F ‘These things don't make it any bel of picture of roses, however. Marioa Davies trying too year. See it by all tea “Take Me Home” (Brrroort)—Re- viewed in this issue. “The Wedding March” —Stupid story decked out in uniform, “Wings” (Rialto) —If you're interested in flying pictures, this us still the best one tome. yw York” (West xd) — It and some gorgeous ography in a waterfront epic. (Carroll, Brooklyn) James Cruze makes avinciagly. Woeth Magnificent Flirt”—The only rousing light comedy made this year “The Midnight Taxi”—Ieviews! in “Wh te the City Sleeps" —Teviewed ia this teeur. comicbooks.com