Judge — August 10, 1929 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

JUDGE ITH one or two rare exceptions British movies have been as crude and out-of-date as British Sounding the familiar cry of Britain for the British, the press has urged the public to stop patronizing Menjou, Keaton, Chaplin, et al., under Ity of losing its dignity and its culture. Radical sts have cited the commoncr’s preference for ~ause of everything from the strike to the Chinese situation. As a result agitation, British producers have turned out of film, sold reams of fake stock, and done everything but produce movies worth putting into Roxy's. “Piccadilly” contradicts every precedent estab- lished by British movies. I wish every director in Hollywood had to run it off in his projection room before starting his daily toil. It is every inch a movie. Restrained, limited to a silent, pantomimic expression of the feelings, actions, of a night club propricter, a dancer, a half-caste slavey and her lover, it is thoroughly: satisfying. The scenario was ree b: American movies as the Wale: Arnold Bennett. Dupont, who made “Vari one of the best movies on record, directed “Piccadilly.” And a British actor, Jameson Thomas, in one hour out- 1 Holl wood hero uss an € We fiok, seen Welore, camera with the deft delicacy of performed the ordinary bright-c as easily as Seagrave might bit. Dupont did nothing we k but he used the intelligent artist. The photography was beyond re- proach and Anna May Wong, as the Limehouse slavey, put our Caucausian clothes-horses to shame. She is a splendid actress. She had to cross the oc to have a chance in a movie to prove it. The one we: member of the “Piccadilly” party Gilda Gray. Rather fat, and as muscle-bound as her ¢ Grim Greta, she added little to the gene In moving to its logical and tragic conclus on “Piccadilly” manages to show us the psychol summits, the high lights of the chief actors. J important step is neatly dovetailed. It is perfectly “A Dangerous Woman” —In this terue, man steps out as the leading man of | “Alibi?” —Fast-moving. Excetlent dire — Hollywood in the best talkie to thon and acting in » crook talkie. “Broadway” — Fantastic sete, fair music, good dir . but no acting in a talkie version of the famous stage play. “Cocoanut” — The Four Marx Brothers worth seeing in a musical comedy not worth bearing. balanced. There are no There is no moral. There is no happy-ever- afterward suggestion. After the thousands of night- club movies on this side of the ocean it is astonishing that the mere craft of the director can bring such a novelty to the subject. ‘The in the realism he imparts to his mimes, “Piccadilly” has no startling plot, no unique treat- ment. It has merely an expert cast handled by an artist. “box-office” love scenes. novelty lies Ie Cuaney has all the equipage of an actor ex- cept the ability to act. nce “The Mi Man” he has been throwing his joints and face into every position known to science and scenario writers. mysterious reason he always must b martyred to duty and ce cy. “The Unknown, Zast is East,” “Laugh, Clown, Laugh,” “The Voice of the City” show us a big he-man sacrificing him- self for love. In “Thunder” the Chaney body is covered with the regalia of a railroad engineer, but the old breaking heart is again immolated on the altar of duty. The crying minister or actor is a lazy work- man, It’s the easiest trick in the trade. Unless Uncle Lon gets over his habit of giving his all for the flaxen-haired gal, this department is going to call him a big sissy and stay away from his movies. BY all means avoid “A Dangerous Woman.” It is about the second worst talkie ever produced in any language. For some ARO furnish you with dinner conversation I pose the following paradoxes: Helen Hayes can play the réle of a young flapper with child, on the stage; Mary Pickford can not play the same réle, speak the same lines in a talking movie in the city. Reason: producer afraid of the censors. Ethel Barrymore can be the intelligent wife of (Continued on page 31) same The Movie Guide “Four Feathers” —An extravagant but dull combination of animal life and army trouble in the Soudas “Hearts Dizie"—Uncle Tom's Cabin with music, ineloding a marvelous comedian and some excellent singing. Allenegro, all-talking, “Innocents of Paris” —A famous French star in an old plot. Chevalier does enough to make it worth while. “Charming Sinners” —In this issue. “Piceadilly”—In this issue. “Thunder”—In this issue. 19 comicbooks.com