Judge — January 25, 1930 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

JUDGE JUDGIWG T=MO pon’r know whether the market has influenced the executive offices or not, but a new spirit entered the movie studios of William Fox, There was a time when every movie released from those recesses carried a sob and a plea for mother. In fact, for a year the editors scemed bent on making the country mother-conscious, and the Roxy Theatre used to be ankle-deep in tears five times a day. Recently the wall mottoes have’been replaced by barroom nudes, and mother has been put on the shelf in avor of that old family remedy, sex. Hot for Paris” is the latest package of sex to arrive from the coast, and I have little objection to it. I was nauseated by “The Cock-eyed World” because of a few peculiar reasons, but I was relieved to sce that by one method or another a bawdy movie got by the censors. As “Hot for Paris” has no military nor literary sentimental background, I liked it immensely for the same reason, It has a whisky-voiced gal named Fifi who makes Lily Damita seem a poor imitation of a rare print; it has the usual burlesque comedian with oversized trousers and a husky leading man who drinks cognac and lifts the girls’ skirts in.a business-like manner. ere is a gay spirit, as innocent as choir boys on a , that gives zest to the old Pullman jokes with which they have manufactured “Hot for Paris,” and if you like your fun raw, I recommend it highly. Arte a session of imitation German stage sets and dull 4% stage drops, it is a genuine pleasure to see such ex- cellent photography as the director of “Hell’s Heroes” presented. There are several surprises in this movie. It is short. It has no love interest, in the movie sense of the word, and Charles Bickford is perfectly cast as the hard est of three bad men. The story was written at least ten years ago, but it lends itself perfectly to movie treatment. It deals with three bad men who rob a bank and then come into the custody of a newly born child on Christmas eve. I have seldom seen more effective scenes than the flat table of the desert shivering under a merciless sun, and the eliminat of heavy sentiment gives the slim plot a simple tragic spirit that never once lets down. It is really a movie, not a stage imitation, and a superb one at that. By ~ 62 FEW seasons ago several carloads of young maverick writers were shipped to the great movie open spd only to stray or expire of ennui. The few who remain have polished dialogue and given a much-needed profes- sional tone to the routine scenarios. aughing Lady" was adapted from Sutro’s play by a newspaperman, with the result that toward the conclusion the entire suspense of the play is shifted from the main characters to the city room of a tabloid newspaper. It is not important, but I do think it is pretty funny. With all due respect to the tabloids, I will not yet believe that the only topic of conversation at the Bankers’ Club is the morning Daily Mirror headlines or that the directors of the Electric Bond and Share retire to privy chambers and read the Graphic headlines before they vote on a new merger. “Laughing La has a thin story that stays above water because Ruth Chatterton keeps there. She is involved in a tabloid scandal, divorced from her husband and scparated from her child. The story then settles down to a fight between a tabloid paper and the wronged lady, the lady finally winning everything, including a corporation lawyer, a prize which we may generously call important. The plot dies the minute the reporter gets hands on it, but Miss Chatterton gives it a splendid funeral. “ “ue Farmer's Wife” is a gentle English silent film. It is full of t sweet, simple humor that alway works into any English farm literature, so that you are led to believe that even the cows read Punch, but it is silent and well done. So if it ever comes your way, it might give you a chance to catch up on your relaxation. ‘Dyrxamire” is a Cecil de Mille movie in the old, gra manner and, bathrooms as big nd usual, has everything in it from the laundry on the Leviathan to a coal-mine explosion on the scale of the San Francisco earthquake. De Mille still follows the Old Testament style of literature, and he does it well, but the latter-day movie saints are discarding the theory that the wages of sin is death so severely that De Mille seems as hopelessly isolated as a Fundamentalist Baptist missionary in Moscow. The Movie Guide “Applause” —Interesting camera work. —An alletar cast trying to ting ber pay. “Condemaed” te funay with a serious story. “The Lady Lies” —A sound plot, a good. cast, and well worth your whil jearts in Exile” —Dolores Costello hardly “The Kiss” —Greta Garbo in nothing at all. enough to see. Half talkie. “Paris” —G. “Prisoners” —A Molnar story done well d music. “Sweetie” —Pleasing. “The Sky Hawk” —Silly, “Show of Shows" —Worthless. “Piecadi 1 don’t know where it is, but see it Strobe Silent. “Taming of the Shrew” —Very well done. “Romance of Rie Grange” —Terrible. “The Ti '—Gloria Swanson makes “The Leve Dactar”—It was goot in 1912 respanser"” a brave effort, but all ia vain. “Love Parady"—Worth seeing. “ “ is oe *Shannens of Breatway”—Good vande- Toetights an Feels” —Just that. ace Sabre” — Ramin fresing her i? “AThe Vagabond Lever"—If you like saro- sant wae Wostaertiy—Tentie: “Paris Bound”—The smart play well done “Seven Facts” —Nose of them worth Phone players +s “Hallelujah” —The best movie of the year. by Ann Handing and Frederick March eecing. “The Vieginiay”— Dull. 23 comicbooks.com