Judge — January 24, 1931 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

ici a Seanad most successful picture of the week was intended for children, or that is what I was told. It was Tom nd was played by as unsophisticated a group of chil- dren as you will find outside the sophomore class of any reform school. Little Mitzi Green, who can’t be a day over nineteen, played Becky, while Jackie Coogan put aside his spats, his Coronas and his brokers’ vyer. And e crazy. notices and played ‘Tom if you think I saw it you" I AM GLAD the producers are attempt- ing to bring the children into the theatre, even though sentiment pre- vents me from joining in their merry- making. From what I have seen the ordinary intelligent child between the rs of 4 and 8 would just as soon think of sceing Jackie Coogan the second time as a police sergeant would think of stopping in urant that abides by our national laws. And, as far as that goes, I have heard them n bitterly at such honest at- tempts a a as “Moby Dick,” “Madonna of the Streets,” and “Little Accident.” I have seen them express pleasure at the flying in “Hell's Angels” and they are consistent ad- mirers of Laurel and Hardy, the newsreels and the all too occasional marionette shows of Tony Sarg. And so the producers hire Mitzi Green and Jackie Coogan to bring the little kid- ies into the theatre. It would be per, and would make better sense, put skating rinks and marble galleries in their theatre lobbies. However, if this suggestion is ignored —and I have every reason to believe it will be—let the child lovers hire Mr. Richard Hughes to direct his “Inno- cent Voyage.” The children will un- derstand it and the adult audience: i.e, the salesmen, chorus girls, débu- tantes and retired railroad engincers, will think it good comedy. res rT was just as shocking to see Mr. Douglas Fairbanks, senior, in a smutty picture as it would be to see little Mitzi Green smoking a Cubeb, JUDGE By PARE LORENTZ JIUDGWG r=MOVILE § YH ¢ ‘| or little Jackie C to-nose at his grandmother, and he de- serves to lose a great t of his young admirers. The new Fairbanks called “Reaching for the Moon,” and it is strained from begin- ning toend. There are touches of the Fairbanks flair, the show moves along smoothly, there is only one song in it, and Edward Everett Horton is very successful as second man in the However, there is, when you get down to it, nothing in “Reaching the Moon” but Mr. rbanks. has been true of his movies for t ten years, but in the past Mr. ks somewher n putting thumb- show is show. as doing something, going moving along. Sce to what low estate we have fallen! The old Ro- manticist actually stands for minutes at a time and en s in double en- tendre so dull it might have been lifted from any successful English play. Reaching for the Moon” will pass in Hollywood for a smart conception of a Wall Street broker. (It might even pass in certain Broad Street offices, although the pent-house, sixteen - cylinder, amphi ‘vanished from existence; it ea good idea to catch one of the few survivors, stuff him and put him on view at the American Museum. Anyway, you could stuff him.) Mr. Fairbanks is breaking the market, just as simply as movie heroes have these many years, when he meets Bebe Dan- I suppose n broker Recommended “The Blue Angel”——A_ so show, with Emil Janning Dietrich. Long and for: worth a look “Feet First” nier than Lloyd. A Negro comic is fun Amusing at times “Hell's Angels"—The the year. “Lightnin® *—That olumnist Will Rogers best picture of lovable, lovable, “Morocco"—The 1931 vampire, Miss Dietrich, in another Foreign Legion ro mance that happens to be well directed in parts “Outward Beound"—The old play solemnly transferred to the screen by a splendid cast. “See America Thirst"—A gorgeous satirical idea carelessly produced. “The Devil to Pay"—Ronald Colman as a successful prodigal son. iels. Why, after years of pulling beautiful young ladies out of hats every time he went to work, Mr. F banks should) suddenly meet Miss Daniels, is something beyond me. Per- haps, because the heroine of this movie is supposed to be a flyer, and heeause Miss Daniels is an honorary member of an Army flying corps, Mr. Fairbanks thought it would lend au- thenticity to the show to cast the young lady. And perhaps she does iend authenticity ; I do not know much about lady rs. She didn’t lend anything else, and she was only one of many disappointments. Horton was the only good thing in the show. sus Les Torrs pe Pants” is. the most genuine movie I have seen since “Hallelujah.” It is a French picture, whic only makes the whole thing more fected, it has a was created by certain direction, ex- cellent lighting, and that indcfinable something that manifests itself even in a movie when artist follows through a conception of a worthy job. You do not need to understand French in order to capture the spirit of this simple p A boy and a girl are peddling a song on the st very good song it is, too anxiety is manife s—and a nd their by a quickened The boy is put in jail—but 1 do not intend to analyze the many deft touches of direction and : that make this picture really delight- ful, as silly as defining the mood put on you by a concert devoted entirely to Ravel and Debussy. The leading man, whose name I haven't handy, was easily more engaging than the much publicized Chevalier, but all credit must go to Réne Clare, the di- rector. His production is pleasing to the eyes, it is unpretentious, it has the most ingenious direction of any talk- ing picture shown in this country and, furthermore, all this comes out of a nation that long has been noted for its atrocious movies. Which makes M. Clare head director of the business as far as I'm concerned. tempo. ‘comicbooks.com