Judge — May 9, 1931 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

rritann one would think the O boys had exhausted the per- spicacity of gangster movies. Since the first realistic tough movie, “Underworld,” producers have hired newspapermen to write accurate crime color and employed ex-California football players with cleat masks to sit at banquet tables and represent Caponeans. Some of these dr: have borne the stamp of authenticity, and most of them, with the aid of sirens, snapshots of squad cars, shots in the dark, and Thompson machine- uns, have managed to be excitin tim no matter how asinine the di logue. I" is my theory that gang continue to be exciting to city audi- e long gangs continue to shoot up the main streets of our great cities. It may not be art, it may not be good technique and very often is even bad Hollywood, nevertheless dramatization of daily violence is al- most always exaggerated but actual news, and I think the audience ¢ tributes as much to most crime pic- tures—is at the subject matter —as the tor. However, skill manifests itself in any routine, and two people make “City Streets” more than a good gang movie. A gentleman by the name of Dashiell Hammett has been writing hair-raising tales around these parts for a long time. He is a member of that odd Burnett-Wharton-Callaghan school that is neither hack nor great, but he happens to be, above all, a born story teller, and even though he man- ufactures situations cock-eyed enough to have been spawned by a cross- breeding of Christopher Morley with Jim Tully, he always mar breathe life into his people h a sardonic humor that more than life into them. breathes “Cr Streets” is also the latest di- rectorial job of Rouben Mamou- lian. Here, too, is an odd study i movie progression. Mr. Mamou “on the sta, JUDGE AJUVGWGE re MOVIES & 2? By PARE LORENTZ first’ picture, “Applause,” was the work of a lad with skill and an ac- curate dramatic sense who went riot mera, He had a story and humdrum d logue, but he kept his camera elastic and his experimentation was inter- esting. His next job, “Roadhouse Nights,” was downright cheap. “City Strects” proves that Mamou- n has come along. He has tried a few von Strohcim symbolisms—The- atre Guild tricks long outworn movies—but he has kept a good in his show and he secured good ing and sound. AN either was shrewd He started with excellent dialogu Kibbee, one of the nd deservedly so — of last year, and a splendid all-around past. urthermore, he vdney. As far as I know, this is her first movie. She is a young actress who has been playing difficult: parts for several seasons, but she has not marked time I cannot call to name any young actress who ever gave a performance to equal the work of Miss Sydney in “City Streets.” She is not only unusually good—she is one of the most attrac- tive young women I have watched in a long time. You may say honestl “If you've seen one gang movie you've seen them all,” but if you drop in on Mr. Hammett He secured Guy sensations — Recommended Connecticut Yankee”—The always amusing Will Rogers. “City Lights"—You should be ready to see Chaplin the second t by now “Dishonored” rich and som Marlene (Legs) Diet good camera work “The Front Page”—One of the best movies of all time Some of the best acting of Ii it comes your way, see it by all means. ter than you've seen come grass. “Ques Mintioss” is a good ex ample of what not to do in th: movies. Here in you have dia tten by a lad who knows what he is tall about. And Cour tenay Terrett, a former newspaper ace, chose a little dramatized depart ment of organized violence—the labor racket—as material for his picture. Unfortunately he did not writ cither well or wisely. He takes a truck driver and shoves him throug! strata of society until he becomes a partner in a legitimate building firm: Rather than concentrate on writing 4 good sho rrett chose to ring in ime, love scenes that convincing and unrelated episodes that were just about as lucid as a corporation balance sheet. Direc tor Brown, who helped write the show, did not improve matters, and except for the acting of Spencer racy, “Quick Millions” is in every w careless, stupid job. shes on ¢ were not spe Ir is just a little pathetic, in the glow of Hollywood's crime pictures, to consider a British murder play, but “The Perfect Alib so gentle and polite it may be useful as a sedative for those of you who are tired of all the shooting. Basil Dean has adapted and directed the very mannerly Miln play, and, for an English movie, it is not bad. e However, for five minutes the en tire cast indulges in a rehearsal what I sincerely hope is not the Kin English so that it is absolutely impos sible to understand what they ar king about. I defy you to distin guish one word, but, I can assure you nothing they say during those mo ments is important. Mr. Dean moves his show along scdately and it has some ingenuity, but unless you are « apostle of Henry James, or unless you read your crime news in the London Times, you will find “The Perfect Alibi" as stimulating as stale ginget beer. comicbooks.com