Life — September 21, 1928 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

LUFe ~ THE MOVIES “The Air Circus” Tuere is no particular plot in “The Air Circus”; there is no excessive heroism, no villainy any kind and no sizzling sex interest. Next to “The High School Hero,” this is just about the most un- movicish movic I have ever seen. “The Air Circus” is recommended highly. Its directors, Howard Hawks and Lew Sciler, have had the good sense to make it consistently truthful and uncom- plicated, and they have had the ability to make it entertaining. The simple story that they tell is of two air-struck youths who go to an aviation school and learn to fly. | know nothing about the tech- nical aspect of their various experiences in the air, but I do know that both of the boys scemed to be real and that their emotions seemed perfectly normal. There are some talking sequences in “The Air Circus,” played with commend- able ease by a group of talented youn; people, none of whom was rendered self- conscious or inarticulate by the presence of the Movietone recording apparatus. Unfortunately, the Movietone failed in its attempt to reproduce sobs; each sob sounds Tike a load of coal sliding into a cellar, and the sympathetic spectator is therefore moved to mirth at a time when he should be sobbing himself. Much of the natural and unstudied charm of “The Air Circus” is attributable to the fact that its leading players, Arthur Lake and David Rollins, don’t look or act like movie actors. I wistt there were more pictures like “The Air Circus” and “The High School Hero.” I can’t understand why the movie magnates spend so much money trying to get fresh air into their theaters when that 1s the element most lacking in their films. “The Cardboard Lover” Ir is always dangerous to indulge in superlatives. A critic shouldn't say, “This is the most extraordinary, colossal and stupendous epic of all time,” because someone might inquire, “How do you know it is?” and there would be the critic, stuck for an answer. Nevertheless, I am about to risk all on the reckless announcement that, in “The Invert PxotocrarHer: Wouldn't you like to have your picture taken, little girl? Littte Girt: What paper are ya fromP “I had a tough time of it yesterday; my mother left me alone for hours.” “Say, you don’t know what trouble is! My mother was entertaining a girl-friend who understands children.” Cardboard Lover,” Marion Davies gives the worst performance in the history of the screen. She is adequately supported by Nils Asther, who establishes a new record br wearing no less than two key chains wit the trousers of his full dress suit. R. E. Sherwood. (Recent Developments, a guide to cur- rent movies, will be found on page 24.) The New Phrase “Tere seems to be a great deal of in- terest in Commander Byrd’s South Polar expedition.” “Yes—the country is certainly becom- ing air-minded.” “And they say that when he gets there, he will be constantly in touch with civ- ilization.” “Yes—that’s because the world is now radio-minded.” “Tt looks like an exciting political cam- paign, doesn’t it?” “Yes—the West is Hoover-minded, and the East is Smith-minded.” “But I suppose that as usual there'll be a lot of people who won't vote at all.” “Yes—the public is growing more and more golf-minded.” “Well, how about going to see a musical show tonight?” “Certainly—I'm_broad-minded.” B. F. S. “Born nominees are agreed,” says the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “that the Eighteenth Amendment has brought in its train abuses which it will behoove the next Administration to recognize.” Both nominees are not agreed, how- ever, that the next Administration will be Hoover. comicbooks.com