Life, 1929-02-01 · page 35 of 40
Life — February 1, 1929 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains film reviews alongside a Graflex camera advertisement. The reviews discuss recent movies: **"Synthetic Sin"** stars Colleen Moore as an aspiring actress seeking experience in New York's rough neighborhoods, including a hotel near Broadway with a speakeasy. The critic notes Moore's films were previously "family safe" but this one includes edgier content—though still finds it not particularly funny. **"West of Zanzibar"** features Lon Chaney, whom the critic humorously suggests has "defective feet" because he constantly crawls around rather than walk. The film involves African voodoo rituals and human sacrifice, which the reviewer finds more unpleasant than thrilling. The critic jokingly suggests Chaney "deserves roasting" and hopes his next film puts him "back on his feet again." The page reflects 1920s cinema concerns: morality debates about film content, physical comedy acting styles, and exotic/colonial adventure narratives. The humor relies on wordplay and implied criticism of both actors' performance choices.
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the word.) She is stage-struck and wants to sin and suffer in New York that she may gain the experience so necessary in her chosen art. Among the difficulties she en- counters is a battle between gunmen in a hotel on 65th Street near Broadway, which, according to the subtitles, is a very tough neighborhood. And such a hotel! One of Miss Moore's friends, an actress, and presumably a good one, also lives there. Just off the lobby is a speakeasy characterized by a 1910 model electric piano, and upstairs. . well, the proprietor admits that his clientele is broadminded. In the past Miss Moore's pictures have been safe bets for family parties because these little touches were left out. Antonio Moreno is also in the cast, his entire job being to look worried while chasing around after Miss Moore and in- sisting that she give it all up and marry him. There is one piece of realism in the picture. Nobody else wants to marry her. Go on and see it if you think Miss Moore is comical. She is probably just as funny in “Synthetic Sin” as some of her others. But remember—I warned you. “West of Zanzibar” For some time I have been under the im- pression that Lon Chaney suffers from de- fective feet. He never misses a chance to get off them and crawl around. “West of Zanzibar” affords a medium for some of Mr. Chaney's best crawling to date, but even this fails to make the picture weird —which marks it as a failure, because cer- tainly every effort has been made toward this end. There is quite a bit of grim stuff about human sacrifices under the African voo- doo laws, but this is more unpleasant than thrilling. Even when the natives nominate Lon as the featured performer at a public roasting you don’t get excited. Somehow you think Mr. Chaney deserves roasting. I don’t think you will enjoy seeing Mr. Chaney crawl around. Here’s hoping his next picture puts him back on his feet again. Universal has hired a psychologist to tune films to popular public emotions Paramount is making a talkie of “The Cocoanuts” with the Marx Brothers. . Douglas Fairbanks will talk in “The Iron Mask”. . other new screen voices you will hear include Mary Pickford in “Coquette” Clara Bow in “The Wild Party” Gloria Swanson (also sings) in Queen Kelly... Vilma Banky in “Childs, Fifth Avenue” (in English)....Richard Dix in “Nothing But The Truth”. . and don’t miss Calvin Coolidge wise cracking in Fox Movietone News—you'll scream. — Recommended ¢ Shopworn Angel. Paramount; The Viking, Metro-Goldwyn; The Barker, Pirst National; The triot, Paramount; The Singing Fool, Warner Bros.; Dancing Daughters, Metro-Goldwyn; Interter- ence, Paramount; Marching On, Pox; Show People, Metro-Goldwyn; Home-coming, U.P. A.; On Trial, Gddwyo: The Woman’ Disputed: ‘Ganed Aust: owyn: oman 5 . Killing the Killer, U. P. A. ae, = = Aeroplanes the world over are equipped with Graflex : aerial cameras. Upon these, professionals and ama- ie, ~ teurs alike depend for exact information from mid-air. Te all of the pictures that any other camera can take. Takes many pictures that no other camera can take. Speed up to a thousandth of a second for swift action—down to a tenth, or time, for slow. No guesswork in focusing—in the exclusive Graflex yertical hood you always see the scene ahead exactly as your negative will “see” it. Graflex “Series B”, 3%” x 4%", now priced within reach of everybody—880....... Other models $85 to $375. FEATURED BY THE BEST DEALER EVERYWHERE FOLMER GRAFLEX CORP. comicbooks.com