MOTION PICTURE REVIEWS WOMEN’S UNIVKSI17 CLUB LOS ANGCLCS.CAL/r Vol. Ill 1932 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 with funding from Media History Digital Library https://archive.org/details/motionpicturerev00wome_1 MOTION PICTURE REVIEWS THE WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY CLUB LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA JANUARY 1932 THE WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY CLUB LOS ANGELES BRANCH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN 943 South Hoover Street <$xj> Telephone DRexel 2177 <Sx8> Copyright by Women’s University Club 1931 WEBBCRAFT PRINTERS. 1051 ARLINGTON AVE , LOS ANGELES Motion Picture Reviews Three MOTION • PICTURE • REVIEWS Published monthly by THE WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY CLUB LOS ANGELES BRANCH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN Mrs. John Vruwink Mrs. Gerard A. Murray ) Co-Chairmen Mrs. Palmer Cook, \ Preview Chairman Editors Mrs. J. Allen Davis Mrs. Arthur Jones Mrs. Walter Van Dyke Mrs. Palmer Cook M rs. John Vruwink, Mrs. F. H. Partridge Address all communications to The Women’s University Club, 943 South Hoover Street, Los Angeles, California. VOL. III. No. 1 JANUARY, 1932 10c per Copy, $1.00 per Year FEATURE FILMS 4 BEAU HUNKS » » lem and the crime situation, realistic and ex- Laurel and Hardy. Direction by James citing. Mr. Huston gives an excellent charac- terization. Horne. M.G.M. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 When Hardy’s best girl refuses him, he and Laurel join the Foreign Legion and become Not suitable No heroes through a series of blunders only possi- C+-9 ble to these incomparable comedians. The picture follows the well known Laurel and COCK OF THE AIR » » Hardy formula and will delight their many Billie Dove, Chester Morris, .Watt Moore followers. Written by Robert Sherwood and Charles Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Lederer. Direction by Tom Buckingham. Excellent Excellent Howard Hughes Production. United 0-9 Artists. CITY SENTINELS » » From a brilliant beginning this picture Previewed under the title “Smashing the simmers down into slapstick, sacrificing all Vice Ring”. Walter Huston, Jean Her- plot value in a jumble of antics. It is diffi- cult to criticize because the production has sholt, Jean Harlow, Tully Marshall. Di- some charm; lovely scenes of a Venetian rection by Charles Brabin. M.G.M. carnival, other familiar and intriguing (Seen in preview). European settings, airplane shots which are distinctive beautiful. Billie Honest and sincere “Fighting Fitzpatrick” and But Dove is not the type for slapstick and one feels works his way up in the police force from a certain amount of embarrassment in finding patrolman to Chief. He is determined to her there. It might have been a thrilling clean up the city despite the handicaps of romance exquisitely produced. Actually it is politics, “writs of habeas corpus”, and medd- a mediocre inconsistent comedy which man- ling civic committees. In this drama of ages to preserve some measure of entertain- gangster activities the police are the heroes ment. in the unequal struggle to protect life and property even at the cost of their own lives. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 It is a fair presentation of the police prob- Not recommended No Four Motion Picture Reviews CORSAIR » » chilling moments, and in the working out of the great discovery which ends in the triumph Chester Morris, Thelma Todd. A Ro- of the lower self. The story has its super- Production. United Artists. land West natural aspects, and the photography and The whole idea of this picture involves sound are so directed as to convince the audi- such preposterous ethics that no discriminat- ence even of the incredible. There are some ing audience could possibly accept it. A intimate and objectionable scenes, not in football hero, clerk in a Wall Street broker- keeping with the original story, that seem age, is revolted at the demand that he sell in poor taste. It is exceptionally stirring and worthless mining stock to a widow'. In order will prove, for many, too much of an to prove that he can make just as much emotional strain to be encompassed within money without duping widows, he becomes a the realm of entertainment, but the excell- murderous hi-jacker. Having gained the re- ence of the production will appeal to most spect of his former employer by his superior adults and its real interest in retrospect will cunning and brutality, he condescends to ac- be its spiritual significance. satisfied with the assur- cept a fine position, Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 ance that he will not have to sell poor stock Too Strong Too hair-raising to unsuspecting victims. Fortunately the pro- duction is neither glamorous nor well acted C't'J enough to disguise its stupidity and not con- EMMA » » sistent enough to make its bad ethics seem Marie Dressier, Jean Hersholt, Richard practical. Cromwell. Direction by Clarence Brown. Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 M.G.M. No No An unusual story, definitely constructed for C'KO Miss Dressier, gives us the combination of tears and laughter which we associate with DANCE TEAM » » the work of this delightful artiste. It is a James Dunn, Sally Eilers. Direction by theme of love and devotion, of deepest faith Sidney Sanfield. Fox. in human goodness, and leaves us better for The personal charm of the stars and the having seen it. Even a suggestion of the is unnecessary. like it; appealing quality of this human little story plot You will laugh of the struggles, successes and vicissitudes of at the delicious absurdities, and cry without two young people make this a delightfully embarrassment at the pathos. entertaining picture. James Dunn and Sally Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Eilers are ideally cast, and the well developed Excellent Good plot, spontaneous humor and clean romance should hold great appeal for family audi- ences. GALLOPING THROUGH » » Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Tom Tyler. Direction by Lloyd Nosier. Good Probably little Monogram Pictures. interest A Western of the old type with some good C-KS riding and much sudden death. Details have not been carefully chosen to place the story DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE in pioneer days ; consequently there seems Fredric March, Rose Hobart, Miriam little excuse for the administration of justice Hopkins, Halliswell Hobbes. Direction by continuous gun play. Episodes are melo- dramatic to the point of absurdity. It is on by Rouben Mamoulian. Adapted by a level with cheap magazine serials, boring Percy Heath and Samuel Hoffenstein for adults and discriminating adolescents, from the story by Robert Louis Steven- fostering wrong ideas of citizenship for those son. Paramount-Publix. with untrained minds. Adolescents, Fredric March gives a remarkable and 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 masterful presentation of the dual personali- Not recommended No of Dr. Mr. His buoyant, ty Jekyll and Hyde. C-+-0 impulsive doctor of the the early scenes makes GIRL » » him a thoroughly likable character, which OF THE RIO emphasizes the contrast when he sinks to the Dolores Del Rio, Leo Carrillo. Adapted level of the degraded Hyde. The change is from the play “The Dove” by Willard adroitly effected by the use of sound effects Mack. Direction by Herbert Brennen. and shifting camera to indicate the reversion of feeling that he undergoes. On the whole R.K.O. the mood, the atmosphere, of the Stevenson It may be that the pendulum of taste has novel is retained in the hair-raising and blood swung away from romantic swashbuckling Motion Picture Reviews Five the plot melodrama so far that this former stage jokes and situations are off color and cheerfully. success suffers in consequence. At any rate is of no consequence, but all ends the picture seems unreal and arouses little Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 struggles with interest. A well selected cast Too sophisticated No interest situations which invite no sympathy and do not leave an impression of plausibility. The plot is laid in a Mexican border gambling HUSBAND'S HOLIDAY » » resort where the “Dove” dances in the Clive Brook, Vivienne Osborne. Adapted Casino. She attracts the attention of a law- play by Ernest Pas- less gambler who exerts every effort to get from the novel and her as his mistress. The reason for his final cal entitled “Daddy Goes A Hunting.” renunciation is not so convincing as it seem- Direction by Robert Milton. Paramount- ed in the stage production. The photography Publix. and outdoor settings are exquisite. A program picture concerning “a woman’s Adolescents, !2 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 struggle to preserve her marriage in the face Not recommended No of her husband’s infidelity.” It lacks origi- nality in treatment or theme and is of aver- c-t-s age interest only for adult audiences. HELL DIVERS » » Adolescents, 12 to 16 Children, 8 to 12 Marjorie Clark Gable, Wallace Beery, No No Rambeau. A Geo. Hill production. M. CfJ G.M. LADIES OF THE BIG HOUSE » » Whatever type of picture you usually pre- Sidney, Gene Raymond. Direction fer, here is one that cannot fail to give you Sylvia a real thrill. United States Naval aviators by Marion Gering. Paramount-Publix. in action, the airplane carrier “Saratoga”, In this starkly realistic drama, an innocent its huge deck swarming with planes, target young couple are “framed” and thrown into practice from the clouds, maneuvers in the prison for a crime they have not committed. air that make you dizzy just to watch. Even The unforgetable scenes of prison life, the without the fictional element that holds to- suffering and despair of the young husband gether these magnificently photographed and wife and their final vindications should scenes, there would be plenty of romance in be powerful propaganda against injustice and watching the every day life of these aviators, corruption.