Post
by James Bazen » Sun Mar 29, 2009 6:54 pm
Okay, a week late, but here is my Cinefest report. I've been writing it a little bit each day in between everything else this week. Too little time. I didn't spend as much time writing most of these. All in all a great weekend.
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Thursday
A Bundle Of Blues(1933***) An entertaining musical short featuring a dapper Duke Ellington and a nice vocal by Ivie Anderson. Great dancing from Bessie Dudley and Florence Hill
Safety In Numbers(1930***) Reckless playboy Charles "Buddy" Rogers is sent to New York by his uncle to see what life is like before he comes into an enormous inheritance., He employs three showgirls to help him. A nice early talkie musical with some snappy dialogue and several toe-tapping musical numbers. Rogers is an appealing leading man and he posses a cute if not technically polished singing voice. A pre-stardom Carole Lombard had the best lines of the three leading ladies.
Less Than The Dust(1916***) A rare Pickford title. Mary plays an Indian girl, who learns that she is actually the daughter of a drunken British officer, and that he is a relative of the British officer she saved during an Indian revolt. A really pleasing film. Mary is her usual charming self. It's too bad the print is incomplete, as it ended abruptly.
The Caretaker's Daughter(1934***) A funny Billy Gilbert Hal Roach short with Gilbert and his family who rent out the home of a wealthy couple.
All Wrong(1919**1/2) Bryant Washburn plays a young man who has a theory that the key to a successful marriage is that the couple continue to live apart and continue to court each other as they did before they married. Lots of comical misunderstandings ensue. A fun little film, and Washburn is quite charming. Mildred Davis is cute as his sweetie. The film also features a young, Pre-Sunrise Margaret Livingston.
Ray Faiola's Trailer Mania II(***) A nice collection of trailers. The audience had a blast watching the trailer for Olga Baclanova's film A Dangerous Woman
City Of Play(1929**1/2) A young circus performer who is terrified of performing a dangerous high wire act, falls prey to a hypnotic showman who makes her perform the show's star act of jumping with a parachute off of a tower. An okay, if sometimes slow moving picture. Chili Bouchier, England's answer to Clara Bow, while perhaps not a gifted actress is quite adorable with her wild mane of hair, and the film's villain meets with a gruesome denoument.
Doctor's Wives(1931***) Pretty Joan Bennett plays the young wife of a handsome prominent doctor who is the particular object of desire for his female patients. She's soon disappointed at the way his work keeps him away from home on many occasions, and trust issues arise as he's thwarts the attentions of a silly society woman. Bennett later becaomes intrigued by a moody and mysterious doctor on the brink of a great scientific discovery. This was an enjoyable little film, and a rare Borzage film which is without the usual mystical, other worldly romantic touches often associated with his films.
Gumbasia(1955***) A lively clay animation short which was a hit with several attendees.
The Installment Collector(1929**) Pleasant Fred Allen short
They Shall Pay(1921**) This film was a bigger hit with some other attendees that I talked to than it was for me. But it was a very rare chance to see a Lottie Pickford film. Pickford plays a young woman who makes a pledge to her father on his deathbed to get even with the men who cheated her father and sent him to jail for a crime he didn't commit. What could have been an interesting revenge melodrama is quite lacking in imagination and punch, and Pickford doesn't exhibit the necessary anger to seem convincing in the role.
Love Never Dies(1921***) An early King Vidor picture about a young couple who are seperated by misunderstanding. While not quite the dynamic director he would become in a few short years, this film is quite good, and Vidor tells an engrossing story about ordinary people.
The Last Trail(1933**) George O'Brien is always a real charmer and a delight to see, but this isn't one of his better westerns. O'Brien along with sidekick El Brendel travel to take over his late uncle's ranch and run in with a crooked lawyer.
What Price Vengeance(1937**) Lyle Talbot plays who plays a young police officer who's a crack shot with a gun. He meets disgrace when he fails to stop a bank holdup. An okay picture. This was a late night entry and I was beginning to doze off.
Friday
The Desert Song(1929*) Probably the worst film of the weekend, although with enough camp value not to make it seem like a complete train wreck.Based on a successful Romberg-Harbach operetta, this film was quite a commercial box office success upon it's release. The story is silly, and the direction is stilted. What might have been bearable for a 60 minute running time, is pretty rough going for nearly two hours. John Boles sings well enough, although I've heard him sing better in other films. Carlotta King exhibited one of the most grating soprano voices ever recorded for film. Johnny Arthur brought down the house as the effeminate American newspaperman. And Myrna Loy was laughingly bad as the half caste native Azzuri.
Woman(1918*) A surprisingly disappointing Maurice Tourneur. An uneven examination of the role of woman throughout the ages.
The Wheel Of Life(1929**1/2) Richard Dix is a British officer who falls in love with a beautiful woman after he saves her from throwing herself over London Bridge. He later learns that she is the young wife of his commanding officer. A competent early talkie with good photography and nice use of mobile camera shots. Richard Dix does fine in his line delivery, although he seems miscast as a stiff upper lip Englishman. Esther Ralston, a usually very competent actress fares less flatteringly. Her line delivery is more labored and she seems to want to emote her part. However, all of her luminously radiant close-ups sent the audience into fits of rapturous awe and the concensus of the weekend was that Esther Ralston was simply one of the most gorgeous women to step before a movie camera.
John McElwee Show
Movie Memories(1934***) A touching 1934 Warner Bros tribute to many recently deceased film stars
Out West In Hollywood(1953**) Several clips of silent era cowboy heroes. And a promotion for Ken Murray's film The Marshall's Daughter
Life With Buster Keaton(**1/2) A complete episode in the comedian's television series.
The Mickey Mouse Club(**) A promotional short to encouage television stations to carry the show.
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Next Door Neighbors(1931***) A delightful Edgar Kennedy short.
The Dancin Fool(1920***) This was a very pleasant Wallace Reid film, although not my favorite Reid film. Reid plays a young man who goes to work in his uncle's store, only to later become a nightclub dancing sensation. Bebe Daniels was cute as his dancing partner and the two cut quite a rug in the dance sequences.
The Bank Swindle(1930**) Okay William Burns detective short.
Joan Crawford Home Movies(****) Rare glimpses of Joan Crawford offscreen. These home movies were a delight and all looked to have been from the 1940's. Several were in glorious color. Someone else and I were talking about how interesting it was to see that Joan had freckles and the shade of red her hair was. These films were given to GEH by Crawford's grandson. These would make a great extra feature on a Joan Crawford boxed set.
The Circle(1925****) I was starting to doze off here, but fortunately I'd seen The Circle before. Eleanor Boardman plays an unhappily married woman who loves another man. She recalls the story of two of her older relatives who decades before had a similar marital dilemma. She later meets them and is interested to see how their life turned out in order to make a decision about her own life. A charming comedy. Eugenie Besserer and George Fawcett steal it as the older couple.
The Perfect Specimen(1937) I was in and out of sleep for this one, so I couldn't even give a plot description. Too bad as it's such a rare title and who knows when I'll ever get a chance to see it again. Errol Flynn was quite young and handsome from the little I was awake for.
Saturday
Everybody's Sweetheart(1920****) Olive Thomas' last film. I already saw this in September at Cinesation. It's a charming intimate little film with Olive as a mischevious orphan. Not as good as The Flapper released that year, but a delight.
A Million Bid(1927****) Dolores Costello plays a young woman who loves an up-and-coming doctor but is persuaded by her mother to marry a wealthy gentleman she doesn't love in order to restore the family's financial standing. A slick, expertly made Curtiz melodrama with several striking visual touches and editing. Betty Blythe is particulary good in an all too brief role as the mother.
Twenty Dollars a Week(1924***) George Arliss plays a big time businessman who wants to teach his wastrel son a lesson about the value of money. So, he makes a bet to take a job with a rival manufactuer and will live on a $20 a week salary. George Arliss is always a delight. And even though we don't have his unmistakeable voice that we hear in talkies, he still gives an intelligent comedic performance .Ronald Colman is fine as his irresponsible son.
Beggar On Horseback(1925***) Edward Everett Horton plays a struggling composer of serious music who takes jobs arranging jazz music to make ends meet. This film was one of the hits of the weekend.It's unfortunate that the film is incomplete, and ends during a wild dream sequence which brought down the house.
The Shopworn Angel(1928****) One of my top favorites of the weekend. Nancy Carroll is one of my favorites and I was excited to get to see one of her silents. Nancy Carroll plays a hard-partying, hard-drinking chorine who meets a shy soldier during WWI. Nancy Carroll and Gary Cooper give excellent performances and exhibit real warmth and charm together onscreen. Paul Lukas offers fine support. Unfortunately the last two reels of this film are missing.
Back Pay(1922***) Seena Owen's films are rare. The two most available are Intolerance and Queen Kelly, both extreme and grand roles. Here, Owen gives a wrenching and nuanced performance as a country girl who longs to leave behind her small town and even her true love to live the lavish life of a woman kept by a wealthy gentleman. She later suffers and regrets her life when her true love is wounded in action during WWI.
Rhapsody In Black In Blue(1932**) Comedy short featuring a very young Louis Armstrong
Enter Madame(1934***) This was a surprise treat. Elissa Landi was most often cast as very elegant suffering heroines. In this comedy, despite her odd coiffures, Landi shines as a passionate, tempermental prima donna who marries a dashing American who rescues her on stage when the train of her dress catches fire in Tosca. Soon the marriage is threatened by her whirlwind career. A young pre-stardom Cary Grant plays her husband, and already possesses that magnetic screen quality. Lots of great opera scenes. Soprano Nina Koshetz provided Landi's vocals in the operatic sequences. Great fun!
Starbright Diamond(1930**) The second and most entertaining of the two William J. Burns shorts of the weekend.
Weak But Willing(1929***) Fun early talkie Christie comedy. Most notable for an early, unbilled appearance from blonde bombshell Jean Harlow, who has a few lines of dialogue.
Birthday Party For Sid Grauman's Dog(1925***) Cute short featuring exactly what the title implies. A group of dogs seated around a table being fed ice cream and cake.
In The Park(1915**) Amusing Chaplin Essanay short.
White Gold(1927****) An excellent picture. I have the old Grapevine VHS of this film, but this really comes to life in a theatre. Jetta Goudal plays a young woman who marries a sheep rancher, and goes to live with him on the ranch that he shares with his cold and possessive father. The father dislikes the girl from the start, and resents her coming between him and his son. William K. Howard is an underrated craftsman. He deftly evokes the desolate prairie life, and the tense, brooding emotions of the characters. Jetta Goudal gives an impressive performance, and has probably the finest dramatic role she ever got in movies. A very downbeat film. But with Howard's fine direction, all around impressive performances and a knock out powerhouse ending, White Gold is a picture well worth seeing.
One More River(1934***) Fine James Whale production of the James Galsworthy novel. Interesting seeing such a young and quite pretty Jane Wyatt.
Paddy The Next Best Thing(1933***) Janet Gaynor plays a spirited Irish lass, who's older sister is obligated to marry a wealthy gentleman in order to benefit her financially hard up father. The sister loves another man, and Gaynor falls in love with the man intended for sis to marry. A charming film.
Sunday
The Boys From Syracuse(1940****) Based on Shakespeare's A Comedy Of Errors. It involves a case of mistaken identities involving twins seperated at birth. A light, breezy musical comedy with an impressive cast and a terrific Rogers and Hart score.
A Tribute To Justin Herman
My Silent Love(1949**1/2) Parker Fennelly plays a maple syrup farmer with an infatuation for Radio singer Jane Pickens.
Roller Derby Girl(1949***) Short concerning a young woman and her trials as an up-and coming Roller Derby girl.
The Football Fan(1949***) Comedy about a man who encounters one obstacle after another in his efforts to hear the big game on the radio. Notable screen appearance of Tom Ewell.
The Lady Who Dared(1931***) Billie Dove plays the beautiful wife of a diplomat who is set up in a compromising position and is the target of a blackmail scheme.
Gateway(1938***) An unexpected delight. Don Ameche plays an American correspondeant who meets a pretty Irish immigrant aboard a ship headed for America. She is later detained on Ellis Island due to Ameche and an incident aboard the ship. A terrific little picture which climaxes with a striking riot sequence amongst other detainees headed for deportation. Particularly of note is lovely Arleen Whelan as the Irish lass. Whelan makes a very charming and appealing actress and it's interesting that she didn't have a bigger career in films. Binnie Barnes steals just about every scene she's in as a notorious divorcee.
Little Tokyo U.S.A(1942**1/2) A suspenseful film concerning a Japanese spy ring in Los Angeles in the days leading up to Pearl Harbor.
Westbound Limited(1937***) Lyle Talbot is a railroad telegraph operator who is convicted of negligance when he fails to stop the collision of two trains due to the fact that he is fighting off a robber out to steal the payroll. He escapes, and starts life elsewhere when he stumbles upon an ailing railroad man and his pretty daughter. A suspenseful and well made Universal programmer.
