The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 59

BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE, NEW YORK, SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 1932 3 Returning to the Subject of (Letty Lynton'; The Week's New Pictures LOI IS HIS RACKET Flash Backs Cagney Went 'In Training' for 'Winner Take AH' Prizefighting in the Films No Job for an Amateur, and Here's the Reason Whv Miss Dvorak's Career Gets Out of Hand Folk Ways of Hollywood Fauna By EDWARD. A Reconsideration of 'Letty With Reasons for Believing It One of the Most Distinguished Talkies of the Season of staging a convincing glove match RECENTLY not more, I think, than a month ago a picture cnlled "Letty Lynton" arrived in town. For a week before entering the repertory of neighborhood theaters (where, with luck, you should (till be able to see it) it was shown on the screen at the Capitol. One of the season's most distinguished talkies, its merits, I am afraid, were or the most part overlooked by its Broadway audience. Among the few who recognized them and whose enthusiastic report led to my attending a showing, local screen critics were distinguished only by their absence.

At best, they patronized "Letty," at worst dismissed it with such trivial comment as is usually reserved for average-run program pictures. Yet "Letty Lynton" was. I repeat, Hollywood, Calif Here In Holly- wood or in Burbank, to be exact at the Warner Bros, studios, James Cagney is leading the life of a prizefighter. He spars; he Jumps rope; he shadow-boxes; he punches the bag. Sometimes he does these things with the camera and microphone trained upon him and in full operation; at other times he Is merely rehearsing.

For three weeks before his latacst picture, "Winner Take All," went into production, Cagney was in strict training at Palm Springs under the tutelage of Harvey Perry, a former bantam and flyweight, and in the process of preparation for his new role, lost 16 pounds. The new Cagney vehicle is based on Gerald Beaumont's story "One Thirty-three at Three," which appeared not long ago in a popular masazine. To the uninitiated "One Thirty-three at Three must seem an enigmatic title; film producers having a more cynical opinion than magazine editors of the public's intelligence average, Warner Brothers ordered it changed to "Winner Take All." "One Thirty-three at Three" must have, to readers of the sports page, a familiar ring. It used to be the Indispensable preliminary to every battle for the lightweight championshirj 133 pounds at three o'clock on the afternoon of the fight. Nowadays the contenders have been allowed two pounds' leeway, at least in New York State, and if they tip the scales at 135 pounds they are qualified to do battle for the title; but 133 was the classic weight In the days of Lavigne, of Erne, of Gans and Jimmy Britt and Battling Nelson and others whose names are written large in the history of the ring, though they fought as "little men." And In his new picture Cagney fights.

Not. of course, to a finish; and the milling has to conform to the requirements of the plot. But he will tell you if you ask, and even if you don't that this business RICARDO CORTEZ AND i mtamk mm. mfmp Wm -3 Miy i I A CUSHING "honest love," she became engaged to a young American met on shipboard. There was a murder unintentional when the South American drank poison that Letty had prepared for herself and the saving perjury of the young 'jnerican, who swore that Letty has spent the night of the murder with him.

Old stuff, all of it, essentially but redeemed, in the case of "Letty Lynton," by the circumstances of the tale and the manner of its telling. Tribute to the Cast The picture was extraordinarily well directed and photographed in the realistio manner, intelligence, imagination and good taste conspicuous in every detail, but it was also extraordinarily well cast and well acted. Joan Crawford was Letty, Robert Montgomery her young American suitor, and under the careful direction of Mr. Brown their usual high competance became something more than that. Of Miss Crawford's performance I recall one of many significant details her parting with Mr.

Armstrong the night of their first meeting aboard ship; character is vividly revealed by such touches as she applied here, for which we cannot give all the credit to her director. I should be able to remember the names of other of the players, for they were all excellent. On the whole, "Letty Lynton" was the sort of thing that we have every right to expect that the screen should aim to as an average excellence, but which is actually rare in our experience of American pictures entertainment for adults, for people with some knowledge, such as all of us should possess, of the world and its people. It deserved more attention than It received. IN 'NIGHT COURT' senfation that apparently no one suggested it might be well to wait.

After all, it is customary to delay in such matters until the public has registered Its opinion about a new screen find before putting her Into Important roles. Instead, producing organizations spent many thousands of dollars on pictures in which Mise Dvorak was featured before public was al lowed even a glimpse of her as a featured player. Those patrons with exceptional memories might recall the girl who slapped Jack Benny in "The Hollywood Revue," but to all others, Ann Dvorak was merely an interesting and unusual name. This sudden Interest on the port of influential studio executives was the more remarkable in view of the fact that less than a year before Ann Dvorak, even with the help of her friend and patron, Joan Crawford, and other enthusiasts on one of the studio lots, hadn't "made the grade." She had been unable to interest authorities there in her possibilities as an actress rather than as an assistant dance instruc-tor or a prospective script girl. Miss Dvorak's Hollywood career began 11 years ago, when she was 8.

Her mother. Anna Lehr, was in Hollywood working in pictures. She sent for Ann, then a pupil la St. Catherine's convent, New York, nnd installed her in the Page school for girls in Hollywood. Eight years later Ann emerged from hiding and graduated, a tall, dark, ambitious glrL Meanwhile Anna Lehr had remarried and had retired from the screen.

She no longer had an "ir" at a studio which Ann could use. So Ann applied at various easting offices for work in pictures. At a certain studio she was asked if she could dance. She knew little about dancing of any kind and next to nothing about chorus work but she said "yes." That was in 1929. Talking pictures were new.

Studios were working madly to catch up with delayed and upset schedules. Musical revues were being introduced, a studio chorus was suddenly a necessity. Anh was told to report the following day for practice. She reported. It is one of the experiences which she has never forgotten and which success or failure will never erase from her memory.

"I didn't know hor to dress," she says, "I wore a long, dark, pleated skirt that came well below my knees. All the others had on their work clothes, shorts and blouses, bathing suits anything except a pleated skirt. "I knew I looked odd and I was very embarrassed, but I stuck it out. I figured if those girls could dance, I could dance too." The reward for hard work waJ forthcoming; Ann was picked for a bit in "The Hollywood Revue," and success seemed within plucking distance. She was to slap Jack Benny In a scene.

It was a big thrill-while it lasted but after she had slapped Benny she found herself. Just as she had been before, back In the chorus. Then Miss Dvorak had a piece of luck a chance to take a test for "Scarface." It was all, apparently, that she needed. When "Scarface' was finished, the Hollywood "grapevine" carried reports of a new discovery: It was Ann Dvorak, a dancer who looked a little like Joan Crawford. Then came an offer from Warner Brothers to play opposite James Cagney in "The Crowd Roars," and after that a contract for four pictures.

In one, "The Strange Love of Molly Louvain," she played opposite Leslie Fenton, and on March 17 flew with him to Yuma, and was married. And so after two years of hard work in which nothing happened at all Ann Dvorak has Just lived six months which might seem a satisfactory lifetime to many a girl. Her career has got altogether out of hand. for the movies in tnese days oi realism is a strenuous matter. The manly art of boxing, as conducted for such a picture as "Winner Take All." has its fine points, some of which are unknown to the professionals of the ring.

For one thing, the kind of blows delivered have an Important bearing on the way the fighting scenes will look on the screen. Short, quick Jabs are very effective in a real match, but the camera is apt to miss them. Round-arm blows are much more effective photographically; and therefore in staging a fight tor the movies, hooks and swings are favored by directors and camera men. In some of the most famous battles of the prizerlng the knockout blow was invisible in the motion pictures because of the speed with which it was sent over. This must be guarded against in "shooting" a fight, however realistic, that brings a movie story to Its climax.

Be sure that the knockout punch in "Winner Take All" will be visible to every spectator. Cagney has refused to have a "double" appear for him in any of the scenes. Before going on the stage he was Interested in amateur boxing in Yorkville and contiguous sections of New York, and he has always been a follower of the chances and changes of the squared circle, the rise and fall of champions, th waxing and waning of high fistic reputations. Dvorak Details Ann Dvorak's career is threatening to get out of hand. She is a little breathless from trying to keep up with the events of her life Her first real screen opportunity, her first success, and her marriage have followed one another in such bewilderingly rapid -uccession.

When Ann finished her fifth picture, only one of the five had been released. So convinced were studio executives, directors, supervisors and others in authority that Ann Dvorak would be a box office MISS TWELVETREES ture, the Strand program of Vita phone shorts is headed by torch' singer Ruth Etting in "A Mail Bride," Bobby Jones, in the ninth of his golf series, demonstrating tech- nique with "The Driver," an ani mated cartoon and a review of the week's news. Al the Fox Simultaneous with its showing in Manhattan (at the Roxy), "Society Girl," the new James Dunn picture, may be seen this week in Brooklyn at the Fox Theater. The theme ls the romance of a prize fighter and a socialite, complicated by the usual misunderstanding of motives, etc. James Dunn is the fighter.

Spencer Tracy his trainer, Peggy Shannon the girl. A new Fanchon and Marco revue, "On the Riviera," will have the advantage of Concita Montenegro's conspicuous presence in its cast the same Concita whom you may have seen in "Never the Twain Shall Meet" and "The Gay Caballero." As on added attraction in connection with the Fox stage show, bathing beauty contests will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday eve- ninp.e one for slnele girls and mar ried women, one for brides-to-be. If ycu live in Brooklyn or on Long 1 island, you re eligible to enter. Ap- ply to the theater, win and enjoy a ueik'3 vacation (or honeymoon) at Atlantic City. ftll if r4 U'ixi-.

ir in iiMfflirrrr-A Lliii -w Plarert in 7 Mr Fare mt teu. one of the most distinguished talkies of the season. I will even go further and say that it was one of the best pictures it has been my pleasure to see since sound and dialogue were introduced on the screen. It had no major defects and lew minor ones; its limitations were those of the type of entertainment-straight melodrama to which It conformed. Accepting these, it was difficult to see or say where or how "Letty Lynton" might have been Improved, and dangerous as superlatives are, and generally suspected by readers habituated to their misuse, I am willing to risk the opinion that.

"Letty Lynton" was a perfect picture. There is difference, of course, between a perfect picture and a screen masterpiece. "Letty Lynton" was not the latter. My claim for it, though it may seem extravagant, is really quite modest; I have no purpose to measure its merit by standards that pictures to which it is in no way comparable have supplied. I am not suggesting, for instance, that it was as good or even remotely in a class with a dozen pictures that the of this country, of Germany and Russia and France have given us in the past two or three years.

In its own way it may actually have been better than these, but that is not the point "Letty Lynton" was in no sense "art," it was merely entertainment, and it is with this reservation in mind that I recommend to you. A Conservative Director It was directed by Clarence "Brown, and to Mr. Brbwn should go, I think, a large share of the credit for having turned out a defl--riitely superior screen product. You seldom hear Mr. Browns name mentioned in talk about the outstanding film directors, and probably there is no reason why you should hear it oftener.

Fame comes most readily to directors who employ arresting new methods in their work, who emphasize technique in telling a story in pictures to and -beyond, often enough, the point of As writers are dis-distinguished by traits of style, so often are directors. Sometimes, alas, style is the only real merit that their work possesses Josef von Sternberg comes to mind as a case in point, though others, of course, not feel as I do that this director's insistance on technique in telling the stories of "Dishonored" and "Shanghai Express" defeated Its own ends and Rene Clair is in danger of being relegated to this class if he continues along the lines of "A Nous la Liberte." To return to Mr. Brown (in addition to "Letty Lynton" he has "A Free Soul" and "Emma" to his credit) and to continue the analogy, his work reminds me of that of certain writers whose aim is the concealment of style is, at least, the subordinating style to substance. The direction of "Letty Lynton" was straightforward, direct. It would be unfair to call it unimaginative unless, in your mind, that la the corollary of conservative; Mr.

Brown is obviously a conservative, but of imagination of a sort he has, I believe, sufficient enough, at least, to allow him to visualize the conditions of his characters' lives, to read their minds with understanding of the complex emotions prompting the simplest acts. Mr. Brown Methods As a result his pictures I have "Letty Lynton" always in mind-have an atmosphere of probability that is distinctily refreshing. His people belong in the setting in which they are shown (the settings themselves, by the way, are correct to the last detail), behave as they might very well have behaved under the circumstances in which the story involves them. They are true to type and to life, feel and think and act consistantly, except when "exigencies of plot necessitate a "psychological about-face as in the -case of Letty's mother in the pic-'ture prompting this discussion.

7 Mr. Brown's chief interest is in telling his story, Jelling it simply, directly, plausibly, and economy of means is, I imaging his watchword. "Letty Lynton" he wastes little footage creating "atmosphere," yet place and time are admirably sug-' gested by glimpses of the crowded floor of a dance hall in Montevideo, "of the cathedral square and an hotel approach in the same city, of a white ship at anchor in the Uru-a guayan harbor. Later the shipboard scenes are admira'ily handled as to background there is enough and no more of the Christmas celebra- tion at sea. Every foot of the film advances the story toward its de- nouement, and not one is wasted In unnecessary preparation or pro- longation of a scene.

The story itself is the old one (the film critics, I recall, objected to this) of the girl whose future hap-. piness is -endangered by a past indiscretion. Letty had been the mistress of a Pouth American who tnreater.a puDiicaiion oi ncr lei-: Urs when, undr the influence of what the pictures describe as an lit Anita Page and Phillip Holmet in the picture current at Mjptropolilan. Mk I I If 'Night Court at Douglat Fairbanlct Jr. In the uric picture at the A.

1'. Strand. "Whistlin' Dan," Thursday and Frl day. BREVOORT "One Hour With You," today and tomorrow; "Car nival Boat" and "Midnight Tuesday and Wednesday; "Behind the Mask" and "Destrey Rides Again," Thursday and Friday. CENTURY "The Wet Parade," today and tomorrow; "This Is the Night" and "The Expert," Tuesday and Wednesday; "Silver Lining" and "South of the Rio Grande" Thurs' day; "Behind the Mask," Friday.

46TH ST. "The until Tuesday; "Reserved for Ladies" and "The Big Parade," Wednesday until Friday. KAMEO "The Mouthpiece," today and tomorrow; "One Hour With You," Tuesday and Wednesday; "Reserved for Ladies," Thursday and Friday. KINGS "The Miracle Man," until Tuesday; "When a Feller Needs a Friend," Wednesday until Friday. MELBA "The Mouthpiece," today; "County Fair" and "Whistlin' Dan," Monday; "It's Tough to Be Famous" and "The Big Parade," Tuesday and Wednesday; "Reserved for Ladies," Thursday and Friday.

ORIENTAL "The Mouthpiece," until Tuesiay; "No Greater Love" and "Reserved for Ladies," Wednesday until Friday. PALACE "No Greater Love," until Tuesday; "Reserved for Ladies," Wednesday and Thursday; "The Mouthpiece," Friday. PREMIER "The Mouthpiece." today; "No Greater Love," Monday and Tuesday; "Reserved for Ladies," Wednesday and Thursday. WILLARD "The Mouthpiece'." today and torirrow; "Woman in Room 13," Tuesday and Wednesday; "Reversed for Ladies," Thursday and Friday. New Pictures ALBEE "Is My Face Red?" with Rlcardo Cortez, Helen Twelvetrees, Robert Armstrong, Arline Judge and Jill Esmond.

On the stage: Hal Leroy and Thamar Lacey. BROOKLYN PARAMOUNT "Merrily We Go to Hell," with Silvia Sidney and Frederic March. On the stage: Lew Leslie's "Rhapsody in Black," with Ethel Waters. BROOKLYN STRAND "Two Seconds," with Edward G. Robinson, Vivienne Osborne, Preston Foster, Gladys Lloyd and Walter Walker.

FOX "Society Girl." with James Dunn, Peggy Shannon and Spencer Tracy. On the stage: Fanchon and Marco revue, with Concita Montenegro. RIVOLI "The Doomed Battalion," with Tela Birell, Victor Varconi and Louis Prenker. STRAND (N. "Love Ls a Racket," with Douglas Fairbanks Lee Tracy.

Ann Dvorak and Frances Dee. LOEWS METROPOLITAN "Night Court," with Walter Huston and Phillips Holmes. NewFilms atOtherLoewHouses Edward G. Robinson in 'Two it being shown at the Brooklyn Strand. Screenings New Talkies on View at Brooklyn Theaters With Stage Shows as Supplementary Attractions What purports to be the inside story of a newspaper columnist's life is being told on the screen of the Albee Theater this week.

Have you ever been curious to know how one of these gentlemen makes both ends meet? Who gives him the keys to the closets containing the various skeletons whose rattling is the music to which his words are set? Then (but not on our say so) see "Is My Face Red," in which one of these specialists in scandal is agreeably debunked. The picture is a melodramatic comedy, produced by R. K. guaranteed by a cast that includes the popular Helen Twelvetrees, Jill Es mond, Robert Armstrong, Arline Judge and Zazu Pitts. Hal Leroy, whom you may nave seen dance in the last edition of the Ziegfeld Follies, heads the stage bill at the Albee.

Few hoofers have as many double joints. He will be assisted by Jackie Hiller and Doris Groday. Another item on the bill is "The Ingenues," a band of 18 girls demonstrating their virtuosity on over 200 instruments. Thamar Lacey, Australian dancer, contrib-1 utes her bit to their act. At the Paramount Co-starred for the first time In their careers, Slyvia Kidney and Frederic March may be seen in "Merrily We Go to Hell" at the Brooklyn (and Manhattan) Paramount this week.

The story con cerns a newspaper reporter (March) who falls In love with and marries an heiress to millions (Miss Sidney). An attempt to reform him of the bad. habits traditionally ascribed to grntlcmn of the press faillna, his wife attempts suicide unsuccessfully. Convalescence and a reconciliation In the best Hollywood tradition follow. The stnrv in outline its points, which Miss Sidney and Mr.

March should help to sharpen. The cast Miscellaneous I Donald Cook recently had concussion of the brain. by an automobile. well likel crabs and adores onion soup. plays an accordion.

sold mince meat and nosed for Dobbs likes to always prepares Sunday breakfast for friendj his letters on typewriter mows his own collects stray dogs and gives them has a white cur named Jean 'for likes to wear pink shirts and white shoes. lives in a small house with orange blossoms all about. the odor. his way from Portland to New York to go on the stage. father wouldn't give him has few friends.

entertains likes to give himself olive oil shampoos. ghastly experiences having hair marcelled twice for pictures, it every day to get rid of wave. Ken Maynard has two bullets in his back but he won't tell how he got them once sent a handwriting expert a sample of his wife's penmanship as his own and is still amused over his little joke has his gloves made to order because a man's hand looks like a bunch of bananas in a ready-made glove won't wear heavy-soled shoes, insisting that the soles on women's shoes are sensible typ runs two miles before breakfast each day can exercise every muscle of his body without stepping off a dime it's all done twirling his lariat has just moved Into his own home a huge residence says he rings bells all day but can't get a rise out of his man-1 of-all-work whereas in the old apartment days all he had to da was to whack on the floor with th heel of his shoe won't wear yellow because he finds it unlucky recently landed in an onioai patch when a thief siphoned th gas from his airplane tank plays old cowboy songs on the fldrtla he has had sln' he was 2 yfars clj Metropolitan; Feller Needs a Friend," with Jackie Cooper and Charles (Chic) Sale. The vaudeville portion of the program will include the Scanlon Denno Revue, Brems, Fitz Murphy Joe Phillips, Tom Ful-mer and the Athenas. At Loew's Gates, the featured picture Is "The Mouthpiece," with Warren William, Sidney Fox and Aline MacMahon.

"The Street Singer" (Arthur Tracy) tops the vaudeville bill; other acts include Johnnie Berkes in a comedy offering; Charles McNally, and Don Lee and Trudina in ''Tropical Nights." The picture for the latter half of the week will be "Reserved for Ladies," with Leslie Howard. Sunshine Sammy heads the vaudeville bill, with his Napolcans of Rhythm. Other acts Include Rio Brothers, Jack Usher Luis Zingone and June Purlane Co. Other Loew film offerings follow: ALPINE "The Wet Parade." today and tomorrow; "No Greater Love," with Richard Bennett, Tuesday and Wednesday; "Reserved for Ladles." Thursday and Friday. BAY RIDGE "The Mouthpiece." until Tuesday; "Reserved for Ladles," Wednesday until Friday.

BEDFORD "The Mouthpiece." today and tomorrow; "It's Tough to Be Famous" and "Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood," Tuesday and Wednesday; "Reserved for Ladies," Thursday and Friday. BORO PARK "No Greater Love," today and tomorrow: "Man About Town" and "Honor of the Press," Tuesday and Wednesday; "Coiiein and Kellys la Hollywood" and A powerful drama of circum stances is unfolded in "Night Court," the current screen attraction at Loew's Valencia and MetT ropolitan theaters. The story, based on recent disclosures of political corruption in courts of larw, deals the Intrigue and injustice of which a young taxi driver and his wife find themselves victims when they unwittingly become involfed in the affairs of a well-known night court magistrate. Walter Huston, Anita Page, Phillips Holmes, Hersholt and Lewis Stone head the cast. "Hell's Belles," a revue Imported from the Capitol Theater, is the stage attraction at the Metropolitan.

Featured in the oast are the Stone Vernon Four, Carclni, Rus sell and Armstrong, the Three Mc- Cann Sisters, Russell Hicks and Chester Hale's Devilish Darlings. N.T.G. headlines the vaudeville program at the Valencia with his revue, "From Hollyviood to Tia Juana." Other acts on the bill include Jim McWillianis, "The Pia-nuttist." and favorites of the famous Roxy Gang, including Adelaide de Loca, Alice Julene. John Griffen, Harold Clyde Wright and Alan Parado at the piano. "The Miracle Man," with Chester Morris and Sylvia Sidney, Is the screen feature at Loew's Pitkin Theater today, tomorrow and Tues day, combined wit'n a stage show headed by George (Sidney, stage and Eiren ccmeaian.

The Pitkin film offering for the latter half of the Yj'eek is "When a also includes Adrianne Allen. "Mer rily We Go to Hell" was directed by Dorothy Arznor, alone of her sex wielding the megaphone in Holly wood. The stage show at the Paramount this week is tabloid version of Lew Leslie's interesting Negro revue, "Rhapsody in Black." which has a Broadway background. Ethel Waters contributes songs in her char acteristic vein, the Cecil Mack choir of 25 provides harmonic background, and the Berry Brothers add torrid dances to the spectacle. Al the Strand Edward G.

Robinson's latest starring vehicle, the melodrama "Two Seconds," Is the current offering at the Brooklyn Strand. Years ago a European picture was shown here which made drama Incidents recalled by a man about to die. "Two Seconds" is a domestic treatment of the same theme, and provides Robinson with a role strikingly different from any in which the screen has revealed him to date. Mcrvyn LeRoy directed the picture, which in addition to Mr. Rob- irscn enlists the services of sucn players as Preston Foster.

Vivienne Osborne, Guy Kibbee, Carrol Naish. Adnenne Dore, Walter Walker, Ear ton Churchill, William Jar.ney and Edward McWade. Supplementing the feature pic-.