Evening star., 1931-12-27

THERE Is no possible question OF
doubt that 1881 holds the dis
tinction of being by all odds
i the worst year financially in
the history of the motion picture
industry. This precocious 3O-year-old
infant has known no such thing as
genuine depression before, and thus 1t
/has had no chance to develop the
philosophy which enables its battle
Scared elders to neutralize the effects
of misfortune.
The cinema, which was unhappily in
clined to be boastful, blatant, obnoxious
in its days of victory, is now learning
the bitter, Christening lesson OF defeat.
However, if the box office returns are
at the moment far from sufficient for
all concerned, there Is no reason to
complain at the lack Of artistic prog
ress during the past year. 1t seems to
me that, in view Of everything, Holly
wood has done extraordinarily well.
Here are several 1881 achievements OF
which the film business has cause to be
proud:
1.-THE Public Enemy" (Warner Bros) !,
probably the most important picture OF
the year. AS written by John Bright
and Kubec Glasmon, directed by Will
liam Wellman, and especially as played
by James Cagney, it was remarkably
successful experiment in honest, candid
realism on the screen. 1t followed It's
principal character through from the
start of his criminal career to the
ghastly finish of it, and not once did 1t
compromise with the painful truth,
which is something which, to the best
of my memory, has never been done
in the movies before.
Little Caesar" (also a Warner prod
uct) reflected more obvious aspects OF
gangster life, but it did so in hugely
exciting manner. Edward G. Robin
sons impersonation of Sicilian beer
baron is not soon to be forgotten.
| City Lights Omitted Artists brought
Charlie Chaplin back after another OF
his protracted absences. It was Ger
tainlv not his funniest comedy, but it
was sufficiently Chaplinesque in con-
ception and in performance to be worthy
of inclusion in the list of glorious
achievements of this Incompatible
clown. Honorable mention must surely
| be made of the fine comic support given
to Chaplin by Hank Mann and Harry
Myers. .,.
| ing picture that has managed to achieve
an historic grandeur comparable to that
of 1.-THE Birth of a Nation" THE Cov-
cred Wagon" ana Otner eplCS oI Giie
silent screen. Richard Dix and Irene
Dunno successfully realized Edna Fer
ber's stalwart pioneers, and Wesley
Ruggles' direction was fine enough to
make one wonder about some OF MI
Ruggles other efforts.
''The Front Page" Omitted Artlsts)
and give Star Final CWarners) were
two prime insults to journalism as at
present practiced. I thought. the for
mer, directed by Lewis Milestone, was
the better of the two, as 1t accomplished
its ends by healthily comic means
give Star Final" ably directed by Mer-
win LIE Roy, was shade too irate, too
conscious of its reforming mission.
"Skippy" (Paramount) and The
Champ" Metro Goldwyn) may also be
bracketed together, for both OF them
exploited the absolutely unaccountable
talents of Jackie Cooper, whose discov-
cry deserves to be rated the most phe-
nomenal event of the year. "Skippy''
had a superior story, the work OF Percy
Crosby, Sam Mintz, Don Marquis and
others, but 1.-THE Champ" had more OF
that mysterious quality known as
punch" Norman Taurog directed the
former and King Vfdor the latter-both
should be awarded iaurels