Life, 1929-05-17 · page 40 of 52
Life — May 17, 1929 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains film reviews and advertisements, not political cartoons. The main content discusses two talking pictures ("talkies"): **"His Captive Woman"** — criticized as melodramatic, featuring a murder trial told primarily through narrative voice-over. The reviewer notes the film wastes actor Sills's talent by not fully utilizing his voice acting. **"The Trial of Mary Dugan"** — praised for its frank dialogue about adult topics (euphemistically called "the facts of life"), which contemporary reviewers felt warranted adult-only attendance. The review notes the film adaptation simplified the original play's structure, where the audience served as the jury; the film removes this innovative device. Norma Shearer leads, supported by H.B. Warner and others. The page also advertises French tourist destinations and the Elysée Hotel in New York. There is no political satire or cartooning on this page—it is a standard entertainment/travel section.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The smartest resorts in the world...are not the most expensive! If you're the average man, accustomed to American prices...you're apt to leave the smartest resorts on this side of the Atlantic outside your calculations....But French resorts offer a far more brilliant picture...| at prices you can easily afford.... Le Touquet ++einternational chic at a beach that owes its reputation to the Prince of Wales.... Deauville...where tout Paris spends hectic week-ends....Dinard...a lovely curving shoreline for the bather, rocks for the artist, the casino for everybody...the smartest plage in Brittany. ...La Baule... ten miles from St. Nazaire, crowded with gay Parisians who adore the beach, the pine woods, the tennis and the dancing.... Biarritz... the sponsor of the sun-tan mode and every important fashion in sports clothes... the starting point for the auto-car serviceoverthe Routedes Pyrenees....Cannes +++the southern capital of chic, the centre ofsmart Riviera life.... MonteCarlo...where all the world comes for the ultimate thrill. Information and literature on request RAILWAYS OF FRANCE Ceneral Representatives INTERNATIONAL WACONS-LITS, 701 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, OR ANY TOURIST ACENCY Life Movies (Continued from Page 29) a Pollyanna in a murder trial. Most of the picture is told in the narrative form, with the action pre- sented in silent sequences as Mr. Sills describes it to the jury. The numer- ous fadeouts to the South Seas and flashbacks to the courtroom detract from the reality of the picture, but despite the many handicaps Mr. Sills manages to create a few really moving moments with his splendid screen voice. It is regrettable that he is not given an opportunity to use this asset to better advantage. Movie patrons blessed with lots of romantic imaginations who like to see immoral ladies with attractive figures being regenerated, and don’t like to see them convicted of murder may find “His Captive Woman” fair diversion. “The Trial of Mary Dugan” Having been assured by the Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer office that the censors are not going to butcher the dialogue of this interesting talkie we will rec- ommend it for adults who do not feel it a civic duty to appear embarrassed every time an actor refers to one of the things that are listed in that cate- gory which bears the fearsome title of “the facts of life.” Some of the conversation in “The Trial of Mary Dugan” is necessarily frank, so take Junior over to the Joneses and let him shoot craps with their Willie while you are at the Bijou. The picture is not as entertaining as the play because some of the situa- tions have been simplified and the hu- mor exaggerated to fit the producer's idea of the intelligence of the average movie audience. In the play the audience was the jury, and at the end of the trial the judge turned and made his charge to the audience . . . after which you went home and argued the verdict out with your wife. In the picture they fur- nish a jury that takes but little time to bring in a verdict—which may cause the legal-minded gentleman in the next seat to start an argument with you regarding the circumstantial na- ture of the evidence on which the ver- dict was made. Norma Shearer works her features overtime in some of her scenes, but on the whole she is surprisingly good in the exacting leading réle. Miss Shearer received excellent support from H. B. Warner, Lewis Stone and Ray- mond Hackett. Among the minor characters, Adrienne D’Ambricourt does an outstanding bit. “The Trial of Mary Dugan” is much better than the average talkie. yet with the tiptid container they keep the ashes out of sight, ex. s smokes automatically. Always clean and odor- less. For Home, Office, or Clubs Ondisplay at lea department and niture stor Sold everywhere. Schieffelin & Co, 16-26 Coover Square, New York, ELYSEE 60 EAST 54™STREET NEW YORK wl OT EL vs RESTAURANT O1rRECTION ' MAX A.HAERING (FORMERLY 10 YEARS) ELYSEE BAST 66T STREET comicbooks.com