Jack Haley, who in "Good News," "Follow Thru," and "Take a Chance," three musicals which were smash hits on Broadway, ran away with the comedy honors, repeats his stage successes in his latest picture "Here Comes the Groom," which Paramount recently released.
Ably supported by the always amusing Mary Boland and the very attractive looking Patricia Ellis, Haley is cast in the role of a piccolo player named Mike Scanlon. The mere idea, as you can guess, has humorous possibilities, and Haley gets the most out of them. In plot "Here Comes the Groom" wanders all over the lot. Mike Scanlon is shown about to hold up a poker game, but he loses what little nerve he has and finds himself a victim of another highwayman with the same intentions. The police, however, are after Mike, and he escapes to the compartment of a train occupied by Miss Ellis. She is supposed to be waiting for a masked radio tenor who is about to marry her. He doesn’t show up and Mike is drafted—it turns out to be a platonic affair and poor Mike spends most of the trip on the observation platform of the train.
When the train reaches its destination, California, Mike must still pose as a bridegroom and assume the role of a crooner. The fact that Mike’s voice is simply non-existent makes this a rather difficult task, but with the aid of a tuned-in radio he nearly gets by—nearly. All is eventually discovered and in a series of laugh provoking situations the picture finally brings itself to a logical end.
As a clown Mr. Haley has few screen equals and in "Here Comes the Groom" he is at his best, which means entertainment of a high order. We recommend this one for those of you who find "belly" laughs good for the soul.
SAILORS AT THE ROXY
Good timing brings this only fair picture about one of Uncle Sam’s sailor boys to the Roxy. It is a Universal Picture and stars Chester Morris, who plays the role of a gob—a diamond in the rough. One day, while off duty, he rescues an heiress from drowning but the damsel was really not in danger but waiting for somebody else to pull her out of the water. Our sailor hero is, of course, smitten and when he leaves the Navy takes a job in the factory owned by the gal’s uncle. The rich girl gives our hero hopes, but when he finds out that she has done so because of a wager, he is pretty disgusted. However, before the end of the picture simple love and straightforwardness prevail and a clinch between the ex-gob and the heiress will delight all optimists who still believe in fairy tales. Juvenile stuff, and a trifle trite. Not for adults with adult minds.
CINEMA NOTES AND HAPPENINGS
Irving S. Cobb, humorist and short story writer, will have his first effort in comedy motion pictures released soon, under the title of "Speaking of Relations." . . .
Leontine Sagan, the lady who directed "Maedchen in Uniform," has been signed by Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer, for whom she will do some directing. Her first production, as yet untitled, will be released in the Fall. . . .
From office boy to director is the up-the-ladder story of Charles Barton of Paramount. In 1923 he was licking stamps and running errands. Last week he received his first assignment as a director—it will be "Wagon Wheels."
The new Chicago World’s Fair is a feature of this week’s news-reel program at the Embassy Theater. A twenty-minute tour which shows everything at the Fair includes a trip around the world along the Street of Nations.
West Point graduation, with former Secretary of War Baker presenting diplomas, shows 250 Cadets becoming second lieutenants.
Drought ravages, revealing the extent of the disaster, show the rich farmlands of the Midwest becoming an American Sahara.
The colorful Trooping of the Color for King George is Britain’s contribution to the current program. Tugwell’s Senate quiz, which resulted in his confirmation, furnishes the verbal highlight of the show. The Iowa quadruplets, American rivals of the Canadian quintuplets, make their movie debut.
Other subjects are the Catskill plane crush; the San Salvador hurricane disaster in which 3,000 died; the Endeavour, British challenger for the America’s Cup, showing her speed; General Harbord addressing the Second Division reunion, and the Leviathan back in service.
Foreign stories include King Carol of Rumania inspecting his guards; Japanese wrestlers competing for the championship; young Crown Prince Michael as a Bucharest schoolboy; Australian tennis stars playing in Paris; gymnasts of sixteen nations competing in a Hungarian meet and the King of Italy at a review.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
