King of Jazz (1930)

Winner of 1 Academy Award:

Best Art Direction

Herman Rosse

It won 1 Oscar out of a total of 1 nomination in 1929-30.


King of Jazz is the self-ascribed nickname for the star of this musical revue, which is presented in the device of "Paul Whiteman's Scrap Book."  Throughout, melodies and anecdotes from Paul Whiteman and His Band are performed for the entertainment of audiences


The film was shot entirely with the two-color Technicolor process, but ingenuously developed methods in bringing the color blue to the silver screen for its "Rhapsody in Blue" number.

It also features the first animated Technicolor segment.  In this particular part of the film, there is even an appearance of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit - the Walt Disney character that famously preceded his iconic Mickey Mouse.  A separate black-and-white sound cartoon - "My Pal Paul" - was released as a promotion for the film that also prominently featured Oswald the Lucky Rabbit as well as songs from the movie.

In yet another pioneering effort, this movie would also become the first feature film to have an entirely prerecorded soundtrack, which Paul Whiteman insisted upon in order to create an optimal sound quality.

Unfortunately, the picture would see little commercial success due to the over-saturation of movie-musicals and revues that had flooded the market following the advent of sound films, coupled with the early days of the Great Depression.  Paul Whiteman's radio program would be cancelled as a result of this, forcing him to layoff many of his band members and reduce the salaries of those band members he was able to retain.

In addition to this, the newly enforced censorship code also demanded that re-releases cut approximately twelve minutes of material that was deemed unsuitable.  Though prints of the uncensored film still survive, the censored version is what was made available upon its videocassette release.


Editorial:

While there seems to be an enthusiasm from the talent on hand (and there is a great deal of it), this does operate as pretty standard fare.  Offerings of various musical numbers, vaudeville acts and sketches are broad in nature and seem awfully disconnected.  But, with that, this feature just happened to pioneer some things that are taken for granted today.  Given the mediocrity of the movie itself mixed with genius artistry, it makes complete sense that audiences were unwilling to support it in the way that the industry did.

Score  |  05/10  |  This motion picture may be worth watching.

With Byrd at the South Pole (1930)

Winner of 1 Academy Award:

Best Cinematography

Joseph T. Rucker

Willard Van der Veer

It won 1 Oscar out of a total of 1 nomination in 1929-30.


With Byrd at the South Pole is a documentary that focuses on "the conquest of the last mighty forces of Nature."  Rear-Admiral Richard E. Byrd is the Conqueror of the North and South Poles, the only man to fly over the top and bottom of the world.  The achievements of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition merge with Paramount to present a story of great human adventure recorded by two ace cameramen as Byrd makes an historic Polar flight over the South Pole.

It was the first documentary film to win the Academy Award for Best Cinematography and the first documentary film to win an Academy Award for any category, in general.


Editorial:

This milestone in documentary film-making should be mandatory viewing for any audience that enjoys nonfiction storytelling.  It is a one-of-a-kind movie for its time that can only be described as a daring and courageous tribute to realism cinema.

With its goal of capturing history on camera, its diplomatic approach to wildlife and the human condition, and its enthusiasm for exploration and adventure, there is virtually nothing that viewers are left wanting with this bold effort - especially when taking into account the beautiful photography!

Score  |  09/10  |  This motion picture may be required viewing.

Madame X (1929)

Nominated for 2 Academy Awards:

Best Directing

Lionel Barrymore

Best Actress

Ruth Chatterton

It won 0 Oscars out of a total of 2 nominations in 1928-29.


Madame X is Jacqueline Floriot, a woman who spends her life running away from her past as an adulterous outcast, until she finally commits a heinous murder in order to silence a man who intends to reveal her sins.  An inexperienced, young lawyer is appointed as her public defender and it becomes his mission to garner sympathy for this woman as he is simultaneously unaware of the mysterious connection that the two of them share.

It is based on the play by Alexandre Bisson.

Although this is a sound film, there is no music during the opening credits or end titles.  This is because, at the time, studios were still expecting individual theaters to provide their own musicians to perform during these portions of the movie.


Editorial:

Backtracking.  This hard-to-find film has now been reviewed after being put on hold.

It is absolutely tragic that this movie is horrifically boring for more than two-thirds its length, because the final half-hour is actually deeply engaging.  Putting aside a longer-than-needed setup, once the murder occurs, the story and performances pick up significantly.

Ruth Chatterton's courtroom scene is a fantastic showcase for her talent, and the underlying message of attempting to understand those who commit villainous acts is a noble endeavor.  Unfortunately, it takes so painfully long to get there.

Score  |  04/10  |  This motion picture is worth trying.

The Letter (1929)

Nominated for 1 Academy Award:

Best Actress

Jeanne Eagels

It won 0 Oscars out of a total of 1 nomination in 1928-29.


The Letter follows Leslie Crosbie, who is a lonely woman that has become involved in an affair with a man named Geoffrey Hammond.  While her husband is away, she lures Hammond to her home and brutally murders him after learning that he has been living with a Chinese woman.  A single letter, however, must be bought and suppressed, or her guilt will otherwise be made public.

It is adapted from the play by W. Somerset Maugham.

Jeanne Eagels tragically died of a drug overdose shortly after the completion of this film, thus becoming the first actress to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination.

Once considered a lost film, a workprint was rediscovered and placed back into circulation in 2011.


Editorial:

Backtracking.  This hard-to-find film has now been reviewed after being put on hold.

This particular film is both absolutely preposterous and unforgivably racist.  While one can certainly comprehend a corrupt justice system that would garner sympathy for a maddened Caucasian woman, this movie weaves a world that simply could never exist in which the presence of a Chinese person only offers an opportunity for stereotypes to strangle any ounce of worth this film may have had.  The worst part is that a performance by Jeanne Eagels that could have been memorable for the sake of its performance becomes memorable for all of the wrong reasons.

Score  |  01/10  |  This motion picture is definitely not worth watching.

Weary River (1929)

Nominated for 1 Academy Award:

Best Directing

Frank Lloyd

It won 0 Oscars out of a total of 1 nomination in 1928-29.


Weary River begins when Jerry Larrabee and his gang shoot an innocent bystander.  Even though the boys decide that it would be in their best interest to lay low for a while, Larrabee is pinched and the Court mandates that he serve from one to ten years in prison.  Insistent on not taking the rap, he becomes an uncontrollable prisoner until he gets wise and finally finds the outlet his soul desires:  musicianship.  But can a convict really become The Master of Melody?

Frank Lloyd lost the Academy Award for directing this film to himself for directing another film in the same year;  The Divine Lady (1929).

This film was produced partially as a silent film with title cards and partially as a sound film with audible dialogue, as production occurred during the industry's transition to talkies,  The existing print is preserved with the Library of Congress and was a joint restoration project of the Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division, the UCLA Film and Television Archive, and Warner Bros. / Turner Entertainment Company.

Richard Barthelmess does not provide vocals for the film's title track, "Weary River," that is performed throughout the film.  Instead, his singing was dubbed by that of lesser-known actor, Johnny Murray, who had planned on loaning his voice to Richard Barthelmess again in the future, had Barthelmess ever decided to star in another musical.


Editorial:

Backtracking.  This hard-to-find film has now been reviewed after being put on hold.

This film suffers from a massive identity crisis in terms of medium.  Producing a film in which silent scenes are inter-cut with sound scenes could possibly make for an interesting way to experience a film, but the purposelessness of how this movie does it feels borderline schizophrenic.

On top of this, the story seems to scratch the poignant surface of a social issue in which a culture is unwilling to recognize convicted criminals as reformed citizens, but  wastes the opportunity and instead nosedives into the melodramatic.  It really could have been something more than it actually was.

Score  |  03/10  |  This motion picture may be worth trying.