The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

30 The Educational Screen Arab splendor overreach itself. The interiors arc sensuously barbaric—the wealth of a bold laughter loving savage. As the young Sheik, Rudolph Valentino is dominant. The one sustained closeup of the actor furnished one of those moments that do come in perhaps a year of daily reviewing. The Sheik's swift Anglo-Saxon revolt against his mad de- sire as he stooped over the English woman was done in this fashion; Mr. Valentino's long hands held tense for the smallest fraction of a second, then closed. He roje and looked straight into the camera. The lids closed—another frac- tion of a recond—the eyebrows lifted almost imperceptibly, and he looked again into the camera. Where the nine hundred and ninety-nine Would have twisted eyes, lips and all into emotional spasms, Valentino depended on the sheer sincerity and concentration of his glance. A great moment, like the gesture of Sothern's hand as he came from the King's death chamber or that measure- less moment of agony in Chaplin's eyes when he was being taken from the "Kid." This time it came via the closeup, the abomination of most films. Throughout the picture, Mr. Valentino sustained beautifully the swift conflicting forces of the dynamic Mohammedan prince, Arab by breeding, British gentleman and Span- ish daredevil by blood. The gay charm of the persistent smile, the firm egoism of the gestures, in short, the secure touch of the whole interpretation was practi- cally flawless. Miss Ayers surprised us. Time and again the reviewer has lamented that lady's lack of picture presence, poise, act- ing ability. Indisputably one of the very few vitally beautifully, thrillingly alive women of the screen, she has at last squared her accounts with the gods for her physical gifts and personal intensity. OVER THE HILL Heralded by the press as fulfilling the best aspirations of the photoplay, the film justifies itself to some degree. It echo of Will Carleton's famous poem gav it a start that was, at once, a handicaj The devotion of the middle class mothe to her life and its unfair apportionmen of work and sorrow could be easil; maudlin. "Over the Hill" escapes larger, through the definite reserve of Mar; Carr's interpretation. Yet, at moments even her economical use of the benigi smile, does not keep the theme con vincing; the morning scene was weak h this respect. But if Mrs. Carr faile< somewhat as the young mother, the effec was lost in the splendid restraint of Le characterization of the lonely, deserto old lady wandering from home to horn and over the hill to hard lrbor. Symbol ism was delicately managed and th ruthless realism of the whole horn routine left one a bit dazed. As a com ment r n the family life of a centur ago—we regret to admit it was true tt life—the coarseness of its men was bit terly accurate. We were, pictorially aware of what modern sociology call "the maladjustment of the home." A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN THI COURT OF KING ARTHUR The introduction of the author, belovec of the American heart, is fitting, alto gether so. But we pass into a tiresomeb long introductory story before the transi tion to Year 528. Cut that down (ai easy matter) and the film would be indeed, entirely satisfactory to Marl Twain himself. Harry Meyers, with hi: snappily swagger Yankee assuredness carries himself with convincing mier through the "pre-anachronisms" of thii farce comedy. Rosemary Thebe is alwayi at home in a part requiring beauty anc cruelty combined to make one im- pression. It may be her own or the director's fault but she overacts in spots a tendency in all her work. Charles Clary looks his part and keeps pretty well that delicate line between the fun and the realism of his kingly role.