The Film Daily (1924)

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Sunday, November 9, 1924 THE -aS^ DAILY "The Border Legion" Paramount As a Whole THRILLING, TYPICAL ZANE GREY STORY. HAS PLENTY OF PUNCH IN ITS ACTION SEQUENCES. VERY WELL MADE PICTURE WITH GOOD CAST AND FINE BACKGROUNDS. Cast.... Once more Rockliffe Fellovves acquits himself creditably. Gives an interesting performance 11 the role of bandit chief whose better side is awakened by a girl. Helene Chadwick good in the latter part. Antonio Moreno a suitable hero but he's shoved pretty well " in, the background by Fellowes' more important role. Gibson Gow ; land an excellent villain. Eddie Gribbin splendid in comedy turns. Type of Story. .. .Western drama; from Zane Grey's novel. Most of the Zane Grey novels make first rate screen material but "The Border Legion" seems to be even more .tppropriate than some of the others. Besides a lot of fine action and U thrills it has a first rate, interesting and absorbing plot, which, incidentally, the author claims to have been an actual fact. The story contains an array of fine character . studies among them, the principal, a bandit chief known as Kells and ' another. Gulden, Kell's right hand man. These two furnish many fine moments in the picture. For once a hero isn't the "whole show." In fact Jim Cleve hasn't a chance to rescue the girl he loves but is finally reunited with her through the charity and change of heart of the bandit. There's plenty of good action prior to the clinch. The " unsuccessful raid on the gold mine camp offers some fine thrills. William K. Howard has provided an excellent production. His story is nicely developed and the interest splendidly maintained. The photography is good and there are any number of beautiful backgrounds. All told "The Border Legion" is a satisfying number that will probably be a good box of^ce number also. Box Office Angle Should go big, especially with the crowd that likes a western. You can count on pleasing them with the lates'l Zane Grey. Exploitation .... A trailer of any one of the exciting moments should serve to get them interested. Of course you can use the author's name to advantage and arrange for the usual book store display of his various novels, "The Border Legion" in particular. Antonio Moreno and Helene Chadwick may be mentioned as the featured players but Rockcliflfe Fellowes certainly deserves equal prominence for his work. Post the title well in advance and give it all the publicity you can. It should be well known through the book. Direction. .William Howard; his first for Paramount; looks promising. Author Zane Grey I Scenario George Hull Cameraman Alvin Wyckoff Photography Very good Locale The West Length 7,048 feet. "The Torrent" Ph'xl Goldstone — State Rights As a Whole... ONE OF THOSE CAVEMAN PLOTS, NOT CONSPICUOUS FOR ORIGINALITY BUT MAY GET BY WITH AN AVERAGE AUDIENCE. HAS SOME ACTION THAT COMPENSATES. Cast. .. .William Fairbanks hasn't as much hard work to do in this one. True, he does one or two rescue stunts and saves the fair lady but otherwise he isn't kept very busy. Ora Carew, as the girl, finally decides that she does not love her caveman admirer. Others Joseph Kilgour, Robert McKim, Fontaine Larue, Frank Elliot. Type of Story .... Romantic drama. The title isn't very appropriate. In fact they're likely to expect a story entirely different from what they get. "The Torrent" is used figuratively here. Hero Fairbanks is on his way back from the jungles. On shipboard he falls in love with a girl who refuses to "fall" for his line of lovemaking. He's too sure of himself and so the girl holds off. They stage a mock marriage with Fairbanks and the girl as principals. Hero holds her to it as a marriage at sea, by a captain, is legal. When the boat docks the girl, still disregarding the marriage, meets the man she is engaged to but before she can depart with him, hero kidnaps her, takes her to a ranch and holds her as his prisoner. And still the' girl refuses to admit that she loves her caveman husband. Eventually the fiance discovers her whereabouts and rescues her. In getting away, however, the girl is hurled from an auto; the auto goes over a cliff sending the fiance to his death. Meantime hero, as the result of the battle, is drifting towards the falls. He also is rescued and finally the girl realizes she loves her man. These latter reels offer some fair thrills but there are some pretty slow stretches before this that make the film a fairly draggy one. Box Office Angle.... May do on a double feature program but is hardly strong enough to stand alone. William Fairbanks has had more exciting roles than he has here and they will probably expect more of him. Exploitation It might be well to explain the title in this case. It may prove misleading. However, it depends upon whether or not youHl get kicks if you don't explain it. You might use William Fairbanks' name. Your folks are probably familiar with him by this time. Ora Carew's name also could be mentioned and a trailer of the rapids sequence might bring them in. Direction A. P. Younger and Wm. Doner; fair. Author Langdon McCormick Scenario A. P. Younger Cameramen Roland Price-Edgar Lyons-Paul Allen Photography All right Locale New York Length About 5,000 feet. "Robes of Sin" \Vm. D. Russell Prod. — State Rights As a Whole. . . .THERE MUST BE A MARKET FOR THIS SORT OF ENTERTAINMENT SO "ROBES OF SIN" WILL PROBABLY MAKE ITS MARK. AGE OLD NEGLECTED WIFE THEME FAIRLY WELL DONE. Cast. .. .Contains a pretty good line up of names. Sylvia Breamer suitable as the wife and Jack Mower makes a first rate finish as the policeman-husband whose duty occupies most of his time. Gertrude Astor makes the most of a "gilded lily" role and Bruce Gordon is all that a prosperous bootlegger should be. Type of Story. .. .Domestic drama. "Robes of Sin" probably shouldn't be condemned for its lack of originality for evidently these quite stale neglected wife and eternal triangle plots still hold the public's interest or the producers, wouldn't waste their time getting them out. Russell Enterprises haven't spent a great deal on the picture. "Robes of Sin", like many others of its kind, is obviously a commercial film, made purposely to please a certain clientele and make money for the exhibitors who cater to this class. It isn't sufficiently wholesome_ for family trade because of its dealings with a rich bootlegger, his mistress, and his efforts to ensnare the pretty wife of a policeman. The plot deals with Ruth and her husband, a policeman, whose duty causes him to leave her alone most of the time. Her neighbor, Grace, the mistress of a bootlegger, invites her out on a party, lending her a gown. Ruth later accepts fine clothes from the bootlegger who proceeds to forget about Grace. The latter, in revenge, leads the bootlegger's wife to believe that Ruth is the woman in the case. Meantime Ruth's husband is making a raid on the bootlegger's warehouse. He finds his wife in the man's company at a road house. Later, Grace, after a change of heart, confesses her part in the plot to frame Ruth. Her husband begs forgiveness for his neglect, the bootlegger is put behind bars and everybody is happy. Box Office Angle. . . .You know best what to do with a picture of this order. If your crowd is right for it you can probably use it to advantage. It has plenty of the sort of thing they like. Exploitation. .. .Where you want to bring them in you can talk about the story, relative to the husband who neglects his wife to the extent that she eventually seeks the attentions of other men. Use catchlines such as: "Who is to blame? The husband who neglects his wife or the wife, who being neglected, seeks pleasure elsewhere? See the answer at the blank theater in 'Robes of Sin.' " Direction Russell Allen; fair. Author Louis Waldcck Scenario Geo. Hivcly Cameraman Rose Fisher Photography All right Locale City Length About 5,500 feet. "Madonna of the Streets" First National As a Whole. . . .BRINGS NAZIMOVA BACK TO THE SCREEN IN DRAMA THAT CONTAINS PLENTY OF HUMAN INTEREST. WHILE IT LACKS FORCE AND CONVICTION, IT WILL PROBABLY GET BY. Cast. . . . Nazimova in a rather typical performance although she is not given to as much temperamental display as heretofore. Some of her close-ups quite poor. Milton Sills fine as the minister of the slums. Tom Kennedy and John T. Murray tackle comedy roles rather successfully. Others Harold Goodwin, Claude Gillingwater, Courtenay Foote, Rosa Gore. Type of Story. .. .Drama; from W. B. Maxwell's novel, "The Ragged Messenger." Somehow "Madonna of the Streets" doesn't hit on all cylinders. It starts off very well, introduces its characters after an interesting fashion, establishes a definite premise and then seems to weaken. It doesn't live up to expectations. When Mary Carlson, left penniless upon the death of the man whose mistress she had been, decides to avenge her misfortune by marrying the man's nephew, you really expect a very compelling bit of drama. You do get the dramatic quality but it is not forceful. That Mary should actually fall in love with the nephew, an evangelist who has established a mission in London's Limehouse section, is rather expected, but with it you also anticipate suspense. There is little of this. The minister discovers Mary's real identity but it all happens in a commonplace manner. Carewe's production is splendid, his atmosphere excellent and the manner in which he has handled the cast is commendable. A more careful story development would have helped considerably. The film does not contain a great amount of sex appeal although they will probably expect that it does. Carewe has toned it down to some extent and there is little that can be construed as such. Box Office Angle Likely to bring in a good many because it marks Nazimova's return to the screen after an absence of some time. Story will appeal to individuals rather than classes. Exploitation. .. .The title will probably serve to bring in a good many. Whether or not you want to bring them in on the strength of it, without telling them much about it, depends on the people you cater to. Let them know that the story is not as risque as it might sound from the title, especially if you have a family trade. Boost Nazimova's name and tell them it is her first picture since "Salome." Use Milton Sill's name also. Direction. .. .Edwin Carewe; usually good though story development could have been better. Author W. B. Maxwell Scenario Frank Griffin Cameramen ..Al Green-Robt. Kurrl Photography Good Locale London Length 7.507 feet.