Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

55 “Her Father Said No” Witwer’s Amusing Prize-Fight Comedy-Romance Features At Cooke, Kit Guard and Mary Brian January 1, 1927 AS IS TO BE EXPECTED from the title, the F. B. O. production “Her Father Said No,” is a comedy and A1 Cooke and Kit Guard, the pair of comedians who have contributed so much merriment to a number of two reelers, are featured along with Mary Brian. While neither Cooke nor Guard figure as the principals in the romantic angle, the story has been developed so as to afford them ample opportunities for the kind of clowning on which they have gained their reputation. Cooke appears as the muddleheaded manager of a promising young pugilist and Guard as his thick-witted trainer. H. C. Witwer, the well-known writer of breezy stories of the prize ring, is the author T N A SOMEWHAT liberal adaptation of A a story of London’s Limehouse district by Thomas Burke, Colleen Moore gets too John McCormick presents Colleen Moore in “Twinkletoes” Based on story by Thomas Burke Directed by Charles Brabin A First National Picture CAST: Twinkletoes Colleen Moore Chuck Kenneth Harlan Dad Tully Marshall Cissie iGladys Brockwell Hank Lucian Littlefield Roseleaf Warner Oland Inspector William McDonald Length — 7,833 Feet “Twinkletoes” is a child of the London Limehouse slums who is given a chance by a local theatre manager. She falls in love with a prize-fighter, and his wife denounces “twink’s’’ father as a fence, but it all works out right. Entertaining comedy drama. FINDING ANOTHER MAN masquerading in his place and using his name is the predicament that faces the hero of the Associated Exhibitors production “Bad Man’s Bluff” sfarring Buffalo Bill, Jr. When his father dies, Zane inherits a broken down ranch and all is seized for debt except a rattle-trap flivver. He starts west with his hired man and stopping on a ranch when the flivver breaks down finds that the girl is supposed to marry him and MOVING PICTURE WORLD of this story, and patrons will find much that is amusing in the antics of this pair around the training camp and especially in the later sequences where the hero is running a health farm and they are his assistants. There is a pleasing romance between the fighter and the daughter of a man who hates pugilists. One of the best twists to the plot, both from the standpoint of comedy and interest is where the hero gets his prospective father-in-law in his establishment to take the cure and fixes it so he cannot get away and the boys give him the works good and plenty. Mary Brian is alluring as the girl and Danny O’Shea makes a capable pugilist hero. John Steppling is excellent as the grouchy father. Little Frankie Darro adds a pleasing element of human interest as an orphan kiddie adopted by the fighter. “Her Father Said No” is snappy and far from her usual gingery self to wholly please her vast army of admirers. For a second time this season it has been demonstrated that Burke’s saccharine Lilies of the Gutter are too improbably good to make convincing screen material. “Twinkletoes” is a combination of both Little Eva and Pollyanna. Miss Moore does the best she can with her handicap, but the role lacks the fire of her usual line and the story is too thin to hold great interest. Probably it will make money, for the production is on a large scale, but it will add no new leaves to her wreath of laurel. She plays a little dancer who shines in the London slum, and who very nearly falls a victim to the wiles of a theatrical manager, but with father out of jail and her pugilist sweetheart finally rid of his drunken wife, the clouds lift at the end. She is the villainous guardian has a confederate posing as Zane to get control of the property, Zane takes another name and finally when the bogus Zane kidnaps the girl he rescues her and reveals his real identity and all of course ends happily. Coincidence is stretched considerably in this story and it lacks plausibility but like this star’s usual vehicles there is a lot of typical western action such as fights, chases, shooting, kidnapping and fine riding. Moderately amusing comedy is supplied by the hero’s eccentric pal. “Bad Man’s Bluff” while offering nothing new, should prove an average attraction where westerns are popular. amusing and should appeal to the majority, particularly the fight fans. Joseph P. Kennedy presents “Her Father Said No” Featuring A1 Cooke, Kit Guard and Mary Brian Directed by Jack McKeown An F. B. O. Picture CAST: Charlotte Hamilton Mary Brian Danny Martin Danny O’Shea A1 Conklin A1 Cooke Kit Goodwin Kit Guard John Hamilton John Steppling Matt Doe Frankie Darro Herbert Penrod Gene Stone Betty Francis Betty Caldwell Length— 6,808 Feet Charlotte, whose father hates pugilists, falls in love with Danny, a prize fighter. He gives up the ring and opens a health resort and Charlotte’s father takes the cure. Unable to prevent it. father gives his blessing when the pair elope. Amusing romantic comedy. earnest and she puts up a terrific fight, but she is too heavily handicapped. Tully Marshall does much with the mawkish role of the father, and a much more sympathetic character bit falls to Lucian Littlefield. Warner Oland makes his character more suggestive of an old time Mississippi River gambler than a music hall manager and Gladys Brockwell has a couple of good bits as the jealous wife of “Twink’s” pugilistic lover. Kenneth Harlan is only neutral as the fighter, William McDonald, is satisfactory as the Inspector. The production is unusually lavish with a number of cinematic effects suggested by other productions. Lester F. Scott, Jr., presents • “Bad Man’s Bluff” Starring Buffalo Bill, Jr, Directed by Alvin J. Neitz An Associated Exhibitors Production CAST: Zane Castleton Buffalo Bill, Jr. Alice Hardy Molly Malone Dave Hardy Frank Whitson Hank Dooley Robert McKenzie Joe Slade Wilbur McGaugh Length — 4,441 Feet Zane Castleton goes West looking for a job on a ranch owned by his father’s friend and finds that the manager has an accomplice impersonating Zane who is expected to marry the heiress, Alice. Zane straightens out the tangle. Fast action Western. “Twinkletoes” Colleen Moore, in Blonde Curls, Is Star of Thomas Burke Story of London’s Limehouse “Bad Man’s Bluff” Actionful Western Starring Buffalo Bill, Jr., Is Based on Story of Villain Posing as Hero