The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

60 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 7, 1925 "The King on Main Street" — Paramount Adolphe Menjou Reaches Stardom in a Fine Comedy Brilliantly Directed by Monta Bell Monta Bell has made something more than a "good audience picture out of the play, "The King." That isn't saying that it is not packed with audience appeal. It is. To the brim. But it carries something more. It has not only humor but intelligence and even a dash of heart interest. Up to the tag, evidently intended to satisfy the demand of the "they lived happily ever after" patron, it is a clean cut rapidly moving comedy with farcical touches that do not descend to buffoneryThere is even a "custard pie" angle when a cream puff, lands squarely on the kingly eye, and there is every excuse for using this comedy standby. Bessie Love has a bouquet in one hand and the cream puff in the other. She means to toss the roses to the King, l)ut in her excitement she uses the wrong hand. The story is simple ; the King who must be King in spite of the one honest love of his life. You even conjure up a little sympathy for him, though Menjou has shown that he is abundantly able to provide heart balm for himself. He comes to America to negotiate a loan. There he meets the one girl with whom he falls sincerely in love. Reviewed by E. W. Sargent Then he turns her over to her fiance again and goes back to marry a hard boiled princess. That's all there is to the story. You have heard it before. But it is told witn a wealth of delightful incident that will appeal to everyone from the kiddies and the lowbrow to the intellectual who affects to despise comedy. You cannot despise this comedy because there is clean cut motivation of every incident. It is not a suc Cairt SerRe l\ Adolphe llenjoii filady.s Humphreys llesKie I*ove Teresc Manix Cireta Mssen John Uoekland Oscar ShanArthur Trent Joseph KIlKOur Jensen Edgiir .\orton Count Krenko .Mario MaJeronI .\unt Tabltha .Marela Harris Bourdler Eilouard Durand Hased on play "The Kinc" by A. de Caillavet, Itohert de Flers and Samuel .\rene, S<>eiiarlo liy Doujurla.s lloty. Directed I13' M<*nta Hell. I.eniyrth, il^24 feet. cession of loosely strung gags, but a steady and logical progression to the only logical end. ' There are some delightfully planned sequences, notably the visit to the home of an astounded owner of a chain of gas stations and a trip to Coney Island, with a wealth of "human" stuff between the King and a typical American boy. There is a sprightly playtime in Paris and a delightful interlude with a Mrs. Nash, whose "line" is indifference, and who gets badly tangled in the line. Menjou, as the King, has a congenial role. It does not give him the deep possibilities of Forbidden Paradise, but it does afford ample opportunity to put over his agreeable personality. Greta Nissen is lovely to look upon, and Bessie Love, as the contrasting type of wholesome American girl, is an excellent foil as the King's one real love. The others are all thoroughly competent, but subordinate to the main role. Both the scenarist and the director should be given their full measure of praise, for each, particularly Monta Bell, has worked with sympathetic artistry, and turned out a corking good picture. ^'Compromise" — Warner Brothers Cyclone Scene Furnishes Punch Climax for Film Featuring Irene Rich and Clive Brook That life itself is a compromise between opposing forces, the ideal and the practical, the good and the evil, is the idea behind "Compromise," a Warner Brothers production in which Irene Rich and Clive Brook are featured. This is worked out in a story which has as its central character, Joan, a woman of high ideals who from cliildhood had had to play second fiddle to her selfish, pampered half-sister. Joan expects marriage to bring happiness and it does for a time, but Nathalie, the sister, true to form, schemes to win Joan's husband Alan, and succeeds, and not content with this, arranges a surprise meeting to gloat over her conquest. Symbolic of the conflict between husband, wife and si ter, there is a terrific cyclone which brings to Joan a realization of the truth of the theme and she forgives Alan. Reviewed by C; S. Sewell Under Alan Crosland's direction this story which was adapted from a novel by Jay Cast Joan Trevore Irene Rich Alan Thayer Clive Brook Hilda ' ■ ' I-ouise Fnzenda Nathalie I'auline Garon Cholly Raymond MeKee Aunt Catherine Helen Uunbar Joan's Puther Winter Hall James \lan Cowan Commodore Edward Martindel Ole Frank Butler Nathalie, A^e 6 Sluriel Frances Dana Based on novel by Jay tielaer. Scenario by E. T. Lowe, Jr. Directed by Alan Crosland. Length, 6,780 feet. Gelzcr has been given a high class production. Miss Rich of course appears as Joan, a type of neglected wife role with emotional opportunities, and, as always, she is excellent. The plot is rather thin and while the story never becomes really gripping, sympathy for Joan, some rather peppy jazz sequences, and Pauline Garon's vivacious performance as Nathalie should prove entertaining. Added to this is punch of a cyclone scene in which buildings tumble down as the principals scurry for shelter. No miniature this, a big street scene m which houses and stores are wrecked and a church steeple twists and fall, narrowly missing the passersby. Clive Brook gives a finished, dignified performance as the husband and the minor roles are pleasingly handled by a well selected cast. "Red Hot Tires" — Warner Brothers Farce Comedy Starring Monte Blue Works Up To A Climax That Both Thrills and Amuses For his newest staring vehicle for Warner Brothers, Monte Blue has been supplied v/ith an automobile story that is out and out farce comedy, both of these angles being brought out in the appropriate title, "Red i-fot Tires." Monte sees a girl and becomes so infatuated with her that he runs his car into a steam roller and as he expresses it afterwards every time he sees her something happens. The girl's father is chief of police and to cure her of speeding, he puts her in Reviewed by C. S. Sewell jail. Monte demands the same treatment and is accommodated but gets out first and strives to get back in only to find the girl has been released and then has a time getting out. Crooks kidnap the girl and Monte overcoming his fear of autos since his first accident gives chase, fights all over the house in which they take refuge and finally licks the crooks and wins the girl. The story starts out rather leisurely and while there are some amusing situations in the early accident and jail sequences it does not really get pepped up until the chase starts. Some of the gags are of a familiar sort but there are good gags with the girl'' slipper and this angle has been played up to advantage, all through the picture and supplies some surprise laughs when she has to don heavy shoes which serve to keep the hero aware of just where she is when the gang is chasing her. (Continued on page 61)