The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

November 7, 1925 MOVING PICTURE yVORLD 6t "The New Commandment" — First National Blanche Sweet, Ben Lyon, Holbrook Blinn, Featured in Film That Should Please Fans Robert T. Kane's first for First National, "The New Commandment," looks like a good box office picture. It has an exciting story witli a dramatic romance, stylish backgrounds and a splendid cast including Blanche Sweet, Ben Lyon and Holbroo'< Blinn. As the characters are wealthy people and their surroundings typical of a sumptuous living, picture audiences ought to revel in the atmosphere. Furthermore, the introduction of much sentiment — perhaps sentimentality — into the love scenes will please those who like their romances sugary. Col. Frederick Palmer's novel, "Invisible Wounds," supplied a wealth of action and detail for Sada Cowan and Howard Higgin, the adaptors. Director Higgin has handled this plenitude of riches well, maintaining the suspense at all times and permitting adequate characterization by the players without interfering with the plot action. The colorful nature of the story is apparent from this synopsis : Mrs. Ormsby Parr, a scheming society woman, wishes her step Reviewed by Sumner Smith daughter to marry Billy Morrow. A yacbt takes the party to France and Billy runs away to Paris. There he meets Gaston Picard, a painter, and Rene Darcourt, an American girl turned model temporarily. Billy ai\d Rene fall in love but Billy comes to doubt Rene because of her occupation and suspicion of Picard. War comes and Cast Rene Darcourt Blanelie .S«-€?et Billy Morrow Ben L,yon William Morrow.... Holbrook Blinn Mrs. PaiT Clare Karnes Marquise <le la Salle KItie Shannon Countess Stoll Dorothy Cumminirs Picard Pedro De Cordol>a Red George Cooper Ethel • • ■ Diana Kane Henri Darcourt Lucius Henderson From Col. Frederick I*almer*s \ovel, '*Invisible Wounds.*' Adapted by Sada Cowan and Howard HigKin. Directed by How:iril Hi^;;;rin. Hilly enlists. Wounded, he is taken to a chateau and meets Rene again. Doubts vanish and all ends happily. Miss Sweet gives a fine interpretation of the misjudged girl and Ben Lyon is excellent as her lover, though direction at times seems to make him over-act. The other players do uniformly good work. One of the best scenes has to do with a fight in a cabaret. Lyon and George Cooper, who plays a chauffeur, are great in this, lending it all the realism of a real, desperate scrap. The battle scenes also are picturesque, especially those of the chateau while being bombed by a German 'plane, though the escape of Ben Lyon from death taxes the imagination and it will occur to some people that the Germans have been already been blamed enough for the war. Oh, by the way, the "new commandment" is : "Thou Shalt Xot Doubt," in this case the girl you love. This picture is designed to be good entertainment, it seems, and the picture fills the bill in that respect. "The Wall Street Whiz"— Film Booking Offices Typical Richard Talmadge Production Gives Star Many Chances for His Athletic Stunts A typical Richard Talmadge production. This statement pretty well covers the case in estimating the entertainment value of "The Wall Street Whiz" the newest of the series in which he is being starred by F. B. O. Dick is cast as a snappy young society man who under cover operates in the stock market, being in reality the mysterious "Wall Street Whiz." In a cafe he has an encounter with crooks, the place is raided and he seeks refuge in an aut6 containing a new-rich woman and her daughter. When he introduces himself as a Butler, the job is offered him and he accepts. Eventually he saves the girl's father from being ruined by a financial shark and wins the girl, but not until after he has had a strenuous time to keep his identity and a few more encounters with crooks, yeggs, etc. In carrying out this masquerade, eluding his friends and looking after his own affairs he has a strenuous time, including several opportunities for his familiar line of stunts like jumping on and off moving autos, vaiilting over stairways and banisters, tumbling over tables, and fighting off a half dozen men at one time. Talmadge is, of course, thoroughly at home in situations of this kind and although the story is weak and the situations implausible and theatric, the stunts and fast-moving action will probably satisfy his fans. It does Cast Richard Butler TalmndKe Pegsy McCooey Marceline Da.v Mrs. McC<M>ey Lillian I.anBdon McCopey »"» *»'"*"" Clayton Carl Miller Auntie Story and scenario by James Bell Smith. Uircctcd by Jack Nelson. Length, r„*r,-l feet. Reviewed by C. S. Sewell not, however, rate quite up to several of his earlier vehicles. The supporting cast is entirely satisfactory. Marceline Day is attractive in the opposite role and Dan Mason gets in a few laughs as her father. (Continued from page 59) and in one scene he has even kidded his own inability to smile. While Brown Eyes does no stunts other than showing her friendship for Buster and following him around like a dog, she gets you just the same, in fact, the novelty of her role come near stealing the stellar honors from Buster. The others in the cast are O. K., but the" don't amount to much; yes, there is a girl, and a pretty one, Kathleen Myers, but it is Buster and Brown Eyes and the long horns that hold the stage. The gags in this comedy arc too numerous to mention in detail. Naturally the use of the cows opens up an entirely new field of possibilities and Buster docs not seemed to liave missed any of them. There is a good laugh in the simple way that Buster gets where he wants to go by choosing the right freight car, in the manner of showing elapsed time and in a host of other gags. You will hold your sides when you see him leading the thousand head through the streets using P.rown Eyes as the decoy and when the herd becomes separated and Buster dons a devil's costume and the cattle, seeing red, chase him to the stock yards, it is a roar. The separation of Buster from the herd leaves them without a leader and they proceed to invade barber shops, beauty parlors, department stores and even the police station. The mad scramble for safely opens up a familiar filed of slaprobatics that is always good for laughs and the working out along the "bull in the china shop" angle is good for a lot of chuckles. "Go West" is a laughter cocktail for any audience. The "wise"' ones who sniff at westerns will like the satire immensely and the average fan will enjoy the uproarious comedy. The ending is a gem, where Buster chooses the cow instead of the girl, and should make anybody smile. It is all excellent, clean, wholesome fun. (Continued from page 60) Once the chase begins, it proves to be a well balanced combination of thrill melodrama and farce comedy, the director playing up one angle against the other to good advantage, holding the interest and suspense and supplying excellent comedy reliet. In fact this climax should be fast and funny enough to satisfy the most exacting fans. Monte does good wor«< but Patsy Ruth Miller runs him a close second for honors. The others in the cast have little to do but do it well. "Red Hot Tires" should prove pleasing entertainment in the average theatre. Cast Al Jonea Monte Blue KIlKabcth I.owden Pnlsy llnlh Miller Her Knlhcr Fred Ksnii-ltou (■eorKc Taylor • ■ • • Lincoln Sledman Coachman Charles Conklin Crook Tom Me(;ulrc \l Martin Ilmmie (iuinn Ntory by Ureitory Koitera. Scenario li.v K. T. Li>we, Jr. Directed by F.ric C. Kenton. Lcniclh, <MMIO feet.