The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

November 27, 1926 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 233 ^^Stepping Along'' Johnny Hines Has an Amusing Comedy in Story of a New York Newsboy Who Goes Into Pohtics C. C. Burr Presents Johnny Hinea in "Stepping Along" Based on story "The Knickerbocker Kid" by Matt Taylor A First National Picture Jolinny Hines Johnny Hines Molly , , Mary Brian Moreland William Gaxton Fay Ruth S>vyner Prince ..Edmund Breese Mike Dan Mason Boss O'Brien Lee Beggs Lengrtli — 7 reels Johnny, a newsboy studying to be a lawyer, runs for office against a crook who steals his birth certificate and claims Johnny is not a citizen. The plot is uncovered and Johnny elected and finds happiness with nis g-irl .whose stage career fails. Fast-moving comedy. Reviewed by Sumner Smith ONE OF THE SNAPPY, popular Matt Taylor stories, "The Knickerbocker Kid," comes to the screen as "Stepping Along," a Johnny Hines starring vehicle directed by Charles Hines for C. C. Burr and distributed by First National. That it will please Hines audiences hugely seems assured, for its world premiere last week at the Bronxville Theatre, New York, evoked a warm greeting both from the audience and visiting critics. It combines story, gags, action and good acting. Mary Brian, who plays opposite Johnnie Hines, is a distinct asset. Dan Mason contributes some of his inimitable work. The story concerns a newsboy studying to be a lawyer. The locale is New York. He is in love with a girl when a city slicker enters the scene. Both of them run for assemblyman. The slicker steals the newsboy's birth certificate and proclaims him not a citizen, but the paper is recovered and the newsboy is elected. The girl's stage career fails, but love recompenses her. This picture has many features of especial interest. It is typically New York, showing the Bowery, Fifth Avenue, even Coney Island. There are splendid scenes of the latter which feature much comedy wound around midgets dressed like babies. Broadway and the theatrical life is seen through the medium of scenes of George White's famous Scandals girls, who do the "Black Bottom" dance. A trick dog. Rex, also provides liis bit of entertainment. WHILE JACK HOXIE'S performance in the Universal Blue Streak Western "Red Hot Leather" is thoroughly up to his usual standard and should please his fans, it is due principally to the skill of Albert Rogell who wrote the story, scenarized and then directed it, that picture ranks alpove the average of the usual program western. So far as the plot goes there is not a single thing that is new, in fact it hinges on such a familiar situation as the necessity for the hero to win in a rodeo in order to get the money by a certain hour in order to save the ranch, and of course there is the inevitable romance with the girl who helps him and "Red Hot Leather" From Famihar Material AI Rogell Builds Peppy Entertaining Western with Jack Hoxie as Star Reviewed by C. S. Sewell plenty of villainy even to the stealing of his horse to prevent him from competing and the final disclosure that there is oil on the property. Out of these ingredients, with the addition of a sick father whose recovery depends on the hero winning, Mr. Rogell has fashioned a picture that plays on the basic elements of "western" appeal and utilizes all of the angles that make this type of entertainment perennially popular. He has built up the story so that action and interest is cumulative working up to the exceedingly fast climax in which the hero in jig time subdues an unmanageable horse, wins a relay race, dashes to the lawyer's office with the money and then wins the girl. Paradoxically speaking, although you are sure as to the outcome, somehow there is a good deal of suspense in watching how it works out and satisfaction at the hero's triumph. Carl Laemmie presents Jack Hoxie in "Red Hot Leather." Directed by Al Rogell. Universal Blue Streak Western. OAST: Jack Lane Jack Hoxie Kllen Rand Ena Gregory Daniel Lane William Malen Ross Kane Tom Shirley Morton Kane W. H. Turner Dr. Marsh George French Length — 4,555 feet. Faced with the loss of their ranch, which would cause the death of his sick father unless notes are paid. Jack Lane wins races at the rodeo despite crooked work and also wins a pretty nurse who aided him. Fastmoving, peppy, actionful we.stern. "His New York Wife" Alice Day, Newest Mack Sennett Star to Go Into Features, Makes Good in Comedy Drama J. G. Bachnian presents "His New York Wife" Directed by Albert Kelley A Preferred Picture CASTi Lila Lake Alice Day Philip Thome Theodore Von Eltst Alicia Duval Ethel Clayton Julia Hewitt • • • Fontaine La Rue Jimmy Duval Charles Oruze Lila's Aunt Edith Yorke Length — 5,294 feet Lured to New York with false promises of having her play produced, Lila accepts a job as social secretary and gets into a mixup by posing as a chap's wife. Her sweetheart misunderstands but all is straightened out. Interesting drama and romance. Reviewed by C. S. Sewell HEADING THE CAST of the Preferred Picture "His Kew York Wife" is Alice Day, the newest of Mack Sennett's comediennes to join the ranks of stellar players in feature productions. Miss Day's role, in which she gives a thoroughly enjoyable performance is that of a small town girl, who, lured to New York by false promises is forced to take a job where she has to masquerade as the wife of a young rich chap who has gone away with his real wife to avoid reporters. Between the efforts of the reporters and several private detectives who seek to get something on the supposed wife, and complicated by the fact that the lawyer who is in love with Alice gets mixed up in the affair and believes that she is really the young chap's wife, the story proves moderately interesting and several amusing situations are developed, and the picture should prove an average program attraction, for their is quite a bit of heart interest and pathos and a pleasing if not altogether probable romance in addition to the comedy angles. In addition to being a very attractive little lady, Alice Day is an excellent actress and should duplicate in features her success in comedies.