The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

November 29, 1920 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 301 ^Tals in Paradise^' George Seitz Makes Picturesque Production, of Kyne's Story of a Mushroom Mining Town Reviewed by C. S. Sewell ~ BASED ON A STORY by the popular author, Peter B. Kyne, Producers Distributing Corporation is offering "Pals in Paradise" with a featured cast headed by Marguerite De La Motte, John Bowers, Rudolph Schildkraut and May Robson. Director Seitz has handled this subject in a big way using large numbers of players in his mob scenes and made this a picturesque production of the conditions in a boom mining town following the discovery of gold. It gives early promise of becoming an epic of its kind but in handHng the atmospheric end of the production and building up the .Me tro-Goldwyn -Mayer Pre.seiit.s "The Pl.-iiiiins Forest" With Antonio Moreno and Renee Adoree Based on story by James Oliver Curwood A Cosmopolitan production Directed by Reginald Barker CAST: SR-f. Cai'Tiiigr*"" Antonio Moreno Jeanne->l!irie Renee Adoree RoKer Gardner James Wimbledon VVilli:im Austin Mike Tom O'Brien X-nsarre Oscar Beresi Length — O.-^OT Feet Lag-arre, half-breed Indian, attempts to establish republic in Northwest Canada. The Government retaliates by forming the Mounted Police. Sgt. Carring'ton wins a native girl and loses her when he arrests her brother, but regains her love by his heroism. Stirring action melodrama. CHARACTERISTIC OF the policy of Cosmopolitan Productions, the James Oliver Curwood story "The Flaming Forest" has been filmed on a lavish scale, even to the use of Technicolor in some of the big scenes, and is interpreted by an excellent cast. In the main, this story is of the familiar Curwood type, a story of "The Mounted" laid in the Canadian Northwest but it has a stronger plot than usual and is made doubly interesting because it deals with the formation and early adventures of the North\yestern Mounted Police. The result is a production that in our opinion is the very best of its kind offering excellent entertainment for all classes including those who do not usually respond to the Curwood appeal. The spirit of the story is w^ell developed in the early footage with an intense hatred of the ruthless and brutal half-breed villain who terrorizes the vast territory in his attempt to establish a rival government, with a strong personal element of drama in his attempts to win the little French heroine, and the counter move of the Dominion government in the establishment of the Mounted, who are shown operating like an army, .300 characters, the interest in the story proper suffers and the result is a picture that despite its big scale is only an average e.xample of its type from a dramatic standpoint. The cast is excellent. Marguerite De La Motte and John Bowers give good performances in more or less conventional characters whose actions are not always convincing. Rudolph Schildkraut gives an excellent characterization of a Hebrew storekeeper who holds all the town offices, introducing effectice comedy and May Robson as his domineering wife lends him able assistance. There is a melodramatic climax with a fight in a blazing store building, in which a false friend is exposed as a double-crossing crook, and all ends happily. Reviewed by C. S. Sewell strong, with even justice to all and no undue stressing of the "Get Your Man" idea of super-heroic feats. There is a pleasing romance between a sergeant and the heroine and a succession of sure-fire melodramatic situations punctuating almost continual action, and exceptionally well done. Renee Adoree is splendid as the heroine and Antonio Moreno as the hero and the lesser roles are all in good hands. There is an excellent punch climax with the attack on the fort, the ride of the hero for reinforcement and the return of the troop through the flaming forest. Tliis is a corking good picture of its type. "What Price Glory" (Continued from page 300) play, but what drama, and how much more thrilling and powerful than any conventional ending could be. In its painting of life as it is and war as it is, this is but one of the many instances where the conventonal has been trampled on, in fact it is because of its defiance of the conventional that makes this story so big and vital, no super heroes, no villains, in fact you are even in doubt about the girl, and the affair in France with Charmainc which develops into a beautiful romance starts out just exactly as the ones before them have. Even the minor characters act like human beings and not like puppets of fiction, and they talk like them. As far as possible, a spade has been called a spade and at no time is it disguised with a pink ribbon. As to the war scenes, they are tremendous and are not simply spectacular but powerful as they have been stripped of their glitter and glamour and you are made to realize the futility and the tragedy of war. We don't know which was intended to be the "star of the show," in another picture it would probably be Quirt for he wins out Jolin C. Flinn Presrnts '*l*als in I*aradise'' Based on story by Peter B. Kyne Directed by George B. Seitz A Metropolitan Production Distributed by Producers Distributing Corp. CAST: fJeraldiue Ho^vard . . Marsruerite De I. a Motte Bin Harvey loiin Bo«ers Alie I^evinsky Kudolpli .Seliildkrant E.stlier Levinsliy May Holison Kenton V|j,„ Krooks Bnttertly Kid Brnie .Vdams Length — 6.696 Feet Learning that gold has been discovered on her father's claim, Geraldine goes West ana finds that Harvey, a prospector, has title, and decides to fight him. She decides to marry Kenton, a friend, but Abe, the sheriff, discovers he is a crook, so she finally inarries Harvey. Interesting, actionful story of •Pioneering mining camp. in the romance, but it is Flagg as portrayed by Victor McLaglen that dominates the picture. It is one of the most remarkable performances that the stage or screen has ever seen. He does not portray Flagg, he is Flagg. Edmund Lowe is remarkably fine as Quirt, a role entirely different from his former ones and wins new laurels. Dolores Del Rio, a newcomer is wonderful as Charmaine and great things may he expected of her. Everyone of the lesser characters is admirably handled and is deserving of individual mention did space permit, and the same is true of situation after situation that for its thrills, drama or comedy or all three we would like to point out, but must refrain from doing so. Great credit goes to Raoul Walsh for his direction which places him right up in the front line. Certain changes in the play have been made for the screen, we understand, but the spirit of the story has been caught and filmed, and it is a production of which the William Fox organization and everyone connected with the picture may well feel proud. Every foot of "What Price Glory" is absorbing entertainment. What more could one ask of a picture? As Laurence Stallings is the author both of "What Price Glory and "The Big Parade" and both deal with the World War it is inevitable that they will be compared. Each is a masterpiece along different lines. They have in common the fact that both sti^ip war of its glamour and tinsel and stress its underlying tragedy and futility. In "The Big Parade" the war itself is the keynote told through the medium of the characters, while it is the characters that dominate "What Price Glory" against a background of war. ''The Flaming Forest'' Cunvood Story of Northwest and Formation of Mounted 1^'orce Offers Excellent Entertainment