The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

Glhrough the Box-Off ice ^ndow* ij S^vLewers* Views On feature ^ilms 6dited bij C.S.SewdL 'Tin Hats" An Amusing War Comedy with a Different Angle Dealing with the Post-War Army of Occupation \A7^ HAVE HAD THE FUN back of ' ' tlie fighting line and in the Naval arm. "Tin Hats" strike out along new lines and tells the experiences of three soldiers who become separated from their regiment and wander into the Rhine Zone ahead of the Army of Occupation. One of them finds innumerable cousins, the other two find brides, and the picture ends with the war brides' first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty as the transport brings the soldiers home. "Tin Hats." An Edward Sedgwick Production. A Metro-Goldw/n-Mayer Picture. CAST: Jnrk Benson Conrad Jfagel KIsa von Bergen Claire Windsor I-eifty Mooney George Cooper Krausmcyer Bert Roacli Top Sergeant Tom O'Brien Leng-th 6,59S Feet Three members of the A. E. F. at armistice time become separated from their command. Searching for their regiment, they Invade fhe Rhine Zone and are mistaken for vanguard of Army of Occupation. Laughable War Farce Comedy. Reviewed by Epes W. Sargent The plot is light enough to permit the action to ramble along from gag to gag with no particular restriction, and there are some rollicking scenes where the trio invade the Rhenish village and are accepted by the Burgomaster as the new overlords. Jack Benson becomes interested in Elsa von Bergen, an aristocrat, and an unprogrammed but very personable girl becomes enamored of Lefty Mooney; almost hardboiled enough to be a sergeant. With his two friends Jack invades Elsa's castle with the vague idea of "rescuing" her from some not very evident danger. Elsa arranges a warm welcome with doors that mysteriously open and shut, traps and surprises, culminating in a terrific battle with a host in ancestral armor, but as they are merely the serving men of the castle, the intrepid trio make short work of overpowering numbers. The trio are placed under arrest with enough charges to give them life sentences in Leavenworth, but Elsa begs them off so they get married and live happily ever after. There are a number of decidedly funnygags, notably a sequence in which Kraus meycr gets his neck wedged into the headrest of a photographer, the commers whicli welcomes them to the Rhineland and the adventures in the castle. Now and then the thread of plot gets into the way of the gags, but not for any extended period. Conrad Nagel is rather weak in his comedy and yet enough of a comedian to make his acceptance by Elsa something to wonder at. He would have been better had be been either all comedian or all hero. Claire Windsor is very pretty as the aristocrat, but is not called upon to act. Most of the comedy is carried by E-ert Roach, but his two companions cramp his style at times. George Cooper is a good feeder and there is, of course, the inevitable tough top sergeant. The sub-titles are often amusing, though many of them are the reverse of original. The picture should enjoy considerable popularity, for it is novel and funny. I pra the tha fall loc: T are disi pla: the FisI Pag trac frar poir all ( is a top W bool it s< "V like be a in fi; edy; PROBABLY THE MOST popular of Harold Bell Wright's very widely read novels, "The Winning of Barbara Worth" has been transferred to the screen by Henry King for S.imuel Goldwyn with Vilma Banky and Ronald Cohnan in the leading role and is offered as a United Artists production. Entirely different in type from the previous successes that Henry King has directed, such as "The White Sister," "Stella Dallas" and others, this is a story of the West revolving around the opening up of the great desert of the Colorado River by means of irrigation, and characteristic of Samuel Goldwyn, it has been given a big production in keeping with the epic nature of the subject. Elaborately produced with a large number of players, this picture is marked by beautiful photographic shots and lighting effects, stirring desert sand storms and an exceptionally thrilling and really marvelous climax depicting the river swollen by storms, washing away the irrigation dam and watergates and pouring over the desert engulfing the refugees in its path. Mr. King has ex ^^The Winning of Barbara Worth'^ Harold Bell Wright K\Vic of Heclamation of Western Desert Has Thrilling Flood (Climax Reviewed by C. S. Sewell cellently directed the scenes leading up to the flood with the fear-stricken inhabitants madly endeavoring by every mode of transportation to reach the high ground and safety and there is certainly a big punch in watching the water sweeping over everything and finally trapping some of the unlucky ones ; an exciting scene that will keep you wondering as to how it was done. In filming this novel emphasis has been laid on the broad aspects of the epoch-making feat of irrigating the desert, the whole plot revolves around this and it is heavily stressed in the subtitles, with the result that this angle has been made to overshadow the characters of the more intimate drama, the pawns, as it were, in the great project. This has the effect of slowing down the personal story of the players, subordinating it and weakening the dramatic unity. There are, however, a number of effective situations, some dramatic, some melodramatic and some that register for their pictorial beauty, and several touches of comedy, that are strong in audience appeal and should make this a popular attraction. For instance, the stirring ride of the hero with the payroll money as the impatient workmen are being incited to riot, and the attempt of the villain to attack the heroine. Ronald Colman is entirely satisfactory as the eastern engineer who proves his real mettle because of love of the heroine and Vilma Banky is excecdinly attractive as Barbara, but has slight opportunity for effective acting. Clyde Cook contributes character comedy and the other supporting players are entirely capable. The excellent handling of fhe flood scenes in the climax is enough to put this picture over with the average patron and. while "The Winning of Barbara Worth" does not rate with the screen's greatest productions, it is well above the average. Samuol rjoldwvn Presents "The Winning of Barbara Worth" A Henry King Production Ffaturing Ronald Colman and Vllma Banky Ba<pd on novel by Harold Bell Wright A United Artists Picture CIST: \\ illiird IfoitiieK Ronald f'olman Ifurliiira Wi>r1h \ lima Banky Till «ie<T Paul McXUIoter JelTerKOn V\'orth < barley l.ane (;r<-enn<-ld K. J. llnlcliKe .Vbe Kee Gary r<M»per Tex Clyde Cook Length — Eght Reels .lefCerson Worth interests Greenfield, a capitalist, in a big irrigation scheme, but Greenfield doublecrosses him. North. Greenfield's engineer, sides with Worth, and saves the populace when fhe dam bursts and flnaliy wins Barbara Worth. Epic drama of Irrigating the western deserts.