The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

Glhrough the Box-Off ice ^Mndov J ^ (^viewers* Views On Mature ^LLm 6ddedL btj CS.Sewdi "Corporal Kate" Vera Reynolds and Julia Faye Give Life to Tale Of Two "^Girls Who Did Their Bit in the Big War GIVING A THOUGHT to the women in the World War, "Corporal Kate" tells the adventures of two girls whose work in a barbershop gets them in contact with a pull which in turn gets them a chance to go to France to entertain the soldiers. They have framed up a very amateurish and conventional song and dance act, but they make up in personality what they lack in artistic finish and then land in a rest billet with a stable for their home. Kate early wins the attention of Jackson Clark, a society man, and Becky conceives a hopeless passion for the same engaging soldier. The complication is supplied by the appearance of Evelyn, an old friend of Jackson's who is engaged to an officer in the flying corps, but whom Kate supposed to be Jackson's sweetheart. For his sake she guides the girl in a retreat, due to a German invasion, and loses an arm in the process, but of course it all turns out so that they live happily ever after. Starting as comedy, the action back of the lines drops to farce and at times to horseplay, but with the German onslaught turns to stark tragedy with Julia Faye contributing a splendid bit of acting in a death scene that is gripping because there is so little artifice. She does not flop around in the traditional death throes. She just lies there and lets the life tide ebb happy in the arms of the man she has made her idol. For the moment she steals the play, but it swung back to Miss Reynolds ni time for the clinch. Once past the development of the plot, the story moves with speed and humor and there is a rough and tumble between the two girls arid the inevitable hardboiled Sergeant that will get a laugh anywhere. The military atmosphere is done with the fidelity of a war drama, and not even the big hits give a more realistic battle picture than the destruction of this town. It is absolute realism. Miss Reynolds is attractive in the title role and Kenneth Thompson makes a soldier any Red Cross girl would be interested in, while "Stranded In Paris" Bebe Daniels Is Seen to Fine Advantage in a Snappy Story of an American Girl Abroad BEBE D.\NIELS, ably abetted by Ford Sterling and a well chosen cast, gets full value out of a nicely complicated story of a ffirl who wins a round trip ticket to Paris and loses the return half almost immediately on her arrival. To make matters worse, the man she meets on the boat cannot locate her Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky Present Bebe Daniels in ".Stranded in Paris" Based on play. "Jenny's Escapade." by Hans Bachwitz and FYitz Jacobstetter Directed by Arthur Rosson A Paramount Picture C.\ST: Julie McF^dden Bebe Daniebt Robert Van Wye James Hall Co«nt Pasada Ford Sterllnicr Therese Halstead Iris Stuart Countess Pa.sada Mabel Julienne Srott Herr Rederson Tom Ricketts Mrs. Van Wye Helen Dunbar Mrs. HaLstead Ida Darling Pettipan George Grandee Seltnab Andre I>anoy Length — 6.106 Feet Julie wins round trip to Paris but loses return lialf and gets a job. She is mistaken for a countess at a fashionable resort and the arrival of her supposed husband complicates matters, but she extricates herself. Clean fnrce comedy with fast fun. since the pension at which she expects to stop has been demolished. She gets a job with a dressmaker on sheer nerve and through an error is mistaken for the Countess Pasada at a fashionable health resort. To complicate matters, the Count turns up and sperds the night in her suite — in the bathtub. Meanwhile her sweetheart's sister sends for him and he arrives in time to gather the impression that Julie is looser than ashes, a belief fostered by the Countess, who chases Julie all over the place with a revolver. The middle action of the play is a succession of fresh complications cunningly devised and nicely directed. It keeps the action mounting it, ever-accelerating action until the desperate Julie commandeers a tally-ho and gives chase to the departing Robert with a deckload of character witnesses. The four horses run away and Robert experiences a sudden change of heart, preventing a fatal accident, but piling up the coach. Miss Daniels has the best role that has fallen to her lot in a long time and she takes advantage of every opportunity. Her pantomime when she endeavors to explain to the gensdarmes that she has been robbed and succeeds only in creating the im Harry .Allen aids the comedy with his impersonation of the Sergeant. "Corporal Kate" is lacking in literary values. It will not make much of an appeal to the highbrows. It is not even a very good development of the story, but it is going to please those who like entertainment even though it may fail to satisfy the critics. It has audience appeal in abundance and should get over. Vera Reynolds in "Corporal Kate" A Paul Sloane Production From story by Zelda Sears and Marion Orth A Producers Distributing Corp. Picture C.VST: Kate Vera Reynolds Becky Julia Faye Evelyn Mnjel Coleman Jackson Kenneth Thomson WlUlanu Harry .\IIen Length — 7,460 Feet Kate and Becky, two girls working In a barber shop, use pull and are sent to France as entertainers. Up in the front lines, one loses her heart and her life, the other loses her heart and an arm but wins a husband, fine comedy and human interest story of the woman's side of the World War. pression that she has lost her dog is a delightful bit of work, and she handles naturally a sequence in which she creates the impression of intoxication, though in reality she is partly etherized, having sought refuge from the Countess on the operating table. It is all clean fun handled in excellent taste, and one of the fastest farces of the season. It is stressed, but not too wildly improbable, and the runaway makes an exciting and dramatic finish with a punchy fadeout. Ford Sterling, as the Count, is not permitted to walk away with the situations. He is given ample opportunity, but does not get a chance to steal the screen. Mabel Julienne Scott, as the Countess, is another able seconder and there is a poodle that contributes not a little of the fun. James Hall, as the hero, has little to do, but does that well, and the general support is entirely satisfactory. Even George Marion, Jr., contributes somewhat to the success of the story by writing sub-titles instead of forced jokes. There are only a couple of palpable wise cracks. The story does not need the aid of comedy titles. It is good in its own right.