Camera (April 1921-April 1922)

CAMERA ! "The Digest of the M'Jion Picture Industry" Page Five Current Reviews "RIP VAN WINKLE" Clune's Joseph Jel¥erson's stage version of Washington Irving's quaint legend, "Rip Van Winlvle," is now released for the screen by "Ward Lascelle, its producer. Perhaps the photoplay's chief charm lies in its pictorial value; but che performances are also attractively executed, while the effective subtitles do much to increase the delicate comedy and pathos through which the story is simply unfolded by the direction. The settings are all just what the imagination would paint them, for the village of Falling Water. Five generations of the Jefferson family have played old Rip, the title role of the piece, for in it this time is featured the screen's own Thomas Jefferson whose portrayal of the famous character is undoubtedly as lovably wayward as any has ever been. He gives Rip the originally endowed Irving combination, a boyishly mischievous mind and on old man's tender heart. The kiddies will dote on him. Technically the interpretation would have been greatly improved by his affectation of a more realistic make-up in that section of the story which sees the hero awakened in a new world after twenty years of sleep. Milla Davenport enacts Gretchen Van Winkle, Rip's wild cat spouse with a fire that marks her as vividly as the other role. Gretchen is consistently well played. Gertrude Messenger and Francis Carpenter are happily cast in Meenie Van Winkle and Heinrick Vedder as children. Their round little faces and yellow heads are delightfully Dutch. Daisy Robinson and Hal Craig enact the youngsters grown. Pietro Sosso as Derrick Van Beekman, the exaggerated villain, provides a necessary obstacle or two and Max Asher is an excellent type for Nick Vedder, the tavern keeper. "Rip Van Winkle" makes an exceedingly appropriate holiday program. It is a Hodkinson release. "MY BOY" Kinema Sol Lesser presents Jackie Coogan in the child's first starring vehicle under his present contract, "My Boy," a picture which must be admitted to far exceed "Peck's Bad Boy," an earlier offering with the lad, from the standpoints of appeal, story, continuity and performances. We understand the original to have been prepared by Jack Coogan, Sr. Lois Zellner translated it to the screen. The direction by Victor Heerman, the titling and general arrangement arc all meritorious. A well balanced combination of tears and laughter also pleases greatly. "My Boy," will do much to increase Jackie's popularity. Certainly he has a rich opportunity in Jackie Blair, a little orphan immigrant who thwarts Ellis Island officials and attaches himself to a lonely old Captain in lieu of the proper family connections. The young actor has a remarkably sympathetic personality and an even more unusual power of transition with which to back it up. His tears are as spontaneous and sincere as his smiles. With such a range his favoritism is indefinitely assured. The Captain, the lad's gruff friend and benefactor, is perfectly played by Claude Gillingwater who enacted the Earl in "Little Lord Fauntleroy." The two roles form a striking contrast proving this artist's great versatility. Mathilde Brundage is fortunately placed and does excellently in Mrs. Blair, the boy's aristocratic, unknown grandmother. Milla Davenport and May Foster complete the cast in minor roles. First National distributes "My Boy." JANE STARR A PARISIAN SCANDAL Superba The most noticeable thing about the screen stories which Universal has, been handing to Marie Prevost as starring efforts is their uniform senselessness. . "A Parisian Scandal," the latest even does its best to outdo the others in this respect with a certain degree of success. In any event its plot is nil from a dramatic, a comedy or any reasonable consideration while we detected no theme whatsoever. To make matters less interesting the scenario by Doris Schroeder drags unmercifully in spots. Louise Winter is responsible for the original. George Cox's direction and the somewhat elaborate settings afford this picture's only relief from absolute inferiority as even the able performers in the cast find it too great an effort to rise above the asinine individuals whom they play. If Miss Prevost hasn't some genuine comedy to substitute for the inanely affected mannerisms which have been hung onto all of her starring roles thus far, she won't last long nor go far. We have been mor(> than disappointed in her recent work. Here she does Liane Oudolt, a forced Parisian flapper. Tom Gallery, m the male lead, doesn't help matters much although he shows a little more "speed" than he has previously been known to. Gallery plays Basil Hammond, a professorish young man in goggles. Bertram Grassby and George Fisher are good for several laughs in rather inconsequential positions. Baron Stransky and Emile Garret. George Periolat, Lillian Lawrence, Lillian Rambeau, Mae Busch and Rose Dicne fill the remaining parts. Productions on this order are hangovers from an earlier and less human cinema age. "ALIAS LADYFINGERS" Loew's State Theatre A very enlertaining comedy drama of crooks and others is Jackson Gregory's "Alias Ladyfingers," a Bayard Veiller production, starring Bert Lytell for Metro. It is even rendered fascinating by a succession of surprise twists that are a credit to the author's originality and to the direction's capability in "putting them across." The satisfactory scenario is by Lenore Coffey, while Arthur Martinelli's photography is up to his high standard. The star's pleasing personality is allowed full swing in Robert Ashe, alias Ladyfinger's, a safecracker with a responsive heart. Ladyfingers is a sympathetic but tricky young man who provides some all around refreshing entertainment. Lytell needs just such situations. Ora Carew is suitable in Enid Camden, the young lady, who captures the hero's attention and Frank Elliott gives one of his well known "slick" heavy performances in Justin Haddon, a lawyer. Edythe Chapman, however, lifts the picture from the merely satisfactory to the entirely worthwhile with a truly wonderful characterization, Rachel Stetherill. A hard hearted, long headed, stubborn, old millionairess, who continually brings misery upon herself and those she cares for while covering a forlorn, sensitive spirit, she is the loveliest work of Miss Chapman that we have witnessed. She is consistently played and could not have been improved. De Witt Jennings as Lieut. Ambrose, Stanley Goethals and Edward Connelly, complete the cast. THE MAGIC PEN OF MOTHER GOOSE The first animated cartoon in "The Magic Pen of Mother Goose" series, produced by the Harry Levey Service Corporation, and just released through National Non-Theatrical Motion Pictures, Inc., has already been booked for the primary classes of New York and Indianapolis public schools. "It is just what we have been looking for and wanting for the primary grades," said Miss Hochheimer, assistant to Dr. Crandall in charge of Visual Education for the New York Public Schools. "Give us more of them." "We will," answered Harry Levey, the prcMiucer. " 'Hey, Diddle, Diddle,' is the first in the series. We'll take the children into partnership and let them vole on the mother goose rhymes they would like to see next on the screen. Tell all the children who see this one to write to National Non-Theatrical what they want next. If the teachers approve the idea and its execution why not let the children have a say?"