Camera (May 1922-April 1923)

CAMERA ! The Digest of the Motion Picture Industry" Page Five Current Reviews ^ft "The Fatal Marriage" DIGGING up D. W. Griffith's old-timers isn't going to do a thing to the motion picture industry — not a thing! Not when pictures like "The Fatal Marriage," made some seven years ago, can come so close to running present-day attempts right off the screen. D. W.'s picturization of "Enoch Arden" is not a great picture, but it is still worthy of projection right alongside of a good half of the productions being released today. Griffith — or Cabanne, rather, for the picture was directed by Christy Cabanne under the supervision of D. W. Grifttth — had an allstar cast in his fatal-marriage "Enoch Arden," although he probably was not aware of the fact at the time. Take Lillian Gish, for instance, as the sweet little Annie who loved so well and suffered so much. Her early scenes are mostly mystic mazes of whirling arms, but underneath it all she even then displayed a delicate feeling and her capacity for worthwhile performances that have marked her as one of the best there is today. And Wallace Reid is there; quite a while before he joined the matinee idol class. He had his looks then, but he had to work for his place on the screen. Wallie essayed the part of Phillip, the rich chap who married Annie when Enoch was given up for lost, and was left out of more than half the picture, but from what we do see of him, it's easy to see that he has earned his fame. Mildred Harris is the only other member of the cast who has cut a niche for herself In the movie hall of fame. She had a bit as the eldest daughter of Enoch and Annie. Enoch himself was played by Alfred Paget, a gentleman well deserving of a better fate than the three sisters have apparently cut out for him, for he seems to have disappeared in these intervening years. Perhaps the highest paid actor of the lot • — although he specializes in a different branch of the industry now — is D. W. Griffith himself, who has a very small bit as Phillip's father. Christie Cabanne made an excellent job of the direction. In only one or two places does the action drag, or is it possible to see where a more modern technique practised today would have treated certain episodes a little differently — speeding them up, perhaps, or deftly passing them by. K. T. "Reckless Youth" EVEN though this Cosmo Hamilton story had revealed a new angle on life instead of proving a trite and muchlyfictionized tale, the general results would have been the same. Several Elaine Hammersteins could not have saved the production from wreckage at the hands of the director. The handling is very unconvincing. Cullen Landis supported Miss Hammerstein, giving a deadly dull performance. "Reckles.« Youth" is another astonishing proof of the producer's fondness for printer's ink, regardless of the extreme age of plots, or the absurdity of story argument. W. W. "The Kingdom Within" HAD we the simple minds that some producers think we have, "The Kingdom Within" would teach us the gentle lesson that Love, the almighty conquereth all, yea all. But uninformed as we are we have lived to learn that it takes more than an open heart and a smile to chase the wolf from the door. Victor Schertzinger has set Kenneth Marion Feducha, a child actress, shows talent and personality in the small role given her. Clarke's story to action. His direction shows understanding of the story and knowledge of his characters. Kenneth B. Clarke was caught in the tide of "faith healing" stories and so his story is not without its miracles and things. However, the subject was well handled when it was adapted to the screen. -The story deals with broken hearts and distorted minds with one physical healing for good measure. Photography was excellent but it could not have been very bad considering the scenery in the big tree country where the picture was filmed. Gaston Glass triumphed throughout. It is true that the author made the part sympathetic, and the director guided this juvenile in his characterization of the lame boy, but only Gaston Glass could have put the appeal and personality into the role. He made himself over to fit the part. Pauline Starke has a great deal of melodramatic, with only a touch of emotional action. But she does it well and we would like to have seen more of he^ work. Russell Simpson plays a character entirely familiar to himself and audiences. But there is conviction in his interpretation of the stern old fellow whom hate has made Hallam Cooley and Ernest Torrence fill out the cast with remarkably good work. R. W. "The Siren Call" ONCE Dorothy Dalton was starred in a "Yukon" picture and made a splurge in the part, so Lasky tried doing it over again. With a different story of course, that is — a different author wrote the story. "The Siren Call," written by J. E. Nash and adapted by him with the help of Philip Hurn is a tale of Alaska. And like others, opens with a verse from Service, drags its characters through fire, water and murders, only to foil the villian and save the heorine. It is surprising to see Irvin Willat's name on the alibi sheet as director. The direction is jerky and scenes not well connected. Dorothy Dalton does not do her best work here. She acts stagey and forced. Of course it is not her fault that she has impossible situations to work through, but she could have played the part with more sincerity and care. David Powell has a small part with a big fight. He does both well. Mitchell Lewis, the heavy, is not a pleasant character to put into an already bad picture. However, he brings real acting to us and we can't have a good actor in a good part all in one shot. Edward Brady, Will Walling, Leigh Wyant, Lucien Littlefield and George Williams all do good work, but a great deal of it is lost in the shadow of the star. Camera work is average. R. W. "Don't Shoot" THERE must be a great shortage of original stories when a company like Universal has to use a story ordinary in plot, over again, after a lapse of three years. That is what they have done with "Come Through." Perhaps the first time this picture was made it looked too good to them, so they changed the title to "Don't Shoot," to make it more puzzling and the scenes that weren't duplicated from the original were far below it. Jack Conway directed this repeater. The first reel looked promising, then Conway weakened. Or else he turned the last four reels over to his cameraman. Camera work was spasmodic. The exteriors were beautiful but interiors were badly lighted and filmed. George Hively, in writing the script, lost a great deal of the mystery and suspense of "Come Through." Edna Murphy, one of the newer faces on the screen, is very graceful and pretty. She played her role without trying to put any frills on it. The result was pleasing. Herbert Rawlinson doesn't deviate from the stereotyped hero. His acting hasn't varied since establishing himself as a screen idol, nor does it here. Universal will do better hereafter to take a chance on an original story. In saving a few dollars on a story they have lost many trying to hand the public old stuff. R. W.