Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Apr 1923-Apr 1924)

TORONTO, CANADA. Page Twenty-nine DIGEST REVIEWS CURRENT ATTRACTIONS— FEATURES PLAYING AT TORONTO HOUSES HEN one remembers what young Rex Ingram was able to do in 1nterpreting Vincent Blasco Ibanez’s masterpiece “The Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse” for the patrons of the screen who were also lovers of the great Spanish writer’s works, it seems like sacrilege to mention in the next sentence the man-handled nightmare which constitutes the version given by another director, Allen Crosland to wit, of the. same author’s widely read novel “Enemies of Wom 3 en. The writer would not presume to condemn Cosmopolitan’s spectacle because of the unpardonable and frequent liberties taken with the work of the great writer; but the translation given to the ideas of an idealist (such as Ibanez’s writings lead us to think of him) makes us resent the autocratic power conferred upon those chosen to sit in the directorial chair. Such power invested upon one man, who in addition is apparently given a blank cheque, is enough to distort his vision even if he be a very remarkable type of man indeed. And Allan Crosland is only human—-so human in fact that as the gorgeous scenes of carnival and vice unfold we commence to. see him distinctly inhuman. We see him permit superbly garbed women to lie in drunken stupor on the floor in the embrace of equally dissipated members of the opposite sex. We see a lovely girl (with a gown cut almost to her waist exposing snow white shoulders and back) thrown up against a stucco wall, held there, roughly shaken, and the performance repeated until it calls forth hysterical guffaws from the audience—and this treatment meted out by the man who supposedly loves her with a fierce jealously. “Fierce” is right. Among the other luxurious indecencies of Mr. Crosland’s rendition of “Enemies of Women” is the episode in the villa when the Prince returns to a scene of spent indulgence and, with a heavy rope in his hand, weilded at intervals over the exposed throats and backs of his alluring guests, drives men and women from ‘the viciated hospitality of his own roof to the streets in a manner that conveys only one thought—and this most inappropriately—that of Christ driving the money changers from the Temple of His Tather. Many such diabolical instances could be sighted but out of justice to all those who contributed their efforts to the production we must not dwell at length upon these repulsive features, for aut of i 4 Before B “Enemies of Women” Proves a Washout “The Ragged Edge” An Average Picture Cosmopolitan Spectacle Wastes Beauty on Scenes of Debauch-. ery, Alfred Lunt Gives Great Promise in Distinctive Picture Women” is a great production, produced on a lavish and exotic scale, revealing a wealth of detail scarcely conceivable — 10,000 feet of film in which much that is beautiful beyond description may be enjoyed. There are the countless interiors of richness and grandeur for which we may thank that genius, Joseph Urban. Amid such gorgeous splendor Prince Lubimoff, a high-born Russian profligate, played by Lionel Barrymore, lives his satiated life surrounded by many beautiful women noteably the lovely Alica Delille, (Alma Rubens) the unacknowledged favorite. Alica is too vain to admit to Lubimoff that she has a sixteen year old son and Lubimoft consequently believes the handsome youth to be Alicia’s lover. .The Prince, his egotism offended, seeks seclusion at his villa on the Reviera accompanied by Castio, his friend, Spadoni, his protege and Colonel Marcos, his old councillor. ‘They style themselves “The Enemies of Women” as indeed they prove themselves, for from this point on the story of the picture widely deviates from the story as told by Ibanez, and certainly if men exist and conduct themselves as Cosmopolitan’s male characters would indicate they are one hundred fold the enemies of women as well as of children and stray alley cats. According to the scenario at this point Alicia’s son is invalided home from the great war and, having been appointed to the intelligence department, is detailed to watch the “goings on” at the villa where the fair sex is all the rage again. Here he witnesses an attack of Lubimoff’s upon one of his concubines and challenges the Prince to a duel. The youngster has a heart attack before he can avenge the girl and dies fortunately before the director makes a hero of his assasin and promises marital bliss for his beautiful but depraved mother. Such satisfaction as Ibanez gave his readers in having the mother die and leave her extraordinary lover to find solace in spending her fortune ‘denied the picture fan, for Direc ng Pictures Read The Digest Advertising Pages| tor Crosland, overtaken by a serious attack of happy-ending mania permits Lubimoff to wear the uniform of a hero and return to the arms of the persistent Alicia. The inspiring shots depicting the parade of the allied armies beneath the Arch de Triumph in Paris; (note: no flags in: evidence except Stars and Stripes, as. usual) the wonderful scenes in Monte Carlo, and the beauty of the Reviera revealed through perfect photography are some of the things to be glad about in “Enemies of Women;” in fact we can safely say that for lavishness of production and remarkable attention to detail the picture has been seldom rivalled—but why these pigs in a rose garden? “The Ragged Edge” The Distinctive. production’ is good entertainment and will likely satisfy the fans if too extravagant claims are not made for it, but callons us we have <t wn, we experienced a pang in seeing “The Ragged Edge” open in. such a burst of beauty and then settle down to a more or less average strain, loosing out a little at the end of the ‘story through too generous footage: We*would rather have forgone alto-. gether the trip-photographically-to the south sea island than had it at the. expense of an otherwise ‘good picture, for when the camera_man took his tripod off the streets of Canton and set out for the dreamy ocean ‘lands of grass skirts and flower wreaths, the lure of the Orient was somehow gone. For sheer pictorial loveliness very few pictures can boast more lovely effects than the atmosphere provided: in the first part of this picture—when Fast meets West and fraternizes under the spell of the mystic — harboring streets of a Chinese city. It is in such a setting that the lovely daughter of: a recently deceased missionary (who until this, the beginning of her travels, has known nothing of life or fashion) fnds herself drawn to a handsome young stranger whose troubled mind seeks solace in the brimming cup. The young girl who is on her way to relatives in the United States prolongs her stay in Canton to nurse the boy when he collapses under the strain of persistant dissipation. The doctor welcomes the volunteered services Of the beautiful girl, but when. he .sees that the boy 1s prolonging: his con-’ yalescence designedly he chides him for his selfishness in allowing -her to compromise herself further. Of course all the missionaries wives staying in (Continued on Page 30.)° ~