Close Up (Oct 1920 - Sep 1923)

NIGHT LIFE IN L. A. (By “The Rounder”) LOEW’S STATE — Manager Bostick, Billy Shoup and Mr. Moore are receiving the glad hand over the program of last week. Viola Dana in “The Five Dollar Baby,” and the Amsterdam Roof Revue, featuring June and Jack Laughlin. Harry Beaumont directed Miss Dana with a masterful hand through a series of clever situations something like “Abie’s Irish Rose.” The Revue was all O. K. except that Jack Laughlin is so conceited that he isn’t clever any more. ORPHEUM— Mr. Perry, the boxoffice wonder, has been dealing out the pasteboards with remarkable speed in the last week. No wonder — look: Will M. Cressy, Percy Bronson and Winnie Baldwin, Bessye Clifford, Harry Watson Jr., and Bailey and Cowan. That’s just some of the best in a darn good program, and well worth a couple of berries and one of Mr. Perry’s smiles. MOROSCO— Well, at last, for the first time in nine months, we have something different to review. “The Boomerang” ought to turn right around and settle down for a long run. Gayne Whitman is good, Bessie Eyton is better and Harry Garrity is back in the cast. He is very clever. GRAUMAN’S — After seeing “Clarence” with a remarkable cast, we suggest that producers let successful stage plays alone. We don’t blame William de Mille any; it wasn’t all his fault. He made a good picture, but it wasn’t as good as the stage play. It had a lot of laughs, but they didn’t get over with the people who had seen the real stuff. A1 Christie’s “That Son of a Sheik” was the laugh producer of the program. Neal Burns played the lead and was better than ever. He has quit gazing at the camera and springing a funny face. This week we had the last production by William D. Taylor starring May McAvoy, “The Top of New York.” J. C. Van Trees shows that he is a photographer well worth mentioning. Max Linder in “The Three Must Get Theres” is clever and should make more comedies. You know practice is perfect. Harry Vallejo and Maz Du Pont were the photographers. MAJESTIC — “The Champion” is all right, but it won’t stand the run that some of them have had in this house. Some of the lines are rather slow — but there are some laugh getters. Nana Bryant, Cliff Thompson, Harry Van Meter and Hugh Metcalf are the best in the cast. HILL STREET— Mr. and Mrs. Bryant Washburn are the main attraction this week. Bryant is clever. Mrs. Washburn is 'beautiful and should be given a chance either in pictures or on the stage. She has a personality that tops Bryant’s. The rest of the acts are only passable. “The New Teacher,” with Shirley Mason, is not up to the standard. Miss Mason is most charming, tries her best, but is handicapped by poor settings and a hurried production. Frank B. Good, the photographer, did the best he could with the stuff he had. Allen Forrest, leading man, is a rotten fighter and is not convincing in his role. CALIFORNIA — “Our Mary” in “Tess of the Storm Country.” This new picture only goes to show just how far the pictures have advanced in art. This is beautiful. There isn’t a flaw. This picture must go down as a near rival to “Robin Hood.” Lloyd Hughes and his clever wife, Gloria Hope, have important roles and make the best of them. Charles Rosher and H. L. Broening were the photographers and did remarkable work. MILLER’S — “One Week of Love,” starring Conway Tearle and Elaine Hammerstein. George Archainbaud proves that he can handle a difficult story with ability. The picture was cut badly and a number of parts were butchered up. KINEMA — “Brawn of the North,” featuring Strongheart, the wonder dog. Irene Rich is in the cast and over acts. Lee Shumway is the best in the picture. Jean Metcalf and Phillip Hubbard are good. Strongheart is now a swell-headed dog and may become a camera hog. The photography was the best we’ve seen for a long time. C. B. Dreyer was responsible. RIALTO — “When Knighthood Was in Flower” is still drawing the crowds. Marion Davies’ beauty may be responsible, or it might be Forrest Standley’s clever acting. Any way, it is well worth seeing for the beauty of the thing. Ira H. Morgan and Harold WenstrOm were the photographers and are very good. MISSION — Harold Lloyd is becoming a long run, and Broadway fiend. We hope, however, that there will be no more “Dr. Jack” ’s. Because Harold is a clever boy and should make better comedies. It is not near as good as “Grandma’s Boy.” Mildred Davis is in the cast and is good, but the others have been miscast and are mistaken for most anything. CLUNE’S — “Fools of Fortune” is not so good. Marguerite de la Motte is in the cast and would have helped the picture a lot if they had let her act — but they didn’t. Harold Lloyd in a reissue is the comedy. SUPERBA — Priscilla Dean in “Under Two Flags.” This was reviewed in the October 20 issue. Now that theater has been sold to J. W. Tait of San Francisco and will be turned into a high-class cafe, we hope that Universal will not lose Manager Noble Hearn and his assistant, Jack Howard. These are two valuable men, and should be retained at any cost. We give credit for the sale to C. L. Theuerkauf, manager of Universal’s film exchange. GERTRUDE STEVENS Comedy Ingenue