Exhibitor's Trade Review (May-Aug 1925)

Page 28 Exhibitors Trade Review The <Bkii Little Feature "The Wrestler" Fox 2 reels Reginald Van Bibber Earle Fox Sylvia Florence Gilbert Col. Paddock Frank Beal The Duke Lynn Cowan Strangler Stranski Lionel Braham Van Bibber and his friends are visiting the Duke in Russia. Van is forced to rescue Olga, the dancer, from the approaches of Strangler Stranski a champion wrestler. Fate helps him by having a heavy weight drop on the champ's head. Later Van is mistaken for Stranski because of altered captions in a newspaper. He has many adventures, but triumphs accidently over all enemies and remains the hero of his fiancee Sylvia. This is an exceptionally good comedy based on ^ one of the famous Van Bibber stories written by the late Richard Harding Davis. It does not rely upon slapstick humor to win laughs, but tells a sufficiently logical story, and gets smiles through logically developed humorous situations. Van Bibber is not the most courageous chap in the world, but he has a faculty for having situations forced upon him that demand heroics on his part. Thus, when the dancer appeals for protection from the monstrous wrestler, and his own sweetheart urges him to the rescue, he cannot well refuse to take a chance. He does so, and Fate intervenes to help him conquer the strong man. One of the most humorous episodes is that in which he is mistaken for the Strangler, because of a transposed caption on his picture, and is besieged on all sides by husky Russians who wish to throw him and gain the prize of 10,000 rubles which the Strangler has offered any successful opponent. Exploit this as one of the Van Bibber series, stressing the name of the author, Richard Harding Davis, and featuring the name of Earle Fox. *3|c -sjsr "Educating Buster Brown" Universal 2 reels Buster and Tige awake and start forth for a busy day. Buster begins by impersonating a cop in order to obtain some extra delicacies from the cook. Tige interferes with the stilts upon which he is mounted and a meringue pipe is catapulted into the cook's visage. Arriving at school with Mary Jane and Tige. the kids indulge in antics that drive the teacher to desperation. He ejects Tige. who goes to the dog pound for his own gang. They return and rout the school master. This is the first of a series of Buster Brown Comedies made by Century Comedies and released through Universal. They are based on the famous cartoons by R. F. Outcault. The Director is Charles Lamont, and the featured players are Arthur TrimbV, Doreen Turner and Pal, who plays the part of the well known Tige. If the remainder of the series are up to the high standard set by this one, screen patrons are in for some highly enjoyable entertainment, for the comedies will be something new and different. They have special appeal for children, but are not too childish to bring smiles to the lips of the grown-ups. One of the best sequences in this one is that showing Buster and Tige in bed. They are annoyed by a fly and Tige's almosthuman actions are good for many a chuckle. Another good shot has to do with the introduction into the school room of a large luscious Limburger cheese. The result may be imagined. To get even with the hard hearted school master, Tige captures a pole-cat and drops it into the class room. This breaks up the session. A good shot is that in which the dog carries the skunk past a fence upon which are perched three birds. As the aroma reaches the feathered victims, they drop dead one by one. REVIEWED IN THIS ISSUE Felix Trifles with Time Educational Watch Out Educational The Wrestler Fox My Own Carolina Fox The Sky Jumper Fox Educating Buster Brown Universal Buster Be Good Universal Butter Fingers Pathe Cold Turkey Pathe The Window Washer Pathe In Other Lands Commonwealth Babes in the Woods F. B. O. Shoes Fox A Business Engagement Fox The direction is excellent, and the kids deserve much credit for their interpretations. Tige is a great asset and supplies more than his share of the humor with which the film is loaded. By all means use heavy exploitation on this worthwhile product. Stress the name of the famous Buster, tell folks that he has finally reached the screen, and mention the name of bis creator, Outcault, the famed cartoonist. "Butter Fingers" Pathe 2 reels Nick Alsock, captain and trick pitcher of the Bees base ball team, is compromised by the wife of his rival who is captain of a rival team. Nick is allowed to go free on the condition that he will lose the game. The manager of the Bees wagers five thousand dollars that his team will be victorious. In the ninth inning the score reads 103-100 in favor of the opposing team. Nick is at the bat and three men are on base, he hits a home run and saves the day. This is a fast moving burlesque on base ball featuring Billy Bevan who pitches a wicked ball to the dismay of his opponents. Billy is assisted by Andy Clyde, Ruth Taylor, Kewpie Morgan and Madeline Hurlock. In one sequence Billy accidentally wanders into the bathroom harboring the wife of his rival. She leaves the room and Billy is forced to jump into the bathtub to hide. Hubby deciding to take a bath, discovers Billy in the tub and forces him to agree to lose the game to his team. The trick pitching of Billy will bring forth a hearty laugh as the ball circles around the head of 'the catcher and comes back to Billy's glove. Exploit this one as a burlesque on baseball and tie-up with a sporting goods store. When "THRU THREE REIGNS" played at the California Theatre. "This vivid two-reeler walks away with the whole program." — San Francisco Chronicle. "Mighty interesting film and good entertainment."— Examiner. And all our Featurettes are like that ! 729 Seventh Ave., N. Y. C. Edwin Miles Fadman, Pres. Fox The Sky Jumper" 2 reels Reginald Van Bibber and his friends are spending some time at a winter resort where the principal sport is ski jumping. The champion in this line of endeavor is Van's rival for the aectons of his sweetheart, Sylvia. The rival, Bert, badgers Van into a skiing contest, and although Van tries to avoid it, the champ shoves him from the starting platform and he careens madly over the course, winning through pure luck. Later he is inveigled into a ski race, which he wins because of his terror at being pursued by a pack of wolves and a bear. This Van Bibber comedy is well gagged up and contains a number of very ludicrous situations. One big laugh is in that sequence depicting Van being victimized by his rival, and finally winning a ski-jumping contest by unintentionally looping the loop and shooting at tremendous speed to a recording breaking leap. Another good situation is that in which Van finds himself chased by a pack of ravenous wolves. His only escape is through the use of his skis, and he fairly flies in fear of his pursuers. Escaping them he is happily removing the hated skis when a big bear decides to make a luncheon of him. Again he hurries on his way, and his precipitous flight carries him along the ski-racing course, and to victory over his opponent. A tie-up with sporting goods stores will help get publicity for your showing of this picture and with all the Van Bibber series you should feature the names of the author, Richard Harding Davis, and the star, Earle Fox. The stories were immensely popular. The films will be more so. * * & "My Own Carolina" Fox 1 reel The titles tell the tale of a ch?p sitting in his office, gazing down into the canyons of the city, and pining for the hills of the Carolina that he loves. We are shown the beautiful hills and dales of the Southland. Shimmering water falls, fast flowing streams, and quiet pools where one knows trout will obligingly rise to even a bent pin. There are hunting sequences remarkable for showing some wonderful bird dogs rigidly pointing to where speckled feathered beauties wait to be served on toast. It is a beautiful scenic, and cannot help but cause the city dwellers to long for Carolina, or some place equally alluring. * * * "Buster Be Good" Universal 2 reels Buster goes touring the town in his push-mobile and gets badly tangled in traffic. Escaping the police he is ensnared by a dog catcher after Tige. but gets away and calls on Mary Jane. They hear of a spiritualistic seance and get the rest of the kid gang to help raise havoc. The kids impersonate ghosts and goblins and succeed in breaking up the meeting. In the end Buster is caught by his dad, soundly spanked and makes a new resolution. This is the second of Universal's Buster Brown Century Comedies adapted from R. F. Outcault' s famous cartoons, directed by Charles Lamont, and featuring Arthur Trimble as Buster, Doreen Turner as Mary Jane, and Pal as Tige. This one is not so funny as the first of the series, but nevertheless is superior to many short comedies and holds special appeal for the juvenile trade. One of the best shots is that in which Buster aids Mary in the extraction of an aching molar through the simple means of attaching a sky-rocket to one end of a cord which is fastened to her tooth. When the rocket goes off out comes the offending tooth. Another shot good for a laugh is that in which Buster and his car are both raised (Continued on Page 29)