The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

i:f8f T H E T H EATRICAL FlELD The EducatioficU Screen nobody had ever succeeded in riding. Naturally everybody expected Sam to ride him. Poor Sam! Between his pride and his love and his fear he had a miserable time. But he rode the Hottentot at last, and v^on the race, the cup, the girl — everything. They always do! Douglas MacLean. Madge Bellamy, and Raymond Hatton shine in this film version of Willie Collier's stage play. It is funny, it is beautiful, and it is exciting. The steeple chase scenes are excellent, and a bit of remarkable trick photography gives the audience its biggest thrill in a runaway scene. As might have been expected, much of the comedy is put over in the titles, which play far too important a part, but the audience will overlook the fault in the excitements of the story. {Community.) DOCTOR JACK (Pathe) Harold of the big specs and the wistful face, in a determined effort to be glad. We find him as a young village doctor with a firm belief in the efficacy of sunshine and good humor as a cure-all. He is called in to consult on the case of an invalid daughter of a wealthy man. The older doctor in charge, in order to assure himself a permanent income, has coddled the entire family into the idea that the girl is incurable, and Doctor Jack with his sunshine and Pollyanna tendencies is decidedly a disturbing factor. Of course the little girl recovers-»-she can't help it. Whereupon the indignant family doctor departs minus his money and the greater part of his dignity. As a story it hangs together more closely tftian the usual Lloyd opus, but as an example of Harold's happy-go-luck brand of humor, it falls below par. There is too much of effort discernible, and the whole is obviously stretched to make five reels. Personally, we wish Harold would go back to his two reelers again until he has worked up enough steam to reach another high spot Ike "The Sailor Made Man." '(^Community, church and possibly some school use.) MY AMERICAN WIFE (Paramount) Here is a lavish production in Director Sam Wopid's usual style. Gloria Swanson is the Kentucky lady who invades the race tracks of South America with her string of thoroughbipeds, capturing among other trophies the heart of a young Spanish American senator. Political quarrels and a duel furnish the rest of ; the plot. The story is acceptably cast, though Miss Swanson and Antonio Moreno, who plays the hero, have little to do. Walter Long as the villain contributes as usual a splendid character bit, and the admirable Josef Swickard is wasted on an unimportant part. Feminine attention, we suspect, will be about equally divided between Mr. Moreno's handsome face and Miss Swanson's amazing gowns. (Theatrical only.) THE DANGEkOUS AGE (First National) Forty — that's the dangerous age, according to this amusing little sermon. Lewis S. Stone shows us a real human being in the restless, somewhat romantically inclined husband, who, finding his wife too much occupied with her domestic routine to humor him, seizes his opportunity to turn a business trip into a harmless little affair with a younger woman. That is, it turned out to be harmless. Cleo Madison as the forgiving wife, and Edith Roberts and James Morrison as two youthful lovers, add pleasing performances to Mr. Stone's clean-cut characterization. A carefully produced picture, well directed, and one that you will enjoy. (Community.) EBB TIDE (Paramount) A George Melford picture that exhibits the same fault as his Java Head — namely lifelessness. He never catches the spirit of Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne, who first wrote this tale of the south seas. Three outcasts are flung together, "driftwood on the ebb tide -of fortune"; a disgraced sea captain, a tough little London cockney, and a one-time English gentleman. Their utter misery is a bond that holds them together when the captain is hired to sail a foundering ship to its doom. A tropical storm drives them in to an uncharted island, where they find a white man, living in solitude with a daughter and some native servants, and operating a priceless pearl fishery. Two of the three are possessed with desire for the pearls; the other finds riches enough in his love for the island girl; and against the three is pitted the half-crazed owner of the island. The parts of the three drifters are in capable hands — George Fawcett as the sea captain, Raymond Hatton as the little London tough, and James Kirkwood as the gentleman. Noah Beery has a thankless task as the fanatical \ owner of the pearl fishery, and Lila Lee another as his daughter. Jacqueline Logan strikes