The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

September, 1923 The Theatrical Field 347 William S. Hart returns to the screen with Paramount, and has started work on "Wild Bill Hickok." .; William C. DeMille's "Spring Magic," adapted from Edward Knobloch's "The Faun," has been renamed "The Marriage Maker." Other Paramount pictures finished or in progress include "Zaza," with Gloria Swanson, "The Light That Failed," a George Melford production, "Ruggles of Red Gap," a James Cruze production, and "Stephen Steps Out," adapted from a Richard Harding Davis story for Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Of special interest are William DeMille's plans to film Julian Street's "Rita Coventry" and Owen Davis' Pulitzer Prize play, "Icebound." Harold Lloyd's latest comedy is called "Why Worry?" and he has begun work on "The Girl Expert." "Dust of Desire" and "Rose of all the World" are tentative titles for Norma Talmadge's next picture. "The Virginian," the film rights to which were formerly owned by Douglas Fairbanks, is being filmed by B. P. Schulberg for Preferred Pictures, directed by Tom Forman, with Kenneth Harlan as the Virginian. Universal has ready a number of new pictures, of whi^h the moat interesting appear to be "Drifting," with Priscilla Dean, "The Victor," with Herbert Rawlinson, "Where Is This West?" said to be a clever satire on western drama, "A Lady of Quality," and "Editha's Burglar," with Baby Peggy. Booth Tarkington's "The Turmoil" has been purchased and will be produced by Hobart Henley who made "The Flirt." Marshall Neilan has been engaged to direct Mary Pickford in "Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall." Clare Fames and Alan Forrest have already been cast for the picture. Miss Pickford has also signed Ernst Lubitsch as director for one picture a year for the next three years. The first of the series will probably be "Romeo and Juliet," and there are rumors that Douglas Fairbanks will play Romeo. Film Reviews MAIN STREET (Warner Bros.) After the first few scenes Sinclair Lewis would never recognize his street, or his people. Not that that's uncommon when best sellers are filmed, but sometimes the spirit, at least, is preserved. Here the whole force of the story disintegrates under the pressure of box-ofiice appeal. Carol Kennicott, that eternal rebel, succumbs tamely to the Main Street influence; Bea and Miles degenerate into purely comic opera characters; and the others are mere caricatures. Doctor Kennicott more nearly preserves his original being than any of them. A competent cast wasted. (Theatrical only) (Adult) TRIFLING WITH HONOR (UniversalJewel) A baseball story with a moral. The plump and jovial Buddy Messinger as the small boy whose loyalty and adoration keep his basebal! idol from "going wrong." Not a novel idea at all, but entertaining and well presented. Rockcliffe Fellowes and Fritzi Ridgeway play the principal parts. (Family) (Church and community use) THE COVERED WAGON (Paramount) From the standpoint of realism and truthful scenic and character detail, this is probably one of the finest pictures of the year. James Cruze, the director, has caught the spirit of the pioneer movement in marvelous fashion, giving us some splendid scenes, as for example, that impressive moment when the great wagon train moves forward at the start of its long journey. The fact that Mr. Cruze might have developed the dramatic possibilities of his story to a greater extent constitutes its one fault from a technical point of view. There is an excellent cast. The main "character," of course, is the covered wagon, shown in the various vicissitudes of its historic journey from Kansas City to Oregon. Charles Ogle, Lois Wilson, Ethel Wales and John Fox, Jr., portray the leader of the train and his family. J. Warren Kerrigan returns to the screen after a long absence to play Will Banion, and Alan Hale plays his rival, Sam Woodhull. But the acting honors go to Ernest Torrence as Bill Jackson, who knew every foot of the trail to Oregon, and Tully Marshall as the old plainsman, Bridger, — two immensely fine performances. (Church, community and school use) (Family) THE GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST (First National) This famous story has lost much of its vigor in the transfer from stage to screen, largely because of unfortunate casting, in the case of