Exhibitor's Trade Review (Mar-May 1925)

March 14, 1925 Page 37 BOX OFFICE REVIEWS All Reviews of Feature Product Are Edited by GEORGE T. PARDY, Reviews Editor CHARLES RAY COMES BACK IN "PERCY" Is Seen Again in the Kind of Role That Endeared Him to the Public "PERCY." A Patihe Photoplay. Author, IV. H. Hanby. Adapted by Eva Unsril and J. G. Hawks. Director, R. William Neill. Length, 5,980 Feet. CAST AND SYNOPSIS Percy Charles Ray Imogene Chandler Barbara Bedford Lolita Betty Blythe "Holy" Joe Charles Murray Mrs. Rogeen Louise Dresser Senator Rogeen Joseph Kilgour Reedy Jenkins Victor McLaglen Percy has been brought up by a doting mother as a mollycoddle. The only thing at which he excels is playing the violin. His father is running for the Senate, and his campaign manager agrees to make a man of Percy. He takes him to a cabaret where the boy gets his first "jag on." After that there is no holding him, and he immediately takes charge of his father's band wagon. Becoming mixed up in a political street brawl, he climbs aboard a freight train to elude his pursuers. Put off in a deserted spot in Mexico he runs across one "Holy" Joe, who makes a living at cards when not selling Bibles. Because of his ability as a fiddler, Percy makes a hit in the local dance hall. Complications arise over the water power and the dam, and Percy establishes himself as a real he man in a number of exciting situations. He also wins a girl. PERCY" is the type of picture in which Charles Ray scored so decisively a few years back, the kind of film in which the fans like to see him. Ray occupies a niche on the screen all his own and when he has a story that is well suited to his talents, he has no peer as a portrayer of the bashful American boy. After groping about in the dark for some time, he has finally hit upon a role that will add to his screen laurels, for Percy is the kind of a part that endeared him to the public years and years ago. It will be a real treat to all the Ray fans, and is certain to prove a profitable box-office attraction. Adapted from a story by W. H. Hanby, "The Desert Fiddler," by Eva Unsell and J. G. Hawks, two veteran scenarists, the film possesses undoubted audience appeal, for there is humor, action, romance and melodrama all nicely blended in its six reels. Just what induced the producers to change the name from "The Desert Fiddler" to "Percy," a title which means little or nothing, is not exactly clear, but the fact remains that it supplies Ray with one of the richest roles that has fallen to his lot in many a moon. There is some delightful comedy sprinkled throughout, mostly dispensed by that veteran funmaker, Charles Murray, as "Holy" Joe, a gentleman who lives by his wits and quotes ad lib. from the Good Book. Then, of course, there is the villain so capably played by Victor McLaglen, who will be remembered for his memorable performance in "The Beloved Brute." And then there is Betty Blythe as the alluring dance hall siren, who tries her wiles upon the bashful fiddler. Barbara Bedford makes a charming heroine, while Joseph Kilgour is seen as Percy's father. The explosion of the dam is graphically represented, furnishing a thrilling and stupendous climax, with Percy and the burly Jenkins grappling in the swirling waters. Exploit "Percy" as the kind of a picture in which Charles Ray won his popularity, and the above mentioned members of the cast are worthy of a place in your billing. Play up the melodrama, the humor and the romance. ANOTHER AUDIENCE FILM FOR PARAMOUNT "The Thundering Herd" Is Tale of the Golden West "THE THUNDERING HERD." Paramount Photoplay. Adapted from Zone Grey's story. Director, William Howard. Length, 7 ',0Q0 Feet. CAST AND SYNOPSIS Tom Dawson Jack Holt Milly Fayre Lois Wilson Randal Jett Noah Beery Jude Pilchuk Raymond Hatton Clark Hudnall Charles Ogle Burn Hudnall Col. T. J. McCoy Follansbee Fred Kohler Joe Dunn . . . , Robert Perry Among the adventurous spirits lured to the Indian hunting grounds by the price obtainable for buffalo hides are Jett, his outlaw companions, his stepdaughter Milly, and his new wife. They are bandits who rob the wagons in which the buffalo hunters send hides back to the trading post. Tom Dawson, a Kentucky buffalo hunter, meets and loves Milly, but his attentions are thwarted by Jett. News is brought of an Indian uprising and all the hunters hasten to Big Bend. Meantime in a row among the Jett gang, all are killed. Milly alone makes her escape only to encounter the Indians and a stampeded herd of buffalo. She is rescued in the nick of time by Tom Lawson, who then leads the hunters in victorious combat against the redskins. HPHE Thundering Herd" will make the heart of the nation beat faster. It is action from start to finish, and there are the thrills that have never yet failed to cause the audience's hair to stand on end. It is a spectacle of the romantic days of red men and buffalo, white hunters and plains dotted with bleaching bones. Yet the tale is told in an intimate manner, and against the background of painted savages and stampeding buffalo, is depicted a love story together with the personal adventures of a little band typical of the ill assorted crew that roved the prairies a generation ago Of course the picture is utter melodrama — but what of it? It is the type of melodrama which has won and retained popular approval. It is a story replete with redblooded action, and it will appeal to all elements of every audience. The big scenes are those picturing the crazed race of the maddened buffalo ; the daring rescue of Milly from beneath their very hoofs ; the attack of the Indians ; the wild dash of the rescuing hunters and the careening covered wagons. Other bits only slightly less enthralling must include the pow-wow of the chieftains, in which is shown the interesting use of the sign language through which the various redskin nations were able to commune in a common "tongue." And the deadly calm of Eulalie Jensen as she contemplates the bowieknife still red with the recollection of its murderous work, will cause chilly, creepy thrills to ascend the spines of onlookers. Jack Holt and Lois Wilson play the leads in the manner made familiar in "North of 36." Noah Beery equals any previous performance as a blustering bad man, and his fellow bandits would make any citizen cross the street on a dark night. Special mention is merited by Raymond Hatton and Eulalie Jensen. Both artists are superb in the work assigned them, and add most materially to the value of the production. Exploitation should stress the Zane Grey story, the cast, the romance of the almost extinct "thundering herds," the Indians, and the covered wagons. ANOTHER WINNER FOR HOOT GIBSON "Taming of the West.'''' Lively Westerner And Good Drawing Card "TAMING OF THE WEST." Universal Photoplay. Adapted from B. M. Bowser's Novel, "The Range." Director, Arthur Rosson. Length, 5,304 Feet. CAST AND SYNOPSIS John Carleton Hoot Gibson Beryl Marcelline Day Terrence Weaver Morgan Brown John P. Carleton Edwin Booth Tilton Old Man King Herbert Prior Frosty Miller Francis Ford John Carleton, a wild youth, goes West to his father's ranch. The cowboys josh him, but he makes good and wins their respect by his horsemanship and scrapping qualities. He falls in love with Beryl King. She is the daughter of an old enemy of his father. Warned off the King ranch he still persists, beats off a number of assailants when attacked, dances with Beryl at a villaere festival, runs away with her in a motor and marries her. The upshot is that Carleton and King senior are reconciled. ANOTHER cracking good Hoot Gibson Westerner which should bring the money in wherever that agile, versatile star is popular. And if there are communities to which his fame has not yet penetrated, his appearance there in "Taming of the West" will establish him as a favorite. The story follows a familiar trail, depicting the adventures of a rich man's son whose convivial antics make the East too hot to hold him, and is consequently shipped off to "the wide open spaces" as a sort of penance for his sins. But it's the treatment of the subject that counts, and in this instance skilled direction and the able work of leading man and supporting cast combine to make the film thoroughly enjoyable entertainment. Hoot's arrival on his papa's ranch, clad in a golfing outfit, a tenderfoot of the rawest description, starts the comedy going. Naturally his bizarre attire arouses the mingled wrath and laughter of the cowboys, who proceed to make things interesting for him after the reckless fashion of their kind. But hero John Carleton shows them a thing or two when it comes to a question of horsemanship. If he is unfortunate enough to hail from the East, at least he can ride, and when they lure him on to the back of a bucking broncho the laugh is on John's side entirely, for he tames the beast with the practised skill of an oldtimer. All of this is excellent _ stuff, put over with tremendous vim and crisp humor, and a neat romantic angle speedily develops when John falls in love with Beryl, daughter of his father's ancient foeman, King. Warned off King's ranch, the ardent lover goes there anyhow, a deed of daring which involves! him in a couple of magnificent scraps in which he comes out on top. The climax comes with a fine rush, when he carries off Beryl in a racing auto, driven at breakneck speed, marries the girl and brings about a reconciliation hetween the rival fathers. Hoot Gibson plays the role of Carleton, with his customary snap and ginger, rides like a demon, makes love impetuously and gets all the fun there is to be had out of the comedy situations. Marcelline Day is an attractive heroine and the Western types are convincing. You can safely exploit this as one of Hoot Gibson's best. Stress the lively comedy situations, the romantic touch.