Exhibitors Herald (Oct-Dec 1920)

October 23, 1920 EXHIBITORS HERALD 87 Mabel Juliene Scott and Elliott Dexter in a dramatic scene from "Behold My Wife. (Paramount.) All Star Cast in BEHOLD MY WIFE Seven-part drama; Paramount Directed by George Melford Published in October OPINION: The transformation of an Indian princess to the jewel of an aristocratic English household has been made the basis of a story herewith screened that brings to the silver sheet a topnotch offering. The screen play is an adaptation of Sir Gilbert Parker's "The Translation of a Savage." With Milton Sills and Mabel Juliene Scott in the leading roles and the cast including also Elliott Dexter. Jane Wolf. Whittier Hall, Maude Wayne, Templer Powell, Helen Dunbar and Ann Forrest, all that can be expected of the assembly of artists is completely fulfilled. The scenes are charmingly set in the Canadian country and in England. A Saskatchewan fur trading post, with river and landing scenes in Canada, and wide stretches of lawn and gardens in England are caught with real artistry by the .camera. Types whose acting develops against this background a thoroughly realistic story, replete with heart interest, are admirably achieved and directed. The closeups are distinctly good. There are several scuffles to lend excitement and there is a ball to supply a brilliance of costuming that forms a contrast to the Canadian scenes. Milton Sills gives a performance that should advance him considerably in his attendant popularity as a screen lead. His emotional portrayal is very well done. ■He plays naturally and easily and is wholesomely good-looking. Mabel Juliene Scott is markedly excellent in the part of the Indian wife, a vigorous, virile and versatile heroine, immensely pretty. Elliott Dexter, as Richard, gives a highly creditable performance. The outcome of the story is not easily guessed, and it has. an absorbingly human trend. There are several tense ind dramatic high points in the plot; the atmosphere is colorful and the whole is •ompletely artistic. The touches of Indian life and Canalian settings suggests exploitation possibilities that might be made effective jy the judicious use of Indian tents, blankets and other characteristic things if the sort. The reproduction of a snow • cene could be made attractive. '•SYNOPSIS: Frank Armour, scion of British aristocracy, one of the Hudson 3ay Company in Canada, hears from lis former sweetheart of her marriage o a rival. In revenge, to ridicule his amily, he marries Lali, an Indian prin:ess. and sends her to England to his lome. then plunges into the far North md into a life of dissolution. Through he kindliness of the Armours and especially through the patience and perse^erence of Richard, Frank's brother, Lali s transformed into a beautiful and harming societv woman. Lali's happiness receives a bitter blow when Frank's ormer sweetheart discloses his reason or having married her. although Lali's oyalty and love for him are steadfast hrough the several years that pass beore his redemption and return to her nd their little boy. Jeraldine Farrar in rHE RIDDLE: WOMAN >ix-part drama; Associated ExhibitorsPathe. directed by Edward Jose, hiblished October 3. OPINION : There is no absence of box ffice angles in "The Riddle : Woman," prouced by Associated Exhibitors and dis tributed by Pathe. It is a picturization of Carl Jacoby's play which served successfully as a starring vehicle on the stage for Bertha Kalich. A lot of money was spent in making the picturization and this expenditure shows on the screen. There is an abundance of lavish sets, one following upon the other: almost a fashion show in gowns and a cast that ran the weekly salary list into startling figures. Besides Geraldine Farrar the cast includes Montagu Love. William P. Carleton. Adele Blood. Frank Losee, Madge Bellamy and Louis Stern. As a drama, "The Riddle : Woman" as prepared for the screen serves but moderately well. Its plot is mechanical and at times becomes rather vague and complex. Yet it has some good moments and many individual scenes that hold. Edward Jose's staging of the individual scenes are full of richness and color. In this direction he has succeeded well. Geraldine Farrar, as Lilla, heading the costly cast, works hard and with a fair degree <:f success. Montagu Love gives a virile impersonation of Larz Olrik, who defies old country traditions to obtain his true love, and William P. Carleton, as Eric Helsingor, a polished roue, who leaves ruined lives in his path, plays with ease and grace. Adele Blood portrays Kristin'-, one of Helsingor's victims, with restraint. Madge Bellamy is true to character as the frothy Marie Meyer, while Frank Losee. as Lilla's father, and Louis Stern, as Isaac Meyer, give careful delineations. "The Riddle : Woman" is stronger as a box-office card than as entertainment, though it has a fair measure of audience appeal, particularly for women, because of its subject matter and its rich investiture. SYNOPSIS: Lilla falls under the spell of Eric Helsingor, a captain of chance, only to be deceived in him, and attempts suicide. She is saved by Larz Olrik, who, according to the customs of the country, is engaged to Kristine. Larz induces Lilla to accept the invitation of Isaac Meyer, a friend of Lil la's late father, to come to America. There she and Larz are married. Larz is trustee of Kristine's estate and finds that much of her money is disappearing. Kristine has also become a victim of Helsingor's and is being blackmailed. Helsingor turns his attention to Marie Meyer, Isaac Meyer's motherless daughter, for his usual sinister purposes. Lilla insists that he must not carry out his plans. He offers to give her incriminating letters if she will not stand in his way. Lilla turns upon him and is so glorious in her rage that Helsingor tells her that it is she he wants. She is struggling with him when Kristine kills Helsingor and then commits suicide, removing Marie's and Lilla's menace. Bobby Vernon in A HOMESPUN HERO Two-part comedy; Christie-Educational Published in October OPINION: The stage, before, after and during the performance of a comedy and melodrama, affords a play place for the romping of the Christie players. Bobby Vernon leading them, through this bit of screen fun. Bobby takes the part of a young man of means, who. to live up to the role in which his cousin's imagination ha> placed him, that of a "rube," assumes the earmarks of a rural swain and comes a-courting with a pet gander and a bag of apples. The duck's response to the bare knees of the chorus ladies is a rich and inoffensive bit of fun. In pursuit of the young man are a detective and two of the erstwhile wives of the bigamist for whom the officer mistakes Bobby. There are a series of fun sallies on the stage and in the wings, a romance between Bobby and one of the young women of the company, and the final restoration of identities and the bringing of the lovers together.