Exhibitors Herald (Oct-Dec 1920)

October 23, 1920 EXHIBITORS HERALD 91 Allan DwaiTs IN THE HEART OF A FOOL Seven-part drama; First National Directed by Allan Dwan Published in October OPINION : This production is based on William Allen White's well known novel, and has been produced with a wonderful cast including such stars as James Kirkwood, Anna Q. Nilsson, Mary Thurman, Philo McCullogh, Ward Crane, John Burton, Arthur Hoyt, Kate Tonoray and others. The feature is perhaps a little sordid for universal enjoyment, but the story has been powerfully told and will appeal strongly to those who prefer realism to idealism in their photoplays. There are seven tragedies in the story, but with all that the production can not be truly termed a melodrama. The picture should be exploited for its bigness of theme and the feminine patronage can be built up by telling of the fashion show scenes. SYNOPSIS: In a small town lives Dr. Harvey Nesbitt, whose brain houses the scandals of the community. His daughter Laura loves Grant Adams, the local newspaper editor. Enter Margaret Muller, who comes to teach school and engages lodging at Grant's mother's house. She aspires to dethrone Laura as a social leader, and decides to use Grant to obtain her desire. Laura, in order to arouse Grant's jealousy, flirts with another man, and they quarrel. Laura later returns to boarding school, and when she comes home discovers Margaret as the mother of Grant's illegitimate child. .Grant's mother to shield Margaret's reputation, assumes parentage of the child, but Dr. Nesbitt knows different, and it places a barrier between Grant and his daughter. Grant's mother dies and Margaret in pursuit of Harry Fenn, a young lawyer, refuses to mother her child. Fenn's partner, Tom Van Dorn marries Laura. Fenn marries Margaret. Eventually Laura's husband succumbs to Margaret's wiles, their affair ending in the divorce of Fenn and Laura from the guilty couple. Grant quits his paper and becomes foreman in a coal mine. A terrific explosion happens and attempting to rescue his men he is badly injured. He is taken to Dr. Nesbitt's home and Laura, tired of Van Dorn. arrives at the same time. She nurses Grant back to health and the fires of love are rekindled. They decide to work together in bettering the condition of the miners, but the barrier of Grant's parentage remains. A strike is declared and "Hog Tight Sands," the owner engages a horde of strike breakers to run Grant out of town. In the melee Grant's little son is shot through the fault of Van Dorn, who holds him up as a threat to Grant to make him give himself up. Margaret then hating Van Dorn kills him and goes insane. Over the deathbed of his son Grant confesses to Laura that the child is his own, and not his mother's and that this secret stands as a barrier between them. A mutual understanding follows and all ends happily. Will Rogers in HONEST HUTCH Five-part comedy-drama, Goldwyn Published in October Directed by Clarence Badger OPINION . "Honest Hutch" is really one of the best comedies Will Rogers has ever made. He has a most lovable role, that of the laziest man in the laziest village in the world, and the part ideally suits the homely Goldwyn star. The picture is well packed with human interest and comedy with a strong heart appeal, and is a first-class screen version of Garrett Smith's Saturday Evening Post story "Old Hutch Lives Up To It" from which it was adapted. The camera work of Marcel le Picard of the American Society of Cinematographers is to be commended. It is a picture that should please any audience, and will go particularly big in the smaller towns where just such characters as Honest Hutch are to be found. The cast headed by Mary Alden, Tully Marshall and Priscilla Ronner is all that can be desired. SYNOPSIS: Honest Hutch, the laziest man in the laziest village, finds his hardest work extracting tobacco money from his work-ridden wife. A peculiar ailment of the neck prevented him from engaging in labor, but it did not interfere with his fishing for mythical trout. In digging for worms he dug up a box containing fifty-one thousand dollar notes, the fruit of a bank robberv at Vicksburg. Hutch knows if he WILL ROGERS •Honest Hutch." The old bag arouses his curiosity. (Goldwyn.) suddenly sprang a thousand dollar bill on the natives, he would be clapped in jail. He decided to become respectable, work, save and prepare them for his wealth. He does so and creates a storm of astonishment, later becoming a sober, respectable, industrious and worthy farmer. "Hole in the Wall" to be Produced by Sawyer-Lubin "The Hole in the Wall," the mystery play by Fred Jackson, will be the next S-L (Arthur Sawyer-Herbert Lubin) production to be made at Metro's eastern studios and distributed by Metro. Preliminary work on the production has started and Lois Zellner has nearly finished the continuity. "The Hole in the Wall" was first produced, with Martha Hedman, John Holliday and Vernon Steele in the cast. The cast for the screen version will be an all-star group of players, it is announced. Two scenes from the Allan Dwan-Mayflower Photoplay Corporation production, "In the Heart of a Fool." James Kirkwood and Mary Thurman have leading parts. (First National.)