Exhibitors Herald (Oct-Dec 1920)

S8 EXHIBITORS HERALD November 13, 1920 and the villain on the edge of a precipice. Yet it is all a sordid business never charming or refreshing, though probably holding some interest for the followers of sheer melodrama. The characters are artificial rather than human. They do not seem to belong in their positions except for the convenience of the dramatist, and the director's purpose is not always clear. The continuity is not as smooth as it should be. In the cast are Thomas W. Ross. Wilfred Lytell, Francis X. Conlan, Frank Currier, Lionel Pape, Jack Crosby, Gladys Coburn, Thea Talbot and Florence Court. The picture is in six reels and was directed by George W. Terwilliger. LIONEL BARRYMORE IN THE DEVIL'S GARDEN (FIRST NATIONAL) A frank and vivid presentation of a grim and daring bit of realistic screen literature, technically of a high order of merit. Because of the frank treatment of a daring subject this personally supervised Whitman Bennett production, made from the novel by W. B. Maxwell, must be set down as a variant from the conventional in screen literature. Doubtless there will be some who will not sanction the variance, because of the picture's grim reality. Nevertheless, if the screen is to mirror life, the grim reality, shocking to some perhaps, has its place upon it. For "The Devil's Garden" does mirror life. The author has a story to tell from which a lesson is to be learned. And he has told it boldly and realistically, albeit grimly, with clearly drawn human characters. "Judge not your fellowmen" is the moral the author teach-es through his chief figure, William Dale. An obscure groom, Dale rises out of the depths largely through the helping hand of Lord Barradine and marries Mavis Dale. His uncontrollable temper gets him into difficulty and Barradine rescues him. But Mavis is made to pay the price. Dale kills Barradine but is always haunted by the spectre of the dead man. To escape it Dale moves to a farm, where he and Mavis adopt a gypsy waif. Through the presence of this waif Dale soon finds himself just as weak as Barradine and scarcely less culpable. The spectre appears and demands to know who he is to have judged and punished others for a weakness he himself possesses. Stricken with remorse Dale seeks relief in deeds of heroism, one of which results in his death. With respect to its dramatic values, the story has been most skillfully developed, with the result that considerable suspense is created. A word ought to be said about the titles. Th-eir number is large but, intelligently written, they advance the action and help immeasurably in smoothly joining the time lapses between sequences. Lionel Barrymore makes William Dale a striking character, while H. Cooper Cliffe, Doris Rankin and May McAvoy lend capable support. Kenneth Webb's direction is most workmanlike. The production shows evidence of careful study. HOUSE PETERS IN THE GREAT REDEEMER (METRO) A regeneration story beautifully treated and sympathetically enacted. It stands out as a really worthwhile production. Is rich in dramatic values, first suspenseful, then sweeping. Has great audience appeal and should prove an unusually strong box office attraction. It isn't every day that a picture with the appeal of "The Great Redeemer" is Hashed across the horizon. And for the appeal in this picture it would seem that the major credit belongs to H. H. Van Loan, the author, although the director, cast and adaptors must by no means be overlooked when credit is being distributed. Van Loan's contribution is a story with all the elements of popular success. In skeleton it has done service for the screen before. But the introduction of a spiritual uplift theme, daring perhaps, but reverentially handled, has given it a new dress and treatment, one that is always interesting, and as the story reaches its anticlimax, sublimely sweeping. The story was written with a keen eye to drama. Interest is caught at once in the hero bandit who holds up a train, and escapes from the pursuing sheriff through the aid of the girl. Though vowing to go straight he weakens and is captured after his pal has been killed. Sentenced to serve ten years he vows to "get" the sheriff for the killing of his pal. Across the corridor a cell holds a condemned murderer, a blasphemous individual, who refusing to accept the copy of the Bible handed him by the chaplain hurls the offering into Dan Malloy's cell. Malloy, whiling away his time by sketching on the prison walls, turns over the cover of the Bible, exposing the figure of Christ on the cross. He rubs out the sketch of a figure of the pugilist and begins to draw the figure of Christ on the cross. Here the dramatic values of the incident are skillfully worked up. The sketch is finished. In the stream of moonlight flooding through the barred windows appears Christ in life moving from the sketch on the wall. Reverently the condemned man and Malloy fall to their knees. The guards come running. They, too, kn-eel in awe. And then the vision fades and the murderer cries out of his enlightened soul: "I have seen God." It is an anticlimax of rare power and impressiveness. During the showing at the Rivoli theatre the picture was stopped at this point, the house darkened, and the hymnal number sung off stage. The effect was tremendous. Whatever else happens must take secondary place to this anticlimax. Truth and plausibility has been sacrificed for convenience at a point or two but the lapses are not serious and do not lessen the interest. The characters, excellently drawn, are always human. The acting is of a high order, House Peters, Marjorie Daw, Jack MacDonald and Joseph Singleton playing with fine effect. The director, Clarence Brown, working under the personal supervision of Maurice Tourneur, caught the spirit of the material at hand and must be credited with a very finished performance. The lightings are specially fine in the cell scenes and the photography is always of a high order. The picture is in six reels. Report Record Booking Of Keller-ian Slow Film "The Art of Diving," the Annette Kellerman slow motion picture issued through Educational Exchanges, was featured on the anniversary program of the Capitol theatre, New York. Educational reports a record breaking number of inquiries for the picture, which is expected to play first run theatres in every city of importance during November and December. Lionel Barrymore in "The Devil's Garden." Dramatic moment from the Whitman Bennett Production, starring the noted actor, which will be distributed by First National Dead Men Tell No Tales