Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1921 - Mar 1922)

March 4, 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 25 r.m NEW YORK TIMES. SUNDAY. JANUARY 1. 1922. 2 X AMUSEMENTS. XREEN THE YEAR IN PICTURES f^HS movies threaten to become ■notion pictures. This Is the ■tannine situation confronting thoM phHlstines or the " Mlum " Industry who are beginning to r> xa that they can't make or under«rd asr/thlng bat movies and that n of their movies brings In the btg ■cfey almost any old strtp of celluloid * worth a few years ago. As they fl ider about looking for the ciuv of th troubles, they are disturbed. It ma, ay the fear that others are ber g to make and exhibit pictured wl 1 satisfy the public, but which go oi their heads and Ue outside the narro field of their capabtLUra. Such ptt -s ippc&ru&siAiee to Lhem. of co e. so. In accordanee with the law of f-praoenratioa. thejr seek to destroy tb« bat tho only weapon they can lay ba< on Is that bogy-word of the o» a picture busines.% " highbrow * Th call everything that Is beyond tbf "Tiighbrpw." and If any picture so esftnaed happens to be commercial.} lt. cesafui. or yields only a nwlest pn on tho money Invested In it, th ;y S&4 orer Its misfortune and chorus. ~"i see. th* public J . s t wan; tLat kirif stuff. It's too r..£hbrow»" T true explanation of the picture's fX. i. In a mcjjrtty of rases, is to be foe In tho fact that, although It U *-^» -'^7 and elr.cere.y d^.*. It la* a* the , otodramatJc quality which even m■spt faasta desire In their screen eat ..—..■> t.\ anl which may legitlmtem ■peasant la the most refined produo tie* jr. If the fWture has this quality. It a fall as a box-office attraction be•aa-the f sea Is who would pay for and apt laM It have been driven away fro the theatres by the prevailing «w» of the day. The man or woman, far ample* who went to see " XI ale ■ad "sale" because lt was advertised as adaptation of Barrle't " The Adbatr e Crlchtou." was not likely to take * tl c« on " Sentimental Tommy." Bi those who make and exhibit th* ■E&rzorsM do not lake these things Into count. Instead, they seek to reass;, themselves and terrify the timid by uutlns; "highbrow" at any p'.ctsr«Lit aa InttiUgtnt person may be •bW look up to. No as a matter of fact, no ono Is •sen tor highbrow pictures, that la. * which require special, or even •ktere. education on the pert of spectatc What are wasited are pictures lha* opla of ordinary Intelligence can ■>:3hotopUja. for Instance. In which •tee; We Ideas have the benefit of D**e iy logical and moderately Im>Hn;.-e treatment. And at the present ate .* chief need Is for more In•"IgO! Ttg treatment of the photoIran: : subjects available. Tho com-plaint of today Is that so many >€et~' stories are botched on the <ree through Inadequate acting and ***t a.ve. Incomplete motion plcturvs *he aUty of any subject depends •°° treatment In whatever mexLura be presented. The moat dra' Plots, for example, loses Its 1 tho stage In a clumsily conpoorly acted play. No poetic #Ece ?n beccmea poetry until It Is 1 :n pontic language Likewise. Ph c!ay depends for Its strength f™* -^-oompoeed. expressive motion *tH: upon the fluency of its kinetic **» 1 the photoplays that are most ^-tsticaily cinemitographlc. and •^tme time acceptably motivated. >' be called truly significant. . T cumber of such productions 5" lust ended has added more ; Previous year of the motion history. Taking only those * »hlch have come to BrcadJ u ,6 twelve months, one may q'2lu> *a Impreasrve list of sig*~ works, which, though varying »t ? '°* CXC*UeDCe **** *ulted to * "Jis.ri, are genuine motion pic tores. In the main, and proi/hetlc of the complete realization of beauty and expressiveness on the screen. Probably do two observers would, select the same productions for such a list, and certainly no one Is to a position to dogmatize about any selections he may make— there Is too much room for Intelligent difference of opinion to permit that — bat any list may be suggestive, or at least It may serve to Illustrate an observer's Idea of the direction In which the screen can most profitably develop, and. therefore, for whatever It may be worth, the present writer nominates the following fifteen pr xl -ic'ions aa the m*t Important photoplays of 1821, the pictures being named In the order of their appearance on Broadway screens: " The K.A." wllb aad by Charlie Chaplin. "The Old swtmmin' Hole." with Charles Bay. directed by Joseph De Grasse. 'or » i : * " dentimeoxai To=sj," directed by Joha s. ssSsssftaaa, whb stay tMUaam aad Gereth Hughes. " The Cableet e* Dr. Callgart." with Wei ail Kraass. dlrert-d by Robert Wl-ft*. »iui setuaas I j H-raann Warm. Walter fbrfrsasn aad TTalier Rohrtg. ** XhjftPUpJt** directed by Erast Labltsch, with Fln-jj Jsnntngs sad Beany Pertea. Oypsy Blood." directed by Ernst Lossssaa, wt*h Poa X-rrt " The Golem." wfih Paul Wegraer. also dlrer'cd by Herr Wegener " The Coo^uerlrur Power." dlmtM by P^X Ingram, with Rodolph Vsleatl^e ■aa Aiiee Terry " with Doogias — br Fr^d *■ Little Lord Faaatleroy." with Kfary P-ciford. directed by A..' red E. Oreea aad Jock rVkford '' One Arabtaa Klgbt." dlrerted br Brr.st Lasbftaob. with Pole Kcgn sad Berr LuLltsrh. " Hamlet.'" with Arte Nielsen, directed by Even Oede. All for a Women, r'*nd W»m*r Xrt mltri . E.-howeUfct ".Veedetta." with Pole Naprl end E»3 -inninrn. directed by George Jscoby. In addition to these there were a number of photoplays which, while not so consistently significant as screen works, were yet sufficiently characterised by expressive motion pictures to claim a pla^e la any record of the year's achievements. Borne of them. It Is true, suffered from serious shortcomings, yet each of them, for its special virtues, was good entertainment and an Important contribution to the screen. Of such photoplays the present writer eaw twelve which. In his opinion, ought to be mentioned. They were: The Love lAght." with Mary rVkford, directed by Frances Marlon. ■ The Pisskm F!o»*r." directed by Herbert Breaoa. wlih Norm*. Tslmadse. " A Smell Town IdH." directed by Earl Bissaaa. »i*h Ben Turpla. produced by Mack OeniM tt. " Th* Old Seat." by R-jpert Hughes, directed by R*et!*aH B*rker. "The Journey's End." directed by Hugo Balha. with Ma>v1 Ballla. " Dangervos Curve Ahead.** by R spirt Huft-«i. directed by E. Uasoa Hopp-r. " Theodore,** directed by Anuro AmIwsasai ** Woman's Place," by John Eiren^r. « i Anita Loos, with Coaetaace Talmadge. directed by War Fleming. " Doubling for Rameo," with Rogers, directed by CwSTCBM Ba^^rer ** The Lotos Eater." with John Barrymore, dtrrcted bv Merehal NcHjul. ' " Our Mutual Friend." a NsressjaVS prodoctlon. '* M as Lulo Be*t." directed by William De Mill?, with Lois Wilson. with £mll Jendirected by D4 J = • ther are 5 v-;~j ^. Ab hlch i There ▼•■as, for exami terrific " J* Accuse," last May at the PJtz Caiiton Hotel, but was so emasculated before It reached the public screen under the. title "I Accuse" that it must be counted as lost. Another French pro _ "L-Z -'.3 l-l ZT . ' r J , the Daughter pj the Bear y.~. t : • • . : . • shown under the auspices of the Commonwealth Centre at Town Hail In October, belcngs among the leaders. PASSION ADAPTED FROM , cJEAN RICHEPINS FAMOUS GYPSY STORY p The Child op hhe bear >j A Louis Mercanton Production of the quaint Gypsy story read by millions in Europe and America. ALBERT I. SMITH president