Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1921 - Mar 1922)

March 4, 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 61 GLORIA SWANSOX IN HER HUSBAND'S TRADEMARK (PARAMOUNT) An interesting society play with a suddenly introduced and contrastive melodramatic ending that drives home a good impression previously made. A strong love interest sustains suspense. Lavish settings characterize the early reels and the Rio Grande sequence at the finish is impressive. Sam Wood directed. Five reels. Stuart Holmes, sleek and effective as when proclaimed the screen's ablest villain, is Gloria Swanson's strongest support in her new and one of her best photoplays. A New Yorker who bluffs at wealth and uses her beauty as a "trademark" to further his financial machinations, he all but walks away with the picture. Miss Swanson's beauty and apparel measure up to and above the strict demands of her role. There is no artificially about the New York society pictured tor about her delineation of the character .vhich is its center. The production is horoughly satisfying entertainment and should please equally well in any surounding. In the story the Berkleys are promilent in New York society, the husband itilizing his wife's famed beauty to furKer his interests in obtaining loans and imilar favors of capitalists. In the sudlenly. acquired wealth of a former colege chum who has been absent in Mexico or some years he sees his big opportuity. The three go to Mexico, where the itended catch demonstrates his love for Its. Berkley and, when she learns that er husband has used her solely for gain, /ins her openly declared affection. A andit raids the hacienda at this point nd pursues her. Her husband is killed l escaping and the man she loves carries er across the Rio Grande to safety and le prospect of happiness. CHARLES RAY IN rHE BARNSTORMER (FIRST XATIONAL) travesty on the actors of a bygone age. Pure farce and as such is good. 'Not the best of recent Ray productions. Lacks dramatic and convincing incident. Written by Richard Andres and directed by the star. (5300 feet long.) There is plenty of genuine farcical hu3r, a little prolonged perhaps, but with certain attractive appeal in "The Barn>rmer." Probably Ray felt the need of other play like "The Clodhopper," but ; present vehicle lacks the natural com; cations and suspense of his other suc■ss, and although the plot is well devel■ed there is too much sameness to the 'rious scenes and it is likely to prove Uious to the average audience. Of •Jrse, dyed-in-the-wool Ray fans will 'e it. It is clean and wholesome, and fe for the hold-up, there is nothing the 1 isors can pick at. Almost the whole action centres around t star, who in the role of Joel Matthews, i armer'^s son, aspires to become an ac' • A visiting troupe gives him his op Gloria Swanson in a scene from "Her Husband's Trademark," (Paramount) portunity and he becomes porter, call boy, piano player, stage hand and an actor with two lines. His model at all times is the leading man, whose every move he imitates. In a small town he meets and falls in love with the druggist's daughter. They play a week's stand and while playing to a full house the leading man, disguised as a burglar, holds up the audience and hides in his dressing room. Joel discovers him with his loot and besides winning the plaudits of the townspeople when he forces him to return the money, wins the hand of Emily, the druggist's daughter. Charlotte Pierce, who appeared with Ray in "Peaceful Valley," has the role of a giggling, bashful country girl. Wilfred Lucas is the leading man in the barnstorming troupe, and Lionel Belmore the manager. George Nichols appears briefly as Joel's father. SPECIAL CAST IN THE GLORIOUS FOOL (GOLDWYN) A really excellent comedy-drama full of amusing incident and written in Mary Roberts Rinehart's best vein. It was directed by E. Mason Hopper. Five reels. Almost every picturegoer will find his or her pet ingredients for high class amusement embodied in this clever little Goldwyn production. In story it is simplicity itself, but therein lies its chief charm. That and good acting and the naturalness of the characters. Helene Chadwick has the principal role, that of a pretty hospital nurse. Richard Dix, a temporary inmate of the hospital, is well cast opposite her. The production throughout is excellent. The hospital stuff is well done; there are many cleverly written subtitles and altogether it reaches a very high standard of perfection. Billy Grant, a member of the Idlers Club and but recently disappointed in love, falls down the club steps and runs away with a trolley car he has found standing at the end of the line. Xot being an expert motorman he hits a heavy wagon amidship and when he wakes up he is in a hospital with but a few hours to live. To avoid leaving his property to his relatives, he requests a probation nurse, Jane Brown, to marry him. That night marks a turn in his condition and he is soon on the road to recovery. Little Miss Brown, his wife, is transferred to the maternity ward and while endeavoring to effect a reconciliation between a man and his wife, the wife being a patient, she breaks a hospital rule and is dismissed. Billy, however, realizing he cannot live without her, astonishes his parents by announcing his marriage and his intention to keep a nurse in his family always. JOHXXY WALKER IX EXTRA! EXTRA! (FOX) First-rate newspaper story with the likeable Johnny Walker and Edna Murphy in the leading roles. On a par with this team's recent offerings and should please. Five reels. William K. Howard, director. The role of Barry Price, newspaper reporter, gives Johnny Walker plenty of opportunity to show his true worth as a screen star. There is a fairly interesting story here, well acted and some excellent settings and photography. Miss Walker shares honors with Walker in the role of secretary to a wealthy man. Others in the small but capable cast are Wilson Hummel, Herschel Mayall, John Steppling and Gloria Woodthorpe. The story gets off to a good start, where the city editor sends an old reporter, Rogers, after a story concerning a consolidation of two big firms. The old man returns without the facts, having been ordered off of the yacht where his man was isolated. Barry Price swims out to the yacht and gets a story, although it is not about the consolidation. He then secures a position as butler in the home of the other man to the combination and finds the story within his grasp, but it is promised to a rival paper. Rogers' daughter is secretary to this man. A nephew is caught rifling the wall safe; Barry gets the story to his city editor, but before he will write it he demands that Rogers be reinstated and kept on the payroll for life. He also wins the hand of Rogers daughter. Wilson Hummell is excellent as the broken down newspaper man and Mayall made a convincing financier. JIMMY AUBREY IX A CHARMED LIFE (VITAGRAPH) There are many amusing gags and comedy situations in "A Charmed Life," Jimmy Aubrey's latest rib-tickler. Most of the fun is derived from his antics in a laundry, where with starch and suds his pursuers become smeared up and fall all over the place. The ultra-speed camera is here employed to good advantage also, making the action appear about four times as rapid as it actually is.