Exhibitors Herald (Apr-Jun 1922)

54 EXHIBITORS HERALD June 3, 1922 WILLIAM RUSSELL IN' MEN OF ZANZIBAR (FOX) Quite interesting is this tale of the East Coast of Africa adapted from a story by the late Richard Harding Davis. It keeps one guessing until the end as to who are crooks and who are not. Directed by Rowland V. Lee. Five reels. While much of the impressiveness of Davies' story is lost in the film version, still there is enough dramatic suspense to hold the attention and on the whole "The Men of Zanzibar" will be found good fare. The acting of all is good and there is little to choose between the characters. Russell is cast as Hugh Hemingway, an American, seeking a sum of money stolen by an employe of his uncle; Ruth Renick is the heroine, Polly Adair, secretary to the American Consulate in Zanzibar; Claude Peyton is George Sheyer; Harvey Clark is Harris; Arthur Morrison played Fearing, Michael Dark, was Sir George Firth and Lila Leslie appears as Lady Firth. There is a stirring street fight and the settings depicting an old ruins are very fine. The atmosphere of the country on the equator is well simulated. It is well photographed by David Abies. The story opens in the American Consulate in Zanzibar. Wilbur Harris, the Consul, receives a letter from a detective agency to be on the lookout for a man with a beard, believed to have stolen funds belonging to a Boston firm. Hemingway arrives and answers every detail of the description. He says he has come to "shoot big game." He is attracted by Harris' secretary, Polly Adair, a widow. A second bearded man arrives at the hotel and registers as George Sheyer, from Boston, Mass. Both Hemingway and Sheyer shave off their beards. Hemingway searches Sheyer's room for a package which he takes away. At the same time Sheyer was searching Hemingway's room. Sheyer appears at the Consulate and causes Hemingway's arrest, and Hemingway confesses the theft. Fearing, a stranger character, then confesses he stole the Boston firm's money, but that Sheyer took it from him as he was about to return it. Sheyer is arrested by Hemingway, who states he has been sent to Zanzibar by his uncle to trace down the crooked detective — Sheyer. He also finds that Polly is not married to Fearing, but is only his sister. BULL MONTANA IN A LADIES' MAN (STROMBERG) A distinct novelty is this three reel comedy produced by Hunt Stromberg and being sold on state rights basis. Popularity of star, combined with a good story should make this a good box office attraction. Hunt Stromberg, the clever youngster who turned over night from press agent to producer, has given the world at large a distinct comedy novelty in his ■i Hull Montana three-reel comedy. The story has been carefully constructed with a view to Bull's remarkable pulchritude, with the reverse English, and the situations arc immense. "A Ladies' Man" has all varieties of comedy in it from the subtle to the slap stick, and possesses a magnetic audience re-action, judging from the manner it was received by the highly critical audiences at Grauman's theatre, Los Angeles. It treats in a light vein the possibilities of environment eradicating heredity, and placed Bull in the light of the adopted son of a wealthy and socially distinguished family, making plenty of the type of faux pas one might expect. Naturally plenty of stunts have been written into the story to give Bull a chance to show his superhuman endurance. The comedy is one that is not only sure to please almost any audience, but because of Bull's fame as a wrestler and the outstanding roles he has played in various dramatic productions should be one of definite box office value. In the cast are found Chuck Reisner, Stanhope Wheatcroft, Claire McDowell, Myrtle Lind, Charles Hill Mailes, Snitz Edwards, Frank Kingsley and others. A scene from "Missing Husbands." (Metro) SPECIAL CAST IN MISSING HUSBANDS (METRO) One of the encouraging foreignm a d e features — encouraging to the home-grown variety. Massive sets, good lighting, and a capable cast. Story based upon a novel by Pierre Benoit, "L'Anlantide." Adapted by Jacques Feyder. Length about six reels. Either foreign producers love fairy stories or they think Americans do, judging from the pictures they send for our consumption. This French production, based upon the myth of Lost Atlantis, is frankly fiction. Consequently the element of human interest is lacking. Just how the title "Missing Husbands" fits the story is difficult to fathom. If they are "Antinea's" husbands, "she should worry," in the language of the literature-loving, for she turns them into golden statues. Perhaps they are philandering husbands of other ladies, caught in Circe's spell. But probably it is just a box-office title and nothing more. The story: Lieut. SaintAvit reports to his command somewhere in France, having been gone for some time in Africa. He is questioned regarding the whereabouts of his companion, Captain Morhange, and tells a weird story of being led by an Arab they had saved from death into the lost country of Atlantis. This rescued person was apparently on a scouting expedition for new husbands for his miccn, Antinea. He tricks Saint-Avit and Morhange into entering a cave, where he burns hemp to cause them to lose consciousness. Saint-Avit at once falls captive to the large eyes and plump figure of the queen, but Morhange is made of sterner stuff and refuses to swoon in the light that lies in Antinca's eyes. The queen, naturally, falls in love with him. She plays upon Saint-Avit's jealousy, and, after drugging the latter, gets him to use a silver hammer on his companion's cranium. Saint-Avit. remorseful, escapes through the desert, aided by one of the queen's captives and the same man who had lured the two to her kingdom. But Saint-Avit is warned that he will return — regardless of the fact that he has seen the room in which Antinea's twenty-odd former husbands now stand labeled, each one a golden statue. When he finishes his wild yarn the officer to whom he tells it is so entranced by the picture Saint-Avit draws that he offers to go back with him. And there the story ends. Captain Morhange, as played by Jean Angelo, causes one to wish he had had a regular story, for his work is good. So is that of Georges Melchior as SaintAvit. In fact, the work of the entire cast is commendable. Stacia Napierkowska is "Antinea," and Marie Louise Iribe is "Tanit-Zerga." In spite of the improbable story, the picture holds the attention through the well-handled sequences, the unusual settings, and the restrained performances of the players. "BIG BOY" WILLIAMS IN THE TRAIL OF HATE (FREDERICK HERBST) Plenty of fighting and rough stuff for those that like their Westerns served neatly. "Big Boy" Williams does his usual good riding and ready fighting. Directed by W. Hughes Curran from a story by John Anthony Miles. Photographed by Charles Stumar. Length five reels. Cut according to the usual pattern for Westerns, this latest "Big Boy" Williams story, "The Trail of Hate," has nothing new in the way of story, but because of plenty of action and good photography it holds attention. "Silent" Kerry, in the East with a consignment of horses, is almost run over by a girl, Mary Stockdale (Molly Malone). whose father happens to be a resident of Kerry's town. This is merely a prologue. The story opens with Kerry in his ranch forming a vigilante committee to stop the cattle rustling. The head of the rustlers is Becker, and Stockdale is his tool. The sheriff is also in Beeker's power. So Kerry has the whole neighborhood to fight and he goes to it eagerly. In fact the story is just one fight after another. When Mary arrives in the West Kerry elbows aside the men sent by Becker to meet her and this starts a lovely row in which the entire village participates. Of course Kerry comes off victorious, falls in love with Mary and she with him. Then Carmencita, the dance-hall queen, loving Kerry, proceeds to complicate matters by pretending she is Kerry's castoff wife. She is wounded in another tight trying to save Kerry, so he takes her home, and here she convinces Mary that Kerry is her property. Things are finally straightened out, after a few more fights, the climax coming when Beeker and his henchmen capture Mary and "Sunny." Kerry's sister. Then Kerry fights the three of them, Beeker falling over the oft-used cliff. All ends happily, for Carmencita has a change of heart and confesses. A picture that will go over in houses where they like Westerns, and there seems to be more of a fondness for such yarns than for the society stuff.