Exhibitors Herald (1927)

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6 STUDIO SECTION OF November 5, 192/ THE STUDIO PREVIEW “Polly of the Movies” (First Able Cast in Division Picture), directed by First Division Scott Pembroke, is another ex Production ample of what a good director can do with a simple story and a few players who know their business. The idea back of “Polly of the Movies” is to show the futility of trying to get into pictures via “the Beauty Contest” route or the so-called movie school. The picture features Gertrude Short, who a few short years ago stepped into the front ranks as a comedienne of unusual ability in a series of two-reel films. Since then she has played many important roles in feature productions and her work in “Polly of the Movies” will no doubt attract the attention of other producers. She was given excellent support by Jason Robards, who plays her country sweetheart ; Corliss Palmer, as the beauty contest winner ; Stuart Holmes as a picture producer, and others. The story concerns an ugly duckling who is maid of all work in a boarding house, with ambitions to become a great actress. She submits the photo of a friend in a beauty contest and it wins first place, but the substitution of names is then discovered and the real beauty wins. However, the whole scheme is a come-on of a movie school and the beauty winner after paying her money loses out. The little slavey eventually is made the star of a travesty and is broken-hearted when she discovers the director has cast her in a comedy role when she aspired to play heavy drama. The picture contains a series of excellent gags, the titles are crisp and to the point, and the play is well mounted. — R. M. “The Red Riders of Canada” Capable Direction (F B O) is a perfect example of in “Red Riders,” what a capable director can do Mounted Police Tale with a good story and a small but capable cast of experienced players. It is one of F B O’s Gold Bond Specials and lives up to the title “special” in every sense of the word. It is entertaining, devoid of hokum and holds the attention every foot of the way. Robert DeLacy directed and this is his first picture of this type, he having devoted his efforts heretofore to Westerns, starring Tom Tyler. The cast consists of Patsy Ruth Miller, who gives an excellent performance as the girl ; Charles Byers, who portrays a clean-cut and likeable hero; Harry Woods, a capital villain, and Rex Lease, splendidly cast as the brother of the heroine. The action is centered around these four. It is a straightforward narrative of life in Northern Canada woven around the death of a member of the Northwest Mounted Police, his daughter, his son, a Northwest Mounted policeman, and the murderer of the trooper, an escaped Russian convict. The story opens with the son telling of the death of his father and his swearing vengeance on the perpetrator of the deed. The boy is captured by the murderer, known as Le Buzard, and held prisoner. Le Buzard also plans to kidnap the boy’s sister, and while en route to her cabin is apprehended by a Northwest police especially assigned to the capture of Le Buzard. That night while encamped at the girl’s cabin she re leases the prisoner on his promise to take her to her brother and release him. The trooper finally catches up with Le Buzard and the girl and in a terrific fight, in which the boy is killed, and Le Buzard meets death, the “mountie” saves the girl. Of course there is the usual happy ending when the policeman is made inspector and decides to marry the girl. Some of the most beautiful out-of-door scenes ever photographed grace this picture. Beautiful pine woods, sparkling streams and lakes and picturesque sunsets are part of its unusually sharp and pleasing photography. .Nick Musuraca was cameraman. A mighty pleasing picture ! — R. M. Several months ago I saw a previewed picture called “Two Another Good Arabian Knights” which brings One Made for Louis Wolheim to the screen in United Artists the company of William Boyd. I do not think there have been released showings of this picture to date, so I shall exercise my prerogative and say something about the picture. In the first place, it is a United Artists release which boasts of people under SO as the stars. Wolheim and Boyd have 95 per cent of the footage, I am sure (the device with which I clocked it is secretly patented by myself). They operate in that footage admirably compared with the behavior of most players under similar circumstances. They begin their knighthood when Uncle Sam gives them khaki pants and a gun and their trip becomes more complicated when they find themselves in a German prison. From Germany they escape to what looks like Poland, then Russia and finally land in Constantinople. The story is simple and the picture is not dependent on it. But the picture is excellent, chiefly because of the comedy construction and remarkably good direction. It moves rapidly, showing you new war comedy twists and situations hitherto unfilmed in the many films of the belligerent type. It slows up somewhat when Mary Astor enters, but Lewis Milestone, the director, wisely held her out until he drew into the last lap of his story. — D. H. Curtiz “Saves” With Use of Boudoir Mirror When “Good Time Charley” rushes were shown in the projection room of the Warner studios a peculiar shot was noted in which Mr. Warner Oland and Helene Costello appear in the reflection of a mirror. The director, Michael Curtiz, explained that the shot was devised by catching the entire action of the players on the mirror and focusing one camera on the surface of the glass. In this manner he obtained a complete scene without a change in camera setup, whereas four setups would have been necessary otherwise. Closeup, medium and long shots were not needed. No lights need be moved. Time, labor and money is saved. Curtiz learned to make pictures in Germany.