Exhibitor's Trade Review (Aug-Nov 1925)

October 24, 1925 25 BOX OFFICE REVIEWS RED HOT TIRES Warner Brothers Photoplay. Adapted from the story by Gregory Rogers. Director, Erie C. Kenton. Length, 6,660 feet. CAST AND SYNOPSIS Al Jones Monte Blue Elizabeth Lowden Patsy Ruth Miller Mr. Lowden Fred Esmelton George Taylor Lincoln Stedman Coachman Charles Conklin Crook No. 1 Tom McGuire Crook No. 2 William Lowry Crook No. 3 Malcolm Waite The first time Al sees Elizabeth he loves her. In flirting he wrecks his car, is injured, and develops a deadly fear of motorcars. The second time he sees her, her car frightens his horse. She speeds with him to the hospital. Both are sent to jail by her father, the police chief. Al flirts while in jail and is ejected. While endeavoring to break into jail to be near Elizabeth, he incurs the enmity of a band of crooks. They later kidnap Elizabeth. Through his efforts she is rescued. He overcomes his automobile fear and they elope in a speedster. By Herb Cruikshank J^NOUGH laughs in this one to make it a good comedy attraction for the average audience. This fact coupled with the names of the leading players should be sufficient to guarantee a good gross. Toward the end there is a letting down in the humor of the production caused by the insertion of the usual hackneyed chase of a speeding motor by armies of motorcycle cops. The funniest situations are covered in the hero's attempt to break into jail in order to be with his sweetheart, and in the antics of the pair after he succeeds. In endeavoring to force an entry to the lock-up, Al hurls a brick through the bank window. Smilingly he awaits arrest. But the brick has struck and stunned a stick-up man, and instead of incarceration he is the recipient of congratulations on all hands. Several chuckles are caused by the fury and despair of the Police Chief's golf-loving friend. This disciple of Col. Bogey waits all day to play. The eighteen holes looked forward to dwindle to a measly one. And as the two leave for their one hole game it begins to rain. Monte Blue, a true comedian, gets every last laugh out of his role as the speedfearing hero. He makes the most of every bit of business. In those sequences where he is called upon to whisper, "I'm not afraid," as counseled in a book he has purchased, his facial expression is immense. Patsy Ruth Miller is a personable heroine. She extracts a lot of chuckles from a pair of hob-nailed shoes she dons in place of her lost pumps. The others all do their bits to make a good film. Tie-up with motor-car agencies and accessory dealers for this one. Stage automobile parades. Use split-a-page ads. FLOWER OF NIGHT Paramount Photoplay. Author, Joseph Hergesheimer. Scenario, Willis Goldbeck Director, Paul Bern. Length, 6,374 feet. CAST AND SYNOPSIS Carlota Villalon Pola Negri Don Geraldo Villalon Joseph Dowling John Basset Youcca Troubelzkoy Luke Rand Warner Oland Derek Bylandt Edwin J. Brady Mrs. Bylandt Eulalie Jensen Servant Cesare Gravina Vigilante Leader Gustav von Seyffertitz Josefa Helen Lee Worthing Don Geraldo hates Americans because of fancied wrongs regarding his mining properties. His daughter, Carlota, incurs his enmity because of her insistence upon attending a dance. The Don commits suicide. Carlota longing for life and liberty drifts from the hacienda to San Francisco. Here she becomes a dancing girl in El Paradiso. John Basset, an American whom she loves, spurns her upon finding her there. Luke Rand, villain, promises to recover her mine from Basset. He does so, wounding Basset. In a revulsion of feeling she rescues Basset who subsequently kills Rand. Carlota and John recognize their mutual love and are united. By Herb Cruikshank CJEEMS bound to be a big pay-off picture. Pola Negri renders one of the best, if not the finest performance, she has ever contributed. She portrays all the emotions in turn. But she is best when the smouldering fire in her soot-fringed eyes blazes in jealous rage. She is worthy of a far greater vehicle than Joseph Hergesheimer has prepared in "Flower of Night." She is thoroughly competent to play great parts in great film stories. This tale falls short of being even among the near-great. The story itself is a colorful melodrama of the early West. It deals with life in the rough — life as lived in 'Frisco in the days of gold and Vigilantes. The costumes and the background are in themselves sufficient to lend interest. But the tale that is told is full of improbabilities. The ending is never in doubt. There is plenty of action. Not a reel is without the barking of guns. There is a hanging, and a lot of the fast riding that is expected in Westerns of all calibres. Next to Pola, mark up another hit for Warner Oland. He plays the villain, Luke Rand. And although he makes of the character a black-hearted scoundrel, he is nevertheless a blackguard who is game to the core. Prince Youcca Troubetzkoy, the hero, is far from our conception of a youth from the grim and rockbound coast of New England. He is a handsome youth, but is totally eclipsed by Pola's fiery acting. Gustav von Seyffertitz does creditably as chief of the Vigilantes. Feature this Pola star. Tie-up with Hergesheimer's story. LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY United Artists Photoplay. Adapted by Hope Loring and Louis Lighton from the story by Katherine Hennessey. Director, William Beaudine. Length, 8,850 feet. CAST AND SYNOPSIS Annabelle Rooney Mary Pickford Joe Kelly William Haines Officer Rooney Walter James Tim Rooney Gordon Griffith Tony Carlo Schipa Abie Spec O'Donnell Spider Hugh Fay Mickey Joe Butterworth Little Annie Rooney, scrapper and kid gang leader, secretly adores Joe Kelly, leader of the older boys. He is the pal of her brother, Tim. Officer Rooney objects to Tim associating with Joe if he will not give up his ways. In a dance hall battle Officer Rooney is slain. The guilty gunmen blame Joe. Tim starts out to 'get' him and succeeds. Mean*time Mary and her gang are instrumental in capturing the real killer. Mary offers herself in a blood transfusion that saves Joe's life. Joe reforms and goes into the trucking business. Tim joins the force. Happy ending. By Herb Cruikshank g HOULD be a box-office riot. It is the sort of stuff they love. Mary Pickford comes back again in one of the typical kid roles that helped so largely to build her fame. The story has popular appeal. The continuity holds it closely together. The acting is fine. Director Beaudine has registered with some mighty good touches. There is a nice mixture of comedy and drama — even tragedy. One of the most effective scenes shows Annie awaiting the arrival of her beloved dad on his birthday night. She has prepared a feast to celebrate. There are table decorations and presents. But a stalwart bluecoat arrives to tell with a gulp that Officer Rooney will never come home again. The battles between the rival gangs of kids are full of good comedy. All sorts of weapons are used. Annie hurls and is hurled at by all varieties of missiles. Perhaps there is a bit too much repetition here. The backyard "Wild West Show" is a scream. Also the gathering of many nationalities in Rooney's flat to devise ways and means of repaying the loss of the fruitman at the hands of Annie's mob. Mary Pickford is excellent as Annie. She appears more diminutive than ever. She has been surrounded by a cast of larger actors, and special props seem to aid. The cast is perfectly in character. Walter James as Rooney, the cop, is fine. Little Spec O'Donnell with a putty nose is an Abie to be remembered. William Haines and Gordon Griffith are nice Irish boys who quit gang habits just in time. Play Mary Pickford to win. Make the most of the title and its various tie-ups.