The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (May-Jun 1923)

42. THE. FILM. RENTER. .& MOVING PICTURE NEWS. REVIEW OF NEW PRODUCTIONS=Continued. the King’s Favourite.” Arnold Pell, the artist, enters the cabaret, and is disillusioned to find that the woman to whom he had made love had stepped down to a scorned profession... _ But T. Charles Walton, publicity man, will not be satisfied until he has taken the girl to America, where, with true showmanship, he uses all the arts at his command to get the publicity which he declares is necessary, but from which she shrinks. Jacqueline, meanwhile, is being nursed in comfort in a beautiful country home, not knowing the means by which her sister gains the wherewithal to provide her with luxuries. Complications enter when Larry Pell, Arnold's brother, becomes a visitor, and talk turns upon Fleur d'Amour, whose reported brazenness Jacqueline abhors. Larry goes to town, sees Suzanne, and asks her'to marry him, but. Arncld, arriving, seeks to save his brother from his decision. Then Larry goes to see Jacqueline, and Suzanne arrives too, and the sudden realisation.that. her sister is thé notorious Fleur.d’Amour gives Jacqueline the shock which the doétors have long declared. is necessary for her recovery, and‘ slre staggers to’ her feet. With Jacqueline cured of her infirmity the necessity for continuing as a dancer.in her entertainment, ‘Her: Gilded Cage,” is abolished, and the picture ends with Suzanne’s acceptance of. Arnold Pell,,who has again proposed to.her. i The. picturo is well cast, for in addition to Gloria Swanson, who» registers. admirably the varying emotions of Suzanne, Walter. Hiers exaggerates the publicity merchant just enough to inake:it.a caricature. Charles A..Stevonson’s Gaston. Pétitfi)s suggests the old aristocrat to the life. The-rest. of the. acting is good without: being distinguished. Dresses and. settings increase the: attractiveness of the picture, which Should. find a responsive public. Jazzmania.. Mae Murray in a-ridiculous story with lavish and elaborate settings. A poor vehicle for her undoubted abilities. -RELEASED BY JURY’S. Length,.6,000 feet. Release: Date; ‘August ,. 1923. T. is quite evident that the producer of:‘‘ Jazzmania'’: had I well in: rnind' the dancing proclivities of the star, for: this : " picture hasmerely had money lavished ori -it.for thé :purpose “of showing Mae.Murray in striking ‘costumes,.:generally engaged in dancing, without taking into account any idea of whether the story would. appeal to anyone with an average amount of intelligence. In many respects it is one of the stupidest stories that. have: reached us from America, and viewing it as a whole, one can only feel what a pity it is that a.production such as this, costing as it undoubtedly does a considerable amount of money, should have been lavished upon a story that is to say the least of it, utterly futile. . The-picture-has for its setting a South American Republic where revolution is threatened unless the Queen consents to marry Prince Otto, the.Pretender to the throne... She refuses, revolution starts, and an American newspaper correspondent, who is over for the purpose ,of getting. story, takes her with him to America... Here-she is installed in New York as a queen of-e high-class cabaret, where Jerry Langdon falls in love with her: All goes-well until a represontative of her Cabinet comes to America to beg her to return. She returns to her country in time to expose tho perfidy of Prince Otto,.when the entire populace receives her back -into favour and she:is again installéd as Queen.’ Her: American Jover-follows her thither, and all ends happily. ; “os : : : This extraordinary picture. opens with a real note of fun, and one! gains the impression that it is going to be a-really riotous lutlesqte,“instead of which, half-way through, the producer has May 5, 1923. endeavoured to take a serious turn, and from thence onward the picture absolutely falls to pieces.. Mae.Murray,,as.Queen Ninon, has, of course, the major amount to do in this picture, and the story is merely a vehicle for portraying her ability as a dancer ‘and also her wonderful.costumes. It at the same time serves the purpose of showing as much of Mae Murray as is decently possible. Naturally, this well-known star makes the best of her opportunities and pirouettes in her usual fascinating style, but inasmuch as the picture is neither serious nor funny, it only becomes intensely boring. There is a gcod cast supporting Miss Murray, each of whom does justice to his or her part in the picture. The settings are unusually elaborate, some of them really reaching heights of artistic splendour.. The photography is excellent and the costumes are exceedingly fine. “* Jazzmania."’ is a picture that will mainly succeed on account of the star; but with an intelligent audience it is likely to find little favour. It soems a tremendous pity that a better story csuld not have been found to have given this screen artiste a real chance to show to a greater degrce of what she is capable. If You Believe. It—It’s.So A crook drama which is an acceptable change, in which. there is. some. clever. character. acting. RELEASED BY FAMOUS’ LASKY. Tength, 6,970 ft. Release Date, October 25, 1923. HIE reason for the-Coué-like title: of this.film does not ‘J =. become apparent until its closing scenes, and then the statement by one of the erstwhile colleagues of the hero, who has reformed, that he has done so: because he believed in ‘' religious guff’’ and ‘if you believe it, it’s so” Scrse From *‘ Ir You Beureve Ir, Ir’s So.!” seems a thin peg to hang it on. nonv the less enjoyable on that account. It is a drama which deals with crooks, which, however, gets out of the ordinary rut and should prove acceptable generally. The American police must have a keen sense of humour if it has been sercencd in places under their jurisdiction; it does not, show them in a very good light if the village constable, who comes, a great deal under notice, is a fair sample. The villagers; too, to which.we are introduced, seem to lack, to a very great, extent , that ‘* cuteness ’’ and “ pep” which we. in this little island have been deluded to helicve is possessed. by all who come from ‘* way back.’? But probably these things Still, the picture will prove