The Film Daily (1922)

Sunday, February 5, 1922 —J?S^ DAILV > y 17 Pleasing Entertainment Made More So By a Pleasing Star Ethel Clayton in "EXIT THE VAMP" Paramount DIRECTOR Frank Urson AUTHOR Clara Beranger SCENARIO BY Clara Beranger CAMERAMAN C. Edgar Schoenbaum AS A WHOLE Pleasing picture that offers Ethel Clayton in interesting "wife" role and has some amusing situations STORY Fairly familiar but nicely presented with some effective somedy twists and domestic angles DIRECTION All right for the most part; just a trifle slow getting into the story; good atmosphere PHOTOGRAPHY Satisfactory LIGHTINGS Good STAR Always pleasing and capable of charming with her personality; does good work SUPPORT T. Roy Barnes appears in his familiar characterization; Fontaine La Rue a suitable "vamp" and Theodore Roberts has minor role EXTERIORS Not many INTERIORS Good DETAIL Suitable ; titles are good CHARACTER OF STORY Young wife decides to vamp her husband when her best friend seems to be getting him away from her LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,545 feet Unless the story is wrong all together, Ethel Clayton is usually able to get over any picture in which she appears on the strength of her personality and ability to charm her audience. "Exit the Vamp" is not a really poor story Ijut in less capable hands and without an agreeable heroine it might easily Iiave gotten into a rut and failed to register as a very definite entertainment. Clara Beranger has taken the old tri angle situation and then used a newer, but still familiar twist, in which the wife decides that the "vani])" will not get her husband so she vamps him herself. Director Urson gives the story a nice "home" atmosphere and is a little slow in getting to his actual story because of his desire to introduce the domestic circle before the entrance of the vamp. In this connection there is some fair comedy through the appearance of Theodore Roberts as tlie invalid father-in-law, who is continually annoyed by his son's mischievous boy. The decision of the star, as the young wife, to vamp her husband as long as he has shown a liking for it. starts a series of amusing incidents which develop into a good bit of farce along toward the climax in which the husband arrives at the vamp's apartment and is greeted by his wife in a costume which shocks him. Besides, she smokes cigarettes just to show him what a vamp she can be. T. Roy Barnes is convincingly confused when greeted bv his Avife and on the whole he makes the part of the husband stand out for his interesting interpretation. Fontaine La Rue is successful as the vamp, William Boyd is the former war hero who helps Ethel in her plan to win her husl:)and. Marion .Shipley didn't know that her husband, John, was an innocent victim of the wily Mrs. Strong, incidentally a friend of Marion's. Marion did not know about Mrs. Strong's attachment for her husband until after she had told him to attend a dinner in town without her. Marion decides to do a little spying and sees Mrs. Strong hand John the key to her apartment. Marion arrives first and greets John when he gets there. He is shocked and so is Mrs. .Strong when she appears a little later. Then Marion leaves with Robert Pitts, whom she knew when she was a nurse during the war. It is John's turn to be peeved and he leaves Mrs. Strong. Marion continually plans to put Mrs. Strong in her husband's way until he gets so tired of her thnt he throws a pitcher of water on her when she pretends to faint. Of course there's a reunion. They'll Be Quite Well Satisfied With What This Has to Offer Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor You can give general satisfaction with Ethel Clayton's "Exit the Vamp," for it is a clean, wholesome entertainment that contains some good laughs, is nicely presented and offers a delightful star who doesn't have to work hard to please. She has a good part in "Exit the Vamp" and you can promise her admirers they'll be sure to like her as the young wife who decided she could vamp her husband as well as anybody else. Talk about the comedy situations and say that T. Roy Barnes and Theodore Roberts have something to do with providing the laughs. Catchlines will work in very well. Say : "Are you losing your husband's love or is someone vamping him away from you? Ethel Clayton has a sure remedy for such a husband in her latest picture, 'Exit the Vamp.' "