The Film Daily (1922)

THE Sunday, July 16, 1922 ■s&n DAILY Good Acting and Gold Rush Story Make Satisfying Entertainment Jane Novak in "BELLE OF ALASKA" American Releasing Corp. DIRECTOR Chester Bennett AUTHOR J. Grubb Alexander and Harvey Gates SCENARIO BY Not credited CAMERAMAN Jack MacKenzie AS A WHOLE Satisfying entertainment, built around Klondike days. Many situations, climaxes and changes STORY Biographical and a bit rambling but holds the attention DIRECTION Some good effects but a little uneven PHOTOGRAPHY Good LIGHTINGS Fair STAR Pleasing and does good work throughout SUPPORT Adequate. Includes Noah Beery and J. Frank Glendon EXTERIORS Suffice INTERIORS O. K. DETAIL Fair CHARACTER OF STORY Young wife separated from husband in gold rush. Falls victim of circumstances but defends herself by taking the identity of a dead companion LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 5,000 feet The "Belle of Alaska" is a satisfying entertainment dealing with the gold rush in Alaska. The scenes are laid in Seattle and Nome in about the year 1899. The story deals mainly with the adventures and experiences of a deserted farmer's wife who attempts to join her husband in Alaska. This role is taken by Jane Novak who does some nice bits of acting and carries the burden of the production. Director Bennett has achieved some good effects and helped intensify the drama in its many situations. In some places he has allowed a little overacting and has given too much importance to minor details. As a whole he has obtained an interesting and entertaining offering built with familiar material. The story is a little rambling and events seem to "just happen" as they do in real life. There is little foreshadowing and no accumulation but it holds the attention just the same and deals with a picturesque and dramatic period of American life. There is but one episode in the entire production that might raise a question in the minds of the audience. This is after the girl shoots the bully in selfdefense and becomes a fugitive from justice. There seems to be no need for her to run away from such kind of law breaking, yet much of the story depends upon this unconvincing point. In the cast J. Frank Glendon and Noah Beery support the star with some good work to their credit. Florence Carpenter and Leslie Bates add a needed contrast of strong and well done character parts. Story: A farmer and his wife, Ruth, sell their home and set out for Alaska. They are separated in Seattle where Ruth gets a job in a lunch room. She shoots a man in self defence and flees to Alaska. The ship is wrecked before it reaches its destination but Ruth is rescued by a passing steamer. She takes advantage of the disaster to assume the identity of her companion who was known as "Chicago Belle" and who was on her way to a dance hall in Nome. Ruth gives birth to a baby and avoids the dance hall until one of the rich miners wagers that he will make her dance. He turns out to be her lost husband but money and life in Alaska has worked a decided change in him. The former owner of the Seattle lunch room arrives, and fights the evil husband -and wins the girl. Use the Star's Name and Play Up the Alaska Theme Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor Mention Jane Novak in your advertisements for she has many admirers and a steadily increasing following. Also play up the Alaska idea in the story for this period of American life is romantic and always attractive. You can promise some good acting and plenty of dramatic situations. Give them an idea of what the story is about and tell them that it is a chapter of a girl's life during the gold rush. Shovels, picks and money bags hung al)out the lobby will attract attention and lend atmosphere to the offering. Stills of some of the climax scenes and a trailer run a week before will also help attract. A catchline might read : "The Belle of Alaska was not the kind of a girl that they thought she would be before she arrived."