The Film Daily (1922)

fHE 16 ■S&Hk DAILV Sunday, October 1, 1922 Gladys Walton in Rather Uninteresting Version of "M'liss" Gladys Walton in "THE GIRL WHO RAN WILD" Universal DIRECTOR Rupert Julian AUTHOR Bret Harte SCENARIO BY ....Rupert Julian CAMERAMAN Allen Davey AS A WHOLE Harte's "M'liss" rearranged as a vehicle for Gladys Walton; can't compare with the Mary Pickford version STORY Has had most of its dramatic situations eliminated or toned down; chiefly incidents DIRECTION Fair; allows star to overact and leaves some raw edges in telling story PHOTOGRAPHY All right LIGHTINGS Average STAR Gets her usual tenement district girl characterization mixed with that of mountain hoyden SUPPORT No outstanding performances; Lloyd Whitlock, Joseph Dowling and Vernon Steele in the cast EXTERIORS Suitable INTERIORS Adequate DETAIL Suffices CHARACTER OF STORY Wild mountain girl is finally tamed by her love for school teacher LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,506 feet Back in 1918 Marshall Neilan directed Mary Pickford in an adaptation of Bret Harte's "M'liss." Probably the Pickford production will have been quite forgotten by now but those who remember it will not be likely to look with favor upon the Rupert Julian version, in contrasting the two. The original story has been changed somewhat and most of the dramatic sequences either eliminated or consistently toned down. This may have been done for a reason, since Gladys Walton is not especially adapted to dramatic playing. But in taking it out the story becomes too slight for screen purposes and there is little left but the romping of the star. As the story goes now it is essentially a series of incidents in the life of an untamed mountain girl. There is not sufficient explanation of the action of the man who appears, claims to be the brother of the girl's dead mother, and kills her father. This was the big situation in the Pickford production. The schoolmaster was accused of the crime and the girl saved his life. In the Walton picture no one is accused of the murder. It's just forgotten. And there is a peculiar twist in the adoption of the girl by the murderer's two friends whom the title tells you are gamblers. There doesn't seem to be any good reason for them devoting their time to pampering the mountain girl with dolls and finery. The star may please her admirers but she is capable of better things. She seems to confuse her character in this with some previous things she has done. Instead of making "M'liss" an untamed girl, at times she makes her appear tough, more like the gum-chewing sales girl that the star has portrayed cleverly. The remainder of the cast is average. Vernon Steele is a hero of minor importance. Story : M'liss's father is killed and the two old men present themselves as guardians, much to the girl's objection. A new schoolmaster persuades her to attend school and the girl is contented until she sees the teacher sitting in the seat with Clytie, another scholar. M'liss secures a promise from the teacher that he will not do it again. When she is sent from the room for swearing during the school board's examination and gets no sympathy from the teacher, M'liss plans to run away with Velvet Jack. The teacher battles for the girl and takes her away with him. May Do For Star's Admirers But Not Strong Enough Otherwise Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor Don't count on getting them interested in "The Girl Who Ran Wild," on the strength of its being an adaptation of Bret Harte's "M'Hss" because they may have difficulty recognizing it. It will go best where the star is very well liked and they don't care a whole lot what the story is as long as Gladys WaUon is in the picture. She has had many better vehicles than this. There is not very much you can say about "The Girl Who Ran Wild" so if they are at all critical you probably won't be able to satisfy them. It is a short feature, however, and might go very well on a double feature program or with a strong short reel program. It is not strong enough to serve as the main attraction.