The Film Daily (1922)

14 THE ■^m DAILV Sunday, November 26, 1922 Quite a Good Bit of Audience Appeal in "The Jilt" ' "THE JILT" Universal DIRECTOR Irving Cummings AUTHOR R. Ramsey SCENARIO BY Arthur Statter CAMERAMAN William Marshall AS A WHOLE Pretty good audience picture that will appeal to the majority STORY Quite an interesting romantic triangle although not convincing in its climax even though it does get away from the conventional ending DIRECTION First rate; tells story smoothly and springs quite a surprise in the ending PHOTOGRAPHY Excellent LIGHTINGS Good PLAYERS Marguerite De La Motte should have been starred ; she does very good work ; Matt Moore splendid and Ralph Graves adequate EXTERIORS Pretty INTERIORS Look real DETAIL Ample CHARACTER OF STORY Blind ex-soldier attempts to kill man who won sweetheart away from him LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,491 feet Sympathy mistaken for love is the keynote theme of "The Jilt," a good audience picture in which Marguerite De La Motte scores a personal hit in the role of the girl who decides that she does not love her blind war hero. She is quite charming in the part and really worthy of stellar prominence although Matt Moore does a good bit as the blind war veteran. He doesn't seem the right one for the role as it develops toward the close when he attempts the life of his friend in an effort to retain the girl. Not that Moore can't handle the part but he just doesn't fit in with the sequence of events as they transpire toward the finish. Following the girl's decision to break the engagement with George she falls in love with Sandy, also an ex-service man and friend of George's. George returns cured of his blindness but pretends still to be blind. It does not develop until the climax that he can see. There is not sufficient reason for him to have kept his cure a secret and it would have been more logical and sensible for him to have made it known, and probably won back the girl's love. Irving Cummings has directed the picture in a way that makes it a good audience attraction and it will appeal to a good many. It is nicely mounted and although not at all a pretentious oflfering, merits a place on your program. Cummings certainly springs a sur prise ending in good style and builds toward it with an increasing suspense. It isn't likely that many will guess the conclusion. The ending does get away from the convention finale and the chances are they will expect the girl and her former lover to patch up their difference and finish with the clinch. As a matter of fact it does come around to a happy ending but not the way you expect. Story : Rose Trenton had refused to marry George Prothero before he went to France but when he returned, blind, and proposed again she accepted him. Shortly after Rose discovered that she had mistaken pity for love and after somewhat of a conflict she breaks the engagement. Then came Sandy, also returned from France and a friend of Prothero's. They chum about together. Then one day George and Sandy take a long trip and George returns alone, telling of how Sandy was blackjacked. At the same time a letter comes from Paris explaining that George's eyesight had been restored weeks before. How George confesses an attack upon Sandy in an effort to win back Rose, and Sandy returns to the girl who loves him completes the story. Use Gatchlines and a Trailer Which You Can Secure Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor Exhibitors will please their patrons with this latest Universal offering. It has a good deal of audience appeal and will satisfy a majority anywhere. You have a good deal to talk about in the story. Play it up with catchlines that indicate the plight of the heroine when she finds she is not in love with the blind hero. You might also make a talking point of the surprise ending. Ask them if they can figure it out by giving the main facts and asking "Which one does she marry?" You can secure a trailer on this and it would be easy to interest them sufficiently to bring them back. You can promise a picture that is very good to look at and mention the names of the three principals and use stills liberally in your lobby.