The Film Daily (1922)

THE Sunday, December 17, 1922 «2^ DAILV Fine Laughs, Good Action and Thrilling Climax in "The Hottentot" Thomas H. Ince presents "THE HOTTENTOT" Asso. First Nat'l Pict. DIRECTORS Jas. W. Home and Del Andrews AUTHORS Wm. Collier and Victor Mapes SCENARIO BY Not credited CAMERAMAN Henry Sharp AS A WHOLE Good comedy entertainment that has laughs, action, thrills and spills galore STORY Quite original and with considerable new humorous bits; works into a great climax DIRECTION Gets plenty of comedy out of situations and thrills in climax probably the best of the kind ever seen PHOTOGRAPHY Good LIGHTINGS Standard PLAYERS Douglas MacLean fine comedian and especially well suited to this; Madge Bellamy pleasing; Raymond Hatton makes good use of comedy that comes his way EXTERIORS All right INTERIORS Not many DETAIL Ample CHARACTER OF STORY Horse-hating hero is mistaken for famous jockey by girl he loves ; his attempt to live up to the reputation causes the fun LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 5,953 feet "William Collier's stage play certainly aflFords fine possibilities as a screen comedy and with the production accorded by Thomas H. Ince it offers a sure-fire comedy entertainment that should go big wherever they like a picture that will give them a good laugh. The situations get away from the more familiar variety of humorous gags and in the horse-hating youth who is mistaken for a well known jockey and forced to carry out the deception in order to win the girl he loves, there is a wealth of fun that has been splendidly developed. They start off with laughs when hero Sam Har rington (MacLean) comes to visit friends and is invited to go horseback riding. While Sam is trying to politely wiggle out of going, one of the horses bolts and carries away Peggy Fairfax. Sam jumps in his auto and is off in pursuit. One of the best managed thrills seen in a long time comes when Sam's machine strikes a rut and he is hurled from the tonneau onto the saddle of a horse. There's genuine comedy in this bit. Unfortunately for Sam, this episode establishes him as the famous jockey, Sam Harrington. The comedy that grows out of this contains original and laughable situations that make the picture an especially fine one. Besides the laughs there are some unusually fine tlirills and strong action. The steeplechase staged for the climax is probably one of the best that has ever been done. If there weren't casualties in the making of it, there were surely some mighty miraculous escapes. The race is a succession of thrills and spills and no little credit goes to the cameraman in this sequence. The shots of the horses and riders taking the jumps, evidently filmed from the ditches, are great. Ince must have secured some especially fine jockeys for this climax. Douglas MacLean does very good work as Sam Harrington. The role is the sort that he can handle capably and the cast, on the whole, is first rate. Raymond Hatton supplies some of the laughs and Madge Bellamy is the girl in the case. Others are Lila Leslie, Martin Best, Stanhope Wheatcroft and Dwight Crittendon. Story : Peggy Fairfax, who thinks her lover is the famous jockey, insists that he ride her horse in the steeplechase. Sam has the horse "fixed" so it can't run and then realizes that he may lose the girl. He buys the Hottentot, a horse that no one can ride, gives it to Peg and then decides to ride it. How Sam wins the race and the girl comes in the thrilling comedy climax. Should Make a Good Box Office Attraction With Right Exploitation Box Office Analysis "The Hottentot" is a sure-fire comedy number and should become a first rate box office attraction on the strength of the entertainment that it offers in a story of action, thrills and laughs. There are chances for unusually strong exploitation with this one and you can make a variety of promises for it. By all means dwell on the thrills and action in the climax. A few feet of this as a trailer should certainly bring them back. It is decidedly one of the best thrills of the kind that they have ever seen. Be sure to give your mu for the Exhibitor sical accompaniment good consideration. It is necessary to a good presentation in this case. Play up the laughs and let them know that Douglas MacLean comes back in "The Hottentot." They will remember him from his Paramount comedies starting with "Twenty-Three and a Half Hours' Leave." Let them know that "The Hottentot" was William Collier's stage play and do your best to get them interested because they should go out thoroughly satisfied. 1