The Film Daily (1923)

I -. &&*\ DAILV Sunday, January 7, 1923 Splendid Production Values But No K ick in Nazimova's "Salome" Nazimova in "SALOME" Allied Artists DIRECTOR Charles Bryant MJTHOR Oscar Wilde SCENARIO BY Peter M. Winters CAMERAMAN Charles Van Enger AS A WHOLE An artistic, somewhat daring and unusual production. May be difficult to put over as a financial success STORY Oscar Wilde's conception of Herod's daughter given remarkably unusual treatment. Not the character known in opera DIRECTION A bizarre conception of an unusual characterization PHOTOGRAPHY Excellent LIGHTINGS Splendid STAR Still her unusual and artistic self. Gives a splendid performance SUPPORT Satisfying; Mitchell Lewis excellent as Herod, Nigel de Brulier very good as John. Others unimportant EXTERIORS Practically none INTERIORS Artistic; unusual. Designed by Natacha Rambova after Aubrey Beardsley's quaintly clever original drawings DETAIL Fair. Famous dance of seven veils not particularly thrilling CHARACTER OF STORY They've tamed it down a lot. Any sixteen year old girl can see it with safety LENGTH OF PRODUCTION About 5,000 feet When Oscar Wilde wrote his version of the story of Herod's daughter and her voluptuous, passionate desires for John he used enough descriptive words to make very clear just what Salome was. When the opera was produced the big kick came in the tremendous passion with which Salome kissed the lips of the dead John who in life had scorned her love. Alia Nazimova, always a great artist and always different, stands out supreme in her desire to do things her own way in the conception of the naive, sweet and childlike Salome which she presents in a production of rare artistic value. The Nazimova Salome is an imperious, self-willed child. She pouts and contorts her body in a gesture of supreme indifference even at the death of the handsome Captain of the Guard who loves her. She exhibits no particular pulsating passion for John, rather that of a spoiled child who, because she cannot get what she wants, cares nothing for what else happens. It is rather the selfish feeling of an adolescent than the fully developed passion of a woman that Nazimova portrays. What was naturally expected to be a daring bit — the dance of the seven veils — is an extremely tame though artistic performance. If anyone in the audience was one-tenth as shocked as the banquet attendance on the screen appear they failed to show it. Whether or not there is sufficient interest among the public to take to "Salome" remains to be seen. From a production viewpoint it is more than could be normally desired and artistic in the extreme. The star's work is excellent and there is an ample display of her boyish figure. The cast has little to do. For the "Artistic" Crowd Yes— For Others Figure It Out Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor Here is a fine artistic production with a wellknown star. You know what an artistic production means to your clientele. If you happen to cater to this sort of a crowd, you can get this one by safely, but if you haven't such a crowd you had better s,ee this and figure it out carefully. Many of the so called thrilling bits naturally to be expected in a production of "Salome" are missing. There isn't any wonderful dance of the seven veils and the love anguish of Salome over the lips of her dead lover carries little or no punch. Of course if your people know, or if you want to tell them what the famous Oscar Wilde story is all about, it will undoubtedly create a certain amount of interest. But be careful of your promises other than that it is one of the most unusual and most artistic productions of the year. It is all of that, the only question is whether or not it has sufficient box office value to you.