The Film Daily (1924)

THE Sunday, June 15, 1924 •<@tl DAILY "The Bedroom Window" Paramount As a Whole. . MYSTERY DRAMA THAT PUZZLES. HAS WELL DEVELOPED PLOT THAT IS BAFFLING AND NOT LIKELY TO BE SOLVED BEFORE THE DIRECTOR GETS TO IT. Cast. .. .Wholly appropriate. Ethel Wales scores a personal triumph in the role of freak writer of detective stories. Handles characterization splendidly and puts over comedy business in fine style. May McAvoy pretty but has little to do. Robert Edeson, George Fawcett, Charles Ogle, Medea Razina, Malcolm MacGregor and Ricardo Cortez all satisfactory in their respective roles. Type of Story. .. .Mystery drama. For those who like corking good mystery stories Clara Beranger has written something that will keep them guessing for about six reels and it only takes about a half a reel for the denouncement. Plus an intriguing plot you have the careful handling of it by William DeMille who has managed to hold the interest, keeps the solution entirely out of sight and at the same time maintains a logical development. Even when the guilt appears to be setting upon one person, the spectator isn't inclined to suspect that particular character. One of the especially good features of this mystery theme is the excellent comedy by-play woven in. The character of the freak detective story writer, played so capably by Ethel Wales, affords plenty of good laughs. A rich girl*s father is murdered. Two of her suitors are suspected and the evidence so strong against one that he is held. The girl's aunt, a fiction writer, decides to solve the case herself. Her method supplies both good mystery touches and comedy bits that bring the plot to an interesting conclusion and proves the family lawyer as the murderer. Box Office Angle The title is apt to be misleading unless you make clear what the story is about. "The Bedroom Window" is first rate mystery drama. Don't let them see this one backwards. Exploitation. .. .Properly played uu with posters and ad sheets you can make sure that they get the right idea of the picture and don't misconstrue the title. Famous' press sheet contains plenty of fine suggestions with catchlines. Make use of these. You might ask your patrons not to disclose the plot for the benefit of those who will see the picture after them. Talk about the good cast using the names ot the more prominent players. Mention the comedy angle and show a trailer including Ethel Wales in one of her comedy moments. Direction .. William De Mille; very good. Author Clara Beranger Scenario Clara Beranger Cameraman Guy Wilky Photography Good Locale City Length 6,550 feet. "There's Millions In It" Film Booking Offices As a Whole... CONSTRUCTION A BIT FAULTY BUT PLOT HAS ACTION AND SUSPENSE THAT SHOULD MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT FOR MAJORITY OF PICTURE FANS. Cast. ... Players not well known to audiences in this country. Fulfill requirements nicely and are usually well suited to respective roles. Clive Brook successful in putting over dual role and Catherine Calvert good but not very important in female lead. Cast includes long list of names but they won't mean a great deal to patrons here. Type of Story .. Melodrama. "There's Millions In It", an English production, is an adaptation of the Saturday Evening Post story, "Men of Affairs", by Roland Pertwee. It offers a rather fast moving plot with enough good action incident and suspense to make it attractive for those who like entertainment of an exciting type. Here's a case of wits battling against wits with hero just one step ahead of villain and his band all the way through. There's a radium field for the object of fight, a desperate band of connivers who plan to get in on the deal, and a clever hero who is really solely entitled to it and doesn't intend to have any trespassers take it away from him. The plan whereby hero avoids his enemies includes having a man double for him. the latter being kidnapped by the enemies who think they have hero. In the meantime the man they want is on his way to secure his concession. The band learns eventually that they have been duped and there's an exciting sequence in which they pursue hero. There's some good thrills in this especially where the zeppelin catches fire in mid air and the occupants are forced to take to parachutes. Here's a corking good thrill and a new one. It's well done and furnishes a first rate thrill climax. Box Office Angle. . . . An average picture but with a little boosting should bring them in and satisfy, particularly where you know they like action, thrills and suspense and won't pick on it for faulty logic, etc. Excellent thrill in zeppelin fire that can be talked up. Exploitation. ... In your announcements and ads talk about the climax thrill. This is the picture's best angle for exploitation. It's out of the ordinary. Say: "See a zeppelin catch fire in mid air. See the passengers forced to descend in parachutes. These and more thrills in 'There's Millions In It' ". A trailer of this part will get their attention and likely bring them back. No names to use but Clive Brook deserves mention for a good performance. They may remember Catherine Calvert's name. Direction Denison Gift; fair. Author Roland Pertwee Scenario Dennison Gift Cameraman Not credited Photography Could be better Locale England-France Length About 6,000 feet. Jack Hoxie in "The Back Trail" Universal As a Whole. FINE LOCATIONS THE CHIEF POINT OF INTEREST ALTHOUGH THERE'S SOME GOOD ACTION IN THE WAY OF FAST RIDING AND RESCUES. PLOT OBVIOUS FROM THE START. Star. . . . Best when he's in action. Too much given to posing and accorded far too many close-ups in which to do it. Cast. ... Includes regulation types of villains, cowhands, sheriffs, etc. Eugenia Gilbert suitable lead. Others Claude Payton, Billy Lester, Wm. McCall, Buck Connors, Pat Harmon. Type of Story. .. .Western. A regulation western plot formula with the fairly conventional situation of switched identities is the basis of "The Back Trail", the latest Hoxie vehicle, one that provides the star with fairly appropriate opportunities for action, riding and his usual line of stunts, but otherwise isn't especially strong on entertainment. Director Smith seems to have given far more attention to scenery and rather neglected the development of his story. He makes little effort to inject suspense and includes any number of touches that furnish direct leads in the way of giving away the plot. You know right from the start that hero, who is suffering from shell shock, is not the man they try to tell him he is. The presence of a mysterious, unintroduced character readily supplies the missing link and you don't have to think hard to figure out that the mysterious one is the real heir to the ranch. But villain hits upon the idea of presenting the shell shocked hero as the heir with the hope of collecting half the fortune when the estate is settled. Of course the real heir appears in time to clear hero and there's a heroine on hand for the usual clinch ending. Box Office Angle. ... Average western. Where you know action and western villainy appeals to your patrons you won't have to worry much about the story not being original. Action will get it over. Exploitation. .. .No unusual angles angles for you to play up except that you might talk about the attractive locations. Picturesque ranch views, with the snow capped mountains in the distance, and excellent photography gives the film good pictorial appeal. If Jack Hoxie is popular with your folks you might make special mention of his name and tell them that he performs some more daring rescues and escapes in "The Back Trail". The customary trailer of action bits might also serve to bring them back. Direction Clifford Smith; fair Author Walter J. Coburn Scenario Isidore Bernstein Cameraman Harry Neumann Photography Very good Locale West Length 4.615 feet. "The White Moth" Producer: M. C. Levee. Distributor: First National. As a Whole. . . BIZARRE, LAVISH AND WITH DOMINANT SEX APPEAL. A LIKELY BOX OFFICE ATTRACTION ESPECIALLY WHERE THEY WANT A BIG SHOW FOR THEIR MONEY. Cast. .. .Barbara LaMarr does a lot of vamping in a lot of new poses. Not as good in this as in previous pictures. Too much given to "making faces", particularly in the great quantity of close-ups. Conway Tearle the usual lover. Type of Story. .. .Dramatic romance. "The White Moth" is the type of entertainment that offers a long thrill in the way of dazzling, bizarre settings and a general atmosphere of glamor that evidently cost no small penny to provide. Maurice Tourneur hasn't spared any effort to make it a brilliant spectacle from start to finish. A Persian theatrical background with the vamping Barbara working her hardest and Conway Tearle, Charles de Roche and Ben Lyon fit subjects for her wiles, is the keynote of interest in "The White Moth". The story rates about zero both in substance and development. It deals with the little choir singer who becomes a famous dancer in Paris, vamps the fiance of a rich American girl and is in turn vamped by his brother who would save the engaged young man from the dancer by marrying her himself. There's a lot of nearlynaughty business in the suppressed longings of the poor moth when she finds she is a "bartered bride". Naturally Teare cannot resist her chams and eventually he admits he loves her. Maurice Tourneur hasn't stinted on display but some of his efforts concentrated upon better story development and less attention to unimportant, and at times distasteful bits of business, would have improved the plot. He has also allowed Barbara LaMarr to overact outrageously for long stretches at a time. Box Office Angle. .. .Lavish production, Barbara LaMarr, Persian theatrical atmosphere and Conway Tearle as the lover — these are high lights that will make this a successful box office number in the majority of communities. Exploitation. .. .You know best how to tackle a picture of this kind. Where you know a bizarre, spectacular production will get them, go after it from this angle. If Barbara LaMarr is a drawing card in your house boost her name and recall her previous productions. Use stills extensively and show a trailer, well in advance, containing some of the more elaborate settings, such as the masque ball scene. Conway Tearle's name can also be used in your announcements. Direction. .. .Maurice Tourneur; elegant presentation. Author Izola Forrester Scenario .... Albert Shelby LeVino Cameraman Arthur Todd Photography Good Locale Paris-New York Length 6,500 feet.