The Film Daily (1924)

Newspaper Opinions New York "Little Robinson Crusoe" Metro-Gold. Capitol AMERICAN—* * * Jackie is himself again, * * * "Little Robinson Crusoe" is not only a gorgeous unreality that will delight the >oungsters, but it is nonsensical enough to please most grown-ups. * • * There is comedy, pathos and a story. The direction is good, and Jack Coogan, Sr., has had the good sense not to insist that Jackie pose all over the place. • * * DAILY MIRROR—* * * This is the kind of picture youngsters will go wild over. It is humorous, pathetic in spots and rarnpant with Jackie's adventures on a tropical island * * * EVENING WORLD—* * * It follows his adventures in a shipwreck and on a desert island and its general manner is much like a combination of a Sunday paper comic strip and Baron Munchausen. It seemed * * * both long and tiresome except for the delight of the children in the audience. Of course, there are some things, like Chaplin and Punch and Judy, which belong to all ages. This film is not one of them but it seems to go well at five years. HERALD-TRIBUNE — * * * we were not so impressed * * * We will even go further and say that if we hadn't known that "Little Robinson Crusoe" was a masterpiece we should consider it absolutely the dullest picture we ever sat through. ♦ ♦ * we thought it was about the poorest picture we have seen. * * ♦ MORNING TELEGRAPH—* * * Certainly there are no dull moments in "Little Robinson Crusoe." Its appeal cannot be measured in mere words. Children will love it. And every man and woman who saw it yesterday was a child. * * * The story, despite its wholly impossible character, is inclined to register as plausible because its characters are plausible. ♦ * * POST — * * * an interesting and entertaining picture. A wildly improbable story, it is true, especially built for this tiny starts needs, nevertheless it is well done. Jackie is * * * amusing and amazing, and with each new picture he improves. * * * • * * The picture was capably directed and sets very realistic. * * * SUN — * * * The picture is so preposterous that it fails utterly to work up and excitement in its supposedly exciting moments. One waits only for Jackie and his intelligent small face and wishes all the rest of this leavy stufT very considerably elsewhere. Grownups should not behave too seriously in the dream of a small boy. » * * TELEGRAM — * * * The picture stands out as one of the season's best . TIMES — In » * * "Little Robinson Crusoe," Jackie Coogan has been forced into a sophisticated style of acting, which is not nearly as appealing as hitherto spontaneous and ingenuous expressions * • *. The subtitles ♦ * ♦ are stiff and strained, thus accentuating Jackie's grown-up pantomimic notions. * * * WORLD—* * * just fair, with Jackie Coogan acting a "white god king" on a cannibal island. A director with extreme good judgment has seen to it that little scenes of intimacy showing the boy in a wide variety of attitudes and moods have been given more prominence and importance than actual plot. * • * Out-of-Town "Monsieur Beaucaire" — F. P.-L, Stanton, Philadelphia INQUIRER—* • • the popular Rudv staged a decided comeback • • * He is again the matinee idol of flappers and matrons alike, and, in truth, after witnessing his performance, feminine hearts can hardly be blamed for their susceptibility. The picture itself deserves a great deal of credit. » # « PUBLIC LEDGER (MORNING)—* • * deserves the best to be had in the line of superlatives. * * * it is more than that. It is one of the most artistic photoplay productions ever conceived. • * * DAILY Thursday, September 4, 19! J PUBLIC LEDGER (EVENING)— * * * is by no means another "Beau Brummel," but it is more than ordinarily good costume picture. The scenario, the direction and the acting are intelligent. * * * RECORD — * * * Well, then, the good old story of Monsieur Beaucaire, still able to please, skims over the screen at the Stanton this week, replete with good sets, good costuming and good acting. Rudy himself is not bad. ♦ * * "Secrets"— 1st Nat'l Circle, Indianapolis STAR — * * * The picture points a strong moral * * * The role of the husband is not the kind Eugene O'Brien plays to the best advantage, but he proves very acceptable • « » TIMES — Place the crown for the best dramatic characterization on the screen in the past ten years upon the head of Norma Talmadge. • * • "Tess of the D'Urbervilles"— MetroGold. Warfield, San Francisco (Week Ending Aug. 23) BULLETIN — * * * does more than demonstrate a heretofore unknown quality of Neilan's genius. He has made a play, tragic throughout without comedy relief, but surprisingly free from the morbid. * * * CALL and POST—* * * is good "East Lynne" melodrama, and for those who don't enjoy that sort of thing it is interesting as an exhibit of what happens when the merely average director collides with a classic ♦ • * CHRONICLE—* * * In it is some dynamic acting, and behind it stands a producer who dared to put tragedy where tragedy belongs. * ♦ * DAILY NEWS—* * * there is pleasure in witnessing the tragic and fatalistic story of Tess Durbeyfield, as Thomas Hardy wrote it, as Blanche Sweet and her fellow players act it, and as Marshall Neilan has directed it. * * * EXAMINER— * * * through it all moves Miss Sweet radiating herself, giving to the picture the needed touch of distinction that raises it to fascinating audience appeal. ILLUST. DAILY HERALD—* « * The cast is splendid. Blanche Sweet is more adorable than ever as Tess and her admirers may safely lay claim to her preeminence in characters that portray all the emotions * • * "Sinners in Silk"— Metro-Gold. The Chicago, Chicago JOURNAL — "Sinners in Silk" is a rugged title for a pale story. » » * The photoplay is lavish in its suggestion of soft satin and deep velours, the sort of elegant richness we are taught to connect with those who traipse the gay white way. "True as Steel"— Metro-Gold. Metropolitan, Baltimore EVENING SUN—* * * Here is a boxoffice attraction. The idea has always been box-ofificeable and it always will be. * * * "The Signal Tower"— Universal Strand, Cincinnati TIMES-STAR — * * * is something un usual in railroad pictures. It will hold iti place as the best picture of the week, stir passing its rivals at the first and secont houses in interest and suspense. » * • TRIBUNE — * * * proves a splendid fito melodrama, provided one doesn't mind wait ing until the last reel to get the punch It's an honest-to-goodness wallop when _i finally comes, but one gets a bit tired wait ing for it. * * * "The Uninvited Guest"— Metro-Gol( Colonial, Indianapolis STAR — * * * Not only are the fisi sponges, corals and other under-sea inhab tants shown in their beautiful natural coloi ing but many of the scenes along a tropici shore are also in color, adding greatly t the picturesqueness of an already unttsn; film. * * * I % i COMING SOON PRODUCERS DISTRIBUTING CORPORATION I zzi:^:-::^::izi»^:-^y>. 1 C>^SUPER■-SPECIAL FILM DRAMATIZATION 'A I I SEASON 1924-1925 THIRTY FIRST-RUN PICTURES "WELCOME STRANGOr BOX-OEHCE KNOCKOUT AT MERRILL mm, MILWAUKS, WIS. Paul C. Mooney, Vice President, Aug. 29, 1924 Producers Distributing Corporation, 469— 5th Ave., New York " 'WELCOME STRANGER' going like wild fire. Biggest matinee in months. Holding them out every performance. Receipts growing daily. Welcome more pictures like 'WELCOME STRANGER.' A wonderful show to exploit, and you know me. 'HOLD YOUR BREATH' next week. Watch me. Regards." A. J. Happy, Manager MERRILL THEATRE, NOW BOOKING Released by PRODUCERS DISTRIBUTING CORPORATION Foreign Distributor: Wm. Vogel Distributing Corp. SEASON 1924-1925— THIRTY FIRSTRUN PICTURES