The Film Daily (1924)

I unday. September 28, 1924 THE -<^^ DAIL.Y "In Hollywood With Potash and Perlmutter" Producer: Samuel Goldwyn Distributor: First National As a Whole DELIGHTFUL ENTERTAINMENT, ACCENTUATED WITH BOX OFFICE POSSIBILITIES INCLUDING THE APPEARANCE OF NORMA AND CONNIE TALMADGE AS VAMPS. Cast While Alex Carr and George Sidney are featured the presence of Norma and Connie cannot be overlooked. Betty Blythe does well as the actual vamp. Vera Gordon good. Others unimportant. Type of Story The well known firm of cloak and suit makers become motion picture producers with the usual argumentative and terrifying results but what might be lacking in actual story is more than compensated for by what is done with the material at hand. This is one of the best rnirth-provoking laugh-getting comedies ever made. Director Al Green is likely hereafter to be working with Lloyd or Chaplin for among the particularly outstanding funny situations is one where Potash dashing to the aid of his partner in a speeding car is chased by a bicycle cop. Reaching a place where a sign is being built advertising a new car, they bring their car to a stop and pose as though they were an actual sign. The cop draws up next to the sign and Potash is having a terrible time keeping a fly off his nose. Another very funny sequence is where the car enters a railroad tunnel and before it reappears a huge locomotive and train come in view. You think the motor has been smashed It hasn't. It comes along right back of the tram. In the end the experiments of the cloak and suiters prove successful and there is an exceedingly funny shot at the conclusion. Box Office Angle. .. .This one is in. If there was any doubt about it, the Talmadge girls inspire it. Exploitation If you played the previous Potash you will know where you stand. Of course you can stick to the story and the characters internationally known, but don't forget to make public the fact that this is funnier than some of the celebrated comedies that you hear about. Then you can talk of how Norma and Connie Talmadge imitate vamps trying to get a job in the movies. This should tickle your crowd. Use a trailer showing the race between the train and the motor. Direction Al Green; excellent Authors Montague Glass and Jules Eckert Goodman. Scenario Francis Marion Cameramen Arthur Miller and Harry Hollen!)erger. Photography Very good Locale Hollywood Length. .. .Seems much shorter than (5,685 feet. Charles Hutchinson in "Poison" Wm. SteirurS. R. As a Whole... THE BOOTLEGGER IS FAST GAINING POPULARITY ON THE SCREEN. "POISON" SHOWS HIM UP TO ADVANTAGE AND PRESENTS AN ACTIVE STAR IN A BUSY ROLE. Star. .. .Would probably be in great demand by the prohibition enforcers if his success as an agent were logical. Certainly does some miraculous stuff in showing up the bootlegger. Works hard but it's hard to take him seriously when his feats are so unconvincing. Cast. ... Edith Thornton a suitable lead; Frank Hagney, Otto Lederer, John Henry, and Ethel Stairt compose the bootleg ring. Type of Story Melodrama. As long as he had a pretty fair story and the makings of a good action picture, Hutchinson might have taken more pains to make things more logical and convincing. In fact he hasn't bothered very much about either. As instances of his carelessness there are such things as hero diving into water and immediately coming out to all appearances, dry. And in one instance he's neatly attired in evening clothes, right after one of his dips, with no indication that he would have had time to change. In still another instance he grows a beard, presto change fashion, to effect a disguise. These little bits of detail properly taken care of would have improved the picture and made it plausible. But hero Bob Marsten, in his bootlegger chasing career, goes through a series of events that keep him on the jump and make a picture that should properly be termed a good action film although its farfetchedness is likely to spoil its effect. Hutchinson is the infallible hero who meets up with all sorts of hardships in his attempt to land the bootleggers behind the bars and even comes near losing the girl he loves through his devotion to "duty". Of course he fulfills his errand and rides of? happily to a clinch finale. Box Office Angle. . . .Only fair. Too implausible to win the approval of even an 'easygoing, non-critical crowd. Star struggles bravely but his own poor direction handicaps him. Exploitation Title and bootleg angle will undoubtedly serve to bring them in if you don't have to worry about the frame of mind they go out in. Where they are familiar with Charles Hutchinson and his style of stunt playing "Poison" may stand a better chance of getting by but you won't be able to make any real promises for this one. Direction. .. .Chas. Hutchinson; very poor. Author Not credited Scenario Not credited Cameraman Not credited Photography .... Fair; lighting bad Locale Coast town Length About 5,000 feet. Reginald Denny and Laura La Plante in "The Fast Worker" UniversalJewel As a Whole, . . .GOOD STRAIGHT COMEDY NUMBER THAT IS AMUSING AND HAS FIRST RATE LAUGHS. WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER STILL IF THEY'D KEPT THE FOOTAGE DOWN. Stars. . . .Reginald Denny has the better role and does a lot with it; Laura La Plante pleasing and helps make the picture entertaining. Cast. ... Muriel Frances Dana a cute youngster, even if a bit self-conscious. Others Ethel Grey Terry, Lee Moran, Richard Tucker, Margaret Campbell, Betty Morrissey. Small parts pretty evenly distributed. Type of Story. .. .Comedy; from Robt. W. Chambers' "The Husbands of Edith." There were fine possibilities here for a genuinely bright and clever comedy with surefire laughs all the way through. Director Seiter has taken only fair advantage of them. He's gotten in the laughs all right but he hasn't kept them sufficiently close together to get the best results. He's used up a lot of unnecessary footage with irrelevant detail, such as the old in-and-out of elevator business, that holds up the laughs and slows the tempo. Fortunately enough there's a laughable plot and even though it's a bit slow, "The Fast Worker" is likely to prove thoroughly amusing. It could have been a lot better. It all revolves about the complications ensuing ivhen Medcroft persuades his friend Terry, to assume his place and take Medcroft's wife and child to Catalina. It's all the more difficult because Terry is in love with Mrs. Medcroft's sister, who accompanies them. Terry's peculiar attitude causes suspicion, then scandal, then arrest, but finally it's all explained and the real Medcroft puts in an appearance. Box Office Angle. .. .Should be a good bet. It's good wholesome comedy with no attempt to ring in any smutty or suggestive business, which they might readily have done. Exploitation Here's a nifty title that will probably do a good business on its own account alone. Maybe they'll be a bit disappointed that it doesn't apply in the general slang meaning but they'll go out satisfied with having seen an amusing picture that gets its laughs over without resorting to smut. Be sure to play up the stars' names, Denny in particular, and arrange book store tie-ups for display of the Chambers' novels, "The Husbands of Edith," in particular, from which "The Fast Worker" was adapted. Direction William A. Seiter; good except for too much footage. Author. .. .George Barr McCutcheon Scenario. .. .Beatrice Van and Raymond L. Schrock. Cameraman Ben Reynolds Photography Good Locale N. Y. — Catalina Island Length 6,896 feet. "Feet of Clay" Paramount As a Whole... STARTS OFF AS THOUGH IT WAS GOING TO BE A ROUND OF GAY DOINGS BUT THERE'S A SUCCESSION OF DRAMATIC BITS AND NEAR TRAGEDIES QUITE WELL HANDLED BUT NOT THE SORT OF THING YOU'D EXPECT TO FIND IN A DE MILLE PICTURE. Cast. . .Vera Reynolds cute and genuinely pleasing except when she takes to gas as a quick exit. Rod La Rocque the usual handsome hero and Ricardo Cortez also a good looking addition. Julia Faye suitable, also Robert Edcson. Type of Story. ... Romantic comedydrama; from the story by Margaretta Tuttle. If you came in on "Feet of Clay" after it had been running about a half hour and proceeded to watch the rest of the picture you would hardly think that Cecil De Mille was in back of it. There are no parties, no fashion shows, no bizarre settings or effects. Instead there are profoundly dramatic situations, a suggestion of tragedy, a novel sequence that presents an artistic and unusual idea of the Beyond, and a more or less tense atmosphere that certainlj' is wholly unlike that usually I'ouiul in a Cecil De Mille picture. But if you stay on for the beginning again you'll get all the things that you thought you were going to miss: beautiuil girls, gorgeous gowns, yachting, drinking and petting parties lavish settings — in fact all the typical De Mille paraphernalia. Perhaps the producer is trying to win over a new portion of admirers, those who favor the more serious type of story. The early sequences are lavishly staged and frivolity runs riot until the plot settles down to a very sober, if not always sane, development. There's a young married couple who fail to realize the responsibilities of life until they start inhaling illuminating gas. They get over it and live happily, etc. Box Office Angle. ..No doubt but what it will draw big business. You know what you can usually do with a Cecil De IVIille offering. It's been doing big business at the Rivoli the past week. Exploitation Maybe you won't care to go in for such extensive, and perhaps expensive, exploitation, but the Rivoli engagement caused considerable comment when Harry Reichcnbach insured the day of the initial showing against rain and promised free tickets for those who had bought tickets in advance, provided it rained on the opening day. \'ou have plenty of peppy scenes to include in a trailer if you need it to gc^ them interested. There's an array of names also. Direction. . . .Cecil R. De Mille; good, l)\it film is too long. Author Margaretta Tuttle Scenario. . . .Beulah Marie Dix — Bertram Millhauser. Camermen. . . . Peverell Marlcy — Archibald .Stout Photography Good Locale Catalina — New York Length 9,746 feet