The Film Daily (1924)

THE Sunday, September 28, 1924 "The Painted Lady" FoxAs a Whole . . GOOD DRAMATIC VALUES AND SOME FINE ACTING ARE THE HIGH LIGHTS; DEVELOPMENT IS EPISODIC AND STRONG SEX APPEAL ANGLE MAY MAKE IT UNSUITABLE. Cast Dorothy Mackaill and George O'Brien have strenuous roles that they handle effectively and convincingly. Harry T. Morey suitable as the bully captain. Lucien Littlefield, a particularly capable character actor, good in semicomedy role. Lucille Ricksen pleasing in short part. Others Lucille Hutton, Margaret McWade, John Miljan, Frank Elliott. Type of Story. . .Drama; from Larry Evan's Saturday Evening Post story. For more than half the way through the seven reels, "The Painted Lady" is two separate stories, always threatening to weave into one but it isn't until they are long under way on their separate paths that they combine. This development has made the picture episodic and in a way it is difficult for the spectator to enthuse much over either, what with wondering where the connection is and when it will take place. Fortunately there's plenty of good acting and some well handled dramatic incidents that help hold the interest. There's a more or less strong sex appeal in the latter sequences that will probably make the film unsuitable for certain trade. And at that it has evidently been cut considerably since the press sheet shows several stills of shots that do not appear in the film. The plot deals with the downfall of a girl who had served a prison sentence for another whom she wanted to spare from disgrace. Her gradual degradation eventually brings her to the South Seas, as the mistress of a rich man. There she meets a youth, falls in love with him but leaves after confessing her past. Later he saves her from a brute sea captain whom he kills when he learns he was the cause of his little sister's death. The lovers are reconciled. Box Office Angle. .. .Dramatic situations, action bits and good actmg can be recommended. You'll have to take into consideration the sex angle if you cater to family trade. Exploitation You have an alluring enough title to bring them in and the names of Dorothy Mackaill and George O'Brien who scored considerable recognition for their work in "The Man Who Came Back" and who will appear in further Fox productions. Be sure to announce that "The Painted Lady" is a Saturday Evening Post story. A trailer of O'Brien's fight in the climax should certainly get them interested. Direction Chester Bennett; good on production but poor on story development. Author Larry Evans Cameraman Alfred Gosden Photography Good Locale. .. .San Francisco — South Sea Island. Length 6,938 feet Jack Perrin in "Coyote Fangs" F. & W. Prod.State Rights As a Whole DOESN'T DIFFER FROM THE HUNDRED AND ONE OTHER "AVERAGE WESTERNS" BUT AS SUCH WILL FILL THE BILL. HAS ENOUGH ACTION TO SATISFY THE USUAL CROWD. Star.... A hard working hero who must combat the varied attempts of a villain who wants to get him out of the way but like all other good heroes he can't be beat. Cast.... Lew Meehan a regulation stock villain who stops at nothing to get his man out of the way. Josephine Hill the fair heroine for love of whom the fight takes place. Others Jack Richardson, Bob MacFarland, Hugh Saxon and little Buddy Smith. Type of Story. .. .Western. "Coyote Fangs' 'is another that can be adequately defined as an "average western". It has the regulation formula plot with that ever popular trio, the hero, villain and girl, and its work out doesn't vary from the usual routine. A hero can't be downed and a pair of lovers can't be separated so the development is only a matter of just so much action and thrills before it's time for the clinch. Director Harry Webb has injected the usual amount of excitement with Jack Perrin and his supporting cast doing their best to make things lively. The story deals with the love of hero for a certain girl. His friend has been rejected by the same girl but that didn't make them enemies. It was a foreman who was anxious to get hero out of the way. While hero was embracing the girl the foreman shot at the latter and her father accused hero of the deed. Villain confirms the shooting and hero is taken into custody. How hero escapes, dodges thf various efforts of villain and his band to lynch him, and then later is happy with the girl, follows the conviction of villain who is finally proven the guilty one. Box Office Angle. . . .All right on the regular one time basis or can be used appropriately on a double feature program in case a western won't please the entire crowd. Exploitation. .. .Can be advertised in the regular way by a trailer giving an idea of the action and thrills and posters also suggesting the thrills. Jack Perrin isn't a very popular player but he's likeable and they might become interested providing you work up a little exploitation on the strength of his name. The title is readily indicative of the type of picture so you won't have to do any explaining on that score. Direction .... Harry Webb; ample. Author George C. Hull Scenario Wm. Thornley Photography All right Locale The West Length About 5,000 feet. "Find Your Man" Warner Bros. As a Whole. . . RIN-TIN-TIN, THE WONDER DOG, IN A SPLENDID PICTURE. ITS HEART INTEREST AND HUMAN INTEREST MAKE IT A FINE ENTERTAINMENT. SURE TO GO BIG. Cast. .. .Probably the best work this marvelous animal has ever done. For once the human characters are real and the plot fairly plausible. June Marlowe is a pleasing heroine. Pat Hartigan contributes the best acting. Hartigan makes a fine villain. Eric St. Clair satisfies as the hero. Type of Story. .. .Melodrama. "Find Your Man" has two big selling points, one of which would be sufficient to make it a first rate box oftie number. It has Rin-Tin--Tin, the wonder dog in a remarkably human role and besides, has a corking fine melodramatic story that would easily thrill them with even a less intelligent animal than RinTin-Tin in the important role. There's action and thrills, plus heart interest and suspense, all the way through. There's a fine atmosphere of a Northwest lumber camp and the characterizations are typical and very well portrayed. Production and photography are both fine. The story deals with the return of a war hero and his trench pal. a police dog. Buddy. Hero's girl has moved away and his dog is put in the pound. He prepares to leave the city but Buddy escapes and is in time to follow. The two are put off the freight at a lumber camp where hero accidentally comes upon his sweetheart, Caroline. Her tather decides to use him in his log-stealing scheme. Hero, not aware of the true business, accepts, is caught and arrested for his employer's inurder. Meantime Buddy has been making various rescues. He is the only one who knows the true murderer. Hero is about to be convicted when the dog is the means of exposing the guilty one, leaving hero free to marry the girl. Box Office Angle. . . .Should be a fine box office attraction. If you've already played pictures in which Rin-Tin-'Tin appeared, it should be easy to get them in. You can make promises. Exploitation .... I n view of the title and a possible aversion on your patrons to Mounted Police pictures you might make it clear that "Find Your Man" doesn't refer to thai popular band. Tell them it's RinTin-Tin, the ponce dog wonder, who saves his master from execution by exposing the real murderer. Use plenty of stills and a trailer to give an idea of the action, thrills and suspense. Be sure to give the dog plenty of prominence and secure a pdlice dog to "double." Direction Mai St. Clair; good. Author Darryl Francis Zanuck Scenario Same Cameraman Lee Garmes Photography Good Locale Lumber Camp Length 7,358 feet "The Bandolero" Producer: Tom Terriss Distributor : Metro-Goldwyn As a Whole ...PLEASING AND COLORFUL ROMANCE. QUANTITY OF PICTURESQUE AND UNUSUAL LOCATIONS THAT MAKE FOR SPLENDID PICTORIAL APPEAL. Cast Manuel Granado a mighty fine looking matador hero. Gives an especially attractive performance. Renee Adoree the right type and very pleasing. Gustav von Seyffertitz contributes a carefully portrayed characterization and Pedro de Cordoba gives one of his always reliable performances. Dorothy Ruth suitable as a Spanish vamp. Good bits done by Gordon Begg, Arthur Donaldson, Marie Valray, Jose Rueda. Type of Story. .. .Romantic drama; from the novel by Paul Gwynne. Tom Terriss took his company to Spain to film "The Bandolero." The journey was well worth while if for no other reason than the picturesque locations obtamed. The production is Al on pictorial appeal. The quaint Spanish settings afford very beautiful backgrounds for the story, a highly colorful talc of love and revenge, bull fights and brigands. The plot is one of deep-dyed villainy, a continental revenge theme in which love is eventually triumphant, leaving hero and his sweetheart free to marry each other. A captain of Dragoons becomes an outlaw when his honor is outraged and his wife killed as the result of an attack by Sir Marques. As revenge the bandolero steals Marque's son. His own daughter, Petra, grows up loving the son of her father's enemy. Forbidden to marry him she sends him away. He becomes a famous matador. Later, to satisfy the whim of a woman. Marques is the cause of serious injury to the matador, in the arena. Soon he learns the man is his son. The bandolero, now reformed and chief of the mountain police, and Marques call off their enmity and the matador recovers to claim Petra for his bride. Box Office Angle .... Good entertainment with effective drawing power. With some cutting will be still better. It runs a trifle long at present. Exploitation. . . .Talk about a colorful Spanish romance, with love and re venge fighting for supremacy. The' bull fight sequence will readily ge them interested. There are man thrilling scenes in the arena. Ruiv a trailer of this sequence. Your women patrons will be interested in Manuel Granado. He looks like a comer. Use Tom Terriss' name, recalling previous pictures. Direction. .. .Tom Terriss; excellent Author Paul Gwynne Scenario Tom Terriss Cameraman George Peters Photography Very good Locale Spain Length 6,994 feet