The Film Daily (1924)

Friday, July 18, 1924 THE ■c^^ DAILY Newspaper Opinions "The Blizzard"— Fox Apollo, Indianapolis TIMES—* * * I am recommending "The Blizzard" to those who enjoy tragedy done by skillful people. ♦ * • They seem to live it. It is real. Powerful. The situations get into your imagaination. "The Chechahcos"— Asso. Exhibitors California, Los Angeles (Week Ending July 5) DAILY NEWS— There's drama and romance and thrills — there's really everything that goes into the making of a photoplay and besides that it's different ; that is to say, it is different from the standpoint that it is the first dramatic cinema effort to be filmed in the far North. EXAMINER— All in all, "The Chechahcos" is a fast-moving film. It is entertaining in its own right and bears the added interest of showing you some genuine shots of some genuine country. EXPRESS — Icebergs, vast sweeps of untrodden snow, placid lakes nestled beneath white-capped peaks, are not conducive to perspiration. Therefore "The Chechahcos" has its proper place in moving picture theater in early July. HERALD — In the thrilling scenes which follow are pictured the saloons and gambling joints of those early Alaskan days, gold mining, and exciting canoe-chases over rapids. The photography is excellent, and the picture as a whole is very entertaining. RECORD— Nothing high-brow about "The Chechahcos." It is thrilling and beautiful. Nothing polished about the actors. They are earnest and believable. TIMES— The story of "Chechahcos" passes fairly once it gets started but the climax is a panorama of snow and glaciers and falling avalanches that makes the mere melodrama seem rather incidental. Here is a real magnificence disclosed. Merrill, Milwaukee JOURNAL — Most magnificent scenery is employed for the mounting of the story. Mt. McKinley and the great white maws that devoured more than one eager thirster after gold are reproduced in dazzling accuracy. "David Copperfield"— Asso. Exhib. Parkway, Baltimore POST — • * * you will find yoiu interest pretty well absorbed. It is quite evident that the making of this picture was in capable hands. The settings are all that can be desired in the way of color, and the details and little touches have been accomplished gracefully. "The Fighting American" — Universal Broadway, Los Angeles (Week Ending July 5) EXAMINER— The story lives up to the title admirably, for O'Malley does much handy work with his fists, ^oth among his friends at college and later, when the scene shifts to China. EXPRESS—' • • Raymond Hatton as a Chmese Napoleon slightly inebriated, steals aU ^ honors when he is upon the screen. "The Fighting American" is amusing and entertaining for the hot days. HERALD — Despite its name, there is no flag waving or patriotic heroics in the film. It is wholesome comedy bound to make laughs of the healthiest kind. TIMES — There is plenty of dash and action in "The Fighting American,'' and one can forget one's troubles while viewing it. "The Lone Wolf"— Asso. Exhibitors Mission, Los Angeles (Week Ending July 5) EXAMINER — One of the big scenes of the picture involves the clever and daring use of several airplanes. You're bound to get a thrill out of it. Past the middle of the picture, there's some very well sustained suspense. Altogther, "The Lone Wolf," is a worthy entertainment feature EXPRESS— "The Lone Wolf," with Jack Holt impersonating the bandit who roams alone, and Dorothy Dalton appearing as a detective from headquarters, lends histrionic ability to a mysterious character. HERALD — * * * of more than passing interest. The suspense is good, the acting creditable and the continuity beyond criticism. Fortunately the scenarist has not de viated from the story as written by the author, and thus none of the flavor characteristic of Vance's work is lost. TIMES— Both Holt and Dorothy Dalton do good work, but nothing exceptional. If you are on the lookout only for acting of tremendous dramatic power. "The Lone Wolf" should be passed. But it possesses entertainment and a certain dash that will pass in a crowd and can be screened with a feeling of contentment. "The Marriage Cheat"— 1st Nat'l Capitol, Montreal STAR — Being a sea picture for the most part it gives a refreshing feeling in these hot days. * * * Marriage Cheat" can be watched with pleasure and comfort. "Montmarte"— F. P.-L. Garden, Milwaukee JOURNAL — The story proper is concerned with the romance, mostly unhappy, of Yvette and her high-minded lover, Andre. The somber effect is lightened only occasionally by comedy touches and the happy ending. "The Moral Sinner"— F. P.-L. Cameo, San Francisco (Week Ending July S) BULLETIN — Many of the thrilling situations have been emphasized, particularly a fire and rescue scene as well as an escape from police in which a girl crook is seen flying over the roofs of the houses of the Parisian underworld CALL & POST— Many stage plays have been adapted to the screen, but never with greater success than "The Moral Sinner." * * * CHRONICLE— Miss Dalton screens well, as always. She is not called upon to do a great deal of acting, but handles nicely what is given to her. HERALD — In spite of everything, the film is somehow interesting, which only goes to show that the original play is so blessed with theatric intensity that it cannot be entirely ruined. "Only A Shop Girl"— C. B. C. Loew's, Montreal STAR — There are all the old ingredients, the wicked employer, the virtuous heroine, the wrongly maligned hero, and the girl who loves not wisely but too well. And because it is melodrama throughout it provides remarkably good enjoyment. "The Perfect Flapper"— 1st Nat'l Warfield, San Francisco (Week Ending July 5) BULLETIN— There is but little of the melodramatic. Just enough to furnish a moment's serious consideration of the subject in point. For the most part Colleen carries her audience laughing through almost the entire story. CALL & POST— "The Perfect Flapper" proves an admirable starring vehicle for Colleen Moore, and she again scores heavily. The little star is well supported by the al ways amusing Sidney Chaplin. Frank Mayo is the lover and Phyllis Haver the other woman CHRONICLE— Miss Moore is funny, fasinating and altogether bewitching as Tommie Lou, which is by long odds the best thing she has ever done. Frank Mayo is a good looking lawyer and Sidney Chaplin plays Dick with fine humor. EXAMINER— Unless you do accept "The Perfect Flapper" as a biu-lesque, you are going to pick holes in the artificiality of the story and the forced attempt to get comedy. "Poisoned Paradise" — Preferred Hippodrome, Baltimore POST — There are parts to this picture that are exciting. Then a scene or two that will start the tears on the way. However, considering everything, the picture is fine. "The Shooting of Dan McGrew"— Metro-Gold. — Chicago, Chicago AMERICAN— The lady known as Lou is Barbara LaMarr, gorgeous, voluptuous Bab of much matrimonial publicity. She is more marvelousiy gotten up later in the. film but she is loveliest in the opening scene and it is that view that will stay with you after the picture has run its coiu-se. State, Cleveland NEWS— The famous old Robert Service poem comes to the screen in de luxe style with some mighty fine acting in spots, but just why it should be considered a bellringer as screen material is hard to explain. PLAIN DEALER— .When Lou's husband, played by Percy Marmont, appears in the saloon where a bimch of the boys — and gals, too — are whooping it up, the picture is at its best stride. Badger has handled the Kiondikers in fine style at this point. PRESS — The story has been rewritten much as it might have been done by a fairly bright boy. Palace, Montreal GAZETTE— Without in any way committing a distortion of the probable, the writer of the screen version has built up an interesting and consistent story • • • Karlton, Philadelphia BULLETIN— The picture gets better as it goes along, but is nearly over before it delivers half the punch that a fairly good parlor elocutionist can put into this rendition of the much recited rhyme. INQUIRER — It is a good melodrama, with thrills galore and breaks in the continuity because of deletions by the censors. There's a plentiful sprinkling of villainy, some romance and the killing of the bad man, McGrew. NORTH AMERICAN— The best part consists of quotations from the poem near the end. The rest is anything but epochal. PUBLIC LEDGER (Morning)— The adaptability of Robert W. Service's popular narrative in verse, "The Shooting of Dan McGrew," taken from his "Spell of the Yukon," for screen purposes seemed almost surefire, but the picture does not bear out that promise. "Three Miles Out"— Asso. Exhibiton Tivoli, Washington STAR— While the subject deals chiefly with the illicit traffic in liquor, and there are some" thrilling incidents woven into the plot, there is also a deal of refreshing humor, supplied by Madge Kennedy. Harrison Ford is an excellent foil in the role opposite the star. TIMES— With a stream of the public's chuckles bubbhng in their wake, churned up by a himdred and one previous farces and comedies. ♦ • • co-authors have, in "Three Miles Out," steamed into a rousing sea of melodramatic blood and thunder. " "Wanderer of the Wasteland"— F. P.^L. McVicker's, Chicago DAILY JOURNAL— • • • the pictorial gem of the season.* * * Here is something full-blown in beauty, the perfection, it seems, of that long-sought color photography. It is alluring and genuine and never bizarre, and the shifting shades of its scenes add deftly fo the reality of the story. EVENING AMERICAN— • • • Reality emphasized • * • the photodrama attains a hitherto unrealized height of reality, along with a rich charm. POST — There is plenty of action in the story, with a landslide as a climax. The suspense of the plot is well handled and the picture is interesting. "Wanderer of the Wasteland" is a production very well worth seeing. You will thoroughly enjoy it, both for its scenic beauty and for its adventure plot. Stanley, Philadelphia BULLETIN — The picture is done entirely in what is purported to be natural colors. The plot is an old mediocre one, but tb« excellent acting of Jack Holt, Noah Beery. Kathlyn Williams and Billie Dove, makes it entertaining, to say the least. INQUIRER — As a motion picture with a good plot and an excellent cast it is far above the ordinary. Combine with that five reels of colored photography and the result is an outstanding production. NORTH AMERLCAN— So beautiful are many of the effects that their visual loreliness takes some attention from the story, which is no particular hardship, since the plot is not overwhelming in itself. PUBLIC LEDGER (Evening)—* • • is deserving of the large amovmt of praise. Good as is the work of the actors, most of the honors go to the photography • • • The entire picture is in colors * • * and it ii virtually a perfected method of color photography, and a great step in advancement of any previous method. PUBLIC LEDGER (Morning)— • • • the color work in "Wanderer of the Wasteland," is undoubtedly fhe best that has been achicTed in cinemic history. "The Yankee Consul" — Asso. Exhib. TRIBUNE — * * * rivals in action "Going Up" and "The Hottentot." What follows is all very funny. CLARENCE BROWN PRODUCTIONS SuperJewels released by Universal "THE SIGNAL TOWER" HAS BEEN BOOKED BY THE STRAND, NEW YORK, BEGINNING SUNDAY PROOF OF BOX OFFICE MERIT