The Film Daily (1924)

12 DAILY Sunday, December 14, 1924 "East of Broadway" — Asso. Exhib. Delmonte, St. Louis GLOBE-DEMOCRAT—* * * The picture is too long and it drags considerably, al though the humor is bright and pathos real. There are glaring faults. » * * POST-DISPATCH—* * * The role shows Moore to an advantage as a two-fisted, fighting Irishman, and his cast, including Mary Carr, Ralph Lewis and Marguerite de la Motte, is above the average. • ♦ ♦ STAR—* * * would be entertaining it about 1.000 feet of film was cut from certian scenes. • ♦ * TIMES—* * * The spirit of delightful, wholesome romance which pervades the picture is something which is felt rather than seen ♦ * ♦ Jimquin*s Journeyings "The Fast Worker" Rialto, Los Angeles EXPRESS—* * * The inevitable auto chase which finds up this pleasant comedy is packed with unexpected stunts that thrill and inspire laughter. * * * HERALD—* * * It is a rapid fire comedy, packed with .•^ood situations and manages to keep the audience in uoroarious laughter. RECORD— * * * The cast is ideal for this type of picture. Reginald Denny might be the lad in the collar ad himself. Laura La Plante is the very image of a Saturday Evening Post story heroine. * * * "Forbidden Paradise"— F. P.-L. Stanton, Philadelphia INQUIRER— ♦ * * is a well-drawn satire, based on that wise saw. ♦ ♦ * PUBLIC LEDGER—* * * Pola Negri o' of the Gladcona eyes and smile, is gloriously at heme in the part of Catharine, queen of a small Balkan monarchy. Her fickleness and grandeur are superb. "The Garden of Weeds"— F. P.-L. Walnut, Cincinnati TIMES-STAR-* * * Under the skilful direction of Cruze this rather melodramatic theme is plausibly and divertingly unfo'ded with many effective touches well calculated to sustain the interest.* * * Ohio, Indianapolis STAR — * * * is an old story with some new twists that make it interesting and highly entertaining. • * * California, San Francisco (Week ending Dec. 6.) BULLETIN-* * * With a realistic atmosphere of "back stage" and a series of spectacular details. James Cruze has brought another good nicture to the screen » • » CALL AND POST—* » * If vou like redblooded stufif without too fine a point on it by all means see "The Garden of Weeds," It contains all the fixincs tht would go into a knockdown fight at JaclSs Restaurant on Forty second Street at 5 a. m. in the days when the'e was a Tack's » ♦ ♦ CHRONICLE—* ♦ * The theme is trite. the situations old. the characters regulation jrjfi. yet such is the genius of this man from Utah, he has made his story of absolute interest, with nower to hold the spectator to the fin'sh » ♦ ♦ EXAMINER—* * * James Cruze, the director provided a beautiful atmosnhere of domestic felicity, and Betty, the star, dis plays a wardroble that greatly out-gloried even the one she wore while occupying hesingular position in the "Garden of Weeds " "The Girl on the Stairs"— Prod. Dist. Corp. — Forum, Los Angeles (Week ending Dec. 6.) EXPRESS—* * * Elmer Harris has successfully captured on the screen the suspense of mystery, an accomnlishment seldom if ever reached through this medium, although frenuentlv tried. * ♦ • ^ RECORD—* * * Miss Miller put every thing she has into the part and comes out voctorious in the end. She is a fine little actress. Niles Welch is the jealous hero "Greater Than Marriage"— Vitagraph Randolph, Chicago AMERICAN—* * * The photography and sets are very good and much may be said for the cast. Marjorie Daw is an atrractive wife, although she was not wisely chosen to portray a "free woman." Los Angeles — This is not strictly picture business but I have heard that at least some picture people are interested in such things. Your recent reference to the Volstead Act set me to thinking and so I asked the first man I met just what good in his opinion was the Act doing. He said it was a wonderful thing for his business. It curtailed open competition, he said. I later found out that he is a bootlegger. So I guess it's a sick wind, et cetera. I also learned from him that the bootlegging fraternity has adopted as a national slogan — "Where do you get that stuff?" On the outside of a theater in a city in Kansas is a letter addressed to the general public and covering an entire three-sheet board. Signed by the manager of the theater it recites that the house is being boycotted by the Union because there is not a union operator in the projection room. "Can a barber work in his own barber-shop," it queries, "A baker in his own bake-shop? A carpenter in his own carpenter-shop? etc. Then, if business will not warrant the hiring of outside help, why can't a manager work in his own theater without interference?" I suppose that question will be answered about the samt time as "How old is Ann?" I wondered how much the music cost, in these towns, so I asked the maiden lady, who was playing at the place where I was wondering, what hours she worked and what was the set-back to the management, financially, occasioned by her efforts at the music-box. And I assure you they were efforts both for her and the box. "O, I don't have any pertickler hours," she ejaculated with animation, that is, I guessed it was animation. "They just have music over the weekend and I get five dollars for playing." I think that kind of a week-end is spelled with an "a." But anyhow, it goes to prove that even in this flip age there are honest souls, absolutely without guile, who would rather give freely of their art than stoop to batter it. All the saps in the family trees are not confined to the public as many would have you believe. As witness: in a city on the Gulf a one-sheet for a certain picture was a printed endorsement of the attraction carrying the signature of Ella Wheeler Wilcox. The woman in the box-office a theater employee, of many years' experience, read through the sheet to the signature and then said to the man with the picture: "Is Ella Wheeler Wilcox the star in your picture?" Incredulous, but without batting an eye, he answered: "Yes sister. But she doesn't play in it in these small towns." And this may explain why the message to Garcia was personally conducted and not trusted to the telephone. A manager hereabouts, when the seat tax was taken off, got hi.= sign-painter on the phone and told him he wanted signs announcing that fact to replace all the old ones he was then using and stated over the phone the copy he wanted for the new placards. Next day the sign? were delivered and this is what they read: "All seats 2Sc No Tacks"! And now, how old is this one? "Poppa, vot is a cynic?" "A cynic, rny son, is vot your momma vashes dishes in." Good-night! there goes the curfew. The constable is locking up the town "Secrets"— 1st Nat'l Tivoli, Washington, D. C. POST — * * * Norma Talmadge has seldom done anything finer than her portrayal of the devoted wife. • * • HERALD — * * * is done with a certain amount of skill, though it seems rather event ful. It is worldly and cast with a certain eye for type. Mr. Tellegen is not my idea o' either a preat or a handsome actor, and Miss Daw is not the girl for the role of Joan Thursday, but they do as well as they can POST—* * * With these points in its favor, this picture sets forth its story in ? direct, pleasing fashion. The narrative pro :rresses smoothly, and while both plot and manner of direction are conventional, thf interest in the subiect is sure to make thf picture a popular one * * * "Greed"— Metro.-Gold. Cosmopolitan, Boston TRANSCRIPT—* * * Erom beginning tr end this affair is sordid, and deals only with the excrescenes of life such as would flabber cast even those dwelling in lodging houses on the waterfront. Mr. von Stroheim has not missed a vulgar point, but on the other hand his direction of the effort is cunningly dramatic. * * * "Her Nierht of Romance"— 1st Natl Capitol, Cincinnati TIMES-STAR—* * * The lighthearted likeable Connie, whose flair for amusinp ch.nracterization seemed about to be eclipsec' undr a succession of mediocre offerings, has staged a joyous come-back. ♦ * * "A Sainted Devil"— F. P.-L. Stillman, Cleveland ^ NEWS—* * * There are several fine Settings in the production and those who admire Valentino will enjoy "A Sainted Devil." » ♦ * PLAIN DEALER—* * * Valentino * * * is much better than most of his worshippers have anticipated. The joyous and generous Yuletide spirit pervades my jealous being ; I am compelled to admit that Valentino has done his level best to make it his best picture. The same animating principal force? me to report that Director Joseph "Henabery has done his best to make "it a deadly duJ' affair* * * PRESS—* * * whatever its faults, the di rector and Valentino have made an interesting movie. * * * Adams, Detroit TIME.S — Rudolph Valentino is again ar the multitudes would have him — a dashing and passionate Spanish lover, nimble with the stiletto and graceful at the tango. His large followincr will be in no particular disap oointed * * * "The Silent Accuser"— Metro-Gold. California, Los Angeles (Week ending Dec. 6.) EXPRESS — It is a story of mad human jealously, a murder with but one witness an intelligent dog, whose testimony is not called for when the trial comes, but who eventually pays the score with the guilty one and frees his man and beloved master and Director Franklin has made some unlikely situations seem perfectly natural and ♦ # * HERALD — * * * one of the most striking examples of high intelligence in animals that has ever been brought to public attention. * # ♦ RECORD— Peter the Great is all that his name implies. Peter undoubtedly is one of the greatest dog actors on the screen, and another great thing is the story by Jack Boyle. With this almost unusual pair to start with, the audience is bound to be highly entertained. * * * "Sinners of Silk"— Metro-Gold. Appollo, Indianapolis STAR — * * * The story is very strong in places and gives a large cast plenty of hard work to do. It seems that all the faces seen recently in pictures of the kind have been gathered together for this one, for in it we renew acquaintance with Adolphe Menjou Eleanor Boardman, Conrad Nagle, Jean Hersholt, Edward Connelly, Hedda Hopper. • * ♦ "The Siren of Seville,"— Prod. Dist. Corp. — Coliseum, San Francisco (Week ending Dec. 6.) BULLETIN—* * * The colorful romance of sunny Seville includes an exiciting bull fight with professional matadors participating The gorgeous settings form a background for the exotic love drama in which the star presents vivid and fascinating work. • * » CHRONICLE—* * * The story is of Spain and a dancing girl is its heroine. There is a scene in the bull ring that is exciting, and Miss Dean drives a "carriage and pair madly down a street to save her lover from death * » ♦ "Sandra"— 1st Nat'l Rialto, Omaha BEE—* * * Barbara La Marr, who ha? the leading feminine role, has the onportunitv to wear some gorgeous gowns, which add? glamour to the production. The story, how ever, is unconvincing and there is no rea' motive behind it. * * * Warfield, San Francisco (Week ending Dec. 6.) BULLETIN—* * * Barbara La Marr and Bert Lytell co-star in "Sandra," th" motior "irtnre version of Pearl Doles Bell's novel While the picture from the audience standno-nt. at times moves rather slowly. Miss Lp Mhrr seems to have the time of her life * * * CHRONICLE—* * * Miss La Marr wear? many very splendid gowns as Sandra and often looks quite beautiful : Bert Lytell doe? all that is possible with the weak husband * * * TLLUS DAILY HERALD—* * * It ha? considerable sex interest ; its debatable situations are cleverly hinted, but not elabjirately it sets forth with some appearance of profunitv a "problem of every woman's life," and it ends hanpily in a vindication of home and marriage. ♦ * ♦ "So This is Marriage" — Metro-Gold. State, Los Angeles (Week ending Dec. 6.) EXPRESS—* * * The picture, thanks tc perfectly harmonious acting on the part of Conrad Nagel and Eleanor Boardman, is entertaining in spite of the unnecessary cutbacks to ancient days. * * * HERALD— * * * The story scenes of biblical times are in color, presenting a beautiful spectacle, lavish in its setting. In .fact, the background of the entire picture is more indulgent in its appointments than it is true to life. * * * RECORD — * * * A breezy, humorous mood has been entered into heartily by director, players and screen writers. Spectators, male and female, frequently indulge the incentive to guffaw and giggle. * * * "So This Is Marriage"— Metro-Gold. State, St. Louis GLOBE-DEMOCRAT—* * * The wrhole thing is a travesty on marriage, and a hilarious one. The subtitles, with the exception of two, are amusing. Both the author's attempts to be smart result in cheapness. » * * POST-DISPATCH—* * * There are some splendid "cut backs" showing in color the love affair of King David and the wife of Uriah, the Hittite. Mr. Uriah, it may be remembered by Biblical students, was sent into the front-line trenches by David while Mrs. Uriah remained behind to entertain the King. * * • STAR — * * * The story is a travesty on the domestit problem play. Viewed in this light, it is entertaining. • * * < "Wandering Husbands"— F. P.-L. Strand, Cincinnati ENQUIRER—* * * One of the main reasons why "Wandering Husbands" is good entertainment is that it doesn't take itself too seriously and makes little or no effort to preach a moral. Ot course, there is a moral, but it is by implication rather than by the direct sermonizing method. * * * If ■■I