The Film Daily (1925)

THE unday, March 8, 1925 ■c^ank DAILY 15 GRAPHIC — "The Swan" is rather weak, hut not offensively supine. HERALD TRIBUNE—* * * It's a pretty Kood picture if you liavcn't seen the play. • • « MORNING TELEGRAPH—* * * settings in this picture arc perhap.s the most elaborate Paramount has yet offered for any production of the present season. « * * Frankly the picture has no high spots, little drama, and appears to he a series of situations more than an>^thing else. • * * POST — * * * To tell as thistledown like a story as "The Swan" in a motion picture is like trying to harness a hiccough. To give the photoplay in addition a personality and a distinctiveness of its own is an artistic feat which deserves at least honorable mention in the hall of movie fame. * ♦ * TELEGRAM—* * * The whole picture, in shading and mounting, might be called a pleasant aquatint. They have stuck bright new feathers in "The Swan" and made it a peacock. ♦ • * TI^fES — * * * This is a production with an engaging cast._ many of whom are excellent in their rolesT The sympathy of the audience, however, is likely to be extended to the Prince and Wanda rather than to the tutor and the Princess. It is an effort which affords splendid entertainment, but probably will not be appreciated by those who like flapper stories. "Too Many Kisses" Famous — Rialto AMERICAN — * * * may not be particularly elegant as a title but it tells the etorv in a nutshell. * * ♦ The best thing about "Too Many Kisses" is Richard Dix. * * * He is one of the most natural actors on the screen. BULLETIN — * * * It is a very entertain>ng picture. * • * DAILY MIRROR—* * * This is a highly amusing comedy. The story, preposterous as it may seem, dashes flippantly and gaily to a smashing climax, Richard Dix surprises as a comedian of rare charm. DAILY NEWS—* * * Is lots of real fun. with genuine laughs won in a genuine manner. EVENING JOURNAL— * * * It's a delightful comedy, the settings are picturesque and the story's amusing. Dick outwits the villain, stages several corking good fights and steps out in the costume of the local shieks at their annual barn dance — only they call it something else — and settles down happily ever after with the heroine. * * * EVENING WORLD— Richard Dix prob ably never before has perpetrated such delicious tomfoolery as he puts over in "Too Many Kisses." * ♦ * Parts of this feature have the funniest situation seen * * * in months, and not in one instance is there an attempt to resort to burlesque or to force the humor. As a result, the effort reveals Dix as one of the greatest comedians of the screen. ♦ * • GRAPHIC—* * * Don't miss seeing Richard Dix in "Too Many Kisses." There's lots of fun, a dashing hero, plenty of good fights, and a litt^le expert knife throwing thrown in for good measure. HERALD TRIBUNE — "Too Many Kisses" is a typical Douglas Fairbanks picture of a decade ago, with Richard Dix just as fascinating in the star part as Fairbanks ever thought of being. Never since Richard Dix first became a screen player, has he given such an ingratiating performance as he gives in this picture. * * * MORNING TELEGRAPH— Richard Dix in "Too Many Kisses" * * * approaches closer to the light comedy mark of the late Wallace Reid and his best pictures, than any other comedian in any other picture has come. Which is by way of saying that the star and his current effort are excellent to a degree. POST — A comedy burlesque called "Too Many Kisses" brings the worst handled of all stars. Richard Dix, again to the Rialto. In this romantic story a little bit of everything, and among the ruins of a good idea Richard works as desperately and heroically as a pulmotor operator. SUN—* * * The girls * * * will not change their opinion after seeing him (Richard Dix) in this. In the estimation of this observer, however, a little part of Harpo Marx * • ♦ more than eclipses Dix's heroics. Frances Howard is so pretty that * * * it is so hard to remember whether she acted well or not. TIMES — * * * The story is entertaining, with some implausible stretches and a few forced directorial motions. * * * WORLD — * * * It's done with a very neat touch and is constantly amusing. Richard Dix is handsome, brave and human, and has a right like Firpo. Frances Howard was well worth the fuss he made over her. Williatti Powell made as nasty a villain as one could ask. And Harpo Marx added a hilarious bit to the proceedings. I'"irst-rate entertainment. "The Thundering Herd" Famous — Rivoli AMERICAN— "The Thundciing Herd" is recommended to all who love a good oldfashioned melodrama. * • * BULLETIN— The Rivoli * • • has one of the best pictures that Broadway has seen in a long time in "The Thundering Herd." After all, the screen's greatest opportunities lie in subjects that give a chance for great stretches of scenery ; for the massed action of thousaTids of creatures. In "The Thundering Herd'' lie all these opportunities, and in addition there is an interesting and entirely plausible love story. * * • DAILY MIRROR—* * * There can be no contradiction. This is the perfect picture of its kind. It soars to heights even greater than "The Covered Wagon." It throbs with reality, with romance, with sweeping action and breathless adventures. The magnificent stampede of hundreds of charging, frenzied buffaloes over the icecovered prairies is one of the most awe-inspiring sights we have ever seen. DAILY NEWS—* * * They don't m.ake westerns anv better than "The Thundering Herd." * * * EVENING JOURNAL—* * * You'll get a tremendous kick out of the picture. There's a slight love story, the backgrounds are beautiful, Eulalie Jensen does a striking bit of work as the villain's wife, and the climax the fight between the Indians and settlers on the frozen prairies is breathtaking. EVENING WORLD—* * * the best role in the picture is that of Eulalie Jensen ♦ ♦ ♦ who portrays a gun-toting woman of the plains. * * * "The Thundering Herd" will not have the success of "The Covered Wagon." but it will do a whole lot better than the ordinary rtm of feature films. * * "* GRAPHIC—* * * After all is said and done, we must go back to the Indians and buffaloes for most of our thrills. No picture of its type could be better than "The Thundering Herd." We predict for it an extended engagement. You will be cheating yourself if you miss it. HERALD TRIBUNE— * * * has moments when it is reminiscent of "The Covered Wagon'* and moments when it is not so good. * * * MORNING TELEGRAPH—* * * The romance of the story, thoush it is the breath of life to the picture, holding it together, is not so important as the big scenes. By his blending of these, and his manoucvres with tender moments and moments of strife, his depiction of brutality, softened by silhouette and by a number of other deft directorial touches. Mr. Howard draws attention to talents that have hitherto been under-emphasized. * * * POST — * * * The love storv, as we have intimated, is quite inefifective. but there is a smashing climax in a fight with Cnmanches which leaves you hanging precariously on the edge of your chair The entire film, which was directed by William Howard, has been done in broad, sweeping strokes, with a bit nf detail cleverly contrived now and again It is by no means an "epic." but it is far better than the average and is a welcome relief from the vapid sex drama that his been gumming up our screens recently. * • * .SUN — * * * An unashamed, well directed ''thriller" is "The Thundering Herd." and it is a thousand times more praiseworthy than several would-be masterpieces that have been palmed off on the unsuspecting populace of this town In recent weeks — names not furnished on request. TELEGRAM—* * * might very well be mistaken for a sequel to "North of 36," with the same persons in it. having now traded their large assortment of cows for a supporting cast of buffaloes. Not that there Isn't a great pull to this picture, even though one realizes one has seen the same folks rushing about excitedly before in flannel shirt and gingham dress. * ♦ ♦ Tl.MK.S — * * • After a certain stage one discounts the story and becomes absorbed in the <lifferent sequences. The speed of the wagons as the.v appea'ed on the screen caused no little l.iugliler " • • ;)s it was apparent that the camera men had taken some of tlu senucnces slowly to obtain a startling effect » « « WORLD — * • * Even those inclined to be partial to pictures of early .American life will be apt to find "The Thundering Herd*' somewhat tlull. Its concept is heroic, but iis execution is so encumbered with seemingly in consequential details that the result is dis appointing. Parts of the picture are thrilling. * * * Out-of'Town "The Bridge of Sighs''— Warners Metropolitan, Baltimore \ l^WS — * * * Tile (Icnoueincnt is inter cstingly unwoven. * * * ^'Broken Laws"— F. B. O. New, Baltimore XKWS— * ' * It shows tiie youtli of the country in its striving after new sensations — ^and it tells a story of mother love. * * * SUX — * * * This is really a highly en tcrtaininjT effort despite the fact that it vcr> brazenly offers itself as a picture witli n lesson. * * * "Capital Punishment" — Schulberg Boston, Boston TRANSCRM'T— There is l.ut one thinp ibout "Capital Punishment," playinp at the Roston Theater this week, which may res cue it from deserved ignominv. That is tlu' performance of George Hackathorne "Charley's Aunt"— Prod. Dist. Corp. Parkway, Baltimore N KWS— * * * Witliout recourse to gags and by-plots, the play attains a maximum of suspense and manages to maintain the fullest sliare of comedy. * * * "Contraband"— F. P.-L. Strand, Cincinnati POST — * * * "Contraband" is interesting in the sensational way that some reporters' recounts of the news or of themselves arc interesting. * * * TIMES-STAR—* * * Has plenty of ac tion and is fairly entertaining. * * * "The Golden Bed"— F. P.-L. Boulevard, Baltimore NEWS — * * ' Lavish entertainments and other extravagances break the man, and his wife leaves him. His comeback makes an Iiiteresling story. * * * "Greed" — Metro-Goldwyn Orpheum, Boston GLOlih" — * * * through all this vigorous film painting there runs a vein of comed> culled from the ridiculousness of real life. * * * HERALD—* * * There is a subtlety in each detail of the direction, in the use of the cat suggestion, although this has been slightly overdone, in the eloo,uence of the pantomine, the innuendo. * * * POST—* * * when Eric von Strohelm made "Greed," now showing at Loew's Orpheum Theater, he pictured sordidness and realism to the nth degree. * * * TRAVELER—* * * Will average audi ences like Greed? It's to be wondered There was genuine applause after the picture yesterday. There was hearty laughter at the comedy. • * * Stillman, Cleveland NEWS — * * * Atmospherically it is marvelous and the acting of the three principal characters, Zazu Pitts. Gibson Gowland and Jean Herscholt, is well nigh perfect. ♦ * * PLAIN DEALER—* * * "Greed" is a great picture. Whether you will like it in all its sordid glory is something for you to decide. And, I do not recommend it to children. • * * (AfUIN! ON "CAPTAIN BLOOD" CAPTAIN BLOOD, with J. Warren Kerrigan. — Believe me, here is one picture that starts off with a bang, climax after climax, never sags for one moment. J. Warren Kerrigan never will equal again the position he has reached by his wonderful acting. He is so wholesome, so natural, you live right with his thoughts. James Morrison is sure great, Jean Page as Arrabella is sweet enough to kiss. Boy, the whole cast fit their parts to a "T." A picture that any exhibitor in any town can pack them in. Photography great, direction nigh perfect. A picture with no mush, but still not one bit gruesome. Clean as a hound's tooth. Book it, fellows, and tell the world about it. Some picture. — C. C. Dunsmoor, Legion Theatre, Marshalltown, la. — From Exhibitors Herald. And Other VITAGRAPH SURE FIRE SHOWS "PAMPERED YOUTH" 'THE BELOVED BRUTE" "THE CLEAN HEART" 'THE REDEEMING SIN" "GREATER THAN MARRIAGE" "FEARBOUND" "TWO SHALL BE BORN" ALBERT E. SMITH PKSIBINT