The Film Daily (1925)

Sunday, June 21, 1925 THE "Stop Flirting" Prod.: Al. and Chas. Christie Dist.: Producers Dist. Corp. As a Whole. . . .WOULD MAKE A GOOD TWO REEL COMEDY BUT AS A FEATURE IT FALLS FAR SHORT OF REQUIREMENTS. NOT NEARLY ENOUGH SITUATIONS TO CARRY IT THROUGH. Cast.... John T. Murray, principal plate thrower, makes the most of a slap-stick role but it isn't any knock-out. Wanda Hawley is the girl in the case. Hallam Cooley is Murray's comedy side-kick and others are Ethel Shannon, Vera Steadman, Jimmie Adams, Jack Duffy. Type of Story Comedy, mostly slap-stick. Like many comedies, with two reel possibilities that are stretched to reach the feature length, "Stop Flirting" snaps when it's pulled too far. It's laughs stop short and you wonder how many feet more they must throw plates in order to call it a feature. There's a fair enough comedy yarn here that might have proven highly amiusing and gotten over its laughs in good style in its proper place but, as is usually the case, they've repeated and repeated the gags until there isn't a semblance of a laugh left. This is particularly so in the last half of the picture. Murray spends what seems to be at least a half reel trying to light a candle that melts away from his touch and he sits on a chair knocking out extras with plates until it hurts — the audience. Much, too much, of the same thing makes Jack a dull boy and "Stop Flirting" is a dull picture. The plot concerns the plan of Jeff Dangerfield to cure Perry Reynolds' wife of flirting. Perry is supposed to be lost at sea in an airplane. Vivian mourns his loss and is sorry for her treatment until she discovers that Perry is alive. Meanwhile Perry is trying to get a meal in the house without being discovered. His efforts at concealment, Dangerfield's attempt to keep Perry concealed and Vivian's business of pretending not to worry about Perry's death leads around in a circle until the usual clinch. Box Office Angle.... Not enough laughs in this to keep them in their seats. Cutting might £et it by but they won't get much of a kick out of it as it is. Exploitation .... You can't do any talking for the laughs in "Stop Flirting". And, incidentally, they're likely to come in expecting something entirely different from what they'll get. It is a good title and may bring them in on its own account if that is all you have to worry about. Direction Scott Sidney; lost out on this one Author Fred Jackson Scenario Dorothy Farnum Cameraman George Benoit Photography All right Locale Any city Length 5,161 feet "Anything Once" Classplay Pictures — State Rights As a Whole....HAPPY-GO-LUCKY SAILOR BOY WALKS OUT OF THE NAVY AND INTO PLENTY OF EXCITEMENT THAT FURNISHES SOME FAIRLY AMUSING ENTERTAINMENT, Cast Gladys Walton, former Universal star, returns to the screen after a long absence, looking much slimmer and not quite so attractive. Doesn't photograph well. Harold Austin, the sailor boy who keeps things moving once he gets his Navy discharge. Tully Marshall, one of those fond parents who doesn't want his daughter to marry a Duke. Francis McDonald, the "phoney" Duke. Mathilde Brundage, the mother. Arko, a clever police dog who has quite a bit to do in the picture. Type of Story Comedy-romance. "Anything Once" is hero's slogan but hero tries so many things once it keeps him pretty much on the jump. The story's a simple little yarn and not particularly strong on originality, but it contains some fairly amusing comedy gags and with a development that doesn't use up much footage it keeps you interested most of the time. It has a good-natured exsailor, a sleep-walking heroine, a bogus Duke, a skeptical "papa" and a title hunting mother in its make-up and mixed up with an occasional scrap, a battle with the dog, the girl walking in her sleep, etc., it has enough to keep it moving. There are some good laughs also, although it isn't especially strong in its comedy element. The story opens with hero being discharged from the Navy. He has three months back pay coming to him but before he gets off the boat his buddies, fifty strong, remind him of various I.O.U.'s until he's about broke. Hero meets Dorothy Nixon's father who sees in hero, Marvin, a chance to rid his daughter of her suitor, the bogus Duke. Pa realizes the Duke is after his bank roll but Ma is flattered by the prospects of being "presented at court." Pa knows he'll go to court if he doesn't get rid of the Duke. How Marvin and his pet dog succeed in chasing the Duke is followed by Marvin becoming the bridegroom. Box Office Angle Fair number. Clever dog, some bits of comedy plus occasional action may get it over adequately. Exploitation .Title can work in nicely with catchlines and teasers for throwaways, such as: "Are you one of those who'll try 'Anything Once.' Marvin, the sailor, was. See what it got him into." They may remember Gladys Walton if you recall her work in Universal pictures. Talk about Arko, the dog. Direction..James McHenry; adequate Author Nate H. Edwards Scenario Harry Chandlee Cameraman Chas. Murphy Photography All right Locale City Length 4,920 feet Jack Hoxie in "The White Outlaw" Universal As a Whole ANOTHER WONDER HORSE INTRODUCED IN HOXIE'S LATEST. LENDS A NEW SLANT TO WESTERN AND SHOULD PLEASE THE FANS. Star Sticks to hero routine but has some new business that gives him a bit of variation. Performs his usual rescues in the same thrilling fashion. Cast Marceline Day opposite Hoxie hasn't much to do but follow up hero. Duke Lee, the villain. Floyd Shackelford, colored chap, gets over some laughs. Others, William Welsh, Charles Brinely. Type of Story Western. Not to be outdone by Hal Roach and his wonder horse, Rex, Carl Laemmle comes along with a Jack Hoxie release in which Scout, a beautiful white horse, is the important feature. Scout's a really clever, well trained animal, and fits in nicely with the story's requirements. There's a fine dog in the picture, too, so Hoxie gets his chief support this time from animals. The picture contains the more or less conventional hero-villain-girl formula but it has plenty of good action to offset familiarities. It concerns the outlaw horse. Scout, who leaves his master for good after a beating at the hands of a ranch hand. Scout becomes an outlaw and due to his training is able to open barn doors, corral bars, and other enclosures, thereby releasing vast herds of cattle, which he rounds up and heads for the open spaces. Hero is accused of cattle rustling but knows that Scout is the guilty party. Hero has a villain to contend with and being that they're both in love with the same girl the odds are mostly against hero. How he cOmes through by proving Scout the guilty one and also that villain had a hand in the rustling is rewarded by hero's winning the girl. Box Office Angle Good western entertainment that will fill in nicely on your program. Exploitation You can promise them a western that's a little bit out of the ordinary. Talk about Scout, the white wonder horse, and also about the dog that appears in "The White Outlaw." Run a trailer showing Scout in action. Get them interested in the mysterious cattle rustler known as "The White Outlaw," Direction Cliff Smith; good Author Isidore Bernstein Scenario Isidore Bernstein Cameraman Wm. Noble Photography Very good Locale The West Length. 4830 feet Harry Carey in "Silent Sandersor Prod., Hunt Stromher, Dist., Producers Dist. Co As a Whole WESTERN LER WITH ONE OF '■ HE MAN STORIES. SOME GOOD ACTION THRILLS BUT IS CO; TIONAL MATERIAL, O) WHOLE. Star The same softly sent and yet dominating charac| he always portrays. It is a Harry Carey picture with ( his best known characteriz Cast Trilby Clark pretty John Miljan the regulation villain. Others Gardner Edith Yorke, Stanton Heel don Lewis. Type of Story Western drama. Harry Carey alwa> ages to get a story with i of romance with Carey figi a clinch ending. It's all vc) and perhaps a romantic ment makes for a good a appeal but Carey is begini outgrow the romanjic stag looks more like the h father or kindly old uncle tl suitor. However, that's tl it works out, but the rei of the story is reasonable aif suited to Carey. He's al'| loyal, dependable hero wht things easy enough whei don't mean harm to thi loves. But once they step "toes," then hero gets busy time his brother is found d«tJ believing he has killed over love of a girl hero goesj^ Klondike to forget. Th^re {' counters the girl and sav from a renegade crowd in i hall. She had left her hr Later the husband, slo stumbles into hero's cabin ^ knowing the identity of hiii ence, tells how he killed '' brother. He meets death injl, pack and hero forgives ti and is free to tell her of d| he has concealed for many There's a smooth develd|p good action, and with Carej his customary fine work, j, Sanderson" rnakes fairly g(| tertainment. Box Office Angle Depend you know they like these ott he-man pictures of the type generally makes. j Exploitation Tell them] Carey unknowingly trails U into the Klondike and fin(|i i self face to face with his er's murderer. Run a trailer! ing some of the shots of the country and of the Alaskafl . ret. Use Carey's name aflit can promise his admirers jf like his latest. i Direction Scott R, satisfactory. Author Kate C« Scenario Harvey k Cameraman Solji " Photography ! " Locale West Length About l!