The Film Daily (1925)

Thursday, September 24, 1925 rH£ -:x^. 'gajgfcill'll"* DAILY A Sensation (ConlinueA from Page 1) William Randolph Hearst who saw it at the same time I did declared it is the greatest picture he has ever seen. Norma (Talmadge) says the same thing. It is wonderful." Talking to Norma an hour later. Asked her if she liked "The Big Parade." "Did I?" she asked, "Well, it knocked me out. It is perfectly marvelous. I think it is the greatest picture ever made." And Sid Grauman says : "It is a marvelous picture. A showman's delight." TRYING TO SEE IT If five people of the importance of Joe Schenck, William jR. Hearst, Norma Talmadge, jSol Lesser and Sid Grauman 'told you such a thing what 1 would you do? Would you jtry to see it? I'll tell the world you would. But when the idea was suggested to Louis B. Mayer and his aides, Irving Thalberg and Harry Rapf it was another story. A very different sort of story, indeed. There was much shaking of heads ; many negatives. "You see," said Mayer, "we haven't really completed it yet. We are still shooting. Yes ; it is practically ready for showing, but — " And that 'but' was ominous. It took a long time to argue them out of their position. But two days igo I saw it. "The Big Parade" is a marvelous picture. A very great picture indeed. It may be the greatest of all pictures ever made. If it isn't, it is so close to it that I don't want to be on the jury deciding the point. And "The Big Parade" makes King Vidor a place way on top. Way up front. Among the greatest of picture directors. And while Vidor is entitled to a tremendous amount of credit much is also due. To Laurence Stallings, the author, to the M.-G.-M. organization and Thalberg personally. Who deserves the most is incidental. There is glory enough for all. And still some to spare. The Story A rich man's son; apparently an idler, enlists, with millions of American boys for The Great War. Although practically engaged to a girl in his home town he falls in love with a French girl in the little village where the company is quartered, and in the end returns to her, his American fiancee having fallen in love with his brother during the war. But on this skeleton of a story Stallings has built the life of the American boy "over there." And how he has done it! He has put "What Price Glory" on the screen plus. And plus what you will see. When you see the picture. There pre titles that make you laugh. As you laugh at Lloyd or Chaplin. There are scenes that make you dig for your handkerchief and you weep all over the place. And how it is built! A laugh here — a tear to follow. It has magnificent construction, and marvelous tempo. During the first seven reels — the first part — I had no idea of whether 1 was seeing two reels or ten. They swept along vividly, all absorbing, leading up to the great climax. Here is shown the French girl finding her Jimmie absorbed with a letter. It contains the photo of the .\merican girl. She realizes in a flash that her romance is dead. Stricken with grief she goes into the woods to' cry. Jimmie, upset is dazed. And at this crucial moment orders come for his regiment to go to the front. What a Scene! Here follows probably the greatest sequence ever put together for pictures. Trucks, cannon, airplanes, motorcycles flash by. Troops are marching to the big trucks. To go to the front. Wild excitement on the part of the villagers who have come to love "the laughing Americans." The girl, sensing something is happening leaves the woods to learn of the order. Immediately she forgets her grief in her desire to say good bye to Jimmie. She starts looking for him. He also is looking for her. This keeps up until the suspense is almost stifling. You are frightened they won't meet. The agony is intense. .\nd then she finds him. They rush into each others' arms. And how you cry! You live through that ^mimmmiiammiBunim rwrw NOTICE to the trade! ■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■^■■■■■■■■■■■Ilir Now in course of production "IN A HOLLOW OF THE HILLS" from the novel by Bret Harte A Gotham Production I distributed by LUMAS FILM CORPORATION Sam Sax Pres. 1650 Broadway, New York City parting with them. A sergeant finalI3' breaks them apart and pushes Jimmie on the truck. The girl hangs on to a rope at the tail gate. Jimmie throws kisses; she struggles to keep her balance, and is finally dragged along the road until exhaustion comes and she sinks on her knees. Then they give you a flash of The Big Parade. And what is it? Miles of trucks going over a road as straight as a die. You thought 3'ou saw something' in "The Covered Wa.gon" when you saw wagons as far as the eye could trail. Well, wait until you see "The Big Parade." It is a marvelous shot; trucks for miles ?nd miles. Where they got them from Heaven only knows. And then the)' flash back to the girl on her knees, all alone on the road. What a scene! What a touch! There is a tremendous lot of war stuff in the second part. Frankly. I think too much. That is incidental. Jimmie returns when the war is over, ?nd you know the home town girl is in love with his brother. Back he goes to France. The girl is working in the fields, ploughing, linimie — one leg gone — hobbles to her. She rushes to him. And again your tears break loose. Of course, this is the end. What more could you want? The Cast Jack Gilbert is splendid as Jimmie. Renee Adoree typifies the French eirl. She is magnificent. But Karl D?ne a type character, as one of Jimmie's buddies, steals the picture. He is a sheer delight. You laugh with him right along. And when the Huns "get him" in the battle and Jimmie, going to his rescue cries in his agony: "God damn you", you feel it. And how! Oh what a picture And oh, what a lot of money it is going to get! If it doesn't prove the sensation of the year, I'm making a mighty rotten guess. Return with Exteriors Director J. A. Fitzgerald, Alice Lake, Ruth Stonehouse, Orville Caldwell, Violet Mersereau, Jane Jennings, Warner Richmond, Harlan Knight, Harry Lee, Cameraman Larrv \\ illiams and Assistant Director Walter R. Sheridan have returned from Harrisburg, Va., where they took exteriors for "Wives of the Prophet" to be released by Lee-Bradford. Interiors at Tec-Art. Glendale Studio Resumes Operations Whitman Bennett's Glendale Studio has resumed activity with three units producing for .\rrow. Major Maurice Cainpbell starts this week on a new feature, as yet unnamed. Bennett, will direct a second and Jane Novak will begin the second of her series. Smith on Sales Trip A, W. Smith, Jr., assistant to E. .-\. Eschmann at First National left yesterday on a three weeks' trip to the MidWest and the Central districts. NOTICE! To avoid confusion in the Public Mind with a feature of thit name, released by Paramount The Title of our SuperSCHal which we announced as "MISSING MILLIONS" is now changed to "VANISHING MILIIONS" All Rights Protected in addition to WILLIAM FAIRBANKS and VIVIAN RICH and the other players previously announced, we have added SHELDON LEWIS and EDWARD CECIL To The Cast of This Exceptional Serial FAMEART ATTRACTIONS, Inc. Suite 903 1650 Broadway New York ^ «tr ■■■■■iimnummnKimiimiimiJM .1