The Film Daily (1926)

THE 12 -^^ DAILY Sunday, January 17, feminine way. She stands out from this hodgepodge of poky, jumbled film like a delicate cameo. * * * DAILY NEWS—* * • It is a remaikat'le picture, wonderfully directed to the mmu'est detail, and it has an exceptional cast. Dolores Costello's fragile beauty is a treat to gaze upon. Alice Joyce, as i\:'. mother of .loan Herrick, gives an artistic interpretation of that character. ♦ ♦ • EVENING JOURNAL—* * * If it does nothing else, establishes Dolores Costello on the screen. Dolores * * reminds cue of both Corinne Griffith and Constance Bennett, and besides having that advantage, slie"3 a good little actress. * * • EVENING WORLD—* * * jamcs Cruze did a fair enough but uninspired job of directing. * ♦ ♦ Dolores Costello as Orchid Sargosso contributed a performance of striking excellence, establishing herself as a player capable of heavy roles. She is graceful and winsome to an unusual aegrce. and pleasing to the eye for good measure. ♦ * » HERALD-TRIBUNE— * • • Is Fannie Hurst's $50,000 prize story, and it is a pretty good story ; though it seems to us the gen eral excellence of the picture is due in a great measure to the unerring direction of James Cruze and the fine, sincere acting of the people in it. * * * MiORNING TELEGRAPH—* * * Every exhibitor will appreciate the exploitation value of a title like that! Fannie Hurst has provided dramatic material for a dozen stories and packed it all in this one. There is just about every element of popular appeal any audience can ask for. ♦ • ♦ POST — * * * Cruze has made "Mannequin" into a picture that is thoroughly interesting and possessing the illusion, at least, of importance. * * * SUN — * • • "Mannequin," the film, is at best, a plotty, trivial yarn and indifferent entertainment with minor human values. * * • TELEGRAM—* * * Fannie (Hurst) * * * has taken every conceivable trite situation of the movies and jumbled all into her scenario. * * * TIMES — * * * Through James Cruze's adroit direction and his aptitude for shading incidents with originality, this subject is quite stirring, but it misses being a really sound melodrama through some strained and unconvincing situations. ♦ * * WORLD — * • * This latest product from Fannie Hurst emerges on the screen as a shrewd combination of all the old melodrarmatic tricks of film craft, glossed over with the polish of elaborate settings and deft direction. * * • GRAPHIC—* • * If "Mannequin" is the best that was offered out of so many scenarios, American originality, not to mention American literature, is in a very bad way — a very bad way indeed I * * * "Mike" M.-G.-M. Capitol AMERICAN— • • * Neilan, who is credited with the plot, evidently wrote it as he went along, piling on incidents just for the pleasure of the thing. Whatever the plot may or may not be. Sally O'Neill's vividness cannot be denied. Neilan's find is a genuine one. She is fresh and pretty, with an apparently unending flow of energy. • • * DAILY MIRROR— * * * Dedicated to those who enjoy a laugh. "He who laughs last is the last to start," concludes one of the subtitles. Neilan's latest effort is very entertaining in spots but the spots are obliterated at the end to yield to decrepid melodrama. • • • EVENING JOURNAL _ • • • Sally O'Neill, the cute little trick who made her film debut in "Sally, Irene and Mary," is the heroine. • • • She has a distinct screen personality and the story, written and directed by Marshall Neilan, gives her plenty of opportunity to romp about girlishly. • • ♦ EVENING WORLD—* * * Sally O'Neill wears overalls most of the time. She is a sprightly gamin, but this film did not demand much. The "gags" are for the most part sure fire stuff, many of them tried and tested. • • • GRAPHIC— * • • 'The story is pitifully slim. In fact, there isn'a story. Just a series of unfunny situations. So Mr. Neilan has injected a couple of train wrecks and an aeroplane chase to try to speed things up a bit. But somehow nothing "rings true" and you don't get the least thrill out of the thrilling (?) scenes. • • • HERALD-TRIBUNE—* * • To us it seemed dull, silly and superfluous. Colleen Moore did it so much better in "Desert Flower," and Sally O'Neill, who appeared suddenly and sweetly in "Sally, Irene and Mary," cannot possibly help her popularity along any as Mike. She never has a chance. MORNING TELEGRAPH—* * * Is the most amusing poor picture we have ever seen. Or, perhaps it is the worst good picture. Any one who has seen many of Neilan's productions will understand what is meant. For the others, let it be recorded that "Mike" has but little plot and that is developed in fits and starts. But it has a wealth of endearing, human touches. • * * POST — It is an axiom of the film studios that, given a box car and a cunning little actress in overalls, comedy will result. Marshall Neilan, however has tried the formula once too often * * * and the result is "Mike," which turns out to be that sort of comedy best described as "mild." ♦ * * TELEGRAM— * * * Responsibility for the direction and authorship thereof is assumed by Marshall Neilan. * * ♦ We should never have suspected the hand of this veteran exponent of the silent drama in connection with anything so utterly devoid of distinction as this "Mike" of his. ♦ • * TIMES—* * * There are several ingenious episodes and the heroine, who travels through life as Mike, is cleverly portrayed by Sally lO'Neill. This production is a movie and does not pretend to anything else. It has its moments of amusement and the closing chapter of thrills. • ♦ ♦ WORLD— • * • (Marshall Neilan) cannot sustain a reputation with such scenarios as he wrote for himself to direct in "Mike." With unexpected tenacity he clung in this piece to the notion that wherever the story breaks down a sufficient number of kids and animal life will cement it together again. ♦ » * SUN— * • • It isn't that "Mike" is badVy directed or acted. It is just that its childish humors are so very, very childish and so very, very old. I should think that even tots who have had a year or so's experience amongst the fleeting shadows would emerge from "Mike" with the feeling that whereas they, the tots, were growing up, the movies were remaining in their infancy. * * * "The Splendid Road" First National Rialto AMERICAN—* * * It is the director who must be blamed for spoiling this film. He had a capable cast, which includes half a dozen well known names, and the story, though weak, was not an impossible one. In resorting to cut-backs and other out-dated devices, Frank Lloyd hasn't done right by cast or story. • ♦ * EVENING WORLD—* » * It seems to be as much a machine made product as a Ford car. It fills the formula of a good picture. It is made scientifically. As a first motion picture it would be wonderful. But as it is, it is just another movie — just another movie at a time when we already have too many of the model in stock. • * * HERALD-TRIBUNE—* * * Picked up all the loose scraps lying around, molded them into the clay containing all of the material which ever had gone into the making of a gold-rush picture and sculped out a story which is identical with thousands of others which have traveled the splendid road in the last decade. * * • MORNING TELEGRAPH—* * * Is a story of the Forty-niners told in the terms of lurid melodrama but handled with great restraint and some humor by Frank Lloyd, the director. With plenty of action and strong love interest, it should have considerable appeal. * * • POST — * * * Will either bore its audience into a state of insensibility or reduce them to the same desirable condition from hysteria. "The Splendid Road" oozes sentimentality, and in spite of what might well be termed an "all-star cast," it emerges as a very silly movie. * * • ^iniiiiiiiiiiiiB SUN—* * * Unfortunately "The Splendid Road" confesses to one of those old plots that were popular when the cinema was but a tot. Which is to say that its emotional vakies are infantile and stupid. At times the affair savors uncomfortably of burlesque. * » # TELEGRAM— * * * Apart from its wardrobe, there is nothing about the picture geographically, historically or atmospherically that suggests aught but the good old barroom melodrama in its more unnatural moments. * * * EVENING JOURNAL—* * * There's an excellent cast, and the direction was in the hands of Frank Lloyd. * * * But even though there is a thrilling flood, and the scenery is perfectly grand, the picture is merely a repetition of situations purely movie. • # * TIMES — * * * Lionel Barrymore figures as another scoundrel — Dan Clehollis — a man who dervies his money from a saloon and gambling den. Mr. Barrymore gets as much as possible out of his part. The story is vague and filled with incidents that are colorless. * • • WORLD — * • * It shows a melodrama ol the rush by water to California during the gold episode of 1849, which is just about the most dilapidated screen drama to be found in this town. • * » "That Royle Girl" Paramount Strand AMERICAN—* * * Is one of those films predestined to box office success. It even has a moral for those who crave one. The picture is sure to bring much money to Famous Players, a still bigger reputation to Miss Dempster, and much enjoyment to the many who like melodramas. ♦ * * DAILY MIRROR— * * * Carol Dempster gives a superb performance as the many "charactered" Daisy Royle. As the newsgirl, she is divine. As the model, she is impish and lovely. As the nocturnal jazz stepper, she is luring. As the American girl, battling against odds for justice, she is burningly sincere and dramatic. • * ♦ EVENING JOURNAL—* * * Packed with everything guaranteed to make what is known as a box-office success. * ♦ * The climax, in which Carol (Dempster) tries to blame the murder on the guilty gang-leader, produces a thrilling cyclone, made with the typical Griffith touches. • ♦ * EVENING WORLD—* * * The fights, the trite situations, the plentiful applications of hokum are carried througli with a swing and punch that hold the spectators. And the cyclone is a little masterpiece of the spectacular. It really looks like the real thing. * * * GRAPHIC—* * * "That Royle Girl" is a sure-fire box office picture. It possesses color, mystery, suspense, intrigue, thrills and love. In short, it's a fine story exceedingly well done and proves that D. W. Griffith is just as good at melodrama as he is at art. * * * HERALD-TRIBUNE—* * * Carol Dempster, the best acting that yoimg woman ever has done. Also, she seems to have developed new charm and is now an extremely alluring person. Also, she never has been so well photographed in her life. She appears on the screen quite as pretty as she really is ! * * * MORNING TELEGRAPH—* * * The cyclone is without doubt the most frightfully real thing of its kind ever put into films, and this, added to the terrific human storm raging inside the tavern, makes the emotional tension about as great as it could be in a theater. Carol Dempster adds new laurels already good store by her intelligi skillful performance in the name part POST—* * *In the tile role Carol ster manages, now and then, to brin Royle to life, likewise revealing to th the hitherto unknown fact that sh« mean competitor for the title of "^ male Douglas Fairbanks," swinging o and dangling from that in trulv breati style. * * * SUN — * * * The principal achievei "That Royle Girl' 'is a picturization Illinois cyclone * * * which comes climax or grand finale to the previou we say, "luridities." ♦ ♦ » I unhesitatingly recommend the wii ings on of this storm to those in se: a screen thrill. * * ♦ TELEGRAM— * * * Miss Dempst her legs and feet to advantage. Th of an instep, pointing of the toe, sci the heel are all significant and purj There are seme effective close-ups in Miss Dempster's eyes, her other cons] asset, play an important part. ♦ * " TIMES—* * * Mr. Griffith has si sustained suspense in this melodrama, has handled his groups of players cabaret scenes in a masterly fashion. ' While it vould be more encoixraging Mr. Griffith's genius devoted to a plausible vehicle, his work on this su aside from the wild stretches — proved most part a decidedly satisfactory enl ment to the audience. * • ♦ WORLD—* * * "That Royle Girl' out in the films a fair-tomiddling, slail melodrama, with a cyclone at the end. The melodrama is acted, for th.e mos with vim, vigor, vivacity and a sma! of "menace." while the cyclone, a realistic exhibition of houses and trees: blown over by wind pressure, is, I h;j doubt, of sufficient impact to blow towns toward the box office. » * ♦ May Increase Inspection Fi St. Lonis — A bill raising th(' spection fee for theaters from $ a sliding scale with a $5 minii has been presented to the local B^ of Alderman, at the request of E tor of Public Safety Brody. U the new scale, houses with 1,000 or less would pay $5 for each ins tion. The larger houses would $5 extra for each additional seats. "PUBLIC SERVICE' Adventure speakers froi Far places, or films onl; Bureau of Commercial Economics 1108-16thSt. N.W.Washington. D Schools, Churches and Clubs using Motion Pictures Should Subscribe for THE EDUCATIONAL SCREEN and keep up-to-date with the new films and new equipment "1001 FILMS" booklet, listing nearly 3000 educational films given free with each subscription $1.50 per year 5 South Wabash Ave., Chicago, III.