The Film Daily (1926)

THE iday, February 28, 1926 i^^ DAII.Y 197 sjewspaper Opinions "The Cohens and Kellys" Universal Colony MERKAN— * * * Except for a few es Ml rather poor taste, "The Cohens Kellys" is a picture which should delight followers of the "Abie's Irish Rose" and sher Kitty Kelly" school of comedy. * AILY NEW.S^* * * Enough tears are I by the Cohens and the Kellys to wash snow off the streets. They fight and and, at last, they smile, but the story, :h has been used so many times tliat it bit frayed, seemed to us fearfully long vn out. ♦ • • VENING JOURNAL—* * * Slapstick edy built on verbal and gesticulatory arents. The only difference between it and ie's Irish Rose" is that in this tale it's Irish lad who loves the Jewish girl. VENING WORLD—* * * George Sidand Vera Gordon and Charlie Murray Kate Price as the Cohen and Kelly parindicate that they could have made exnt comedy with a semi-passable story, ch they did not have. Harry Pollard 3ted and directed the picture and deserves blame. • • * ERALD-TRTBUNE— * * * The entire edy was, I thought, excessively witless, then it amused me about as much as ''Abie's Irish Rose." In the entire pic; there are, I suppose, ten legitimately ising moments. There are provided enly by the acting of such competent playas George Sidney, Vera Gordon, and rlie Murray. * * • llORNING TELEGRAPH—" * * The gives all that is necessary to know ut the story, but it doesn't begin to give n an idea about all the glycerine that used in the many heart-throbbing scenes about the Irish-Jewish gags which have n cleansed of the dust of years to form backbone of this "comedy." * * • OST — * * * Some unusually clever perhas hit upon the notion of having the h son fall in love with the Jewish daughinstead of the other way around, and result will probably delight the souls of se discriminating patrons of the drama who e already managed to see "Abie" four or times. * * * UN — * * * It is cheap, manufacutred l)ie's Irish Rose" hokum. have not recently seen such a cinema ich gave pff to such an extent the air having been put together, bit by bit, for box office purposes as "The Cohens and llys." ♦ ♦ * TELEGRAM—* * * This rehash of innerable anaemic variations of the "Abie's ih Rose" theme will probably still find ne votaries who want to sigh when the hen's sigh and cry when they cry. which )pens at not infrequent intervals. ♦ ♦ * TIMES — * * * Good-natured horseplay ips through "The Cohens and the Kel" • • ♦ vvhich appeals to one as a sort step-child of "Abie's Irish Rose." It is eptionally well cast. * • • kVlORLD — * * * a rickety old wheeze ed on Irish-Jewish marital entanglements ich runs the accustomed length of time 1 is scarcely ever what you might call Dd. » * * The Girl from Montmartre" . First National Rialto AMERICAN—* * * From the cabarets Paris to the dance halls of Spain, "The rl from Montmartre" wanders, pausing oc When you think of INSURANCE you are thinking of S T E B B I N S Spocialista in Motion Picture and Theatrical insurance for the past fifteen years. Arthur W. Stebbins & Co., Inc. 1540 Broadway N. Y. C. Bryant 3040 I casionally for a peek at a gambling house. The story never seems quite sure where it IS going. ♦ » • T ^iV^'T MIRROR-* • * She (Barbara La Marr) is exquisite in this picture. Gone IS the vo'uptuous lure of previous productions. Gone is the abundance of sex appeal that made her a screen vamp. There is a lovely, etheral quality about this film, gallant film shadow that stirs sadness and awe in one's heart.* * * EVENING JOURNAL— * * * the last picture in which the late Barbara La Marr appeared. ♦ * ♦ It's a melodramatic story. EVENING WORLD— ♦ * » It is just about as near cinema hash as could be imagined, and is less because of the acting than because of the story. The title and the final subtitle^"You'd Marry Me, Knowing What the People Say About Me?"— will tell the tale to those who have a morbid mterest in motion picture garbage cans. GRAPHIC—* * * We feel glad that this last picture shows Barbara La Marr in her real nature — a generous, impulsive, wholesouled and loving girl, wlio, despite her hectic environment, has the wisdom to know the true from the false. ♦ ♦ ♦ HERALD-TRIBUNE—* * * Miss La Marr's last vehicle, it is my unpleasant duty to report, is a dull and conventional romantic drama, with the star's flaming presence its only asset. The heroine is one of those masked dancers of Paris of whom, if we can believe the motion pictures, there must be millions. ♦ • ♦ MORNING TELEGRAPH—* * * A great deal of sunlight has been retained in the process of transferring the story to the screen, but it would seem that about everything e'se has been overlooked for the characters are unreal, chiefly because their motives are not understandable. Titles by George Marion. Jr.. do little or nothing to solve the puzzle, but only add to the confusion. ♦ * • POST — * * * So many ppop!e in this film are equipped with unexplained "pasts" and so many others seem to be included for the one purpose of complicating the plot that it is difficult to say exactly what went on after tlie war closed and everybody went back to sunny Spain. ♦ ♦ * SUN — * * * The movie is second rate pictorial m.elodrama. It's ramifications are unimportant and not worth remembering. Due to efficient acting, it reaches a notch slightly below the level of the average program picture. * » » Mjss La Marr's image is distinctly beautiful. ♦ * ♦ TELEGRAM—* * * There is much danc ing, fighting, shooting, scheming and love making to be digested before ye old-fashioned church looms in the moonlight, but with all its action the piece lacks homogeneity and histrionic distinction. • * * WORLD — * * * A comedy of no special merit, but rather one stamped with the frenzied production plans which rushed in upon its directors wlien the star, grown too ill to go on, was taken out of the cast, so the story goes, and replaced by a young woman who looked a great deal like her. "Ibanez' Torrent" Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Capitol AMERICAN—* * * Monta Bell directed "Ibanez' Torrent," which means a carefully chosen cast and sensitive direction. This sympathetic tale of a singer, who finds everything but the simple love she longs for, lias been beautifully and effectively filmed. Distributors We can furnish you with HERALDS at prices that will save you real money. Send for samples and prices National Poster & Ptg. Co. 729 S. Wabash Ave. Chicago DA.ILY MIRROR—* * * In Greta Garbo, Swedish actress, the screen welcomes a graceful, s ender girl who capitvates with her youth, allure and vitality. She is highly individualistic and dashing as the tcmpestu ous Leonora, famous prima donna, though in a remote way she resembles Carol Dempster and Natacha Rambova. « » ♦ EVENING JOURNAL—* * * Miss Garbo makes her American debut in "Ibanez' Tor rent" at the Capitol this week, and the combination of star, story and director is an excellent one. It's a highly romantic tale, laid in Spain. * '* * EVENING WORLD— * * * The produc tion is beautifully conceived and executed. Motita Bell's handing of provincial types and small town characters is again excellent. The humor is sly and mildly satirical. The characters are people. The action is natural and sincere. * * ♦ GRAPHIC— * * * The shots of the torrent might have been thrilling if they had been brought in in a convincing sequence, but as it is, they seemed to be dragged in. This is not one of Monta Bell's (the director's) best efforts. The picture is decidedly choppy, which may be due to bad cutting. In any event, it lacks dramatic climaxes. * * * HERALD TRIBUNE— * * * Pictorially it is lavish, tasteful and always beautiful. Dramatically it is effective and succeeds in capturing to a considerable degree a half-tearful romantic spirit that is appealing. * • * MtVRNING TELEGRAPH— * * * It shimmers with beauty, intelligence, skill and at all times is a p'easure to contemplate. Audiences, however, have a way of demanding more than a fine production in deciding the merits of a picture. That is why "The Torrent," in spite of Ibanez, Monta Bell and all the others who are given screen credit have not made more than a passing picture. ♦ ♦ * POST — * * * Has a rain storm followed by a flood — a sad, sad love story, slow moving plot matter — and Greta Garbo. Movie-goers with violent objections to stories with socalled unhappy endings may not enjoy "Ibanez" Torrent," but nobody can help enjoying Miss Garbo, recent importation from Sweden. * * * SUN — * * * The film is a Spanish love tale, a tracing of the lives of sweethearts who were not destined for one another. The audience obviously enjoyed its manufactured melancholies and. as far as the writer is concerned, ""The Torrent" is far better than average Spanish hokum. * * •■ TELEGRAM — * * * Without laying claim to any particular brilliance or distinction, it is an honest, conscientious piece of work that affords scope for more than mere optical exertion on the part of the audience. It would not lose much, however, by the elimination of one or two color effects that havp been used to glorify the opening scenes. • » * TIMES—* * * Greta Garbo, a Swedish actress, who is fairly well known in Germany, makes her screen bow to American audiences. As a result of her ability, her undeniable prepossessing appearance and her expensive taste in fur coats, she steals most of the thunder in tliis vehicle, which was directed by Monta Bell. • * * r^OSTUMES >^ GOWNS— UNIFORMS L^ FOR EVERVBOOy WHO IS ANYBOOy ON THE STAGE OR SCREEN..£XCLUSIVE<DESIGNS By LEADING STVLE CREATORS BROOKS "'^'^^''^ 'NEWyORK -ALSO IS.OOO COSTUMES TO BENT Hotel Christie in Hollywood One of California's finest hotels, locaied in (he lienrl of the business (lisliict of Hollywood, famous loh!)y, personal service, sensible prices. R. J. 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