The Film Daily (1926)

THE DAILY Sunday, August 8, 192i (Ja: "A Lickpenny Lover" O. Henry Series — Fox A Jazz Version Type of production. .. .2 reel comedy Fox announces this as a "jazz version of an O. Henry story." It is a good fast comedy number, a little too heavy on the old pie-slinging type of comedy, but nevertheless it keeps moving and the laughs keep coming. That is essential and since it is the picture should get over nicely. Hallam Cooley is the hei-o and it seems his father was about fed up on paying his son's bills so when father refused to pay a hotel bill Hal was put to work in the kitchen. His inexperience and complications ensue when his sweetheart misunderstands his alliance with the hotel and thinks it is a financial connection. She brings on a troupe of girl friends and prepares to stage a party. Embarrassment follows embarrassment for Hal but eventually his pa decides that since sonny has made good in the kitchen he'll buy the hotel for him. after another to oblige the more selfish animals. Finally Mr. Mule gets peeved, loses his nice disposition, and chases Noah all over the first ocean liner, nearly wrecking it. An interesting number, especially for the kids. "Meet My Dog" — Cameo Educational Cabaret Life Type of production 1 reel comedy Clif? Bowes works up some humorous situations with the help of his dog named Pal. Clif? is trying to make a strong impression on his new sweetie and takes her to a cabaret for a large time. But the dog follows him there, and creates general confusion when he mixes among the waiters and dancers and almost wrecks the place. Virginia Vance as the girl is very good, as also are Cliff and his dog. The canine is put through some very amusing and clever gags. Altogether a bright and breezy offering. "His Girl Friend"— Stem Bros. Universal Young Love's Troubles Type of production. .2 reel comedy Edna Marian is starred as the popular girl with many suitors. Father kicks them all out of the house, but Archie is the persistent suitor who cannot be so easily dismissed. He returns disguished as a very attractive girl, and father sarts to get romantic. So Archie strings him along and the laughs resulting are long and many. Finally Pa discovers the deception and chases the imposter all over the town till a cop interferes and arrests the old boy for insulting a woman. This leavs Archie and Edna free to elope at their leisure. Sprightly fun that will entertain. "Keeping in Trim" — Grantland Rice Pathe Athletes in Training Type of production. . 1 reel sportlight This release shows the necessity for athletes to keep in constant training if they are to remain in condition. Various leaders in different branches of sport are shown going through their daily exercises. Eileen Riggin, champion swimmer, is shown sprinting on the beach and canoeing in rough water. Gene Tunney, heavyweight contender, goes through his training camp work for the benefit of the camera. Other leaders in the world of athletics do their stufT, and make this an entertaining reel. "A Sea Dog's Tale"— Sennett— Pathe Cannibal Island Adventures Type of production. .. .2 reel comedy Billy Bevan in order to square his board bill with his landlady is about to marry her. Meanwhile the daughter of the king of the cannibal island sees Billy's photo and falls desperately in love. So the king dispatches messengers to bring in Billy. They kidnap him just as the minister is about the tie him for keeps to his landlady. Billy manages to extract a fair amount of comedy from the adventures that befall him among the cannibals. The best bit is the closing sequence where his rival throws him into the ocean. When he lands at the bottom, he immediately adapts iiimself to his new surroundings. He lights a match and starts a fire on the ocean bed, and the smoke is seen on the surface surrounding the cannibal king's private raft. Another good gag is where Billy puts a star fish on his coat as a traffic cop's badge, and starts directing trafific among the fishes. "Lieut. Com. Byrd's American Polar Flight" Pathe Historic News Reel Type of production. .. .2 reel special An interesting compilation of the motion picture record made by Lieut. Commander Byrd, of his flight to and from the North Pole. Here is the lecord of a history-making flight that has all the thrills and romance of the most absorbing piece of screen fiction. But the thrill in watching it is the realization that this marvelous flight to the North Pole is actually being conducted before your eyes. The start from New York on the steamer carrying the giant plane is the opener, and from then on it is a series of stirring adventures in the land of ice and snow. There is a kick in the scene where Byrd finally hops off in the plane for the Pole. But the big thrill is the sight of the exact location of "the top of the world" as the aviator photographed it as he circled above the dreary waste of ice and water. Then the triumphal return and reception, all of it combining to make the most spectacular news reel that has probably ever been filmed. It is great stuf¥ for warm weather, this picturization of ice, snow-capped mountains and snow-drifts. Above all, it is a historical treat that your patrons will thank you for showing. Foreign Markets "The Mule's Disposition"— Unnatural History — Bray Prod. Tale of Noah's Ark Type of production. . 1 reel animated Nice combination of animated cartoon and straight photography. Walter Lantz tells in this one how the mule got its mean disposition. He details the story through a colored mammy talking to some mischievous kids. Then the cartoon sequence is used to show the good natured mule on the Ark giving up one stateroom "Mixed Brides" — Century Universal Troubles of Youyig Love Type of production. .. .2 reel comedy Wanda Wiley says good bye to her country boy friend who goes to the city to make his fortune. Feeling he is practically a •'.Jdlthv man when he gets a job as delivery boy running a side-car motorcycle, he sends for Wanda so they can get married. But the aristocratic Jones family have arranged a wedding of their fat son August with a certain stout beauty whom August has never seen. There is a mixup at the railway station, and Wanda is mistaken for the Jones' boy's prize. She is rushed to the wedding ceremony. In like manner the lat girl thinks Hector is August, and parks herself in his motorcycle. It all results in a wild scramble on the part of the four principals to straighten out their nuptial mixup. Finally Hector, Wanda and the minister are thrown together pell mell info the motorcycle, and the minister performs the ceremony as they speed along. "Mister Wife"— Christie Educational When Hubby Runs the Kitchen Type of production. . . .2 reel comedy After an argument over the way his eggs are fried, Neal Burns brags that he can run the house better than his wife. So they change places for the day, and his wife goes out to run his office. Then Neal's troubles begin. The cook has been doing a Charleston in the kitchen, and kicks a hole in the floor. The old radio bug downstairs has a hard time sticking to the program as the plaster keeps fallng on him every time Neal walks around. A funny gag is worked with a pile of loose feathers which the comedian starts to clean up with the vacuum cleaner. But a little dog in the other room tears the vacuum bag and the result of Neal's work is that he keeps cleaning the feathers from one room only to litter up another. When his wife comes home he has made a fairly complete wreck of everything, and is forced to admit that he does not shine as a housekeeper. America and Germat (Continued from Page 5) the American .productions lately relea have not liad a standard justifying it, wV means to say that the German public c wants and shall only get the very best I ductions and, as a matter of fact, tt are quite a lot of them. "It certainly, however, was not alw the fault of the pictures if American j ductions — and seme very famous too — h been unsuccessful here lately. Very ol it has been only due to the fact that t have been too badly edited and exploii Most of the blame for this of course, is to the renters who have been handling tb pictures and who have failed to give pro attention to the all important problem editing. Part of the blame for the pleasant situation is also — and quite rigl so — attributed to the Atn'erican home offi for having failed to always properly api ciate the 'atmosphere' of the market and having thus repeatedly caused some ill f ing by the tactical blunder of trying to fo American methods instead of rather ads ing them to the specific atmosphere of market. "Anyhow, it can be taken for granted t the German trade — or at least its big i jority — -certainly has no ill feeling agai the American trade and that such ill feel as may exist or had existed will be csiderably smoothened by the fact that Americans seem to be quite in earnest n as far as the carrying through of the ciprocity idea is concerned. As a' mat of fact quite a number of important G man features are being released in Araer just now or will be so before long; : Germany, on the other hand, is of ecu quite willing to continue taking tb American productions which are really si able for her market. The German trade quite realy and set for practically carryi' flirough that 'internationalism' of the tr; which (principally in after dinner speech' has so often and quite rightly been terir to be the very life and soul of that tr: of ours.'' ^ m News from Paris (Continued from Page 5) caise des Films Vendredi. It is n unlikely that some of these agenci will combine, or die out. * * * "Au Revoir et Merci" (Good-Bj and Thank You!") is the title of Parisian film, produced by Donatic and Colombier, from a scenario 1 the comedy writer and revue authc Rip. The star is Lucienne Kerly ar Donatien himself. Film-Armor holJ the world rights. "Chop Suey and Noodles" — Aesop's Pathe Chinese Cartoon Cats Type of production..! reel animated The fun starts in a laundry, with the mice assisting the cat laundrymen to get out the week's wash. One cat starts to deliver a package, but meets a sweetie and forgets all about his job. The boss comes along and kidnaps the girl. After that there is a regular tong war among the cats as the different factions fight over the kidnapped girl. The wicked laundry boss is finally killed, and all hands at the laundry are happy over the prospect of getting a kinder one. Go-Operative Bookini (Continued from Page 5) about the matter, although I foui no diffi.culty in ascertaining the viewpoint afterwards. The meetii was, I understand, called by Messri Lyons, Gale and Fowler Pettie e)| tirely in their private capacity, an was attended by many members <! the General Council, including tli president, as purely exhibitors, ari not in their official capacity. The co-operative movement d not elicit very much support, ar much destructive criticism was fortl coming at the meeting on this pha; of doing business which, it was fe in more than one quarter wou bring with it retaliatory measures < a kind that exhibitors would not lik What did find favor, however, w; the proposal for exhibitors to inte est themselves in making British pi' tures and buying their own produc which is a threat that certain exhibi ors have held out to the K.R.S. c occasion for some time past.