The Film Daily (1920)

16 TsJtM DAILY Sunday, February 22, 1920 "Too Much Johnson" Has Too Much Forced Burlesque Bryant Washburn in "TOO MUCH JOHNSON" ParamountArtcraft DIRECTOR Donald Crisp AUTHOR William Gillette , SCENARIO BY Tom Geraghty CAMERAMAN C. Edgar Schoenbaum AS A WHOLE Intended as polite farce but develops into broad burlesque which will hardly appeal to better class audiences. STORY Has a number of farcical situations which propel the action at a fair clip. DIRECTION Has fallen back on the burlesque for major portion of comedy. PHOTOGRAPHY Very good LIGHTINGS Plain CAMERA WORK Straight STAR Has been seen to much better advantage than this ; performance is monotonous, because of lack of shading. SUPPORT Monte Banks bids too strenuously for laughs in burlesque role. EXTERIORS Seascapes and Mexican INTERIORS FumU all story's demands DETAIL All right CHARACTER OF STORY Efforts of youg married man to escape domineering mother-inlaw. LENGTH OF PRODUCTION. 4,431 feet "Too Much Johnson" opens like a polite comedy as most all of Bryant Washburn's recent Lasky pictures have been, but before it has gotten very well along it finds its way into burlesque and burlesque, of a very broad sort. But though it is broad in type, it is by no means so .extensive in appeal. Lots of people, rightfully expecting at least an average polite comedy after seeing William Gillette's name attached to it as author, are going to be offended at the reckless intrusion of the burlesque thread which in time grows to dominate the action. This burlesque is centered on the character of Dathis, a jealous wine merchant bent on discovering the man to whom his fickle wife has transferred her affections and of whom he knows nothing save for the fact that he has a wave in his hair. Monte Banks who handles this role overacts in typical burlesque style, but many of his antics will fail to register because they appear as such forced bids for comedy. As the rest of the action is subordinated to these scenes the picture fails to measure up to Washburn's standard, as set in his previous pictures. And the star's work here is not up to his best. There are few if any shadings injected into the role and as a result it becomes monotonous before the end of the picture is reached. The story gets under way after introducing Billings, his wife and Mrs. Patterson, his domineering motherin-law. Billings has sold his yacht to a Mrs. Dathis but accepts her invitation to take a cruise but sails under the name of Johnson. He excuses himself to his wife and her mother saying he is going to look after oil investments in Mexico. Later he decides on another trip and gives the same excuse. Mrs. Patterson decides to go along with his wife. This precipitates a grand mixup aboard the boat. Mr. Dathis is bound to kill the "Mr. Johnson" of his wife's acquaintance. A Scotchman is taking his daughter to Mexican oil lands to marry her to a Mr. Johnson. It develops that this Mr. Johnson has bought the lands from Billing's friend and thus his scheme of asking his friend to permit his posing as the operator is blown to bits. The last sequence staged on the Mexican property of the irate Mr. Johnson is the best in the entire picture and winds the action up with a series of pretty good laughs. The burlesque is milder and the farce sits up and takes notice. The star is supported by Lois Wilson, Adele Farrington, C. H. Geldart, Monte Blue, Elsa Lorimer, Gloria Hope and others. Not Up to the Washburn Comedy Standard But May Get By Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor This falls pretty short of Bryant Washburn's best comedies that he has made for Paramount-Artcraft but you will probably be able to get by with it with those who have come to like his work. A good reputation cannot be killed by one somewhat inferior picture and if your crowd has shown a leaning toward Washburn you can slip this in without fear providing you don't shout about it. A good advertising name in addition to that of the star's is that of William Gillette, the author. Mention that he wrote "Secret Service." A good angle to reflect in the advertisements would be the relation of the fact that the whole foolish story was caused by an obtrusive mother-in-law. The mother-in-law jokes are old, but still useful.