The Film Daily (1920)

JMi DAILV Sunday, May 16, 1920 Good Production And Efforts Of Players Get This Over In Good Style Bryant Washburn in "MRS. TEMPLE'S TELEGRAM" ParamountArtcraft DIRECTOR James Cruze AUTHORS Frank Wyatt and William Morris SCENARIO BY Elmer Harris CAMERAMAN Henry Kotani AS A WHOLE Light comedy offering with enough amusing complications to please most audiences. STORY. . . .Somewhat obvious and nothing decidedly new. but suits star and has pleasant surprise finish. DIRECTION ... .Very good; works up to very satisfactory conclusion. PHOTOGRAPHY Good LIGHTINGS Clear CAMERA WORK All right STAR. . . .Pleasing personality and decidedly at home in the part. SUPPORT Wanda Hawley a pretty and clever, young wife; Walter Hiers and Carmen Philllips both good. EXTERIORS Real INTERIORS Quite appropriate DETAIL Some attractive titles CHARACTER OF STORY Jealous young wife plans a test to see if her husband is vampproof. LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,318 feet As far a.s the story itself is concerned, "Mrs. Temple's Telegram" is not really new to photoplay audiences, for the jealous wife and the complications which her suspicions arouse, have been presented before. But Director Cruze has given the picture a lively and thoroughly realistic production in that it continually "hits home." The surprise finish is about the best thing in "Mrs. Temple's Telegram," and it's a wager that it will be a scant few who will suspect that the whole affair which came so dangerously near ruining the happy married life of the Temples was all a plan of the suspicious young wife to test her husband's loyalty and to see if he really were vamp-proof. For those who like to discuss the theory of jealousy as an indication of true love and vice versa, "Mrs. Temple's Telegram" goes a long way toward proving the "pro" of the argument. After two years of married life, Mr. and Mrs. Temple are still in love with each other, and the titles marvel at the fact. Hon and Dearie are demolishing nut frappes, when suddenly Mrs. Temple discovers a "painted pelican" making eyes at her hubby. Tt proves too much for the jealous Mrs. T., so the couple part. The wife goes home, but Mr. T. is pursued by the vamp, who follows him into a department store. He goes up to the roof to escape her, but she follows and the two are locked up there for the night. Carmen Phillips, as the vamp, goes through all the motions of a siren, and pleads for a kiss, but the loyal husband is immune. The complications start when hubby returns the next morning and tries to explain where he haS spent the night. Mrs. T. refuses to believe the "tall" one about being locked on the top of the skyscraper, so he tells her another about spending the night with a friend, making up a name and giving the name of some suburban town. It happens that there is such a person and the mix-up that it causes is highly aimusing, but comes very near being disastrous. When finally the vamp arrives, Mrs. T. explains that she planned the whole thing. You Can Promise A Pleasing Comedy Offering In This Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor With the star's pleasing personality and his interesting performance in "Mrs. Temple's Telegram," together with the all-around good work of the supporting cast and way the production has been handled generally, you should have little trouble in putting over Bryant Washburn's latest picture. It has a distinct appeal even though the idea is not exactly original. At the Rialto, the orchestra helped along the interest by well-chosen selections, among them "The Vamp" and "Kiss Me Again," which fitted in very appropriately. You might stir up some enthusiasm by such lines: "Is jealousy a sign of true love? What do you think? See Mrs. Temple's theory in Bryant Washburn's latest picture." Or, "If your name is Brown, Smith, or Jones, watch out. You never know what you may be dragged into. See what happened to John Brown in 'Mrs. Temple's Telegram,' at the theater."