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S'-nday, July 4. 1P20
DAILY
19
Adaptation of Farce That Wasn't Adaptable to Pictures
"PARLOR, BEDROOM AND BATH" Metro
DIRECTOR Edward Dillon
AUTHORS C. W. Bell and Mark Swan
SCENARIO BY .... June Mathis and A. P. Younger
CAMERAMAN W. M. Edmond
AS A WHOLE Picurization of farce that had
more funny lines than situations — doesn't
show much here until the finish. STORY Wasn't the type of farce
for pictures due lack of situations. DIRECTION Very commendable considering
material ; builds up some good laughs at end.
PHOTOGRAPHY Average
LIGHTINGS Good
CAMERA WORK Good
LEADING PLAYERS Ruth Stonehouse most
skilful of the lot; few have good conception
of farce values. EXTERIORS Suitable with some good rain
storm stuff.
INTERIORS Good
DETAIL Many of the subtitles here are a
bit risque for family audiences. CHARACTER OF STORY Husband obliged
to convince wife he's a regular devil before
she will love him.
LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,647 feet
"Parlor, Bedroom and Bath," it is apparent, was not the right material for pictures. The adaptors might have taken the stage farce and built it up into a good situation comedy but for some reason they didn't. As it stands here it is quite tiresome up until
the final bed room mixup when there is some good farce action very capably staged. For the most part, however, the picture presents what is close to a series of illustrated subtitles, these being the "peppy" lines iri mi the play. Somehow, though, broad farce lines don't seem to register with their full effect on the screen.
Director Edward Dillon had a difficult task confronting him in the making of this. Considering the material he had in hand he has done commendably. But in addition to having to deal with a story that lacked real "meat" he was provided with a cast that with only one notable exception, Ruth Stonehouse, seems to have small idea of farce comedy values. In the final sequences, however, he has scored some comedy points despite all handicaps.
The story, what there is of it, concerns mainly Reggie Irving, who realizes his wife won't love him unless he makes her believe he is a man of many love affairs. He enlists the aid of a friend, Jeff, who manouvers things so that he will be found in a hotel with another woman registered under the name of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." Due to Reggie's blundering two Mrs. Smiths appear on the scene and when finally the husband of one appears together with Mrs. Irving, things are pretty hot for the Lothario but his wife decides she really loves him.
Eugene Pallette manages to get some laughs over as Reggie. Ruth Stonehouse as one of the Mrs. Smiths is very good. Others are Kathleen Kirkham, Charles H. West, Dorothy Wallace, Helen Sullivan, Henry Miller, Jr., and Josephine Hill.
OLGA LINEK SCHOLL
Associated with Allen Holubar's Productions
CO-AUTHOR AND CO-SCENARIST OF—
"HEART OF HUMANITY"
CO-SCENARIST OF—
RIGHT TO HAPPINESS'
CO-SCENARIST OF—
"AMBITION"
AND AUTHOR OF—
Big Feature Now in Production by
ALLEN HOLUBAR
AUTHOR AND SCENARIST OF
Feature Picture to be Produced by
MARSH/ILL NE1LAN
I HAVE A STORY FOR AN INTENSELY EMOTIONAL, DRAMATIC STAR. ALSO AN ALL-STAR CAST STORY— ONE OF A BIG HUMAN APPEAL.
TELEPHONE 61949 VENICE 16 HAMILTON AVE., VENICE, CAL.