The Film Daily (1920)

■■■HB Sunday, November 7, 1920 DAILY Grey-Hampton-Hodkinson Combine Presents Another Success "THE U. P. TRAIL" Benj. B. Hampton — Hodkinson DIRECTOR Jack Conway AUTHOR Zane Grey SCENARIO BY William H. Clifford CAMERAMAN Harry Vallejo AS A WHOLE Actionful and fine acting make this hold all the time; first class production all told STORY Typical Zane Grey story of the early west; fine western atmosphere maintained DIRECTION Very good, especially handling players and sets PHOTOGRAPHY Fine LIGHTINGS Some splendid night scenes CAMERA WORK Good PLAYERS A first rate cast with splendid performances from each EXTERIORS Extremely realistic INTERIORS Usual sets DETAIL Well taken care of CHARACTER OF STORY The west in the early 70's with romance and tragedy fighting for supremacy LENGTH OF PRODUCTION About 6,500 feet Benjamin B. Hampton has produced and the Hodkinson Corp. will release another Zane Grey production in the near future, and if you are at all familiar with this combination's past performances and the success of such productions as "The Westerners," "The Sagebrusher" and "Desert Gold," you can go right to "The U. P. Trail" assured of the same splendid results as their previous pictures must surely have brought. The novel has been given a very spirited production with action galore and many really gripping moments that get over with a punch. A real western atmosphere replete particularly in small matters of detail is another feature and even if the shootin', of which there is a good deal, is a bit too prominent at times, it lends a true western aspect, the type lovers of this kind of story will expect. Great care has been given the production end of it and some very fine results have been accomplished. There is one night scene showing the attack of the Indians upon a band of prospectors headed for the mining district. The actual fight has been shot from a hill some distance from the scene of the action and the lighting effects are especially fine. This is sort of a climax to one sequence of the story, but the final punch comes in the last reel when the heroine is being rescued from a man who pretends to be her father. These scenes have been very well handled, indeed. Warm Neale, an expert civil engineer, is working on the first transcontinental railroad. One day while at work he finds Allie Lee, a young girl who has escaped with her life when her mother and the rest of a party with whom they were traveling to escape her mother's husband, were massacred by Indians. Through Warren's care the girl recovers from the shock and their friendship ripens into love. Neale leaves Allie at a trapper's cabin when he goes to Benton, a nearby town, to get provisions. In Benton is Beauty Stanton, a woman who runs a dance hall and saloon in that town. Beauty has met Neale before and fallen in love with him, although she realizes he does not love her. Beauty learns that Neale is to marry Allie and is heartbroken. During Warren's absence Allie is kidnapped by the man who claims to be her father, but who really is not. The news nearly kills Warren and during his illness which follows, Beauty nurses him back to health. A new saloon opens in Benton with Allie's supposedto-be father the proprietor Beauty learns that Allie is being held a prisoner in the building and through her efforts the lovers are united while she is fatally wounded, and later dies. The Author's Name and Promises of Another Good One Will Do the Trick Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor This should prove a real box office attraction. It Promise them another fine Zane Grey production follows as a worthy successor to the previous produc and mention his other novels that have been pictur. tions such as those mentioned heretofore. There are plenty of opportunities for exploitation and you should izecL You need not be afraid to make Promises and be able to make the names of the author and the pro if you talk enough about it you should be able to pro ducer bring you adequate returns, to say nothing of duce an extended run. Many exploitation stunts can a cast consisting of such names as Roy Stewart, Kath lyn Williams, Robert McKim, Marguerite De La be worked out in connection wtih the title and the Motte, Jos. J. Dowling and others. story itself.