We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
Sunday, November 28, 1920
tMA
DAILY
17
Satisfactory Production But Star Deserves Better Story
Ethel Clayton in
"THE CITY SPARROW"
Paramount
DIRECTOR Sam Wood
AUTHOR Kate Jordan
SCENARIO BY Clara Genevieve Kennedy
CAMERAMAN Alfred Gilks
AS A WHOLE Not unusual production but will
make satisfactory program offering STORY Star deserves better opportunity than
this although they have done well with it as it is DIRECTION Some good touches and some not
so good
PHOTOGRAPHY All right
LIGHTINGS Night scenes not good
CAMERA WORK Average
STAR Makes much of role that offers little
that's new SUPPORT Walter Hiers has small comedy part
with Clyde Fillmore the hero
EXTERIORS Pretty rural shots
INTERIORS All right
DETAIL Fair
CHARACTER OF STORY Girl vaudeville
artist marries farmer LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,618 feet
"The City Sparrow" can be summed up in a very few words, namely a satisfactory program picture. The production given the story is adequate and manages to make more of the story than might be expected inasmuch as there is very little in it that can be called new. The situations have all been used before and certainly the general idea has already formed the basis of more than one picture.
The star seems to be running out of luck when it comes to stories. They're all about of the same calibre, seldom giving her a chance to make any excep
tional impression. The director has made a good deal out of one of those stories that in the spectator's mind reaches a climax several times and just as you expect things to be all over, something turns up to keep it going a while longer. Of course they finally reach a conclusion but you're kept waiting so long for it that it doesn't get over the way it should.
Walter Hiers provides a bit in the way of amusement but there isn't enough opportunity for him to do very much. Clyde Fillmore makes a good farmer hero. Milly West in spite of the long time she has been dancing has never gotten above small time. She has repeatedly refused to marry Tim, a country fellow working as a demonstrator, and boarding in the same house with Milly. During one of her performances Milly falls and is injured. After her partial recovery Milly accepts an engagement in a cabaret but is not strong enough to work and has to give it up.
William Boyd, a farmer and neighbor of Tim's in his home town Springdale, comes to the city at the request of Tim's mother who has received a letter from her son saying he intended to kill himself because Milly refused to marry him. Of course Tim hadn't killed himself and William interests himself in Milly and finally offers to take her back to the country to regain her health.
Milly goes to live with the Springdale rector and his daughter. Eventually Boyd proposes to Milly and is accepted. Milly is very happy until she realizes Boyd's love for children and the fact that following her accident the doctor told her she could never be a mother. Milly thinks it best to go away and leaves a note of good-bye to to Boyd. He overtakes her at the station and after Milly explains her reason for going, Boyd is content to adopt a little orphan whom he has been taking care of.
Use the Star's Name and Lines that Will Get Them In
Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor
Miss Clayton's name will be your main bet if you book "The City Sparrow." Play up the star and mention her previous productions which you may have played to satisfaction. There is very little in the story which you can afford to make promises on but you can probably attract a good size audience by catchlines and while the picture won't make an impression they will possibly be fairly well satisfied with it.
There will be a good many, however, who will begin to lose patience with the sort of stories being given to Miss Clayton. She deserves much better vehicles than those provided for her lately. Catchlines : " 'The City Sparrow' found a country nest. See Ethel Clayton as a vaudeville actress who found happiness in a country sweetheart and a cozy home."