The Film Daily (1920)

10 iMA DAILY Sunday, December 12, 1920 A Happy Picture that Will Please Both Young and Old Shirley Mason in "FLAME OF YOUTH" Fox DIRECTOR Howard M. Mitchell AUTHOR Adapted by Barbara Le Marr Deely SCENARIO BY Frank Howard Clark CAMERAMAN Friend F. Baker AS A WHOLE A picture pretty to look at; has real fairy land atmosphere and a delightful star STORY Has some familiar character types but is clean and entertaining all the way DIRECTION Splendid especially with regard to the artistic side PHOTOGRAPHY . Excellent LIGHTINGS Very good CAMERA WORK Very good STAR Admirably suited to the part; a genuine pleasure SUPPORT Raymond McKee excellent type of youth; all do very well EXTERIORS Beautiful INTERIORS Quite accurate DETAIL Good LENGTH OF PRODUCTION. . . . About 5,000 feet Fox Film has taken the story, "Two Little Wooden" shoes and had Barbara Le Marr Deely adapt it. Frank Howard Clark has written a scenario and called it "Flame of Youth" regardless of the fact that the original title is the more attractive of the two. They may have had a good foundation to go to work upon but surely the director, cameraman and players deserve a good share of the credit for the pleasing entertainment that is offered in this latest Shirley Mason subject. It will win favor from the very beginning with its novel introduction of Bebee, the little Belgian foundling, played by Miss Mason. An old Belgian peasant sees an old clothes basket drifting around among the pond lilies in a little stream. Six years elapse and he is telling Bebee the story of how he found her in the basket. Another lapse of time and Bebee is seventeen and the peasant is dead. Some beautiful exteriors have been accomplished in representing a little Belgian village and the atmosphere throughout is refreshingly attractive. The camera work is very good and both scenes and players have always been photographed to the best advantage. Despite some familiar character types such as the unscrupulous artist from Paris, the sweetheart and the innocent little girl. "Flame of Youth" is a sort of fairj' story that's clean all the way through. Shirley Mason as Bebee is a delight in herself. It is Bebee's seventeenth birthday and oft her way to her flower stand in the village Bebee stops to pray at her foster father's grave. Victor Fleming, an artist, sees Bebee and is inspired by the sight. He approaches the little girl who is much impressed by the fine stranger but later when he gives her silk stockings to go with the red shoes she received for her birthday, she is shocked. Eventually the unscrupulous artist succeeds in making the little girl love him much to the sorrow of Jeanot, a farmer boy who loves Bebee. But Fleming has a sweetheart in Paris who follows him and begs Bebee not to take her lover from her. Fleming then refuses to have anything to do with his Parisian sweetheart but promises her he will go away from the innocent peasant girl. Bebee pines for her artist lover and later, hearing that he is ill, goes to him in Paris. When Bebee reaches Fleming's studio a wild orgy of celebration is in progress over the unveiling of his masterpiece, the picture of Bebee at the grave. The little girl's heart is broken and she will have nothing to do with Fleming even though he is evidently sincere in his love. She returns to the village with Jeanot who has followed her. Worth Playing Up Big. Get Them In Because They'll Like It Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor This is one of the best pictures turned out from the Fox studios in some time. It's the kind that will please both young and old. It would be well to make a special feature of it for matinee purposes. The children will love Shirley as Bebee, the little Belgian foundling and her two little wooden shoes. The cast is splendid and Robert McKim's performance as the farmer boy will be sure to please. You can call it a "sweetheart" picture and promise them they're going to like it. Use some stills of the star as Bebee and any exploitation or advertising expense that you lay out should not go to waste. A little girl in Belgian costume should attract attention. Use the line : "Do you know the story of Bebee, the Belgian orphan? See Shirley Mason's 'Flame of Youth.' You'll like it."