The Film Daily (1921)

Sunday, January 2, 1921 DAILY Splendid Production and Attractive Backgrounds But Story is Weak "TO PLEASE ONE WOMAN" Lois Weber Prod. — Paramount DIRECTOR . . . .rf Lois Weber AUTHOR t Lois Weber SCENARIO BY Lois Weber CAMERAMAN William Foster AS A WHOLE Beautiful production, artistic backgrounds always and several pleasing personalities among players STORY Deals with rather familiar type of woman although character here is overplayed by Mona Lisa DIRECTION Very effective PHOTOGRAPHY Excellent LIGHTINGS Good CAMERA WORK Very good PLAYERS Claire Windsor pretty and pleasing; Edward Burns the good looking doctor and others all well suited EXTERIORS Many very pretty shots INTERIORS Some lavish DETAIL Correct CHARACTER OF STORY Selfish woman who wrecks romance and is the cause of a little boy's death LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 6,086 feet Lois Weber is credited with the authorship of "To Please One Woman," although the screen caption acknowledges the idea was conceived from a story by Marion Orth. At any rate the real story of the selfish woman contains little very new. There are the usual familiar characters all obviously labeled as to their respective parts in the plot, but despite this, Lois Weber has made a picture attractive to the eye. The backgrounds in every scene provide splendid atmosphere and then too there are some effective touches that help make up for the story's shortcomings. For instance, there's the silly young girl who decides to elope with the first grown man that smiles at her and who wants to smoke cigarettes like the Use the Producer's Name and Say Box Office Analysis In announcing the showing of Lois Weber's latest production "To Please One Woman," it will probably be better to confine your promises to the production. Tell them Miss Weber has provided an attractive atmosphere for her story and that there are many beautiful backgrounds in the picture. You can talk about^the character of the sweet young girl, her romance with the doctor. It might attract to mention "selfish" woman. There's also a bit of pathos toward the end when the little boy dies as a result of the woman's whim. Claire Windsor as the grown-up sister represents a wholesome type of girlhood, while Edith Kessler is the silly young sister. Edward Burns is the handsome young doctor and L. C. Shumway "the other man" in the case. All these players do very good work. Mona Lisa plays the part of the "selfish woman" and her acting is about the weakest thing in the picture. Her work is forced and she never misses an opportunity to take advantage of the boudoir set to display the latest in decollette. Alice Granville is very happy in her love for Dr. Ransome, until she has reason to believe that his visits to the mansion known as the "mystery house" are other than professional. Leila, the mistress of the mansion, is the woman whom her husband cannot please and so she lives alone in the big house and having taken a fancy for the handsome youg doctor she finds it convenient to be ill quite often. The doctor makes his visits frequently, but it is not until after Alice refuses to have anything further to do with him that he succumbs to the "vamp." Lucien Wainwright, another admirer of Leila, arrives aboard his yacht in answer to Leila's urgent telegram. He, however, interests himself in Alice whom he meets and although they are friendly Alice can't forget her old sweetheart. Alice's small brother Bobbie is seriously ill as a result of running for Dr. Ransome when Leila's phone message said she was dying and needed him at once. . The boy dies and that same night Leila's husband arrives at the mansion and kills himself. ^hen Leila begs Wainwright to take her away with him u't he calmly admits that he has "lost his taste for her," whereupon, she exits from the story to parts unknown and after a time Alice and the doctor have a reconciliation. the Picture is Good to Look At for the Exhibitor the silly little girl who wanted to smoke cigarettes like the mistress of the "mystery house." This is Lois Weber's first release for Paramount and you can talk about her as being the most important woman director in the business. Catchlines could be used of her understanding of women and her treatment of a theme wherein women are concerned with a full appreciation and understanding of a woman's viewpoint.