The Film Daily (1921)

Sunday, January 2, 1921 ©ABL^T Poor Direction and Slow Start Make This a Weak Offering June Caprice & George B. Seitz in "ROGUES AND ROMANCE" Pathe DIRECTOR George B. Seitz AUTHOR George B. Seitz SCENARIO BY George B. Seitz CAMERAMAN Harry Wood AS A WHOLE Very slow in getting started. Not enough material in only moderately interesting sequences SSTORY Weak plot. Lots of action but nothing decisive occurs DIRECTION Fair PHOTOGRAPHY Fair LIGHTINGS Fair CAMERA WORK Average STARS June Caprice looks rather attractive. George Seitz does nothing unusual SUPPORT Marguerite Courtot makes a good Senorita, and Harry Semels is a good villian EXTERIORS Some good shots INTERIORS All right DETAIL Sub-titles insipid CHARACTER OF STORY American saves his sweetheart from Spanish revolutionists LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 5,827 feet The main trouble with "Rogues and Romance," is thatsa weak plot, shy on incident, has been padded through a lot of footage to make it cover the distance for a six reel feature. The story is much too slow in getting started, and nothing particularly interesting happens until the middle of the third reel. Material leading up to the only important happening in the picture, is spread out through these two and a half reels, when it could very easily be told in one. For that reason an audience may be pretty well discouraged by the time the action starts. In the last half of the picture things move rapidly, and there are a couple of good hand to hand fights, and a well done skirmish between Spanish soldiers and revolutionists. The direction, with the exception of this last scene is only fair. It would have been possible to make a much more interesting picture in spite of the fact that the material lacks, by elaborating more skillfully on the bare plot. The players are all adequate, but Mr. Seitz and Miss Caprice do not have their ability taxed in the least. There isn't enough to either character to bring out much acting. The action takes place in Spain, where Sylvia, an American girl, is infatuated with Pedro Pezet, a brigand, and leader of the Spanish revolutionists. She is engaged to Reginald Harding, an American, but when he arrives the girl breaks the engagement. The day of the review of the troops by the governor is chosen by Pezet as the moment for bringing the revolution to a head, but his plans are ruined by Carmelita, a Spanish dancing girl, who is in love with the bandit chief, and who now betrays him because of his attentions to the American girl. Reggie unwittingly helps Pezet escape to the hills. There they find Sylvia, who claims Pezet as the man she loves, and is going to marry. Pezet takes the girl to the revolutionist headquarters, where it developes that he is merely holding her captive for ransom from her wealthy father. Reggie follows closely, and bluffs and fights his waxthrough the guards to the now penitent Sylvia. He has a single handed fight with most of the revolutionary army, and he and Sylvia are saved in the nick of time by the Spanish soldiers. Stars May Draw Some But Go Slow On Promises Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor You can't afford to make any large statements about this. You can use the names of George Seitz and June Caprice to advantage, particularly if their work in serials has been popular in your neighborhood. You can also feature the fact\hat part of the picture was made in Spain, and talk about the thrills in the fight between the revolutionists and the government soldiers. The best thing to do, however, if you show this, is to ease it by quietly. Let the title and the names of the stars get them in.