The Film Daily (1921)

■ Sunday, January 2, 1921 tMA DAILY 13 Star Puts Over Ordinary Material Which Lacks Originality Buck Jones in "TWO MOONS" Fox DIRECTOR Edward J. LaSaint AUTHOR Robert Welles Ritchie SCENARIO BY Edward J. LeSaint CAMERAMAN Friend F. Baker AS A WHOLE Typical Western, makes fairly good entertainment but lacks originality STORY Ordinary frontier characterizations, with a few unusual touches. Gets over, but not big DIRECTION Good Western atmosphere, fight scenes well handled PHOTOGRAPHY Satisfactory LIGHTINGS Clear CAMERA WORK . . . All right STAR A likeable personality, nothing unusual required of him SUPPORT Carol Holloway gives a very enjoyable performance as the sheep herder's daughter. Balance of cast adequate EXTERIORS Good Western stuff INTERIORS All right DETAIL Fair CHARACTER OF STORY Cowboy captures cattle rustler and wins girl who thought she hated him LENGTH OF PRODUCTION About 5,000 feet Buck Jones makes a good type of cowboy hero, and his personality and the work of Carol Holloway as the fiery little mountain girl, put over an otherwise very ordinary western. There is plenty of gunplay by everyone in the cast, and that's what most Western fans want. The story in its main plot is the regulation theme of the good Westerner who defeats all the bad Westerners, but some unusual twists have been given here and there which help for some originality. It has been well directed, the fight scenes, both fist and gun, being especially good. The action is fast and runs smoothly, and on the whole it makes very fair entertainment for lovers of Westerns. The scenes between Bill Blunt and Hilma are especially good, and Carol Holloway does an intelligent and spirited characterization of Hilma. The story is laid in the time when the cattlemen and the sheep herders of the West were continually at swords points, for control of the grazing lands. Bill Blunt (Buck Jones), on a tour of inspection for the cattlemen whose interests he protects, finds some steers in the corral of Old Man Ring, a sheep herder. Hilma Ring, his«daughter hates everything pertaining to cattle, and tries to shoot Bill. Old man Ring is murdered by the mysterious "Killer," thought to be employed by the cattlemen. Zang Whistler then tries to carry off Hilma. Bill appears on the scene to arrest Zang for cattle rustling, and Zang and Hilma escape after wounding Bill. The "Killer" is captured and brought to jail by Zang and Hilma, where he confesses that he was employed by the cattlemen to clean out the sheep herders. The sheep men storm the jail for the killer, and the cattlemen for Zang. The latter and Hilma escape but are pursued and captured by Bill. Barricaded in a cabin Bill holds out against the whole gang of cattle rustlers, and when he is wounded Hilma rushes to his aid. Zang drags her to the door but she breaks away, barricades her'self inside and soon discovers that she is in love with Bill, whom she had hated and attempted to kill. Boost the Star and Promise Them Lots of Shooting Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor The best bet on this one is to appeal strongly to the lovers of biff-bang gun play. You can promise them as much of that as you wish. If Buck Jones is popular with your patrons you can assure them a good performance by the star. If you talk about the story, play up the feature of theynysterious "Killer" who terrorized the district with his murders. Also tell them it is the story of the taming of a fiery little Western "shrew." Your best points are the star and the thrills, because of the lack of originality in the theme. If you want catch lines you can say: "See how the girl tried to kill Bill Blunt, and then married him, in 'Two Moons.' "