The Film Daily (1921)

jM% DAILY Sunday, January 9, 1921 Chinatown Underworld Stuff Interesting. Theme Is Light Priscilla Dean in "OUTSIDE THE LAW" Browning Prod. — Universal DIRECTOR Tod Browning AUTHOR Tod Browning SCENARIO BY Lucien Hubbard CAMERAMAN Wm. Fildew AS A WHOLE Mighty good entertainment, based on underworld stuff. Needs cutting STORY Lacks strength, but splendid work Priscilla Dean and Lon Chaney lifts satisfactorily DIRECTION Uniformly excellent PHOTOGRAPHY Very good. Several wonderfully fine shots CAMERAWORK Good STAR Mighty good performance of difficult role overacted at times SUPPORT One of the best casts ever assembled. Lon Chaney mighty fine in dual role; E. A. Warren as the Chinese philosopher excellent EXTERIORS Very good, especially those of Chinatown INTERIORS Up to the mark DETAIL Trifling slip-ups in several titles; otherwise excellent CHARACTER OF STORY How underworld folk go "straight" after thrilling exciting experiences LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 7,754 feet Tod Browning's promise as evidenced in "The Virgin of Stamboui" with Priscilla Dean is justified in the production he has given Universal with Miss Dean again as a star. "Outside the Law" is the result. It is a mighty good picture. It needs cutting, chiefly because it sags heavily in the middle and when this cutting is taken care of it should be splendid, actionful entertainment of the kind that a lot of people like. Just as large numbers of people refuse to lose their love of Westerns, so there are many who like the underworld stuff. They eat it up. They are going to lik-e "Outside the Law." It is a very interesting production with a lot of action and gives Priscilla Dean another opportunity of registering ability, as the heroine who is somewhat different from the usual, sickly-sweet, sentimentalist who clings to her lover. Just to be different, Priscilla fights the idea of love and her lover and it takes the soft, warm arms of another woman's baby to bring her to a realization of what home and kiddies will mean. She registers this very definitely in the end. Just before the clinch comes there is a regular hellcat battle, Browning seems to like this stuff. In "The Virgin of Stamboui," he had about two reels of battle between the Moors before Priscilla and her lover finally were allowed to drift into peace and in "Outside the Law," he does it all over again, in Chinatown with gangsters, "bulls," and all of the rest, shooting, tumbling over chairs, partitions, smashing crockery, so that when hero Wheeler Oakman finally slips his hand into Priscilla's, his face has all the appearance of a Hamburger steak before it is cooked. They certainly treat him rough. But he has nothing on Lon Chaney, who, after being batted all over the place, is finally shot. This closing sequence will probably be edited, because it is a little ruff and gory as it stands. Many Opportunities To Capitalize This Thriller Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor Here is another good one with Priscilla Dean. Also you have Lon Chaney, whose work in "The Penalty" will be remembered for a long time. In this picture he gives another excellent performance and you can talk about him to the limit. If you say he is the best character actor on the screen you won't be very far wrong. If your crowd liked "The Virgin of Stamboui," do not hesitate to lay it on thick and tell them this is the same exciting, thrilling sort of story, played in Frisco's Chinatown, with a battle at the finish that is bound to get them going. The title is catchy and Universale campaign to attract attention in New York City is proving excellent. They are running a billboard campaign containing a lot of questions, such as "Do you work on Sunday? You are outside the law." They are also running a series of billboard posters, such as "Do not be misled by malicious propaganda. You are not outside the law if you work on Sunday." You may not be able to go in for heavy exploitation such as this, but you can do something with teaser copy and with posters along the same line.