The Film Daily (1921)

Sunday, January 9, 1921 tMA DAILY "Black Beauty" Characterized by Thrills And Extravagant Production "BLACK BEAUTY" Vitagraph DIRECTOR David Smith AUTHOR Anna Sewell SCENARIO BY Mr. & Mrs. George Randolph Chester CAMERAMAN t Reginald E. Lyons AS A WHOLE Extravagant and spetacular production. Drags in spots but offers several good thrills and a fine finish STORY Two plots. A romance interwoven with "Black Beauty's" autobiography DIRECTION Excellent at times, although effort to create suspense by intermittent shots of the two stories, sometimes fails to register PHOTOGRAPHY A Excellent LIGHTINGS Good CAMERA WORK . . . .A Fine PLAYERS. . . .Jean Paige looks charming, and gives a pleasing performance James Morrison well suited to part, all others adequate EXTERIORS Splendid hunt and horse race shots INTERIORS Elaborate and correct DETAIL Very good English atmosphere preserved CHARACTER OF STORY "Black Beauty's" life story, along with love and intrigue of the people closest to the horse LENGTH OF PRODUCTION About 6,800 feet In picturizing "Black Beauty," the world famous story of a horse's life, Vitagraph selected a theme that appears on the face of it to offer poor screen material. They got around this by having Mr. and' Mrs. George Randolph Chester weave in between the incidents of the horse's life, a "human" story of love triumphing over a scheming villain. The sucpess of the picture, with most audiences, is going to depend on this "human" theme, for the story of the horse holds the interest only in those scenes involving fast action. Among the latter are some very good shots of a fox hunt, and a thrilling horse race at the finish, which has been admirably done, and will be apt to raise them off their seats. Jean Paige performs very pleasingly as Jessie Gordon, and is well supported by James Morrison, who is excellently cast as Harry Blomefield. Probably the main objection will be a feeling that the material has been strung out in places to cover space, thus making it sag in several spots. The story which runs side by side with the horse story in intermittent sequences, which are distinguished by the raising of curtains on the screen, deals with incidents in the life of "Black Beauty's" human friends. At a house party given by Squire Gordon, his daughter Jessie, and Harry Blomefield are playing games with the little children, although they have reached the age where Harry realizes that he loves her. Among the guests is Jack Beckett, who lives by his wits, and who has entree because he is a favorite of the haughty Lady Wynwaring. The squire gives Lord Wynwaring a donation of 800 pounds for charity, which Beckett steals. During a fox hunt next morning, Jessie's brother George, is killed by a fall from his horse, and Beckett, having stolen the money from Wynwaring's room places it in the pocket of the dead man, and tells Jessie that her brother is the thief. To prevent Beckett from telling her mother, Jessie promises to marry him when she becomes of age. ' Meanwhile she has realized that she loves Harry, who can not understand her wish to marry Beckett. Several years pass, Beckett tries to elope with Jessie, is foiled, and after a great race sequence Black Beauty carries hero Harry to Jessie, foiling the villain's plans. The Title And A Promise of Spectacular Thrills Will Put It Over Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor The story of "Black Beauty" is so famous in every part of the country, that the title alone will be sufficient to draw crowds. You can appeal to lovers of the book by telling them that the story has been retained without change or alteration. Also promise an extravagent production, and make a strong feature of the thrills contained in the picture. There are several good ones and you can talk a lot about the race at the climax, which is as fine a thrill as you could want. The names of Jean Paige and James Morrison can be used to advantage. It is a clean, whoesome picture, a fact which you can make an especial appeal to women and children. The book is so well known that there will naturally be curiosity to see it visualized.