The Film Daily (1921)

22 DAILY ounday, January 16, 1921 Weak Comedy And Not Enough Of It For Five Reels. Eddie Lyons and Lee Moran in " A SHOCKING NIGHT" Universal DIRECTOR Lyons and Moran AUTHOR Edgar Franklin SCENARIO BY C. B. Hoadley CAMERAMAN Alfred Gosden AS A WHOLE Very weak comedy offering; mostly registers as nonsense ; players rush in and out until it gets dizzy STORY Borders on bedroom farce but lacks real situations to get it over DIRECTION . . . Very poor PHOTOGRAPHY Fair LIGHTINGS Not always clear CAMERA WORK Average STARS Not up to their best in this SUPPORT Adequate EXTERIORS None INTERIORS Little variety DETAIL Fair CHARACTER OF STORY Young husband with "get rich quick" idea gets himself and friends into all sorts of mix-ups carrying out one of his ideas LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,695 feet With the showing of "A Shocking Night" comes the announcement that Eddie Lyons and Lee Moran will return to the short reel field and that this is their last comedy feature. A wise move. This comedy duo are ideally suited to the short reel comedy pictures but when it comes to finding feature material to suit them both and keep them coming consistently good, they have a job on their hands. Their version of "La La Lucille" was probably the best they turned out during their feature sojourn but the last couple, including their final feature "A Shocking Night" fall way short of the average feature comedy offering. And it's because there isn't enough material in it to satisfy both stars and what there is of it would have made* a first rate two reeler but it had to he a feature arid so there is an endless lot of padding and "in and out" stuff that threatens to make you dizzy. Then too, each trick they take a whack at is kept up so long that it loses whatever effect it may have had at first. The story is along bedroom farce lines and it does get a bit naughty through the titles but otherwise it isn't even risque enough to cause any unusual sensation. Eddie Lyons has the more sensible role — if you'd call it that — while Moran is the man with the "get rich quick" idea. William Harcourt ( Moran), is a young married man with fine business ideas but lacks the capital to put them into action. He hits upon a clever plan and interests a rich man from Montana in his scheme. Harcourt invites the man, Bradford, to his home hoping to make a good impression with his servants, etc. But in the meantime the servants strike for back pay which Harcourt gives them and then tells them they're "fired." Harcourt's friend Richard Thayer (Lyons), and his sweetheart arrive to have dinner with the Harcourts and they explain how they are without servants and worse still a telegram comes announcing the arrival of Bradford. Harcourt and t his wife decide to play servants in their home while Thayer and his sweetheart pose as Mr. and Mrs. Harcourt. Bradford makes himself very much at home but delays signing the contract to finance Harcourt's scheme. Bradford also causes much embarrassment to Thayer's sweetheart by remarking the absence of children in their home and then insisting that the couple retire for the night. The remainder of the picture is a session of in and out rooms, up and down stairs stuff that keeps the players up all night and with the morning comes explanations. Can Be Used Well Enough On A Double Feature Day. Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor This is too weak to offer as a single feature so unless If you think it advisable to play it up along the becl you can run a double feature day it wouldn't be well room farce lines you can talk about the situation in to try to pass this off as your main piece of entertain which the young girl and her sweetheart play man ment. Then again if Lyons and Moran have a strong and wife. Stills of the girls in their silks and ribbons following in your house you may be able to satisfy undoubtedly will attract a certain crowd. Catchlines their admirers but at that it can't keep them interested may attract but are liable to disappoint them when all the time. they get in.