The Film Daily (1921)

Sunday, January 23, 1920 tMA DAILY Puts George Arliss' Name on the List of Famous Screen Portrayals. George Arliss in "THE DEVIL" Associated Exhibitors — Pathe DIRECTOR James Young AUTHOR Not credited SCENARIO BY Edmund Goulding CAMERAMAN Harry Fischbeck AS A WHOLE Fine acting of George Arliss the outstanding feature ; production generally good STORY Adapted from the stage play in which Arliss created the role ; would be nothing as a picture without this actor DIRECTION Splendid, especially as to settings and managing players PHOTOGRAPHY Excellent LIGHTINGS Clear CAMERA WORK Good STAR Without doubt his work gets the picture over SUPPORT Prominent players all do very well EXTERIORS Only one or two night scenes INTERIORS Excellent DETAIL Good CHARACTER OF STORY Parisian connoisseur obsessed with desire to overcome truth with evil LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 5,680 feet No one is going to be sorry they saw "The Devil," for they will be well pleased with the work of George Arliss, who is seen in the role which he created on the stage. His performance is entertainment in itself and there's little doubt but that those who made the picture were well aware of the fact that the story possibilities were such that it alone would mean little. So they have managed to keep Arliss on the screen continuously. He appears in practically every scene, and his splendid work always registers. The story of "The Devil," is uninteresting and monotonous of itself, consisting as it does, in mostly repetition. The Parisian connoisseur who has a fiendish desire to show his "friends" that evil can overcome truth and at the same time satisfy his passion for arranging love affairs and then breaking them up— that is all there is to the story. Director Young has managed the production very well and the players are all splendidly handled. The settings are all very fine and the photography and camera work generally help to satisfy the technical end of it. The story doesn't count enough to waste criticism on, but there is one scene which tends to spoil the atmosphere which, despite the title which probably doesn't intimate anything very delicate, is nevertheless unspoiled by anything unpleasant. In the end, when the fiend finds all his other plans to spoil two people's happiness fail, he plays his last card and attacks the woman. Arliss is shown tearing the clothes off the girl. Even for emphasis this needn't be. Dr. Muller describes himself as the "friend" of the people whose happiness he delights in ruining. His victims are Mimi, a model, Paul an artist, Marie and her lover Georges. Sylvia Breamer, Edmund Lowe, Lucy Cotton and Roland Bottomerly play the last four mentioned, respectively. Marie and Georges are engaged but Muller manages to interest Marie in Paul and she believes she loves him and when she has given up Georges, she discovers that Paul is evidently in love with Mimi but Paul isn't in love with Mimi, although Mimi loves him. And so it goes on — this love business — with the participants happy until Muller gets his finger in the pie again, and then everything goes wrong. Eventually Marie marries her first love, Georges, and Muller tries to break up their home but it fails. Paul is happy with Mimi, and Marie happy with Georges. Midler's last hope — attacking Marie — fails. His misery causes his face to resemble "The Devil' 'and shooting flames cover up his countenance, and a vision of the cross forms an invisible barrier which prevents his further attempt to go after his victim. Make Good Use of the Splendid Exploitation Angles It Affords. Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor There's little doubt about it that the story part of this isn't going to matter much since it is essentially the performance of George Arliss that people will go to see. And your cue is to boost it from this standpoint. You can go? the limit on your promises regarding the actor's performance. Tell them he is seen in the role which he created on the stage. He is well known for his unusual characterizations and his name should be sufficient to interest them. The exploitation end of it should be simple. You have a good title to work with and one which suggests many and varied ways of advertising your showing of the picture. A good lobby display will attract attention. Besides the star, if you want other names, you have other well known names to work with in those of the supporting company.