The Film Daily (1921)

sday, May 10, 1921 DAILY ivspaper Opinions e Lost Romance" — F. P.-L. Criterion ^LD — * * * A cinema play of rare cal quality. The photography, lightects, background arrangement and studio direction are so thoroughly and so artistically worked into the play that only one factor — the human emains to make of it a thing of real r. De Mille has cleared the film to degree. AI.D — (The cast) do their share toaking the picture interesting. "" * * II CAN — "Lost Romance" is a g him and instructive. NING TELEGRAPH— It is worked iously and tenderly, revealing every ie of feeling and using absolutely none rashy tricks of the screen. The peoreal human beings, and they live in 1, homey homes. It is all in such taste. £S — It is like most of the otlu r De productions, ornate, unconvincing, c, but no doubt interesting to those : their fiction elaborately fictitious. ' — It is a slight story, so slight that s from frailty induced by undernour * The situation needed some :eper, more poignant, than either man into or got out of it. — Edward Knoblock's story has been splendid setting and the plot is de on such wholly natural and pleas l as to be exceptional. -* * * The author and director seem bit mixed in their exposition of "ro The picture is well acted. * * * BJAL — The picture has been proith excellent taste and a cleverness in i that is both subtle and lighted with IGRAM — In beauty of stage settings, )f story and quality of acting it is question the finest, thing Mr. De,s done. iie, Daily News, Globe and Evening nade no comment. is about the crudest, most boorish, unfeminine hoyden that has ever been presented. SUN — * * * A bright beam of light in the movie darkness that usually descends on I way during the summer. There are amorous scenes in it which are so fiery the film seems in danger of spontaneous combustion JOURNAL— The Polish actress was all that could be desired, and at times more. # # * TELEGRAM — It is a remarkably good picture, full of tense scenes, with crowded moments. Post and Evening World made no comment. psy Blood"— First National Strand LD — * * * "Gypsy Blood" holds no Rbing mark as compared with our pply of "one week" 'film plays. * * * n there is that deft cigarette finger ! bat is "Gypsy Blood's" one touch of ius. ^LD — But Miss Negri makes the role it genuinely seductive seen in years Screen. R1CAN — The scenario is excellent direction good throughout. The i scenes stand out splendidly and in every character, even to the last, ^ in a mob, a realism of appearance ion. The denouement of "Gypsy is disappointing, from the scene in ring to the tragic finale. UNE — One of the best pictures we ', and American directors and actors 0 well to go and study the methods foreigners who produced this pic 0 our way of. thinking it is even bet 1 either of us predecessors done by e director, Ernest Lubitsch. Never I seen such realism on the screen and igri is a powerful actress, who is fas1 beautiful in a way that has characIts foundation, and intelligent. NING TELEGRAPH— The produc! "Gypsy Blood" is not as dazzling gnificent as the other Lubitsch picjat *havc reached this country. The if Don Jose is theatrical. A' NEWS — I cannot register wild 6m about "Gypsy Blood." It has lings to recommend it — as to direc: photography— and it has Pola Negri, a vehement, volcanic and beautiful I Yet it leaves me rather cold. pS — * * * Once more Mr. Lubitsch |e a motion picture that can hold the land excite the discriminating admiff intelligent people, and once more Bgri has endowed a character with ibutes of reality. * * * Many of his pictures are masterpieces of dra:omposition. His production as a 3 a vigorous, glowing, living thing |fcr lets the spectator's interest slacken Wnent. * * * JE — With all respect for past prowe feel that "Carmen" has been r the first time on the screen. In i sweep of action, in vivid and tense nzation, "Gypsy Blood," to our irpasses both the other two Lubitsch t known to us as "Passion" and "De • — * * "Gypsy Blood" seems to tn done with a heavy Teutonic hand, 1 Negri has made of Carmen a ter<ig. * * The Carmen of Pola" Negri "The Wild Goose"— F. P.-L. Rialto WORLD— A pretty little girl, Miss Rita Rogaii, appears as a very talented child actress in this production. HERALD—* * * A divorce problem, solving it in a more dramatic fashion with an accident prearranged by one of the charactrs, which naturally enough gives to one gooserlesh. AMERICAN—* * * Powerful film. * * * TRIBUNE — It is just about as bad a picture as can be and live. * * * The story is incredibly foolish, the acting is incredibly inane and the titles are incredibly bad. If American producers are going to produce wild geese they can't blame people for importing pictures like "Passion," "Deception" and "Gypsv Love." MORNING TELEGRAPH— If you enjoy domestic quarrels there's a good one this week at the Rialto, though not any newer or fresher than all the others you've seen and heard and read about. GLOBE — For of all the incredible theories of marital experience which flourish in the movies, this is the most absurd and the most maudlin. MAIL — On the whole, it is .extremely well done, with a good appreciation of the dramatic values of the plot and the important scenes well worked out. It is not a lavish production, but the story is an interesting one, containing plenty of thrills and tense moments. SUN — It happens again and again on the screen. The only unique feature of last night's production lay in the fact that it was more boring than usual. JOURNAL — "Wild Goose" is among best photoplays. Beautiful story from famous novel acted and directed with high art. TELEGRAM—* * * A full-blooded story. * * * Daily News, Times, Post and Evening World made no comment. "Moongold" — J)ramafilms Criterion HERALD — Even more attractive than the feature is the auxiliary programme, with "Moongold," a charming story of Pierrot and Pierrette, offered by Dramafilms, with a picturesque new device whereby the lighting is confined to characters and sets and the background remains dark, a system which might very well be applied to pictures where the background dwarfs the actors. AMERICAN— On the program there are two other extremely worth-while numbers, a picture, "Moongold," that is exquisite for its delicacy of telling, its photography and its light and story touts. MAIL — "Moongold" is an old, old story given a new and fairytale-like setting. Will Bradley, the director, has used a novel method of telling his story, with artistic sets and lighting effects that suggest rather than detail the background. POST — There is a film called "Moongold," directed by William Bradley, in which the method of selective lighting is illustrated. Faces and figures and certain parts of the setting are thrown boldly into prominence, and the background is blacked out. This is interesting, often striking, but not new. * * * SUN — * "Moongold," an artistic but dull pierrot picture. * * * TELEGRAM— A second film of unusual beauty is offered by Dramafilms and is entitled "Moongold." * By a new device in photography, the lighting is confined to characters and sets and the background remains dark. MORNING TELEGRAPH— In "Moongold," presented by Dramafilms. Director Will Bradley has done an exquisite piece of decoration with each shot. "The First Circus"— Tony Sarg's Almanac— Criterion HERALD — Another of the several novelties on the bill is the first number of "Tony Sarg's Almanac," called "The First Circus," and abounding in dinosaurs and cave men shown in a unique silhouette form * * *. MAIL — Tony Sarg's Almanac offers the evolution of the circus from the days of Stonehenge, 300,009 years ago, according to the subtitle, to the days of P. T. Barnum in silhouette. It is an amusing film. POST — Tony Sarg's Almanac, "The First Circus," is delightful, richly humorous in drawing and idea. TELEGRAM— The animation of the figures is remarkable and the humor is clean and fresh. MORNING TELEGRAPH— The Tony Sarg Almanac. "The First Circus," is not only amusing but is a collection of fine posters, with its weird beasties in silhouette. F. P.-L's. Own Building in K. C. (Special to WID'S DAILY) Kansas City, Mo. — Famous Players Lasky is now occupying its own home on 18th St. between Wyandotte and Baltimore Sts. It is a two story structure. Famous Players plans to have its own exchange buildings in Cleveland, Milwaukee, Portland, Me. and several other centers. From Far Off Palermo Ernest Shipman writes from faroff Palermo, Italy. The reverse side of his postal shows a picture of the cathedral, built in 1169. Exhibitors to Fight Strike (Special to WID'S DAILY) Cincinnati — The local operators' union has refused to conciliate or arbitrate with the exhibitors here after demanding a \2l/2 cents an hour raise. Exhibitors state that in case of a strike new men will be held available by them to be put into the places of those who may go out. Anti-Film Bills Killed in Penn. (Special to WID'S DAILY) Harrisbttrg, Pa. — Every bill in the Legislature aimed against films has been killed. The Brady measure, designed to tax all theaters one per cent on gross business, is among them. Others are: The Denning bill, prohibiting standees. The Smith bill, imposing a tax of one per cent per lineal foot on film. Bill requiring a full and unobstructed view of stage. Blumberg measure, calling for uniform scale of admission prices for entire week. Bill imposing 5 per cent tax on billboards. Schaeffer anti-deposit bill. The defeat of the above measures leaves the industry secure againsfadverse legislation for two years, till the next session of a legislature. Possible Trouble in Racine (Special to WID'S DAILY) Racine. Wis. — Reform elements here are seeking, to bring about local censorship of pictures. Exhibitors and exchangemen are lining up for the fight. Grauman Breaks Ground (Special to WID'S DAILY) Los Angeles — Ground has been broken for the new Grauman theater in Hollywood. The ceremony was marked by an elaborate program with music and other features. Sixty-five million feet of EASTMAN FILM was the average monthly produc tion at Kodak Park last year, all manufactured on a quality basis. EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY ROCHESTER, N. Y.