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Sunday, June 19, 1921
iM^
DAILY
Very Familiar Situations but Production Thoroughly Adequate
Neal Hart in "GOD'S GOLD"
Pinnacle Prod., Inc. — State Rights
DIRECTOR Webster Cullison
AUTHOR Arthur Henry Gooden
SCENARIO BY Not credited
CAMERAMAN Not credited
AS A WHOLE A satisfactory production that
somewhat overcomes very trite plot STORY A combination of several sea stories;
fair amount of action DIRECTION Fair; at times a bit inconsistent
particularly in connection with handling of the
villain
PHOTOGRAPHY Good
LIGHTINGS Much too bright on interior sets
CAMERA WORK Average
STAR Gives good performance and puts up
several good fights SUPPORT James McLaughlin poorly cast;
Audrey Chapman adequate heroine; sea types "suitable
EXTERIORS Some pretty coast shots
INTERIORS .' All right
DETAIL Nothing obviously wrong
CHARACTER OF STORY Girl cast on desert
island with man she hates gradually falls in
love with him
LENGTH OF PRODUCTION About 5,000 feet
The moral of practically every desert island picture that has been made seems to be that no matter how much the girl hates you, if you can manage a shipwreck and bring her safely to an uninhabited island, she will eventually fall in love with you, and so it is again in "God's Gold," a feature starring Neal Hart, and made by Pinnacle Productions. It has all the familiar ingredients of sea pictures, past and present.
That fact, however, shouldn't detract from its entertainment value where audiences are not already "fed up" on this formula.
Other than the name of the author, it is impossible to give any credit to those connected with the actual making of the picture. Arthur Henry Gooden may or may not have been acquainted with other stories similar to his, but at any rate he has used several trite situations, all of which have appeared in past productions of this type. There's a slight resemblance to "Dead Men Tell No Tales," combined with an atmosphere almost identical to "Beach of Dreams," two fairly recent releases.
The director missed a good chance to furnish a thrill when he neglected to make use of the actual shipwreck. He only suggests it. No matter how old this idea is, it always supplies a good thrill. For action he depends entirely on one or two fights that are good but insufficient to warrant talking about.
Neal Hart, usually thought of in conjunction with western dramas, is seen in the role of a sea-going adventurer. He offers a good performance and is well supported in the main by a suitable company, with Audrey Chapman. As have other island heroines, Miss Chapman offers a short sequence in which she solves the difficulties of boudoir inconveniences. There is nothing objectionable in the scenes.
James Cameron, wealthy adventurer, stows away on a vessel chartered by Dr. Anson to search for an island bearing gold from a wrecked ship. Aboard are the Doctor's daughter Mary and her fiance, Carson. From his hiding place, Cameron learns that the crew is planning mutiny. He warns Mary and eventually saves her life. They live for some time on an island, during which Mary breaks her engagement with Carson and when Cameron's rescue yacht arrives, goes with him as his promised wife.
Western Star in Sea Picture Should Attract
Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor
Exhibitors who haven't shown any of this type of pictures recently can undoubtedly satisfy the majority of patrons with "God's Gold." Particularly if you frequently select your program from the independent market, you will do well to secure this one which shows Neal Hart in a role different from those in which he usually appears. He is probably best known as a western type of hero, so if it happens that you have shown any of his recent releases, such as "Sky
fire" and "Danger Valley," you might recall them and say that in "God's Gold" he is an adventurer of the high seas.
Play up the Captain Kidd angle of the story and the idea of the buried treasure. You can always appeal to a certain number with ideas such as these. Also use catchlines and secure some of the press sheet posters which represent some of the more important moments.