The Film Daily (1921)

Sunday, June 19, 1921 jMA DAILY 17 What-Not and Nonsense Make Good Bit of Light Comedy Entertainment Wanda Hawley in "A KISS IN TIME" Realart DIRECTOR Thomas Heffron AUTHOR Royal Brown SCENARIO BY Douglas Doty CAMERAMAN William Collins AS A WHOLE Pleasing light comedy offering that supplies satisfying hot weather entertainment STORY Fairly slight but amusing and rounded out with good incident DIRECTION Quite good; keeps the interest well sustained for the most part; a little too much time to end it PHOTOGRAPHY Satisfactory LIGHTINGS All right CAMERA WORK Good STAR Comes forth in bobbed hair this time; suited to the part provided SUPPORT T. Roy Barnes and Walter Hiers set the comedy pace EXTERIORS Suffice INTERIORS Suit the occasion DETAIL Not important CHARACTER OF STORY Author puts himself to the task of proving to a girl, unknown to her, that she will kiss him within a given time LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,351 feet From the very outset when you see the attractive heroine Avith a funny-looking fiance you know that it will be "The Kiss in Time" that will prevent her marriage to the unromantic looking, cold-in-the-head prospective. But how it will all happen is left to be told by Wanda Hawley, capably assisted by Walter Hiers and T. Roy Barnes, with a smaller contribution by Bertram Johns. The comedy business takes just a little too long to get started, but once on the right track, you are likely to be amused by a series of light comedy incidents that take place mostly in automobiles and in an attractive looking road house, called "Hustle Inn," where the hero and heroine hustle out. Royal Brown's story appeared in McClure's as "From Four to Eleven Three. It consists of unimportant occurrences that don't amount to a row of pins of themselves, but director Heffron has put them nicely together, done some judicious padding that holds the attention over the less conspicuous places, and has secured players that put forth their best efforts to make you like it. Perhaps the majority will not notice it, but there will be some who expect to have the hero win his case by dancing. He lists the qualifications expected by the heroine and crosses them off, one by one, as he fails. She had mentioned "dancing" and when they arrive at "Hustle Inn" it is natural to expect that his dancing will win her over — but they fail to step the light fantastic and hero is left to win the wager by accident. He rescues a little child from an explosion. Sheila was an artist and Brian an author. Brian wrote a story about a girl who was wooed and won in four hours. Sheila refused to illustrate it because it was impossible for such a thing to happen, she said. Brian wagered that he could make her kiss him within four hours. His first step towards success is getting Sheila to go with him to an orchard where he shows her some beautiful blossoms. The atmosphere has no effect and they are forced to speed away to escape Bertie, a would-be detective hired by Sheila's fiance, to protect her. Sheila and Brian hide in a roadhouse, are followed and escape. Brian has five minutes to go to win the wager. He saves a child from death by an explosion and is rewarded with a kiss. Of course Sheila acquires a new fiance. Star's Name and Some Exploitation Should Suffice Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor Realart is offering you another good summer number in "A Kiss in Time," Wanda Hawley's most recent feature. You have a good title to work with and one which suggests plenty of ideas for exploiting the picture. Secure a press sheet distributed by the producer and make use of the many ideas contained in it. A good variety of tie-ups and advertising hints will help you put the picture over. Tell them it is light comedy entertainment, and show some stills of Miss Hawley in her bobbed hair and also pictures of T. Roy Barnes and Walter Hiers, both familiar personages in comedies. An effective prologue is outlined in the paper provided by Realart. If you go in for teaser advertising the title can be used to advantage. Say : "Sheila was engaged to an old fogy but see what happened by 'A Kiss in Time,' " or others along those lines. A recently popular song hit "I Never Knew What a Kiss Could Do," could be rendered during the showing with someone singing off stage.