The Film Daily (1921)

Sunday, June 26, 1921 a!i^ DAILY A Good Follow-Up for MacLean's Last One Douglas MacLean in "ONE A MINUTE" Thos. H Ince Prod. — Paramount DIRECTOR Jack Nelson AUTHOR Fred Jackson SCENARIO BY Joseph F. Poland' CAMERAMAN Bert Cann AS A WHOLE Moments of genuine comedy that go over great but others that haven't much humor STORY Has many laughs that might have been better distributed ; will please the majority DIRECTION Good for the most part; always gives an attractive introduction PHOTOGRAPHY Very good LIGHTINGS All right CAMERA WORK Good STAR Pleasing as usual SUPPORT Victor Potel offers good assistance; others all suitable EXTERIORS ' Satisfactory INTERIORS Suffice DETAIL Seems to be about right CHARACTER OF STORY Small town drug store proprietor becomes famous for cure-all patent medicine which makes him rich LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,510 feet Jack Nelson has a faculty for giving Douglas MacLean an interesting introduction to his audience. This is noticeable in the recent pictures directed by him. In "One a Minute" the opening shots are aboard a moving train, and there's no fake about it either. Fred Jackson's story, while not sparkling with originality, offers a good role for Mac Lean, and at the same time has a quality of humor that will probably satisfy the majority. There's just one slip-up — the laughs are not well distributed. You'll find a first rate bit of comedy business that goes over fine and then it settles down to a sober stretch that threatens the interest until they pick up the humorous vein again. At the Rialto they seemed to get a lot of enjoyment out of the situations presented. One especially good bit that they appeared to like was the hero's own surprise when he found out that his patent medicine really effected a cure. Again when he is being tried for violating the pure food act, a Chinaman's testimony, of some length, is translated as "Yes." This is an old one, but they liked it. Douglas MacLean puts a lot of life into the picture by his own performance, and Victor Potel, a familiar figure in short reel comedies of the past, contributes some fun of his own accord. Marian De Beck, apparently a newcomer, is the leading lady. Others are Frances Rajmond, Andrew Robson and Graham Pettie. Jimmy Knight Returns to Centerville from the city to run the little drug store left to him by his dead father. A syndicate, headed by S. P. Rogers, is 'about to open a modern store across the street, which threatens to put him out of business. They offer to buy out Jimmy but he decides to fight them. Jimmy reads P. T. Barnum's famous motto about a fool being born every minute, and gets out a patent medicine which his father had worked upon for many years — a panacea for all ills. The medicine contains four ingredients which can be analyzed and a fifth which is unknown to all save Jimmy. "Knight's 99" is a success. The syndicate reports Jimmy's activities to the Pure Food committee which causes his arrest for violation. He proves himself innocent, makes plenty of money and also wins the heart of Rogers' daughter and then is elected mayor of the town. Light Comedy That Should Please Them Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor You can please a good majority of your folks with Douglas MacLean's latest comedy, and if he is well liked and they look forward to his picture, it should be only necessary to announce his name and tell them he has another good story in "One a Minute." Other than using the star's name, it would be well to run catchlines in your program giving an idea of what it is all about. Say: "Are you ill? Try 'Knight's 99.' It cures anything as Douglas MacLean will prove to you in 'One a Minute,' his latest Paramount comedy." The press sheet which Paramount will provide contains some effective suggestions for exploitation which can be employed to get them interested in the showing. If you played MacLean's last picture, "Chickens," you might recall that title in case' some of your patrons might have forgotten his name.