The Film Daily (1918)

Monday, August 5, 1918 DAILY Truly Funny and Decidedly Classy: Should Go Big Anywhere Madge Kennedy in "FRIEND HUSBAND" Goldwyn DIRECTOR Clarence C. Badger AUTHOR Lois Zellner SCENARIO BY Edfrid Bingham CAMERAMAN Ned Van Buren ART DIRECTOR Hugo Ballin AS A WHOLE Delightful comedy=drama pro= duced in decidedly classy atmosphere; will go big anywhere. STORY The old stuff of shero marrying for convenience but has been given intelligent twists and holds all the way. DIRECTION Provided distinctive atmosphere; gave intelligent twists to old situations and showed a keen sense of comedy values. In= jected many sure=fire touches. PHOTOGRAPHY Decidedly classy LIGHTINGS Generally very artistic although too harsh at times, making faces appear chalky CAMERA WORK . Very good STAR Screens well and very pleasing to watch SUPPORT Very good; Rockcliffe Fellowes was excellent type as "Friend Husband." EXTERIORS Classy and well selected throughout INTERIORS Very good; island hide=out excellent DETAIL Many good touches and some great titles. CHARACTER OF STORY Sure=fire comedy for any audience. LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,925 feet INTELLIGENT direction, a capable cast and a decidedly classy atmosphere throughout combine to make this a delightful comedy-drama that will register big with any audience. Director Badger's Mack Sennett training is in evidence throughout the offering although at no time has he resorted to what is commonly termed as "hokum" to make his comedy touches register. He certainly deserves much credit for some sure-fire incidental touches in this. This is one of those "marriage-for-a-purpose" things where the Shero has to find a husband in order to be in on her uncle's will. Shero is not matrimonially in clined and plans on finding a husband who will marry her purely as a business proposition, for a momentary consideration, it being provided in the agreement that she is nut to be bothered with him after the ceremony. We have a good twist where Madge has advertised for a husband and Georgy Bunny, her friend and advisor, has advertised for a business partner, with the result that Madge thinks Rockcliffe Fellowes, the new partner, has answered her ad. Of course Fellowes doesn't get the connection but he likes Madge and becomes a willing martyr. At the wedding they give us a title that will get a yell anywhere. Madge corners Fellowes before the ceremony and hands him a check, saying, "I may not see you after the wedding, so here's your money now." After the wedding, the couple start out in the car for the train, Shero figuring on leaving her new hubby at the station to shift for himself. The car is stalled, forcing them to return to Bunny's house on a borrowed horse. By this time. Hero has decided to assert his power as a lawful husband and he climbs into Shero's apartment through a window. She puts him out and he is forced to sleep on the balcany where he is discovered by Bunny the next morning. Bunny tells Hero about his palatial hide-out on the island and suggests a plan whereby he can bring Shero to terms. Hero changes places with Shero's chauffeur and gets her to the boat landing where he forces her to accompany him to the island. Shero is firm, however, so Hero leaves her. telling her that he will not return until she calls for him. That night, a gang of crooks, who have been using the unfrequented cabin for their hangout, come in and shero figures that it is a frame-up to enable Fellowes to pose as a hero. We get some great touches here where the gang1 can't figure why Madge takes their actions so matter-of-fact. Just as the crooks have started to get rough with Shero. Hero enters and we have a great fight, with Hero getting wounded just as help arrives from the mainland. Despite the four-to-one odds. Director Badger made this fight fairly convincing. After the battle, we fade out on Shero nursing Hero's wound with everything looking very satisfactory for both. Others in the cast were: Paul Everton, William Davidson and Jean Armour. Has Great Advertising Possibilities: Boost It Big The Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor Now that you've got it. make up your mind that you're going to step out of the regular advertising routine and let the folks know that this is something different. I'm certain that this delightful offering is going to go big anywhere but you must remember that you've got to let your gang know you're playing it. "Friend Husband'' sounds good but you must make it plain that this is a brand new Goldwyn offering with Madge Kennedy because Mack Sennett used the same title not long ago, which may lead folks to believe that they've seen this before. For liei' brief career on the screen. I think Miss Kennedy has built up quite a following and that, combined with thi' fact that this is something you can safely make considerable noise about, should enable you to do some real business. The good ones don't come any too often. You might use some eatchlines like these to stir up interest : "Would you marry a girl if she made it plain that she didn't want to be bothered with you after the ceremony? See Madge Kennedy in 'Friend Husband'." "Would you make your husband sleep out on the porch on your wedding night? See Madge Kennedy in 'Friend Husband'." "Could a man make you love him if you didn't want to? See 'Friend Husband'." You might attract some attention to your lobby by having a facsimile of a letter, about the size of a one sheet, prominently spotted, with the following text in feminine handwriting. "Friend Husband: I may not^j see you after the wedding so here's your money now. Dorothy." Have a check, in the same proportions, attached to letter with a large clip, made out to Don Morton for ten thousand and signed by Dorothy Dean. A reproduction of this would be good stuff for your newspaper ads.