The Film Daily (1918)

Sundav, December 29, 1918 tMA DAILV 23 Food Conservation Theme Made Basis of Entertaining Picture Marguerite Clark in "LITTLE MISS HOOVER" Paramount. DIRECTOR John S. Robertson AUTHOR Maria Thompson Daviess SCENARIO BY Adrian Gil-Spear CAMERAMAN William Marshall AS A WHOLE The kind of thing that Marguerite Clark fans are looking for. Production has charm throughout. STORY Food conserva'ion theme doesn't spoil entertainment value. Nothing very novel, but answers purpose. DIRECTION Utilized star and story material to best advantage. Puts over telling bits of business effectively. PHOTOGRAPHY Generally very good LIGHTINGS Some pretty effects; players' faces well lighted. CAMERA WORK Mostly straight stuff. STAR Bound to please her followers. SUPPORT Eugene O'Brien is presentable hero; vil'age characters and others well cast. EXTERIORS Farm scenes and those taken in small village street are the real thing. INTERIORS Correctlv furnished. DETAIL Accounts for a number of laughs and brings ouf heart appeal. CHARACTER OF STORY Entirely wholesome. LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4909 ft. Here's a real business-getting title. Whoever struck upon the idea of calling this latest Marguerite Clark picture "Little Miss Hoover" ought to get a big Christmas card from M. Zukor, for it looks good from any angle. It's timely, it goes with the character ot the story, and it sounds right, bracketed with the name of Marguerite Clark. The title is "there" and so is the pictrre. Little Miss Clark won't slip as long as she has material which suits her as does the adaptation of Maria Thompson Daviess' story, originally called "The Golden Bird.' Pretty nearly everything about it is in keeping with the girlish sweetness of the star who is rather definitely typed in the minds of most fans. Her mannerisms just suit the character of "Little Miss Hoover" fresh, pretty and engaging. The food conservation propaganda offered here is so thoroughly sugarcoated with a story presented by sure'nuff people that it doesn"t seem like propaganda at all. They just go ahead with the story and let the moral take care of itself, which after all is the best way to treat a moral in a screen entertainment. There's nothing big or extraordinary about the plot, and there are scenes which may strike some of your folks as being a bit unnecessary, but generally they are justified in that they strengthen the characterizations or lend atmosphere to a tale that doesn't go in for dramatic intensity. Miss Clark is impressed by the slogan "Food will win the war" to such a degree that she determines to have a hand in increasing the country's food supply. Chickens strike her as being the best bet, so she invests in a small flock of white leghorns. When the grandfather with whom she lives goes broke, they move, with the precious chickens, to the farm of a relative. The action in these first reels is a trifle slow, but there are bits of business concerning Miss Clark and her elusive chickens which get over nicely. The scenario-writer made Chance his right hand partner when he brought about the meeting between the shero and Hero Eugene O'Brien who is snooping around the country for no apparent purpose. Most folks however, won't bother about the convenient progress of the plot. Shero Marguerite hasn't been located on the farm for lon<^ before she concludes that something ought to be done about the acres lying waste for want of men to cultivate them. In an heroic moment, she kindles a working spirit in the lazy villagers (some job we'll say) and carries them off to the farm. All the while Little Marguerite is experiencing a quickened heart act:on whenever Hero O'Brien comes around, although she can't forsive him for not being in uniform, and he can't explain. The farm workers, now all het up with a work or fight spirit, plan a little tar and feathers party for the stranger who just ba^es about, but it never comes off. Presently "The Slacker" returns to town to deliver an addrss on food conservation. He is no less than a wounded major working for Hoover. After this disclosure we don't have to wait long for the clutch. ^ The only studio concentrating on the production of features to the exclusion of all other details. Productions made by contract. Perfect facilities for individual producing units with or without contractees supervison. The BRUNTON STUDIOS ROBERT BRUNTON COMPANY Melrose Avenue Los Angeles "By Your Works You Are Known" Recent Productions "Madam IF ho" "A Man's Man" ''Patriotism" "Carmen of the Klondike" "Turn of a Card" "Alimony" "The One Woman" "More Trouble" "The Bells'1 "Sierra of the Sixties" "All Wrong"