The Film Daily (1919)

Sunday, January r>, 1919 *frM DAILY 17 Distinctive Treatment and Human Characterizations make Old Basic Idea Excellent Entertainment Anita Stewart in "VIRTUOUS WIVES." Louis B. Mayer Prod. — First Natl. Exch. Circuit, Dist. DIRECTOR George Loane Tucker AUTHOR Owen Johnson SCENARIO BY George Loane Tucker CAMERAMAN Jack Brown AS A WHOLE Distinctive treatment and human intimate characterizations make old basic theme register splendidly all the way. STORY Little touches and some changes help popular novel decidedly for screen purposes. DIRECTION Provided distinctive atmosphere with convincing society scenes and made characters sufficiently human to hold interest perfectly. PHOTOGRAPHY Generally excellent; some exquisite bits. LIGHTINGS Generally artistic; some great moonlight scenes. CAMERA WORK Very good; intelligent use of angles, closeups and good composition. STAR Handled in manner to register beauty to best advantage. SUPPORT Excellent. EXTERIORS Blended perfectly with distinctive atmosphere. INTERIORS Very good; were truly classy. DETAIL Many good touches. CHARACTER OF STORY Nothing to offend, and had human truths that will hit home anvwhere. LENGTH OF PROD About 5700 ft. Considering the fact that the basic idea of this story is decidedly old and familiar to the average screen fan, it is certainly to the credit of producer George Loane Tucker that he has made an adaptation which holds the interest through every incident, partly be cause of the manner in which he has varied the original story, but principally because of the distinctive atmosphere and the human intimate character study which has been developed. The treatment of this rather well known basic ides lias been such that the attention is concentrated upon the personalities of the characters and the dramatic interest in the incidents in such a manner that the basic idea of wife left alone by busy husband to trite with the other man, does not stick out and annoy you as it would have had the production been less intelligently presented. Certainly everyone will be impressed with the fact that this is a classic production. The exteriors are artistic, the composition is excellent, the lighting is exquisite at times and the interiors blend perfectly with the general scheme of an atmosphere typifying the millionaire society set of the East. After planting this atmosphere, we are introduced intimately to the principal characterizations and our attention is held from first to last by the problems confronting lhece personalities with the various dramatic clashes building to effective climaxes. Coldly analyzed, the story is nothing but the good old eternal triangle, but the treatment has lifted it so decidedly that I'll guarantee that no member of any audience will ever be impressed by this as something which they are familiar with. The development of the action has made it a distinctive, unusual dramatic offering. Miss Stewart is quite beautiful and registered very satisfactorily in her dramatic moments. Hedda Hopper made the character of the other woman stand out and Conway Tearle gave the best performance he has ever registered on the screen in the part of Miss Stewart's husband. Edwin Arden was particularly forcible as Miss Hooper's husband and the man Miss Stewart trifled with played with sufficient reserve to make his scenes truly tense. Exceptional Advertising Angles Make This Sure Fire at B. O. and it Will Please Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor. You have an unusual combination here as to box office value, and certainly you should be able to get business with it if you will handle the advertising intelligently. To begin with, the fact that this is Miss Stewart's return to the screen after an absence of many months under auspices which promise big productions should be of decided interest. Being able to announce that the first offering has been produced by George Loane Tucker the producer of "The Cinderella Man," "The Manxman" and other great successes, will surely bring additional business. The fact that the title develops curiosity is a decided asset and surely there will be many in your community who have either read this Owen Johnson story as published in serial form in the Cosmopolitan magazine, or at least they know that it was published. It is now being published in book form and you can of course get the cooperation of your local booksstore folks in boosting this. I would make a lot of noise about this being the first Anita Stewart special production, emphasizing the fact that Mr. Mayer who is managing Miss Stewart, has engaged the best director he could find in the person of Mr. Tucker, to make this first offering. You can rest assured that your gang will be more than pleaseo with this as a production, and they will be particularly impressed if you will built your advertising in such a way as to bring them in in the right frame of mind. The producer was working under a real handicap here in having a story that presented nothing out of the ordinary, but certainly he has given it the treatment that will make it register as a most interesting and decidedly distinctive, dramatic production. It should satisfy any sort of audience anywhere. Make a particular play in your advertising on the title because it affords exceptional opportunity to twist the words into questions that will stir interest. Excellent advertising material has been prepared to assist you in the exploitation of this first special of the Anita Stewart Company.