The Film Daily (1919)

Sunday, January 12, 1019 ali^l AILY '3 The Same Old Theda in a Picture True to Type; Poorly Produced Theda Bara in "THE LIGHT" Fox. DIRECTOR . ... J. Gordon Edwards AUTHORS Arthur Reed and Bret Page SCENARIO BY Adrian Johnson and Charles Kenyon. CAMERA MAN •• Not Credited. AS A WHOLE . .Typical Theda Bara meller without redeeming qualities in production. STORY Attempts to show the awakening of a soul in ''The wickedest woman in Paris"; artificial in construction. DIRECTION Permits a lot of "acting" and doesn't bother much about fine points. PHOTOGRAPHY ... Mostly poor. LIGHTINGS Decidedly chalky on players' faces. CAMERA WORK Passable. STAR The same old Theda, who doesn't get very far in registering soulful expressions. SUPPORT They never let you forget they are actors; George Renevant approaches burlesque. EXTERIORS Some fair, other just ordinary. INTERIORS For the most part have a "setty," studio appearance. DETAIL Nobody worries about inconsistencies. CHARACTER OF STORY •• Theda Bara. LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,700 feet When a producer hasn't anything else to fall back upon he is likely to revive the old alibi that there is an audience for any kind of a picture. No doubt Bill Fox can turn to his books and show that Theda Bara is a very nice little money maker and on that account justifies films of the calibre of "The Light". But whether or not Theda draws in some communities, because of her reputation as a sensational vamp, the fact remains that from nearly every photoplay standard this is a cheap production catering to the least worthy element among picture fans. They can't oven boast of first class settings and a well photographed film as an artistic compensation for what is lacking in the story and the acting. Excepting to folks that respond to the mannerisms of the Fox star, this will seem pretty poor entertainment. Theda doesn't offer anything new in the narrative ot the "wickedest woman in Paris," who is suddenly inspired by a desire to do her part for France in the European war. Her reputation, Ihowever, is very much against her and when she applies at the Red Cross office for recognition as a nurse, she is refused by a thug-like looking individual, supposed to be the superintendent. The poor woman is frightfully hurt by the rebuff and airs her grievance by being slightly more ill-tempered than usual with the man who is supporting her. As a background for the incidents resulting in Theda's patriotic inspiration, there has been a chance meeting ■ at a restaurant with a young sculptor who thinks that he sees a great soul in Theda's face, if only some man had the ability to awaken it. While the sculptor is battling in the trenches, prior to losing his sight, his ideal woman is hitting the pace a bit faster than ever in Paris. Becoming bored with her keeper and his foolish companions, Theda visits an Apache hangout where she takes a sudden fancy to the roughest of the Apaches, even to the extent of inviting him to come to her home after the den has been raided. They ring in quite a bit of rough stuff between the Apache and the woman's lover, preparatory to Theda's jumping over the traces entirely and starting off with her new found friend. It happens, oh so fortunately, that while Theda is buying the tickets for parts unknown, she meets her blinded sculptor-soldier at the station and suddenly decides that he is the man for her after all. With a fine disregard of probabilities, she leads him off to a beautiful estate in the country and tenderly cares for him while he moulds a statue modeled after her features. When the Apache turns up, Theda merely kills him and when the discarded lover appears, she is supposed to give such a convincing illustration of an awakened soul that the old roue magnanimously takes the responsibility for the murder and leaves the woman to develop her spiritual life with her sympathetic mate. The entire story is so far removed from life that it would be a waste of time to point out minor inconsistencies. In the cast are Eugene Ormonde, Robert Walker, and Florence Martin. Steer Clear of This Unless You Are Catering to Followers of the Fox Star Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor. As a box office possibility, this is on a par with the average Theda Bara picture and whatever the artistic qualities, it is no doubt true that it is possible to make money out of the film if you have established a following for the star. But if you're aiming to build up a steady bunch of regulars in a conservative community which is unaccustomed to pictures of this class, I certainly wouldn't endanger the tone of my house by making a sudden break into the frankly sensational style of picture offered here. It may mean easy money with a certain crowd, but for the sake of one or two nights it doesn't pay to antagonize the more important element in your town. Providing you are running the film, you might as well go the limit in sensational advertising, making a point of the story dealing with the fast set of Paris and presenting the life of Apaches in their underground resorts, contrasted with that of a petted favorite of Paris boulevards. Probably some of the paper distributed by the Fox organization will give a sufficiently lurid idea of the theme portrayed. There's not much new to be said concerning Theda Bara, unless you want to indicate that in "The Light" she has an unusual character, developing from un mitigated wickedness to spirituality, owing to the influence of a man who recognized the best in her nature. A catchline suggested by the Fox people, which is in keeping with the film, reads: "A tale of the wickedest Madonna who ever wore a halo." I'm not exactly advising you to use this line, but at least it fs in keeping with the subject matter.