The Film Daily (1919)

rthe'N No. an ews \ s PAGEANT— nerlca helped win the war! The Victory is illustrated in n treat panorama depicting every eonphase i>f warfare. )KK CITY— baseball in the Knipire State it tlulit for Sabbath entertainnun and 40,000 attend the first K CITY, N. .1.— ttor sees the noted resort from . at an altitude of 2,000 feet. , I |{ INCE— ry Maker and General Pershing X i; F. College in France s soldiers study agriculture. FRANCK— extends a hearty welcome on •UBKe Victory to the British hebottled up the German fleet in us raid. iKK CITY— red heroes travel in "tubs." Consoldiers get a new sensation as I conveyed to a picnic in motor fLEY, MASS.— >ry College seniors take part in its before graduation. Delay i iih theater, Strand, Rialto, I is Paramount week, this :-u.„l why. Irs :iks Making Picture rener of Penna., is in ive-reel production planElks for the U. S. Fednal Board. H. E. Hanbe the producer, and it Claire Whitney will be S"vVvs; PAYS FOft. one's SlU, (jiTWCrV ONE PflVS AC-fWNJ , ( ALL OHeS LiFe ON? PAYS'. tiOsc-r>r> WlLDe'S JSiY WiHDERrteRE'i Ff>r/? isjiJUA DAILY Wednesday, May 7, 1919 Laughs Gome Often in William Russell's Latest Comedy William Russell in "Some Liar" William Russell Productions — Pathe, Distr. DIRECTOR henry King AUTHOR James Oliver Curwood SCENARIO BY Stephen Fox AS A WHOLE Lively comedy with meller trim* mings makes good vehicle for trie star. STORY Adaptation of a novel by James Oliver Curwood. DIRECTION Uses comedy possibilities in situa tions to good advantage. PHOTOGRAPHY Yaries; generally passable LIGHTINGS Ordinary CAMERA WORK Adequate STAR Sure to be liked in his portrayal of an inveterate liar, who has difficulty in living up to tales of his accomplishments. SUPPORT Eileen Percy makes pretty heroine; Haywood Mack and Gordon Russell give strong performances. EXTERIORS Scenes in western mining town about what is generally found in pictures of this nature. INTERIORS Nothing pretentious needed DETAIL . . . .Satisfactory for a western comedy film CHARACTER OF STORY ■ Entirely harmless LENGTH OF PRODUCTION About 4,780 feet IN the character of Robert Winchester McTabb, William Russell has a chance to exert his comedy gifts also to reveal his prowess as an athletic actor when it comes to fight stuff. He is genuinely amusing and at the same time forceful in his portrayal of the "coffin and cradle" salesman, who lies just because he enjoys it and then finds it difficult to justify himself in the eyes of his gullible auditors. The plot in this production is improbable enough from any angle you want to consider it. but that does not keep it from supplying the structure for a first-rate comedy entertainment working up to some situations which may properly be termed novel. From the time rhat Bill Russell blows into the mining town of Yellow Jacket. Arizona, and edifies the gambling hall crowd with an oration of his exploits as a soldier, tilings begin to happen, largely through the instrumentality of Eileen Percy who is traveling incognito that she may secure some papers before they are used to damage the reputation of her wealthy father. No sooner does Eileen meet Bill than she commissions him to "get" her enemy and the papers, even If 11 means resorting to murder. To complicate matters Still further, they have Bill gel into a mix-up with Gordon Russell, a gambler who also is out to murder Haywood Mack, the man that Bill is after in order to oblige the girl. With this arrangement as a basis, they plan a three-cornered right, each man trying to get the better of the other while Eileen stands on tne side lines and urges them on quite heartlessly. As a matter of fact, Bill is not half as brave as he has pictured himself, but when it comes to a brawl from which he cannot gracefully extricate himself, he puts up a stiff fight, then returns to the girl, enlarging upon what lie has done in his characteristic way. For instance, he assures her. with all sorts of vivid details to back up his assertion, that he has killed Mack, whereupon Eileen is regretful because she has not secured the coveted papers. Nothing daunted, the heroic Bill offers to return immediately to get them, despite the fact that he probably will fall into the hands of the sheriff's posse. Probably some of the most effective scenes in the picture come on the night that the three enemies meet and after a three-cornered figfct in which first one, then another, appears to be getting the best of the argument, Mack is actually killed by Gordon Russell who also is anxious to make a favorable impression on Eileen. Bill finds himself in the predicament of either claiming that he committed the murder or conceding that he is a liar, so he boldly asserts that he killed Mack and is ready to be hanged rather than change his story. Here we have the odd situation of both men stoutly asserting their guilt, and it almost comes to a double hanging before evidence turns up which clears Bill and forces him to admit to Eileen that he is a confirmed liar. Of course, he promises to reform and that ends a story that is handled throughout in a lively comedy spirit. A Safe Program Production for Any Type of Theater Box Affice Analysis for the Exhibitor Exhibitors who have checked up on the drawing power of stars, no doubt, have found that William Russell stands high at the present time and is steadily adding to his followers. Even if this production were disappointing, which it is not, you could rely on the strength of the star's name to draw patronage. The secret of his success is not hard to find. He has a genuine, wholesome personality and a happy faculty of not appearing to take himself too seriously on the screen, which enables him to register comedy characters in a natural, convincing manner. If you figured it out, you probably would find that a large percentage of the laughs in "Some Liar" and in previous pictures, such as "Brass Buttons," are directly attributable to the individual work of the star. Treat this as a comedy, not forgetting, however, to let folks know that there is plenty of fast action of the western mining town variety. A wise selection of advertising paper would include fight scenes as well as comedy incidents, always, of course, emphasizing the name of William Russell. In your advance announcements it wouldn't do any harm to bring in some mention of Eileen Percy, for she certainly is an attractive young leading woman who adds charm to the picture. Catchlines: "Think of the biggest liar you ever knew, then double his ability and he won't hold a candle to William Russell in 'Some Liar,' a comedy with a punch." Or: "If you want to know why they called him 'Some Liar,' see William Russell in hi» newest western comedy. Deposit Bonds Wanted Harrisburg, Pa. — Led by Fred J. Herrington of the Idle Hour, Pittsburgh, a number of exhibitors of that city have organized under the name of "The American Exhibitors Asso. of America," and are seeking to pass a bill through the Legislature the chief purpose of which is to have the distributing and producing companies file bonds equal to the amount of advance payments made by exhibitors. Under the provisions of the bill all distributing organizations operating in Pennsylvania must secure a license from the State Board of Censors, which body also has the power to revoke the licenses, and all distributors must deposit with the Censors bonds equal to the amount of advance payments made by exhibitors to them. The proposed measure is known as the Soffel Bill and would be effective Jan. 1, 1920, if passed.