Harrison's Reports (1928-1928)

February 18, 1928 27 HARRISON’S REPORTS “Chicago After Midnight” — with Ralph Ince, Jola Mendez and Boh Seiter (F. B. 0., March 4; 6,249 ft.; 72 to 89 min. ) A powerful melodrama of the underworld. While the story is interesting, because it has been treated from a somewhat new angle, it is the direction and the acting that make it so powerful. Mr. Ince proves to be a great director, and a very good actor besides, for he, besides directing it, has taken the part of the “heavy.” Some of the scenes hold one breathless. Some of them are where the hero-villian (Ralph Ince), after serving his fifteen year term, comes out of the penitentiary and goes' in search of the squealer, finding him conducting a cabaret. The scenes toward the end, where the young heroine is trapped by the hero-villain and his gang, are the most suspensive of them all: The hero-villain did not know that the heroine was his own daughter, and gives orders that she be mistreated for having tried to get “the goods” on them; he did not know that the reason why she was trying to get something on them was her desire to have set free her young sweetheart (hero), who had been arrested for a murder he had not committed. The scenes that show the hero-villain’s friend rushing to him to tell him that the girl was his own daughter are extremely suspensive, too: the friend had been taken to police headquarters and was asked to wait there. He was nervous because every moment lost was precious. Finally he finds an opportunity to escape, and rushes to the hero-villain, just in time to tell him of his discovery and to give him an opportunity to rescue his daughter from the hands of the gang-leader, to whom he had delivered her. The scenes of the struggle are suspensive as well as thrilling. It is hard to say what part of the film holds the honor for direction. All has been masterfully directed. The scenes that show the young hero just regaining consciousness after a severe blow on the head with a bottle is a piece of art; young Bob Seiter could not have acted more realistically had he received a real blow. The scenes that show the herovillain’s friend at police headquarters, nervous because of his desire to let the hero know of his discovery, with the detectives playing checkers, looking unconcerned, is another piece of direction that stands out. The young heroine’s acting while the hero-villain (her father) fell on the gangster like a tiger to rescue her from his hands is another noteworthy piece of direction. The picture is, in fact, full of similar artistic pieces of direction and acting. The plot has been founded on an original story by Charles K. Harris. Every one in the cast acts well. “The Wife's Relations” — with Shirley Mason ( Columbia , Jan. 13; 5,508 ft.; 64 to 78 min.) An enjoyable comedy romance between a poor hero and a millionaire heroine. The comedy is caused by Ben Turpin and three other chums of the hero; they posed as servants to the hero for the purpose of impressing the heroine’s father and mother with the fact that the hero is a wealthy man. One of the chums impersonates a woman. Most of the comedy is caused in the scenes where the hero’s chums are serving dinner to the heroine’s parents, particularly in the ones where the chums, including Ben Turpin, are making every effort to prevent the owner of the house whom they had tied on a chair, from making his presence known and from exposing their hoax. Ben Turpin’s antics cause most of the comedy. The plot has been founded on the story by Stephen Cooper. The picture has been directed by Maurice Marshall well, under the supervision of Harry Cohen. Shirley Mason does good work as the fieroine. Gaston Glass is an acceptable hero. Besides Ben Turpin, the following players are in the supporting cast: Flora Finch, Lionel Belmore, Ar mand Kaliz, Maurice Ryan, James Harrison and others. The story deals with a millionaire’s daughter, whom her mother tries to force to marry a nobleman, whom she does not love. To escape the detestable marriage, she leaves fashionable Palm Beach and returns to New York, where she obtains a position as an elevator woman. She accidentally becomes acquainted with the hero, a promising young chemist, tempo rarily a butler for the nobleman who wanted the heroine as a wite. Their friendship ripens into love and marriage. They live in the employer’s house, where the hero’s chums made their headquarters during the employer’s absence. The heroine telegraphs the news ol her marriage to her parents, who take the train back to New York to look over the husband. Hero and heroine decide to “put on” a good front. They make the hero’s chums impersonate cooks, butlers, chamber-maids and everything. While serving dinner, the owner of the house appears. But before lie had an opportunity to make his presence known the hero’s chums make him a prisoner in the cellar. Everything, however, ends well; the heroine’s parents liked the hero, and the father paid him a big sum of money for an invention of his. It should please well everywhere. “The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris” — with George Sidney and J. Farrell McDonald ( Univ.-Jeivel , Jan. 15; 7,481 ft.; 87 to 106 min.) Almost as funny as “The Cohens and the Kellys.” Besides, it has many thrilling situations, of the “Safety Last” type. These occur toward the end, where the two heroes cling to the wings of an aeroplane in mid air; the spectator holds his breath for fear lest they lose their grip and fall. Most of the comedy occurs in the cabaret, in Paris, where the two fathers went. to find Paulette, a dancer, to induce her to convince the daughter of one of them (of Cohen) that, while she was posing as a model in the studio of the son of the other (of Kelly), their relations were only for business. The two heroes had gone to Paris, each bent upon preventing a marriage between their children; they did not know that the young folk had already been married. But when they find it out and learn that the young woman was going to divorce her young husband, the two fathers decide to prevent it. The two fathers are shocked when they find out that their wives had gone there, too. It is then that the fun starts. Most of the comedy is contributed by Kate Price, who takes the part of a strong woman, who beat any one that tried to molest either her husband or her husband’s partner. The picture has been directed with great skill by William Beaudine, from a scenario and adaptation by A1 Cohen. George Sidney and J. Farrell McDonald make a good pair of partners (friendly enemies). Vera Gordon and Kate Price make good wives. Sue Carrol, Gertrude Astor and Charles Delaney are the other principal characters. It should go well everywhere. “South Sea Love” — with Patsy Ruth Miller (/’. B. 0., Dec. 10; 6,388 ft.; 74 to 91 min.) Not much to it; although it has been handled by an experienced director, the story material is weak. The story unfolds chiefly in the South Sea Islands, and the principal doings are an attempt on the part of a villainous young man to make the heroine, with whom he was infatuated, marry him, even though she was in love with some one else, to whom she was engaged. In the South Sea Islands, where his halfcrazed mind carried him with the purpose of murdering the hero, he is stricken with malaria fever. The hero, who had found him delirious, did not know who he was; but he nursed him back to health just the same. During his convalescence, they exchange confessions. As a result, both feeling that they had been the victim of the same woman (heroine), become fast friends. The hero tricks the heroine to the Islands with the purpose of making her suffer. But the perfidy of his supposed-friend soon becomes known. The hero asks the heroine's forgiveness. She marries him and decides to stay with him in the South Sea Islands. The scenes that show the heroine in the South Sea Islands, dressed in the latest Fifth Avenue styles, should make many a spectator laugh “kiddingly.” The plot has been founded on the George Surdez story that appeared in the “Adventure” magazine: it has been directed by Ralph Ince. Lee Shumway takes the part of the hero, and Harry Crocker that of the villain.