Motion Picture News (Sep - Oct 1926)

September 11 , 1926 1007 The Kick-Off Fordhanis Most Versatile Athlete Stars (Reviewed by Paul Thompson) C> EORGE WALSH, wlio won his varsity letter in several w major sports at Fordliam, is now capitalizing some of that ' experience on the screen. This means that the man who was "nearly Ben-Hur" brings reality to the screen doing the things he knows how to do. This is particularly true of "The Kick-Off,'" another in the series of increasingly popular football jjlays. This present vehicle, as is true of the majority of football pictures, has for its locale a small college. Has it ever occurred to any of the producers that it is a bit inconsistent to stage the championship game which the hero must Avin, and does, of course, in tlie Yale Bowl? Disregarding this possil)ly iiypercritical comment, let's go on with the story. Walsh is an automobile mechanic football star. He evidently finds both jobs profitable, as he obviously shifts from one college to another offering better wages. His rival in sport and love decoys him from the championship game. Finding this out in his home town the hero is compelled to get back to the field as best he can. Auto, one horse-shay, horseback; all serve his purpose in an amusing sort of Sheridan's Ride ' ' twenty miles away. ' ' It is an always convincing and entertaining pictui-e and will score not only with Walsli adherents l)ut othn fan-.. Wesley Ruggles wrote and directed the piece. The Cast: Georr/c IValsJi, Leila Hyaiiis, Bee Amann, Baric Lariuwrc. IV. L. TJwrne. Joe Burke, Jane Jennings. Director. J'',\s7rv Ru</c/!es. THEME: Inevitable winning football game at last moment by misunderstood hero. PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS: The Paul Revere ride; not "The British or the Campbells are Coming," but George Walsh to save the game. EXPLOITATION ANGLES: The star's feminine — and — masculine following; for the latter fact that' he was National League baseball player. DRAWING POWER: Should prove an excellent draw for most houses. Prod need and distributed l>\' Excellent Pictures Corp. I^ength, 6.000 feet. Released August 20, 1926. Hiiililijilils (>l till: I'liriimaiiiil spfciiil production "Beau Geste" Marriage License Alma Riihejis in W ell Done Drama (Reviewed by Paul Thompson) TRANSPOSITION of the stage play, "The Pelican." by that talented relative of Lord Alfred Tennyson, England's one-time poet laureate, F. Tennyson Jesse, writing in collaboration with H. M. Sarwood, has been successfully accomplished by Fox Films in the scenario by Bradley King called "Marriage License" and directed by Frank Borzage. The coml)any, headed by Alma Rubens, could scarcely be bettered and play their roles well. For those unfaniiliai witli the origiiml it may not be amiss to tell the plot. The heir to an ancestral title in England meets a girl in Canada, marries her and takes her home to his unrecejjtive parents swollen with pride of birth. Despite the girl's pregnancy, tbe boy's mother schemes to separate the son and his wife and succeeds. Years after, when the wife has met and fallen in love again, her ex-htisband, discovering the existence of his own son, insists upon re-marriage for the boy's and his own sake. The woman, self-sacrificing yet torn between her love for her son and the other man, gives up her promised hap])iness. An unhappy ending, yes, but consistent and as such to be apjjlauded. What the moving picture world needs are more plays of this type as well conceived, directed and acted as is "Marriage License." THEME: Conflict between mother love and that for a man. PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS: Successful creation of atmosphere of aristocratic world in which action takes place. EXPLOITATION ANGLES: Use rear-of-train honeymoon scene. Alma Rubens and boy Robin (Richard Walling) closeups. Accentuate mother-love theme. DRAWING POWER: Good but not great. Picture almost too intelligent. Scenes from "V oung April" a Producers production Distributing Corporation The Cast: Alum Rubens {featured), Walter McGrail, Richard Walling, Walter Pidgcon, Charles Lane, Emily Fitzroy, Langhorne Buj'ton, Arthur [■Rankin, Edgar Norton. Director, Frank Borsagc. Produced and distributed b\ Fo.r Film Corp. Length, 7.168 feet. Released Sc/^tembcr 5, 1926.