Motion Picture News (Nov - Dec 1926)

1960 Motion Picture X c T The Return of Peter Grimm Belasco's Reincarnation Play Done in Pictures (Reviewed by Paul Thompson) HERE is always a certain amounl of justifiable trepidation felt when the announcement is made thai an outstanding stage success is to be made into the silent drama. So with this David Warfield success, purchased by Fox, it was felt thai the transposition mighl miss the intenl and -pint of the original, but these fears are nol realized. Alee B. Francis 1ms not the wistfulness and charm of the actor who created the original and missing, of course, is the voice of the man which had and has tear-compelling qualil ies, Offsetting the absence of these qualities of the stage play the movie version has a great deal to niter the original necessarib lacked. The credulity of the playgoer was always stretched to the breaking point when Warfield became a spirit yet to all intents and purpose possessed of all the physical attributes of the living man he had been. In the picture through the trick oJ photography, either double exposure or by a system of mirrored reflections, the spirit Peter is an ectoplasm figure through which the other living, breathing characters pa- unconscious of his presence. In this respect the picture is much more convincing i nd effective. It i not the original play in many respects, hut it is a highly creditable piece of work andreflects credit on Victor Schertzinger, the director, and the Fox Company. The Cast: .lice II. Francis, John Roche, Janet Gaynor, Richard Walling, John St. Polis, Lionel Belmore, Elizabeth Patterson, Bodil Rosing, Mickey McBan, Florence Gilbert, Sammy a. 1 1 oak. Director. Victor Schertzinger. Adapted by Bradley King from David Belasco's play. THEME: Reincarnation to EXPLOITATION ANGLES: thwart selfishness and greed Warfield and Belasco names. and reward the virtuous. PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS: The successful creation of spirit illusion. Present great interest in spiritualism. DRAWING POWER: Should be excellent. Length, ').'"»! feet. Released November 7, 1926. Dramatic moments in "The Bells,'" the Cluuhvick picture which is a screen version of the Erkmann-Chatrian play We're in the Navy Now Hot and Heavy Sla[>stich Shells Fun Here (Reviewed by Laurence Reid) NOTHING has seemingly been forgotten toward making the Wallace Beery-Raymond Ilatton sequel to •'Behind the Front." a rip-snorting comedy. Spiced with gags, seasoned with tobasco sauce —and setting a pace that makes it truly lively the new picture i one of the funniest hits of the season. Edward Sutherland, who directed the stars in the war comedy, has struck off e rich scenes and you can leave it to Messrs. Beery and Ilatton to come through with flying color-. The stars come on as a pugilisl and his manager and by a misunderstanding and what not they find themselves in the navy. The gags here are richly productive of laughs, hut once the goofy gobs get on the battleship their troubles develop and SO do the howls of merriment. It all goes under the head of slapstick done with a line sense of burlesques by two Grade A comedian-. There's no custard pie -tuff. It l more appropriate —dealing as it doe with incident aboard -hip. Chester Conklin ha a -mall bit ,-i ,-i skipper and add to the high jinks. In all it will have any audience laughing, anywhere. The Cast: Wallace Beery, Raymond Hattoa. Chester Conklin, Tom Kennedy, Donald Keith, Lorraine Eason, Max Ashcr. Director, Edward Sutherland. THEME: Comedy of a couple of tough "birds" who curiously enlist in the navy, ignorant of what it's all about. PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS: The fight episode. The constant play of gags. The incident aboard ship. The early scenes when the boys get into the navy. The captions. The sparkling performances by the stars. The hammock incident. EXPLOITATION ANGLES: Tie up with title and play up stars as having a funny sequel to "Behind the Front." If there is a naval recruiting station in your community tie up with it. Treat it from a humorous angle. DRAWING POWER: Stars and title will pack the house. 0. K. for any theatre. Interesting incidents t« /><• found in "The Outlau I </"■ tss," a Pathe II estern Produced and distributed by Famous /'layers. Length, six reels. Released November, 1926.