Motion Picture Classic (Jan-Aug 1919)

I CLASSIC ; The Celluloid Critic {Continued from page 81) II elation,” but the humanness of it all is crushed i beneath tons of scenic trappings. Where an imaginative director would have sugI gested, thus keeping interest centered upon the main figure of his theme, Director Alii bert Cappelani has crowded thousands of supers and a fortune in Oriental architecture upon the screen. Result — cold gor J geousness. “The Red Lantern” will dazzle , your eye, but it will never touch your heart. Nazimova plays both the pseudo1 goddess and her English half-sister. Noah ! Beery gives a vivid performance of WarI ner Oland as the scoundrelly leader of the Boxers. Anita Stewart is approaching _ the Anita Stewart of old in her latest vehicle, “Mary Regan,” based on the Leroy Scott novel. The camera-conscious star of the last two Stewart pictures has disappeared and her present performance, of the little daughter of a crook, who finds herself outside the pale of good society and who loves too deeply to let the man she cares most for sacrifice himself, has distinct subtleties. Lois Weber’s handling is admirable in its directness, altho she has found it necessary many times to resort to a ’phone to carry her story. “The Test of Honor,” (Paramount), is the first serious photoplay John Barrymore has tried. While the stage has been acclaiming him as an actor of high and sincere attainments, the films have been watching him as a comedian. Once John — • then Jack — was a light farceur behind the footlights. But he passed that period some years ago. Now he has likewise crossed , the celluloid line between the ridiculous and the sublime. Not that there is anything sublime about “The Test of Honor,” which is adapted from E. Phillips Oppenheim’s “The Malefactor.” Vengeance, always a popular film theme, it seems, is the backbone of “The Test of Honor.” Martin Wingrave goes to prison as a result of the unscrupulousness of a young woman. From that point on, revenge is his single thought. He hunts and traps the woman, now married to a wealthy man, causing her to be turned from her home into the streets. And Martin himself finds happiness in the love of a little girl who has cared all along. Even the solidity of Barrymore’s acting does not keep the ruthless hounding of even a faithless woman from being offensive. Marcia Manon as the lady who pays the price, is I very good at times and very bad at others. Constance Binney is promising as the flapper who cares thru the years and Jack Johnston has an all too brief appearance in this picture. “The Test of Honor” is well knit melodrama, but it isn’t life. Poor Sessue Hayakawa! Always struggling with the limitations of story possibilities, since he must always renounce the fair young white flapper or die in the final reel. In “The Courageous Coward,” (Exhibitors’ Mutual), he has gotten a bit away from this rut. Herein he plays a lawyer, a young Japanese educated in America, who loves a young girl of his own race in this country. Rather than break his word to an American, he bears the brand of being ; a coward and almost loses his sweetheart ■ before the secret of his silence is revealed. Tsuru Aoki is the sweetheart. We found the unfolding of this story rather dull. Yet how fascinating were the Hayakawas in the old Ince days! The screen has had few more entertaining comedies than “Romance and Arabella,” (Select), in which Constance Talmadge gives her usual delicious performance. Arabella is a butterfly who fancies she loses her heart to each new masculine admirer. There is a young chap who sincerely loves her and he sets out to cure ! Arabella by injecting a new man into the : proceedings at the psychological moment, ‘ ■ (EigMy-three) i. e., when Arabella is just about to succumb to the blandishments of her latest. Thus in succession come a violent Westerner, a new thought-ist, a callow college boy and a dry-as-dust professor. Arabella is finally cured, of course, and accepts the substantial love of the man who has been waiting. The whole thing is done in the finest spirit of light comedy by Director Walter Edwards and by Miss Talmadge as the fluffy Arabella. There is a wealth of shading in her comedy. Wallace Reid is technically the star of “The Roaring Road,” (Paramount), but a dashing race between an express train and a racing car is really the, stellar feature. “The Roaring Road” is the romance of an automobile man’s daughter and a spirited young motor car salesman who becomes a racing car driver to prove his mettle. James Cruze, the director, has handled the race in masterly fashion. It is the thrilliest thing of the film month. “Peppy Polly,” (Paramount), interested us at the start, but gradually the reformatory background oppressed all the joy out of our evening. Polly, otherwise Dorothy Gish, is a vibrant young person with the come-back qualities of a rubber ball. While working as stenographer for a reformer, she gets the idea of being sentenced to a reformatory to investigate inside conditions. She eases a brick thru a jeweler’s window and begins investigating conditions with a vengeance. And along comes the reformatory doctor, to whom she loses her heart. Of course, things are ultimately explained. Dorothy improves with each picture. Richard Barthelmess is the doctor. Certainly Barthelmess would not be our choice of a safe physician for a girls’ reformatory. Our recollections of “The Yankee Princess” (Vitagraph), are so slender that we hardly dare comment upon it. Bessie Love plays the daughter of a newly rich Irish family. For one thing, “The Yankee Princess” has clumsy direction. There are moments in “Captain Kidd, Jr.,” (Artcraft), when you wonder if you are watching a Mack Sennett farce. For the romance of a quest in search of buried treasure has been transposed into broad burlesque in the making by Director William D. Taylor. “Captain Kidd, Jr.” even has its travesty sheriff in a trick Ford. Mary Pickford is her pleasing self as Mary MacTavish, Douglas MacLean is a likeable lover and Robert Gordon contributes a bright bit as ithe foppish Billie Carleton. After all, we liked Miss Bickford’s treasurehunting garb best of everything in “Captain Kidd, Jr.” “The Money Corral,” (Artcraft), takes William S. Hart temporarily away from his Western ranges. Here he is a sure-shot cow puncher engaged as night watchman for a Chicago bank where robberies have been frequent. How he smashes a gang and wins the heart of the bank president’s little ward furnish interest and excitement. In fact, “The Money Corral” held us all the way. Mr. Hart contributes a delicious moment a's the bashful Lean Beason, who, suddenly thrust into a smart society reception, makes his escape thru an open window. “The Stronger Vow,” (Goldwyn), a Geraldine Farrar vehicle, annoyed us unutterably, but not thru faults of story, acting or direction. The whole thing was simply wrecked by subtitles which took the edge from all surprise, even to telling us all about a person’s character in introducing the players. “The Stronger Vow” is reading matter, illustrated here and there with animated pictures. And Thomas Santschi was miscast as a Spanish scoundrel ! Never will we forget it! And “A Regular Fellow” (Triangle). A story with possibilities done in dull fashion. If You Like DIAMONDS Read ThisI Nowforthe first time you can own and wear beautiful jewels without the heatry expense of buying diamonds. Think of it! A few dollars will buy in this new precious gem what $500 to $600 bought before in diamonds. Sounds impossible, but it’s true— Listen. Liberty Gems Set in 14 Kawat Solid Gold are America’s own glorious precious gems — jeweli so wonderfully brilliant, so lasting of lustre, so beautiful in color that only genuine blue white South African diamonds can compare with them. LIBERTY GEMS stand every DlamondTest. A hard steel file will not scratch them. They cut glass like diamonds— stand fire and acid ; nothing can mar or mark their wondrous beauty. So perfect in color, so perfect in cut are LIBERTY GEMS that side by side with diamonds they baffle diamond buyers to distinguish the difference. $100,00 Forfeit Guarantee LIBERTY GEMS in many ways are even better than diamonds, as we guarantee to pay $100.00 In cash to any person who finds a diamond imperfection such as carbon spots, feathers, etc., in a LIBERTY GEM. 30 Days’ Trial Free Examination — Easy Credit Terms To see this wonderful American precious stone you need not sendone penny in advance. From catalog select the size and style of mounting. After ex amination, if you wish to wear the jewel, deposit small first payment of Easy Terms. After wearing 30 full days, if you decide the LIBERTY GEM is not entirely satisfactory, return it at our expense and your deposit will be instantly refunded. A Wonderful Book FREE The story of LIBERTY/""""""'""' GEMS reads like fiction, but .♦ Cataion Counon every word is true. This / most interesting story is in .♦ a beautiful cataiog show ( MILLER-HOEFER CO ing a wonderful assort ,♦ ata,.' s».et ‘□.troit Mich, ment of libeRTY/^^®““®®‘“’°'’ ’ Gems mounted in the / Dear Sir; — latest and most up-to-> Send oh'igffl?'’' date 14 Karat Solid Gold .♦ Catalog of LIBEK'TY GEMS — Rings and Jewelry. The g FREE Test offer — introductory book is Free. Send your ♦ direct prices ; and Easy Terms, name and !address— no ^ obligation. $end to* / day. / Square Deal Miller, Pr«s. ^ 2"Tamo — Miller Hoef er Co. / Catalog Dept. 27 iy 33 State Street ^ Detrolt^^Michlgan^Address — [BOUT BEAUTY— It describes * the preparations and home rtreatments originated by Dr. Dys of Paris. Every woman should profit by his ’ methods, famous throughout Europe. Nothing similar in America. Special treatments [at the New York Salon. 6,30 Stm avenue, new YORK I Keeps Skin Smooth, Firm, Fresh Youthful Looking To di.spel the tell-tale lines of age, illness or worryto overcome flabbipesa andimprove facial contour — there is ootiiins quite £0 good as plain Powdered SAXOIITE Effectiyo for wrinkles, erbwsfeet. enlarged pores, etc., because it •tightens'* and tones the ekin anderlyirtg tissue. J’lo harm to .ten* , -. . derest skin. Get an ounce package, I loiipw the fiimpJe duiections— see what .just.one'appU*