Motion Picture Magazine (Aug 1924-Jan 1925)

QMOT10N PICTURp HOI I MAGAZINE L POUDJ3E OfiePromiseoJ QrcatcrBeautf Assured.' Because it is made behind the famous closed door, where the finer Vivaudou products are created — where the fragrant secrets of beauty are hidden. in mystery. If you are sur* you would use a pow~ aer of this character, we will mail you a small sample for 20c. Address Vivaudou. Dept.r-D^.469 5th Ave. Xilew York. NELLIE REVELL'S Joyous Book "Right Off the Chest" Foreword by Irvin S. Cobb Published by George H. Doran Co., New York IS THE Sanest, Merriest Book of the Generation "Nellie Revell is entitled to the affectionate interest of the entire world," says CALVIN COOLIDGE, President of the United States Cloth $2.50 De Luxe Editions, autographed, $10 and $100 AT ALL BOOKSELLERS or from J. P. Muller, General Secretary, Nellie Revell Book Committee 220 West 42nd Street New York MAKE CHOCOLATES *Z8&\?tJ!SSl to make delicious chocolate coated candies. Easily learned at home. Complete chocolate dipping: directions—so easy to follow that you can succeed at first trial— sent postpaid for $1.00. VEENER MORRIS, Box 94, Pomona, California. £t I WANT YOU" MEN-WOMEN 18 UP $1140 to $3000 a Year Hundreds U. S. Government jobs now obtainable. Steady work. Experience unnecessary. Common education sufficient. Write today sure for free list of positions open. .FRANKLIN INSTITUTE, Dept. M-254, Rochester, N. Y. i$50to$100aWeeIc i jjJtrFwSfHr*** m Sell virgin wool tailormade suits and overcoats direct to wearer. All one price, $31 60. Wonderful values, way below store prices. Easy to sell Protected territory. Commissions in advance. Write. J.B.SIMPSON,lnc. 843 W. Mams St, Dept. 886 CWcaeo STUDY AT HOME Become a lawyer. Legally trained men win high positions and biff eucceaa in business and public life. Greater opportunitiea now than ever before. Be independent— be a leader. Lawyers earn ,O0O to $10,000 Annually by step. You can train at home during apare time. Let us Bend you records and letters from LaSalle studenta admitted to the bar in various atatea. Decree of LL. B. conferred, thousands of succeaaful studenta enrolled. Low coat, easy terma We furnish tall text material, including fourteen; volume Law Library. Get our valuable 120-paee "Law Guide and "Evidence" books FREE. Send for them-NOW. LaSalle Extension University, Dept. 878-L, Chicago Comment on Other Productions {Continued from page 105) who live close to nature, and in its stark simplicity it offers a love story that may be nailed with delight by those who have become satiated with unconventional antics of the Modern Rebels so easily bored with life. Its appeal lies in its simplicity and sincerity, for coming down to dramatic points the picture loses value. Its characters never really come to life — and its sentiment is often carried too far — so the whole thing cannot be called very convincing. Balancing the mediocre photography and the production details — which are not so good — it is an adequate interpretation ; one or two moments of humor — and the naturalness which the picture has in spots. Gloria Grey is the heroine — and she gives a charming portrayal. A large cast of well-known players assist her. Daring Youth The probationary marriage fostered by Fannie Hurst, Thyra Samter Winslow, Ruth Hale and members of the Lucy Stone League has been taken advantage of by an observant author for comedy expression. Dorothy Farnum, who concocted this story, pays her compliments to Fannie Hurst in a foreword in furnishing her the inspiration — and then proceeds to puncture the ideas of this well-known writer in order to capitalize the humor of the situation. Miss Hurst declares the plan is working out beautifully because neither she nor her husband have an opportunity to tire of each other — seeing that they breakfast together only on certain days of the week. Miss Farnum does not have her heroine use her maiden name after the ceremony. She doesn't go so far as that. She points out thru conflict that Miss Hurst's scheme isn't feasible for comedy purposes. And it all simmers down to the husband's employing caveman tactics in subduing his spirited spouse. The story is slight and the action is concentrated into a few love spats — with the young honeymooners playing a game with each other. Come to think of it, the idea has often been used, tho it hasn't been introduced with the probationary marriage. The picture is well directed and played in competent fashion by Bebe Daniels, Norman Kerry and Lee Moran. The latter is the "goat" of the situation — the man selected by the wife to provoke her husband into becoming masterful. All this wife was looking for was appreciation and jealous love. And she found them and beamed with happiness. A likely story releasing a whimsical touch and a fair suggestion of humor. Kentucky Days A melodrama of covered wagon days is offered here — one which is a trifle farfetched in plot and characterization to shape up as genuine, but which presents a creditable amount of action and suspense to offset its shortcomings. Dustin Farnum, whose luck has never been very good so far as having worthy material, strives to make something of his role. But the de mands are too great. The plot is too trite and overdrawn — and the central character is too vindictive to be convincing. It is a triangle of a red-blooded Kentuckian who seemingly stops at nothing in meting out revenge upon his faithless spouse. He lugs forth the duelling pistols and kills his enemy. And if you think his anger is quickly smothered, let us tell you that he orders his wife from his home, sets fire to the manse — and compels her to accompany him to the vast open places of the far West. There can be only one solution. And it is the obvious one. The wife proves her loyalty — and a reconciliation is effected. Look for a melodramatic climax which features a fairly thrilling sandstorm — with the rescue of the wife by the husband. Look for a vigorous portrayal — and some colorful punches and perhaps you'll enjoy it after all. The Lone Wolf Carrying the intensified action and atmosphere of a serial, this picture should find response with action lovers. And if they argue that it is overdrawn, let us state that the central situation is now being worked out and demonstrated by men associated with the English army — altho the director and author of this had no knowledge that their minds operated along the same channel. This climax deals with a powerful ray which is so tense that it will stop an airplane engine in midair. It possesses all kinds of possibilities toward making relentless war or solving the problem of the futility of warfare. Here it furnishes a thrilling moment of a hectic melodrama filled with exciting chases, fights and hairbreadth escapes. And it carries speed and action all the way. And there is a romance to balance it — a romance which seems like an afterthought in connection with the melodramatic exploits. Dorothy Dalton and Jack Holt — and several others of film and theatrical fame, enact the story with capable feeling. A Circus Cowboy There is nothing unusual in this film. It carries the accepted stereotyped variety of ordinary melodrama which has characterized dozens of its kind. Its redeeming note is its atmosphere and while it takes a couple of reels to land you inside the big tent, you wont get the thrill that you anticipated. We have the hero and heroine, the villain with his theatric cringing — and the latter's son of weak character — not forgetting the misguided girl who craves finery above the true love of a real man. It features the romance of a cowboy who loses the love of a small town girl because of her vainglorious attitude — but who finds a sincere love in the figure of a circus wire-walker. In building up this perfectly obvious situation we are given scenes exploiting Charles Jones' horsemanship— and some entertaining circus stuff. The director has squeezed everything possible from the story — and succeeds in making it fairly enjoyable. 120 G£ i