Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

1186 Motion Picture News Pre-release Reviews of Features '" The Woman Conquers " First National — Five Reels (Reviewed by Laurence Reid) THERE isn't much revealed in this picture which entitles it to encomiums. It serves simply as a vehicle for Katherine MacDonald — nothing more. The production values are the highlights, there being an adequate atmosphere combined with appropriate settings. Tom Forman, who directed, has done everything possible with the story which treats of familiar situations. Certainly he has kept the action smooth and has guided the players in a manner which gets results. One might call it a society drama with a melodramatic finish and Miss MacDonald, as the girl who tires of social life and goes to the open spaces up North, is as optically satisfying as ever. The introductory shots feature the idle manners of the rich with the heroine registering boredom through the useless existence of the social whirl. So she decides to get away from it all by going to Canada and taking over the property inherited from her uncle. So the scene shifts to the white spaces, up where men are men and up where men are wolves. There they are, the parlor hounds replaced by a hungry pack of he-wolves. The subsequent action gives Mitchell Lewis an opportunity to flash a graphic bit of character work as the brutal overseer. The girl attempts to drive him away but he sets fire to the storehouse. These scenes are all perfectly obvious and are not marked by any excitement and suspense. Even the climax doesn't stir the emotions so often has it been employed. It offers the girl, a society youth, who has accompanied her North, and the human wolf in a hut where they have taken refuge from the storm. The city lover shows some fighting qualities when he is forced to become a he-man and fight for the girl. He conquers his enemy in heroic fashion. Which means that he is badly wounded. This gives the heroine a chance to carry him back on her sled and reveal her love for him. The exteriors are satisfying and the scenes of the dogs and sleds are colorful enough. It looks to us as if the man conquers much more than the woman. She had conquered any desire to bask in the social spotlight long before she reached the North. The man didn't, conquer his weak impulses until he was up. against it at the end. The Cast Ninon Le Cotnpte Katherine MacDonald Frederick Van Cort 3rd Bryant Washburn Lazar Mitchell Lewis Flora 6'Hare June Elvidge Jeanette Duval Clarissa Selwynne Raoul Maris Boris Karloff Lawatha Francis MacDonald By Violet Clark. Directed by Tom Forman. The Story — Society girl, bored with life among idle rich, leaves for North country where she has inherited valuable property. A social idler accompanies her. She is confronted by brutal overseer who attempts to make love to her. When she repulses him he revenges himself by setting fire to the storehouse. A storm occurs and the girl, the city man and the overseer seek shelter. The society lover is badly wounded in protecting her. Classification — Society drama balanced with orthodox melodrama of far North. Production Highlights — The dog sled scenes. The attractive exteriors. The scene when society admirer becomes a he-man and punishes the villain. Good atmosphere. Exploitation Angles — The cast is well known. Play up star and other members of company. Feature the snow stuff. Use the title for a teaser campaign. Drawing Power — Suitable for second and third class downtown houses. Scene from " The Busy Body," C. C. Burr comedy for Hodkinson. Charles Murray, one of the three featured players, right. " A Clouded Name " Playgoers — Five Reels (Reviewed by Laurence. Reidj AVERY fair program picture is offered in "A Clouded Name," which might have been considerably better had it been handled in a logical manner. The central idea is not original in any way, nor can it be put down as forceful, but it contains enough substance to suggest a more compelling story than what is presented. It looks as if it suffered from bad editing for as it stands there is little coherence in the plot and sequences. Most of the scenes are loosely connected so that the action is uneven. Any spectator will not find it difficult to follow the story even though it is choppy. But he will find it difficult to discover any real logic. Then too, the suspense is missing. Yet despit its faults in its disjointed continuity and the development of the plot, many will be absorbed by the situations which involve the characters. The story revolves around a youth who avoids a girl because he believes her father responsible for his father's disgrace and subsequent disappearance. She loves the boy, however, and follows him to a mountain lodge, where she is entertained by his host, the villain of the picture. The complications are cleared up when the girl is saved from the scoundrel's attack by a bearded stranger who turns out to be the boy's father. The titles could be improved. The interpretation has been entrusted to competent players. Norma Shearer, who came over the film horizon a season or two ago with plenty of talent and good looks, makes a charming heroine, although she deserves a better part. Gladden James is a fairly convincing hero, while Richard Neill is the villain. The Cast Marjorie Dare Norma Shearer Jim Allen Gladden James Smiles • Yvonne Logan Stewart Leighton Richard Neill Sam Slocum Charles Miller By Tom Bret. Directed by Austin Huhn. The Story — Youth avoids girl because he believes her father responsible for his father's ruin and subsequent disappearance. The girl loves him and follows him to a mountain lodge where she is the guest of the boy's host, who is also in love with her. The host attempts to attack the girl, but she is saved by* a stranger who turns out to be the boy's father. Classification — Plot centers upon conflict inspired through misunderstanding. Melodramatic climax. Production Highlights — The competent work by Norma Shearer, Gladden James and Richard Neill. The fairly interesting climax. F.xploitation Angles — Title might be worked out in some sort of campaign. A series of questions of the " catch " order might stimulate patronage. Play up Norma Shearer as one of the prettiest girls on the screen. " Gossip " niversal — 4488 Feet (Reviewed by Laurence Reidi THIS picture doesn't live up to its title. The spectator will doubtless anticipate a society drama with scandal-mongers spreading idle chatter which involves the leading characters in business or domestic difficulties. But " Gossip," on the contrary, is a farfetched little story on the familiar theme of capital versus labor. It may be that King Baggot, who directed, thought the story too inconsequential to make anything of it. Certainly he has exaggerated his points to add the w. k. punch. And the action never becomes genuine. Furthermore the star's role is really subordinate to that of the wealthy manufacturer and she never has a chance to show the histrionic spark which has carried her along whenever she appears in the colorful part of a shop-girl. First we see the magnate refusing the demands of his workers for a higher wage. It is strongly planted that his grandfather and his father understood men, but that the youth who carries on the family name is opinionated and stubborn. Then follows the arrival of the heroine from the South, attired in a crinoline costume. The hero's father had once carried on a romance with her aunt. Which explains the girl's strange request to live in the home of the manufacturer. Until the climax, which is highly melodramatic and typically theatrical, the story sags in interest, offering nothing but some colorless incident in the house, a breakfast scene, etc. There is no gossip indicative of what the title should suggest. A scheming woman — an unnecessary character, as well as the confidential secretary of the magnate, attempt to embarrass the girl. She would win the rich man if she could. The far-fetched touches develop when the workers, who have -stormed the manufacturer's home, are admitted in his home by the innocent girl and given food. A crude scene. One isn't disappointed over the hot-headed worker. He suggests from his introduction that he will eventually start something. But his infernal machine never reaches its victim. Instead it is carried into his own home by the unsuspecting girl. And she tosses it aside just in time. The finish shows the magnate showing a generous nature because of the sweet influence of the fair visitor. Gladys Walton has had far better pictures. The Cast Caroline Weatherbee Gladys Walton Hiram Ward Ramsey Wallace John Magoo Albert Prisco Robert Williamson Freeman Wood Mrs. Boyne Carol Halloway By Edith Barnard Delano. Scenario by Hugh Hoffman. Directed by King Baggot. Photographed by Victor Milner. The Story — Wealthy manufacturer refuses to respond to pleas of his workers. When a girl from the^ South visits him with a determination to stay in his home, he thinks it a plot of workers. Under her influence the manufacturer finds a faith in humanity and listens to the please of the workers. The romance follows. Classification — Presents conflict between capital and labor which is destroyed by regenerating influence of heroine. Production Highlights— The scene when girl invites workers in the rich man's home. The quaint appeal of star in old-fashioned costume. Exploitation Angles — Title might be used for a teaser campaign showing evils of talking too readily. Play up stills of star in crinoline costume. Drawing Pozver — Suitable for program houses or any house featuring daily change of bill.