Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

1686 Motion Picture N c Pre-release Reviews of Features " Trimmed in Scarlet " Universal — Five Reels (Reviewed by L. C. Moon) THE situations used by William Hurlburt when he wrote " Trimmed in Scarlet " for Maxine Elliott may have been new at that time, but the screen has used them so often and with so little variation since that it is difficult to find much of interest in the material. There is a constant feeling throughout the picture that the players are struggling against the handicap of situations which they know to be unreal, and though they do~ their best the result is extremely theatrical and bears little semblance of reality. A young girl, of such firm character that she leaves the shelter of her wealthy father's roof and goes to work, rather than remain with a loose woman whom he has married, suddenly turns thief and steals $5,000 in Liberty bonds to pay off a blackmailer threatening her mother. A woman, who has remained unsmirched through a long and spectacular career on the continent, compromises herself in the eyes of her fiance to get the money to make good her daughter's theft, Mistrust, misunderstandings, threatened ruin — yet an explanation from any one of several people would clear up the whole tangle, yet no one explains. Logical, human motives are lacking in many instances, and the unreal effect is heightened by the trite subtitles, many of which might better be eliminated entirely. " Trimmed in Scarlet " seems to us to hark back to the earlier days of mechanical melodrama. The picture has been given an all-star cast, including such interesting players as Kathlyn Williams, Roy Stewart, Lucille Ricksen, Robert Agnew, Raymond Hatton and Philo McCullough, and this will probably put the picture over as a program release, but such a cast deserves story material more worthy of its mettle. The production, as a whole, is capable, and Jack Conway, the director, has probably done the best that could be expected. The Cast Cordelia Ebbing ) „ ... ,„■„. Mme. De La Fleur } Kathlyn Williams Revere' Wayne Roy Stewart Faith Ebbing Lucille Ricksen David Pierce Robert Agnew Charles Knight David Torrance Peter Ebbing Phillips Smalley Fifi Barclay Eve Southern Duroc Bert Sprott Molly Todd Grace Carlyle Ruth Kipp Gerrard Grassby Mr. Kipp Raymond Hatton Count DeSigneur Philo McCullough Adapted by Edward T. Lowe, Jr., from the play by William Hurlburt. Directed by Jack Conway. Photographed by Charles Kaufman. The Story — Woman leaves unfaithful husband and goes abroad. Her daughter grows up and leaves father, because of further offenses. The mother is suspected of murder, of which servant can clear her. She flees to America and servant follows, for blackmail. Daughter meets him, and steals $5,000 from office to meet his demands. She is reunited with mother, who finds new happiness in love of old admirer. To get money to make good theft, mother compromises herself in his eyes, but at the end this is straightened out. Classification — Heart interest melodrama. Production Highlights — The sets and production. The excellent cast. The work of such players as Raymond Hatton, Kathlyn Williams and Lucille Ricksen. Exploitation Angles — The title suggests ideas for lobby displays and ballyhoos. The cast. The play on which it was based. Drawing Pozver — Suitable for program use in second class downtown and neighborhood houses. A scene from " Family Troubles," an Educational comedy. " Slippy McGee " First National — 6600 Feet (Reviewed by Eugene Carlton) HERE have been scores of master screen A crooks reform and later use their cunning for robberies to some good advantage, but few have been dumped off a freight train to the audience as an opening scene of " Slippy McGee." It is the minor events leading up to the climax of the production that gives it sufficient difference in twist to make it interesting. Not until the threshold of the closing scene is neared can it be foretold that the herocrook will furnish the " punch " of the story by executing a somewhat second-handed stunt — that of opening the safe of an unscrupulous man to obtain some letters that will save the name of a good girl. However, the story runs along so smoothly up to that point, carrying with it more than the average interest, that a little bit of stereotypic stuff can be overlooked. The story has been well handled, the cast well adapted to the respective roles and the photography could not be much improved upon. There is a love story; or, at least, the audience realizes that it has been viewing a love story as the film nears its end, despite the fact that the feeling existing between the hero-crook and the girl is more of the fatherdaughter type and bursts out like a rainy day in the climax. There also is a good moral to the picture, which should not meet with the disapproval of even the most severe censor. The Cast Slippy McGee Wheeler Oakman Mary Virginia Colleen Moore Father De Ranee..... ..Sam De Grasse George Ingelsby Edmund Stevens Madame De Ranee Edith Yorke Howard Hunter Lloyd Whitlcck By Marie Conway Oemler. Directed by Wesley Ruggles. Produced by Oliver Morosco. The Story — Celebrated cracksman breaks leg alighting from freight train, it being necessary to amputate the leg. He is cared for by a priest. He reforms and obtains honest occupation, making butterflies. He eventually is touched by the loveliness of a village maiden, but is grieved when he learns she is to wed another. The girl is threatened to be made victim of a scandal by a banker unless she marries. Everything depends upon some letters, forgeries, in a safe, which the cracksman, using his old cleverness, obtains, thus clearing up the whole situation. Classification — Human interest drama, involving the finer qualities of a reformed crook, tinged with a love story. Production Highlights — Natural settings, showing interior of San Gabriel Mission of California. The dramatic climax. Good direction and photography. Exploitation Angles — A small safe with a lobby display of suitable cut-outs. Get the police department to lend you a collection of crook tools and weapons. Drawing Pozver — Should go over well in either the large or small houses as it is confined to no certain type of audiences. " Crashing Thru " F. B. O.— 6500 Feet (Reviewed by Laurence Reidi HARRY CAREY has another of his typ ical offerings in "Crashing Thru," which, while it presents nothing new in westerns packs sufficient action and color and atmosphere to please most any patron — even of the hard-boiled variety. The plot revolves] around considerable cattle rustling and all the familiar characters are in their proper places. But it keeps moving and as it moves one is able to drink in as good a background of exceptional scenery as has ever adorned a western. The title is rather compelling and Carey still has a firm hold upon his following. Here we find him in several conflicts one of which has to do with romance. The half-* breed Indian girl, with the aid of a few desperadoes, plots to embarrass him because he refuses to fall for her charms. With his cattle stolen he is unable to meet a note owed to the richest man in the community. The tale becomes complicated when the wealthy rancher is murdered and suspicion is cast upon the hero. But the latter has entered a partnership with the villain's father and in due time the young desperado becomes conscience-stricken and confesses. Meanwhile a humorous note is injected when it is shown that the hero has carried on a romance with a girl via a matrimonial agency. The girl arrives with her mother which provides the occasion for the invalid partner, who had become crippled in rescuing his friend in the forepart of the story, to look romantically upon the latter. Then it's up to the hero and the girl to look for a parson. The picture doesn't stand still a moment. One might say that it carries too much action for the purposes of the plot. It should have presented more intimate scenes of character acting and detail. Yet it is a satisfactory western and interpreted by a competent cast that includes Vola Vale, Myrtle Stedman, Cullen Landis, Winifred Bryson, Joseph Harris, Charles LeMoyne and Donald MacDonald. The Cast Blake Harry Carey Cons Cullen Landis Celia Myrtle Steadman. Diane Vola Vale Saunders Chas. LeMoyne Gracia Winifred Bryson Holmes Jos. Harris; Allison Donald Mac Donald By Elizabeth Dejeans. Scenario by Beatrice} Van. Directed by Val Paul. Photographed bw W illiam Thornley and Robt. De Gerasse. Pro-I duced by F. B. O. The Story — Treats of cattle rustling with the hero a rancher who wins the enmity of halfbreed Indian girl because he does not fall for) her charms. With the aid of several desper-. adoes she succeeds in rustling the cattle away from the rich rancher. He is killed but the;' hero proves his innocence when the villain re-« forms. The hero meets the girl with whom he* has corresponded. And thus to the romance* and happiness. Classification — Western melodrama, featuring cattle rustling and romance. Production Highlights — The exceptional backgrounds. The sincere work of Carey and the others in the cast. The fairly good action. Exploitation Angles — Star is still able to draw them in. Feature him in a typical western. Play up title and use it for a teaser campaign. Drawing Pozver — Good for any program or neighborhood house. Also suitable for second class first run theatres.