Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1924)

1922 Motion Picture News Between Friends (Vitagraph — Seven Reels) (Review by Laurence Read) HERE is the eternal triangle theme with a new dressing. Through a treatment of suggestion which credits the audience with intelligence, J. Stuart Blackton, has turned out a picture that should meet with immediate response — even with those skeptics who cry out that nothing new is being served on the screen. Robert W. Chambers, who wrote this story, develops his theme from the "trusted friend" idea — and strikes a real tragic note which engenders a fine dramatic suspense. It is a story of human frailities — of a wife who leaves her husband for his best friend — and, finding no way out of her predicament, commits suicide. You may guess what is coming — but you are apt to guess wrong. Blackton could have chosen one of a dozen threads. And each one would have made interesting drama. The choice here, however, is rich in melodramatic conflict. The early situations are finely executed—there being no map drawn to point out the action and incident. It is when the philanderer returns to ease his conscience that the picture develops a melodramatic trend. He would build a church and an altar. You wonder (and the suspense mounts) whether an interloper will acquaint the husband of the facts — a sequence which is subsequently developed. And then comes a new twist to this ancient formula. ~ The husband, a sculptor, has become enamoured of his model — although he has a rival in the friend who stole his Wife. Instead of the usual vengeance he orders the other man to kill himself at a specified time— and then exerts mental telepathy to prevent him. Far-fetched, but effective, this touch. Mr. Blackton resorts to double exposure, in establishing the husband's delirium — and plants his climax too laboriously — so that much of the suspense striven for is lost. But though one may guess the outcome it releases a real dramatic punch. The title is symbolized in several situations. "What we like about it is the absence of hokum — and the doing away with a familiar development. There is suggested a constant suspense that something dramatic is going to happen — although had the " conscience " note been developed it would have allowed greater acting opportunity insofar as Norman Kerry is concerned. The picture is direct and progressive in action — is handsomely mounted with all the atmosphere and details in good taste, and the acting of Anna Q. Nilsson, as the runaway wife, and Alice Calhoun, as the model, is exceptionally good. The former makes her exitearly but her vital presentation of the wife is felt throughout the unfoldment of the story — while Miss Calhoun gives a fascinating study of a nun. THEME. Eternal triangle drama revolving around husband's best friend stealing his wife. The husband discovers his treachery and orders him to kill himself — but saves him by mental telepathy. PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS. The direct, progressive action. The absence of any planting of incident. The good taste in settings. The fine performances by Anna Q. Nilsson and Alice Calhoun. DIRECTION. Takes triangle theme and handles it with economy of detail. Builds action so that it is always direct and progressive. Overstresses climax. EXPLOITATION ANGLES. Title possesses teaser possibilities. Bill it as something new in domestic dramas. Play up the beauty of feminine players. Bill prominence of cast. Play up the climax. DRAWING POWER. A good audience picture. SUMMARY. This triangle story packs a good wallop — and succeeds in holding the interest all the way. Director handles plot with direct treatment. Carries suspense — and some human appeal. Is well acted — also excellently staged. THE CAST David Drane Lou Tellegen Jessica Drene Anna Q. Nilsson Jack Greylock Norman Kerry Cecile White Alice Calhoun Quair Stuart Holmes Guilder Henry Barrows By Robert W. Chambers. Directed by J. Stuart Blackton. SYNOPSIS. Wife leaves her sculptor husband and elopes with his best friend. Regrets her act and kills herself. Tha friend is never mistrusted until a mutual acquaintance gives him away. The sculptor has model who wins love of the friend. And the latter offers to do away with himself to satisfy husband's vengeance. The hour is set for tha suicide — but the husband prevents the tragedy through mental telepathy. The Rejected Woman (Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan — Eight Reels) (Reviewed by Frank Elliott) THIS is undoubtedly the most pretentious production that Distinctive has so far contributed to the Goldwyn program. Its plot sweeps from the snow-covered wastes of northern Canada to the haunts of the idle rich in New York. It is a picture that has many points of appeal. There is romance, adventure, thrills, tense drama and real heart interest. The action begins in Canada where the audience is introduced to some very fine snow scenes and the first thrill when the hero is injured falling down a steep bank during the terrific blizzard. Then after the hero and the girl are forced to remain in a cabin overnight and the former is driven away by the father after consenting not to kill him, the scenes shift to Broadway and the production takes on a very elaborate appearance presenting a series of lavishly furnished interiors of homes, offices, hotels and cabarets. The picture offers a goodly quota of stirring episodes. The radio is introduced in the early reels when the news of the death of the hero's father is sent into the ether from a Gotham broadcasting station and received in the northland by a friend who communicates it to the son. A novel idea and thoroughly modern. Comedy is injected into the meeting of the directors of the Leslie estate as John, the son, presides, but is continually being called on the phone by " wild women," or forgetting business in thoughts of the latter. There are some tense scenes as Leslie, embarrassed by the manners of Diane in a swell cabaret, is deserted by the latter who accepts a proposal of Leslie's enemy, Dunbar, to provide her with money and clothes and send her abroad. The drama continues when the girl returns, more beautiful than ever, and when having wed Leslie, her past is exposed by Dunbar who succeeds in breaking up the happy home by showing the husband checks endorsed by Diane. Alma Rubens is an attractive heroine and acquits herself creditably in the emotional moments. Conrad Nagel is an acceptable hero. The remainder of the cast is adequate. THEME. Society romance dealing with the adventures of a Canadian northwest beauty who is sent to New York where she enters into a compromising proposition with the enemy of the hero. PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS. The injury of Leslie during the blizzard in the northland. The discovery of the two in the cabin by the father and the driving of Leslie from the country. The scenes in which Dunbar, hoping to ruin Leslie .exposes Diane as the woman he has been supporting. The elaborate interiors. DIRECTION. Keeps things going along fairly well with several well planted dramatic moments. Has been able to inject novelty by use of radio and airplane. EXPLOITATION ANGLES. Tie up with the radio stores using photos of the broadcasting scenes. Play up the names of Nagel and Rubens. Play up the scenes of New York life. If you have an airplane field near your town engage one of the aviators to drop heralds. DRAWING POWER. Should go over in the larger houses and please most of the patrons. SUMMARY. Quite a pretentious production that is acted by a cast of the first water. Possesses many gripping situations and filled with elaborate sets. Has novelty of appeal through use of the nation's hobby — the radio. THE CAST Diane DuPrez Alma Rubens Jean Gagnon Bela Legosi Samuel DuPrez George MacQuarrie John Lasie Conrad Nagel Craig Burnett .... Antonio DAlgy Peter Lesie • • Aubrey Smith Leyton Carter Frederick Burton James Dunbar Wyndham Standing Aunt Rosa -. Mme. La Violette Lucille Van Tuyl Lanore Hughes By John Lynch. Directed by Albert Parker. Adapted by John Lynch. Photographed by Roy Hunt. SYNOPSIS. Landing "somewhere in Canada" from his airphane, John Leslie meets Diana Duprez. During a walk they are overtaken by a snow storm. Leslie falls down a slippery slope and is injured. The two are forced to seek shaker over night in a cabin. Diane's father is furious and after Leslie has returned to New York, he sends Diane to the same place "until the folks forget the scandal." They are married, but soon Leslie hears that another man has been paying Diane's bills and he leaves har. Eventually everything is explained.