Motion Picture News (Sep-Oct 1925)

October 24, 1925 1939 ions (Hi Current "A Winning Pair " (Universal-Century — Two Reels) (Reviewed bv Chester J. Smith) WANDA WILEY has a rather clever little comedy in this one, which shows her first as a bathing girl and later as an equestrienne. She is as attractive in the one costume as she is for the lack of it in the other. Rather a versatile Miss, this Wanda Wiley and she takes many a hard knock to put a comedy situation over. But she does put them over. There are some bathing scenes with a bevy of attractive girls in the opening scenes and some good high diving stunts before the story starts to unwind. And then it develops that this high dive is all a dream and Miss Wiley wakes up in a dive into a lot of sofa pillows. There are some fairly humorous shots when the comedienne attempts to mount a horse of considerable proportions when she would start on the conquest of the man she really loves. She is also the victim of some nasty falls, but they accomplish her purpose both in the action of the story and the securing of laughs. The Cast The Girl Wanda Wiley A Century Comedy, directed by Charles Lamont. The Story. Wanda dreams she is a high diver and visualizes herself in the center of a bevy of beautiful bathing girls, making a beautiful swan-like dive for the edification of the man she loves. She awakens to find herself diving into an assortment of sofa cushions. She then joins the man in a horseback ride, feigns a runaway and a fall from the horse to arouse his sympathy. Apparently unconscious, she is revived by the kisses of her lover in the usual happy ending. Synopsis. A series of interesting episodes in which Miss Wiley shows her versatility as a diving girl and an equestrienne. There is a bit of good comedy in the story, which is far better than the usual run of these comedy tales. It's a fairly interesting picture that should go well in the neighborhood houses. "Spot Light" (Educational-Mermaid — Two Reels) (Revieived by Chester J. Smith) THIS comedy of the veriest hokum and slapstick and for the most part so silly that only the younger children will be able to appreciate the humor in it. It starts out promisingly enough with Lige Conley in the role of the sandwich man on high stilts, who is so frequently seen along Broadway exploiting some attraction. There is some fair comedy as it goes, when Lige becomes entangled with an auto and various other obstacles along the road, but when the scene shifts to the playhouse and the action becomes faster and more furious, the comedy ceases, though it strives hard enough to please. Every backstage prop and every other form of hokum and slapstick is used to interrupt the acts on the stage. Hooks are applied, sand bags dropped, rain released instead of snow on each succeeding act in an effort to get laughs, which will hardly be forthcoming except from the very young element in the house. The Cast Props Lige Conley The Prima Donna Virginia Vance A Jack White production, written and directed by Norman Taurog, photographed by Barney McGill. The Story. — Lige Conley as Props first has the role of a sandwich man on high stilts, who becomes entangled with autos and motorcycles along the road. Later he handles the props as the show progresses. The act of each en tertainer is interrupted by the various devices used backstage and the audience finally leaves the house in disgust. Summary — A slapstick comedy, whose humor will be appreciated only by the youngsters. There is no story. It is merely a succession of rough gags used to interrupt the acts of performers on a vaudeville program. "Nursery Troubles" I niversal-Century — Two Reels Reviewed by Chester J. Smith A SIDE from a nursery full of attractive l\ looking babies, this comedy would have little to recommend it. There are some exceptionally good shots of these babes taking their bottles and they will bring exclamations of joy from almost any audience, particularly from the feminine customers. Edna Marian heads the cast in a role that permits her to show all her vivaciousness, first as a female tramp disguised as a boy, and later as the nursery maid in the department store, where youngsters are checked as their mothers shop, and where the comedy develops when Edna passes out the wrong babies to the wrong mothers. There is not much in the way of exceptional comedy to the picture. For the most part Miss Marian is chased by a cop, whom she has jolted off his pins as she makes her escape from a freight train. For a full reel she succeeds in escaping the minion of the law in the usual manner of these comedies. There is plenty of action such as it is, but it will hardly provide much in the way of laughter. The Cast The Maid Edna Marian The Story. Edna, disguised as a boy, makes her escape from a brakebeam only to bump into a policeman who gives chase. She evades him when she changes into girls' clothes in a park. She then proceeds to get herself a job as nursery maid in a department store where babes are checked as the mothers shop. She hands the wrong babes to the wrong mothers, but succeeds in righting matters, with the result that she is promoted to the head of the department and wins the love of the boss. Summary. This is a fairly fast moving comedy without much of a story and with but few situations that will be productive of laughs. Its attractiveness is in the nursery shots, where some exceptionally bright looking babies will win the admiration of almost any audience and just about put the picture over. " The Ace of Spades " I I niversal Serial) (Revieived by Thomas C. Kennedy) HP HE first three episodes of this tenchapter serial play affirm Universal's claims regarding fast action, thrill stunts and stirring melodramatic incident. Beyond that the first three episodes serve to convince the reviewer that "The Ace of Spades" gets off to a flying start and offers a veritable bumper crop of those elements of screen entertainment which make a banquet of speedy movement, exciting situations and Homeric heroism for the confirmed serial fans. There is very little in the way of surefire serial material which has escaped the scenarist, director and players in these opening chapters of "The Ace of Spades." The story is simple in outline and yet is supplied with sufficient plot matter to keep the action going for all ten episodes. We have the inevitable "papers" — this time in the form of an old French mineral survey, made before the sale of the Louisiana Territory by Napoleon, which is being sought by villains before the opening of the Oklahoma Land Rush. We have become reconciled to the "papers" in serial plots. They are an eco nomical device of the dramatist and simplify matters as much for the spectator as they do for the playwright. There is nothing confusing about action built around "papers" either the sympathetic characters have them or they haven't, and so the struggle between villains and heroes goes back and forth, like a tug-of-war in which the course of the contest is always clear enough to permit onlookers to concentrate on the struggle itself. Willim Desmond, whose long experience has filled his box of tricks to overflowing, is the hero — and a suitably commanding and intense hero he is. Mary McAllister is the heroine and others in an excellent cast are Albert J. Smith, a capital serial villain; William A. Steele, Cathleen Calhoun, Jack Pratt, Clark Comstock, Frank Lanning and others. The play takes its title from the fact that the villainous band sends an ace of spades to those it has marked for its vengeance — a picturesque device and a contributor to the suspense which the story is ever striving to create and sustain. Director Henry McRae, an experienced and capable hand at serial-making, has set his action to a snappy pace and throws about his characters and situations all the romantic and adventurous glamour necessary to achieve graphic, colorful melodrama. The story by Isadore Bernstein and William Lord Wright has been very capably scenarioized by Jacobson. Based on the evidence furnished by the first three episodes, we are urged unhesitatingly to pronounce "The Ace of Spades" a corking good choice for any theatre seeking a serial attraction. The Cast Dan Harvey William Desmond Oliver Heath Mary McAllister Joe Dineen Albert J. Smith Jim Heath William A. Steele "Poker Dice" Ann Cathleen Calhoun Gideon Trask Jack Pratt Martin Heath Clark Comstock Francois Bonaparte Frank Lanning Story by Isadore Bernstein and William Lord Wright. Scenario by Leigh Jacobson. Directed by Henry McRae. The Story. — Gideon Trask and his henchmen at the saloon in Arkansas City covet the mineral survey of the Louisiana Territory made for Xapoleon before the sale of the Territory to the United States. This is in possession of the Heath Brothers, who seek to use it in staking their land when the Oklahoma territory, last of the Louisiana tract to be released by the Government, is opened to Homesteaders. They send Dan Harvey, who has protected the Heath brothers and Martin Heath's daughter from the gang, the "Ace of Spades," which means he is marked for death. Dan and his party set out for the Oklahoma territory and are overtaken by the band. They find shelter in a cave built by Indians as a temple to the Sun God and there make their stand against Trask and his henchmen — the episode which brings the third episode to a close. Summary. — A finely produced and acted serial play offering a conventional plot but supplied with sufficient melodramatic incident to permit a steady flow of fast action. Picturesque backgrounds and interesting characters give material aid to the plot, which has been well constructed, so far at least as the first three episodes are concerned. It should score a big hit with the serial fans. "A Good Program Mast Have Novelties" 729 7th Ave. New York City EDWIN MILES FADMAN, Pres.