Motion Picture News (Dec 1920-Feb 1921)

874 Motion Picture News ii Betty Compson, in her first starring and long heralded " Prisoners of Love," distributed by Goldwyn Coast Hails Betty Compson Press Reviewers Shower Praise on Her Work in " Prisoners of Love " BETTY COMPSON in her first starring vehicle, " Prisoners of Love,' released by Goldwyn, has captured the press and public of Los Angeles, declares a statement from the Goldwyn home office. Her performance is hailed as even greater than that which she gave in " The Miracle Man." Given its initial public showing at tlie California theatre, January 2, " Prisoners of Love " was greeted by a record-breaking audience, including many of the most prominent men and women in California's motion picture colony, who come to see the debut of the young star at the head of her own producing company. A dispatch from the Coast indicates that Miss Compson scored a personal triumph. Writing in the Times, Edwin Schallert said: "Miss Compson of ' Miracle Man ' fame has retained every vibrant element of her charm and her presence is as enriching as the gleam of an opal, as glowing, as irresistible. The picture is a real triumph of beauty in settings and composition. Some of the views of Miss Compson are the finest portraiture. Altogether, ' Prisoners of Love ' is a picture that appeals strongly." An extract from Henry E. Dougherty's review in the Evening Express reads : " Will say here and now that Betty Compson's interpretative work in ' Prisoners of Love ' is better than in ' The Miracle Man.' The sympathetic, lovable, thoroughly human work of Miss Compson cannot be denied." May Markson wrote in the Record : " Miss Compson is superlative as Blanche Davis. The picture is a powerful and graphic exposition of the ancient truth, ' The sins of the father shall be visited upon the children ;' yet told with such dramatic sincerity and beauty that even the men in the audience were compelled to stifle their emotions. Betty Compson could hardly have chosen a subject with more appeal to humanity. The picture contains unity, plausibility and suspense in exquisite proportion. It strikes home to every heart that sees it." Another Hampton Ready Advance Reports on " The Killer " Foretell Successful Melodrama FROM advance reports received by Pathe, "The Killer," the Benjamin B. Hampton, which that company will release on January 30, promises to be a worthy successor to previous Hampton melodramas. "The Killer" is a Steward Edward White story. " The Killer " illustrated another principle rigidly adhered to by B. B. Hampton since his entrance to the field of motion picture production, it is said. His experience as an associate with another producer convinced Mr. Hampton that first of all melodrama was the one sure type of play for the screen, and with that conviction as the basis of his working policy he determined not to employ the star system. Up to his latest finished work he has stuck to his guns, for in "The Killer " he offers a melodrama with a cast which the producer asserts to be an all-star one. The players who interpret the characters of the Stewart Edward White play are familiar through their former works on the screen and include many who have been featured and starred in successful photoplays. For the name role Mr. Hampton selected Frank Campeau. Mr. Campeau has done many heavy characterizations in picture with the Triangle Fine Arts forces and with Douglas Fairbanks. Doug" Breaking Records " Mark of Zorro " Held Over for Two Days at Akron, C, Theatre BECAUSE of the great number of Akron (Ohio) people who had not the opportunity of jamming themselves into the Allen theatre, Akron, Ohio, Manager Simons was compelled to extend the engagement of " The Mark of Zorro," the latest Fairbanks picture to be released by the United Artists, for two days. Packed houses were the rule at the Allen from the very first performance and the picture shattered all previous attendance records at the theatre, it is reported. Critics and the photoplay public were particularly loud in their praise — the people having gone away talking about the picture, and the critics did not hesitate in saying that they thought it was Fair1/ank's best picture. The moving picture editor of the Lima Times said that there was "no use talking aboul it." "Doug" Fairbanks is surely the goods in his latest production, " The Mark of Zorro," and that hundreds of people were turned away on the first day, and those who succeeded in getting into the theatre were tremendously enthused about the production. The editor of the moving picture department of the North American speaks of " Doug " Fairbank's latest picture as one of special excel lence, while the critic of the Chicago Herald and Examiner states in his review . that " Douglas Fairbanks always comes back with a bang, and he comes back this time with more of a bang than ever before and a much shrewder actor to boot. In the early reels of "The Mark of Zorro," where he is pretending to be an idling, spineless don — a weak-hipped« lollypop who > awns and yawns in the presence of his fiery father and his disgusted fiancee, he challenges the best of the film actors, for his facial play is restrained and effective — and how he does gape; yawn doesn't express it he gapes, even when the beautiful Marguerite de la Motte, in a Spanish mantilla and sad eyes is before him, he gapes; but that is his game and to tell you why he gapes so is to take a big suspense kick out of your life. Mr. Fairbanks is irresistible in this production." At the Majestic theatre in Springfield, Ohio, "The Mark of Zorro" did capacity business during the entire run of the picture, despite the fact that there were two rainy days. The management wired to Hiram .\brams, president of the United Artists, that all their patrons were well pleased with the production and that it is the best Fairbanks production ever made. "Time Out" to Build Sets Elaborate Sets to by Bennett for ALL productions at the studios of Whitman Bennett, who is producing the Lionel Barrymore and other specials for Associated First National release, will be suspended for a period of the month of February, during which time, the construction of sets adequate to meet the requirements of a superspecial production, " Salvation Nell " will be the only activity in the studio in Yonkers. In choosing the play written by Edgar Sheldon and used with great success as the starring vehicle of Mrs. Fiske, Whitman Bennett planned to give it most careful and artistic production for the screen. " Salvation Nell " was produced as a play on November 23, 1908, at the Hackett theatre in New York. As it opened late in the season it enjoyed the distinction of playing twenty weeks in New York, and afteiward broke all records on tour, having an uninterrupted run of eighty weeks. Charles Darnton, dramatic critic of the Evening World, gave to it the unique sentence which afterward became famous in connection with its advertising, " A divine comedy of the slums." Mrs. Fiske chose Holbrooke Blinn as leading man, and it was he who immortalized the character of " Jim." Gilda Varesi who has recently distinguished herself as author and star of " Enter Madame " portrayed a delightful Italian character in the original cast. Mrs. Fiske had previouslyidentified herself with the charac Be Constructed Salvation Nell" ters from Ibsen, and the portrayal of Nell, was a broad departure from her usual artistic characterizations. Pauline Stark has been selected after a search of six months, to pcrtray the screen version of Nell. Although she is young in years she has had a great deal of screen experience. Mr. Bennett and Director Kenneth Webb were unanimous in their enthusiasm over her work | after viewing several productions in which she displayed unusual talent. " Her eyes and facial expression tells a story of pathos and humanity," said Mr. Webb, " it is astounding in a girl so young and yet, it is all there, exactly what Xell should be." Dorothy Farnum, scenarist, has completed the script. Miss Farnum's recent work in adaptations of plays includes, " The Great Adventure " and '■ Jim the Penman," both Whitman Bennett productions. "The Spenders" Is Due Early in January " The Spenders " from the wellknown novel of the same name by Harry Leon Wilson, will be released through the W. W. Hodldnson Corporation early in January. This is a Benj. B. Hampton production with an all-star cast including Claire Adams, Joseph J. Dowling, Robert McKim, Niles Welch and others.