Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

2340 Motion Picture News Feature Subjects of Short Length " Never Weaken " (Harold Lloyd Comedy-Associated Exliibitors) THE audiences who see Harold Lloyd in his latest comedy, " Never Weaken," will certainly have to admit that he reaches the heights in thrilling fashion, for the demands of the story are such that the comedian with the hornrimmed " specs " is called upon to show his skill as a stunt actor. There won't be such volumes of applause indicating explosive laughter here as in some of his other efforts, but those who follow the comedian and are susceptible to his style of comedy are liable to weaken themselves through sheer exhaustion. Many will probably possess enough imagination to shriek out loud with hysterical laughter over the exploits that Harold indulges in atop a skyscraper under construction. He flits from one steel beam to another with the agilityi of a bird. Truly he is an equilibrist as well as a comedian. And the wiseacres are going to be completely fooled to understand how he gets away with it. The spectator drinks in the sight of Los Angeles spread out in an immediate vision. The streets are far below, and Lloyd is far up in Ihe air. He gets the signals crossed — the signals of the hoisters and steel-workers and other sons of hardy toil. A beam comes sneaking out of space and hits him " amidships " and he topples off to catch the big cable — just in the nick of time. The story presents him at first guiding over the destinies of a business office. The girl occupies a similar position in the doctor's office around the corner. When he sees her in the arms of another (the other is her brother, though he doesn't know it at the time) he contemplates suicide. There are some amusing gags which introduce some slapstick concerning ways and means of exit from earth. But the iron girder swings into the window and takes Harold to the heights. Well, the spectators are in for a huge thrill — a thrill which is seldom sent forth in the serials. Make no mistake about it — it is going to take the breath away. Mildred Davis is the charming heroine who rides to the top herself before the picture is over. Fred Newmeyer directed and shows some new stunts and gags — and these must have come from the fertile imaginations of Hal Roach and Sam Taylor. Go to it. Grab it quick— Length 3 Reels.— LAURENCE REID. " Pure and Simple " (Christie Comedy — Two Reels — Released Through Educational Exchanges, Inc.) BOBBY VERNON cannot be said to go over with a bang in this latest of his comedies. Instead of being a whirlwind of mirth it is a polite comedy, with slapstick much in evidence, which is sufficiently amusing to be satisfying. Bobby comes over from Sweden to visit old friends of his who have emigrated to America years before. These people believe that Bobby will prove to be the usual type of immigrant, but in truth he is a cultured gentleman, traveling not in the steerage, but in the first-class cabins. To prevent him from disgracing the family they send him money for other lodgings. Bobby decides to play the role they have assigned to him, and, dressing as an immigrant, arrives at a reception. There is considerable hokum, and a cook, the exaggerated Swedish type, proves unusually funny. Bobby is able to prevent the marriage of the young heroine to a man who already has a bride and two children. In the end Bobby comes back to Americanized clothes and speech once more.— MATTHEW A. TAYLOR. " Strolling Minstrels " (Bruce Scenic — One Reel — Released Through Educational Exchanges) LOVERS of the scenic beauties of Switzerland will find plenty to please them in this Bruce scenic. The camera follows a wandering .\lpine climber up the winding path that leads to the Gornergrat's summit. The Matterhorn and the rugged, snow-capped mountains stretch before him and the toy village of Zermatt lies at his feet. The minstrel plays his accordion to an audience of Swiss goats. This part of the reel is scenically far superior to the sequence which follows. Scotland and its lakes and a kilted bag-piper occupy the second half of the reel. This is not unusually fascinating Scotland offers a striking contrast to the grandeur of Swiss scenery. The piper wanders up hill and down. This will please only those with some special interest [n this country, or section of it. But Switzerland, oft-photographed as it has been, never grows weary to the eye.— MATTHEW A. TAYLOR. " The Last Hops " (Chester Scenic-Educational) WHERE sky meets water is reflected more than once in this marvelously beautiful scenic entitled " The Last Hops." Somewhere in the rugged Rockies up Montana way, these cloud effects are vividly brought out through the transparent sheen of water of innumerable ri\ers and ponds. That isn't all. A group of adventurers are determined to locate the huge grasshoppers which infest the mountain region. They climb and climb over an array of mountains which are awe-inspiring because of their picturesque appeal. The topography of the countrj is truly primitive and rugged. Suddenly one encounters a vast army of sheep grazing on a certain plateau. Then the grasshoppers— frozen because of the glacial character of the land — are presented. But the appealing part of the picture are the impressive landscapes. The camera has caught them in a variety of scenes and all are eloquent with their rugged beauty.— Length 1 Ree].—LAUREXCE REID. The Newest Feature —A Release Chart Tha tWill Be a Real Aid at All Times. Turn to pages 2 '341-42-44 and 46 " A Pair of Sexes " I Christie Comedy — Released Through F^ducational Exchanges, Inc. — Two Reels) 'T'HE Christie product continues to be clever, •■• original, honestly funny, well directed and well acted. " Falling for Flossie " was a splendid example of their high class work, and " A Pair of Sexes" is a close, very close, second. It has a story by Sam Taylor, built up from a most amusing farcical idea; it has been directed by Frederick Sullivan in such a way that the vcrj limit of fun is extracted from the high spots of the story; and it has such admirable comedy types as Neal Burns, Viora Daniel, and Harry Murdock in its cast. A traveling man gets word from his wife that she " has a big surprise for him." Now wifie simply meant that she had moved to a larger apartment across the hall. But when the husband returns to his old apartment he finds a pair of new born twins. The real father is absent, and the mother cannot be seen. So there is no one to undeceive the poor husband and, bursting with pride, he takes the twins to his office, handing out cigars en route and hiring a German street band to give the parade a more festive air. The real husband returns and his efforts to recover his children are frantic. The comedy ends with a cabaret scene where the proud " father," musicians, and business partners are celebrating as the twins rest upon the table. The fight for the babies ends the picture with a good \2iu§h.— MATTHEW A. TAYLOR, Movie Chat No. 64 (Released by Kineto Company of America — One Reel) THIS is one of the most consistently interesting Movie Chats that the writer has seeiu It starts with some views of the relics of Rome^ notably the Castle of St. Angelo, the tomb of Cecilia Metalla on the Appian Way, and then shows St. Peter's, the glory of Rome of tha Middle Ages, and contrasts it with the Monu^ ment of \'ictor Emmanuel II, modern Rome's masterpiece of architecture. Leaving Rome, wa are taken to the orchards of New England and from there to the West, where the method ol dredging rivers for gold is shown. Then then are some scenes of the Peruvian cattle marts some monkey performers at the Zoo ; and thi salmon fishing in the Columbia River is illu* XT^\.e±— MATTHEW A. TAYLOR. : Kineto Review No. 85 I Released Through National Exchaugesj Inc. — One Reel) THIS subject of Charles Urban's is entitled " Pleasant Life in Central France and th< Silk Industry of Lyons." Evidently, modern harvesting machinery is rare in the section p\c4 tured here, which is seventy-five miles from th| nearest railway. The crude methods of farni^ ing are interesting to watch. The latter half oj the reel reveals the mysteries of high grad^ silk weaving. Some street scenes of Lyons art shown to begin with and then comes factorj views which give a fair idea of the details q|< silk mciking.— MATTHEW A. TAYLOR.