Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

January 7 , 1922 443 Feature Subjects of Short Length 44 Bonnets of Auvergne ” (Bruce Scenic — One Reel — Released Through Educational Exchanges, Inc.) THIS single reeler will prove to be a special delight to the ladies, for they are presented with interesting views of the hairdress of the peasants of France. The queer bonnets and laces in the family album of fifty years ago will get no greater laugh than the peculiar specimens shown in this picture. Mr. Bruce does not, however, concentrate exclusively on hats and hairdress. Many types of peasantry, male and female, are exhibited. The backgrounds are carefully chosen, and of especial interest is a huge statue of the Virgin, apparently some sixty feet in height, which crowns a volcanic hill. The whole thing is a pretty and interesting sidelight on French peasant life — a thing to delight even the globetrotter who has only seen the larger cities with the help and assistance of a Baedecker. —MATTHEW A. TAYLOR. 44 Torchy Takes a Chance *' (Produced by Mastodon Films — Released Through Educational Exchanges, Inc.) JOHNNY HINES rollicks through two reels of delightful nonsense in fine style in this latest "Torchy” comedy. There is not much of a story, but it is one of those farces that concerns the chase of a valuable, but exceeding elusive slip of paper. Johnny is presented with a chance on an automobile about to be raffled. His is the lucky number, but the wind comes along at the crucial moment and blows it out of the window. From then on we follow Johnny’s difficulties in recovering it. It blows under a man’s hat, jiggers down the street through the midst of traffic, and the resultant adventures are varied and amusing. His trials are too numerous to enumerate, but they provide opportunity for some new gags which are perfectly satisfying. A sewer claims it at the end, but Johnny spies it again at the end of the dock, and battles a fish for its possession. Length two reels.— MATTHEW A. TAYLOR. 44 The Brand of Courage ” (Universal) THIS is one of those “up boys and at ’em” type of westerns — which is to say that the hero is placed in several tight situations before the happy ending introduces him successful at arms and romance. The mining camp is presided over by a bullying villain. He attempts blackmail and endeavors to hold up the proprietress of a small restaurant for “protecting” the place. A young miner takes her part and in doing so makes the villain his enemy. The scene shifts to the hero’s mine and the action reveals the young man signalling the girl by firing a long shot at the fire-bell. The heroine summons aid. The conclusion brings the triumph of virtue over villainy. The picture is snappy throughout, there being a good display of the western ingredients. In the cast are Harry de More, Laura La Flante, Ben Haggerty and Mack V. Wright. Length 2 reels.— LAURENCE REID. 44 A Ride for a Rancho ” ( Cyclone Smith W estem — Universal ) EDDIE POLO, the star of “The Return of Cyclone Smith Series,” rides forward here in the last of these vivid documents of the West. This is the occasion for the cattle rustlers to attack the guardian of the El Dorado Ranch. The hero rushes to the rescue. In gratitude the owner offers him a job. The young man is assigned to the task of meeting the train which is bringing the rancher’s niece, Helen, whom he has not seen in years. It develops that the rustlers are under the control of an unscrupulous engineer who is desirous of buying the ranch for a right of way. Unable to dicker successfully with the hero or the owner, the engineer turns to Helen since she is the rightful owner of the property. This is the point wherein the girl assumes the identity of her maid and the latter masquerades as Helen. Consequently the villain is foiled again. There is a final scene which presents the hero fighting the scheming plotters singlehanded, and he makes a good job of it. The story does not offer much originality of plot, but it keeps moving with snappy action and the love interest is .well developed. In all it is up to the Cyclone Smith standard. — Length 2 Reels. — Laurence Reid. 44 Fool Days ” (Sunshine Comedy — Fox) ' I ' HIS is a good burlesque on “ School Days ” as conceived by songster and story-writer and the youth of the land. A1 St. John is the funster and he manages to extract a deal of humor from the idea. His tricks exploited here are quite new even though they follow familiar ground in a general way. The comedian is discovered as a lazy school-boy whose home is outfitted with rather novel labor-savings devices. This is applying the Rube Goldberg touch — and giving it some semblance of reality. These inventions or contrivances are conceived with good effect, some might even be used in the small or compressed apartment even though they look cumbersome. At least they have the saving grace of appearing quite practical after all. With the first reel devoted to showing these devices the comedy swings into its story as A1 goes to school and cuts up didoes with all the imagination of a Huck Finn. The ape, Napoleon, helps out St. John on several occasions. “ Fool Days ” is ridiculous burlesque. It contains a goodly amount of laughs and keeps moving with little dependence upon padded incident. — Length 2 Reels. — Laurence Reid. A bigger, better and prosperous New Year is the wish of the Motion Picture News to all its readers and friends. 44 The Bell Hop ” (Larry Semon Comedy -Vitagraph) nr RUST Larry Semon to put the skids under the props of his pictures. The knockabout comedian of Vitagraph does not care a snap of his finger for expense. He builds to tear down — to build again some other day. He believes in plenty of sets, plenty of girls, plenty of flour, plenty of water, plenty of trap-doors and panels, plenty of chandeliers and — oh, well plenty of everything to keep his efforts going. The Semon comedies are unlike any thing being presented from rival concerns. One knows that good, old-fashioned slapstick will be in evidence. But Semon does insist upon this same brand of slapstick being novel and up-to-date. He never goes over the old ground. He even takes a tumble in a new-fangled way if necessary. “The Bell Hop” finds him getting in “dutch” on several occasions. First he drops ink on the bald pate of a guest. It is good for a raucous laugh. Why? Because it is based upon the w. k. practical joke. Again he races and tumbles around the floors and rooms with the agility of a circus clown. Semon is there with the knockabout comedy. The picture is a riot of jazz and rare hokum and exaggerated buffoonery. It carries several novel stunts. But after you have seen the piece you will admit that Semon is some lil’ home or hotel wrecker. Nothing is saved here, not even the fragments. The crowd should yell their collective heads off with this effort. — Length, 2 Reels. — LAURENCE REID. I Advance Review I of New Features I 44 Pardon My French ” ( Messmore Kendall — Goldwyn) EXACTLY why “ Pardon My French.” having been allowed sufficient time for doctoring, with such names as Sidney Olcott, director, Vivian Martin, star and a fine supporting cast to go on, is a grave disappointment, seems unaccountable. Nevertheless, as a farce comedy it simply isn’t. Difficult to follow and disconnected to a point of requiring strict concentration to understand what it is all about, “Pardon My French” certainly does not exhibit as a 1922 model, to advantage. Story hinges around a stranded theatrical troupe, Miss Martin as the ingenue. The “types,” not only for the company but for other parts are well depicted, wherein manifests the recognized ability of Mr. Olcott as a director. But the comedy is nil, the plot bewhiskered and from the outside looking in, it appears the story which did not mould well into farce for the screen, is mainly responsible. Fine photography and excellent staging, interiors being particularly good, rush to the* rescue, but mirth cannot be obtained from “ sets ” or good “ shots,” so it is what might be described as a farce without comedy and a comedy without farce. — Five reels. — Lillian R. Gale.