Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

776 Motion Picture News “THE SCRAPPER” (Universal) “FIRST LOVE” (Realart) Irish Character Sketch Mostly Subtitles THERE is an Irish background to this picture, the characters with one exception being Irish-Americans. And with such a title as adorns the story one expects that the plot and the protagonist would live up to it. But the punch is confined to the climax, the early scenes and the intermediate portion relying entirely upon planting of the figures and considerable dialogue. The title writer has not maintained a consistent flavor with his chatter. He would have the leading characters converse in “ shanty ” Irish of a blarney nature, except when they become argumentative— at which time they revert to good English. The psychology of all people who talk in dialect is well known to everyone. When they become emotional their dialect is so thick you could cut it with a knife. The title editor forgets this point repeatedly. Herbert Rawlinson portrays the role of the hero and it is a role which does not permit him to show any action until the climax. His time is devoted in paying romantic attention to a fair colleen and erecting a skyscraper, his profession being that of a construction engineer. The plot is mostly of a blarneying character with the hero taking his rebuffs good-naturedly ,and since there is no incident, padding is resorted to in several instances to keep it at feature length. The star is allowed to pose considerably, which of course, is necessary owing to the shortcomings of the story which carries little action. When an interloper would embarrass him he engages in a hefty battle with his henchman and punishes him after a gruelling contest. With this scene over the picture terminates with the hero vindicated. He has shown that he is a true Irishman, handy with his fists and a compelling lover. The director had brought out a good touch when the colleen refuses to entertain his advances after she has been kidnapped. As her temper subsides she allows herself to be conquered. Another good point is the appearance of the hero well bandaged after his fight. There have been too many occasions in the past when the leading figure always emerged with nary a sign of distress. It is a picture which did not cost a great deal of money, the scenes being divided between an interior of a home, a workshop and the exterior of the skyscraper. Only two of the players are well cast — Edward Jobson and Walter Perry. Had the titles been less flavored with “ ould sod ” dialect the other characters would appear more adaptable to their roles. — Length, 4,491 feet. — Laurence Reid. Malloy Eileen McCarthy Dan McCarthy. . The Kid Speed Cop McGuirk Oleson Riley Simms Rapport THE CAST By R. G. Kirk. Scenario by E. T. Lowe, Jr. Directed by Hobart Henley. Photographed by Virgil Miller. Herbert Rawlinson .Gertrude Olmsted ....William Welsh Frankie Lee Hal Craig George McDaniels Fred Kohler ... Edward Jobson . ...Al. McQuarrie Walter Perry PRESS NOTICE— STORY This is a picture of a fighting Irish youth, who graduating from college and given to wearing a wrist watch, takes up the profession of construction engineer. The fact that he keeps his time upon his wrist is enough to make him subject to ridicule to the older workmen of his race. They cannot conceive that a true Irishman would cultivate such social graces. But the hero goes ahead with his plans — a song or a smile upon his lips and romance in his heart. He makes love in easy fashion — with a bit of blarney so to speak. When a time comes that he is unable to stand the taunts of his enemies — well, he does what any good, red-blooded Irishman would do — he pitches in and fights to the drop of the hat. He emerges badly bruised but the conquering hero. Thus his sweetheart’s father is reconciled to his courtship. It is a picture which is filled with Irish color and contains first rate character sketches. Herbert Rawlinson is the star of “ The Scrapper ” which will appear at the theatre next . Others in the cast are Gertrude Olmsted, Frankie Lee, the juvenile actor, Edward Jobson and Fred Kohler. PROGRAM READER It has never been disputed that an Irishman loves to fight. It is second nature with him. Even when he has gone through college and had some of his instinctive qualities cultivated, he is liable to assert his personality with fire in his eye and a wallop in his fist Take Herbert Rawlinson for instance. He graduated from college wearing a wrist watch. The old-timers were against him — they thought him a “ kid-glove ” specimen of Irishman. But he showed them that he could fight. Oh boy I You should see him in “ The Scrapper ” which comes to the theatre next . It is a picture of Irish love and blarney and two fisted action. Gertrude Olmsted, the beauty prize-winner, plays opposite. And what a lovely colleen. SUGGESTIONS This is an Irish character sketch which does not carry much action until the climax. But it does contain a vein of romance and sentiment. So play it up as a fragrant story of Irish love and temperament. Feature the fact that all good Irishmen are born scrappers. Get out the crowd. Play Irish airs in your orchestra. Decorate your lobby in green effects, artificial flowers suggesting the shamrock, etc., these will help in putting this offering over. Play up Rawlinson and his leading woman, Gertrude Olmsted. She won a beauty prize in a screen contest. So feature her personality in stills. An Irish folk-dance with Irish pipers and the usual atmosphere would make a fitting prologue. Bill it as an appealing drama of Irish love and action. CATCH LINES They called him the scrapper after he had whipped the Swede. Oh Boy I How that Irishman could fight! See Herbert Rawlinson in “ The Scrapper.” Entertaining Love Story — Novel Angle DEVIATING from the ordinary, “ First Love ” is an entertaining photoplay, depicting everyday people in everyday life. It gets completely away from the “ society drama,” is refreshing in its simplicity and tells of the happenings in the comfortable home of Tad O’Donnell, a plain working man, the wife a natural mother and their daughter who works in a factory. The principal characters are these parents, their affectionate daughter, ably played by Constance Binney, suffering with an infatuation for a worthless conceited young rotter — the cause of family difficulty. The object of daughter’s initial infatuation is the type of good looking, spineless fellow, who preys upon the sympathies of women, tells every girl who loans him money, she is the only one he ever loved and delights in breaking hearts. There is also a manly youth who owns the factory where the pretty daughter works and a whole-hearted woman of experience. She is a waitress, but her psychology of how to discourage a hopeless love affair by showing a deceived girl evidence of a man’s duplicity, instead of adding fuel to the fire with useless words, would credit a Cassar graduate. The story, founded upon an original by Sonya Levien, is thoroughly clean. It embodies many human touches, exceedingly well directed and exceptionally artistic in photography. “ First Love ” may also boast of a well selected and entirely competent cast. It is an attraction of general appeal, sufficiently forceful in plot, not “ gushy ” in love-interest and a production upon which an exhibitor may depend as pleasing value. — Length, 5 reels. — Lillian R. Gale. Kathleen O’Donnell. Donald Holliday Harry Stanton Yvette De Vonne.... Tad O'Donnell Mrs. O’Donnell Peter Holliday Ice Cream Cone Girl Speeder Elsie Edwards THE CAST Constance Binney Warner Baxter George Webb Betty Schade George Hernandez * Fannie Midgely Edward Jobson Agnes Adam* Maxine Elliott Hicks Dorothy Gordon By Sonya Levien. Scenario by Percy Heath and Aubrey Stauffer. Directed by Major Maurice Campbell. Supervised by Elmer Harris. Photographed by H. Kinley Martin. PRESS NOTICE— STORY “ First Love,” in which Constance Binney will be presented by Realart next at the theatre, is a story of everyday working people, to whom Dad’s night at the lodge and daughter’s first beau are important events in the routine of the work. Several screen favorites will be seen in the supporting cast with Constance Binney in the stellar role. Warner Baxter is leading man, and other players are George Webb, Fannie Midgely, George Hernandez, Agnes Adams, Maxine Elliott Hicks and Dorothy Gordon. Major Maurice Campbell, who has directed seven Bebt Daniels pictures for Realart, directed this production. PROGRAM READER “ First Love,” the story of a working girl, sweet, wholesome and innocent, who falls madly and blindly in love with her first “ beau,” and refuses to believe what her father tells her he knows about the handsome bounder, is the photoplay booked on at the theatre. It takes estrangement from home, and months of the man’s deceit to convince her at last that her first love was blind and that a worthier love awaits her. She fell in love with his eyes and her own were blinded to his selfish egotism and flabby character. CATCH LINE Mature love has its eyes open, but first love is stone blind. This week and every week hereafter one or more pages of action stills from the pictures reviewed, will be presented. Turn to Page 763