Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1922)

December 23, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 777 spots where it gives vain promises of gaining in momentum and dramatic^ consistency. What happens is perfectly obvious after the first eight feet have been unfolded. The Cast Adora Wlnstanley Catherine Calvert William Arnold Kelvin Joseph Brnelle William Kelvin William Black Somerton Randolph George Pauncefort Morris Eltm.m Willmm Ricclardi Hilary Weston Jack Newton Mlshu Norbert Wickl Story by Sabin Wood. Scenario by Wallace Clifton. Directed by Harry O. Hoyt. Length, Six Reels. The Story Adora Winstanley, star of “The Pink Moon,” Is Broadway’s newest idol. She Is courted by the wealthy, but it remains for Billy Kelvin to win her love. They are married. Daddy and the “upper 400” in general object and continually refer to her as ‘that woman.” Daddy Kelvin comes home a.nd schemes to separate the two, but in vain, for Billy gets a job as chauffeur. Meanwhile an effort is made to “buy” Adora off. She accepts the check, then throws It away. Father and son start a battle and finally the old gentleman relents and “recognizes Adora’s fitness to be a Kelvin.” “Thirty Days” Newest Wallace Reid Production is a Farce Comedy of Only Mediocre Enter, tainment Value Reviewed by C. S. Sewell While there are several amusing situations in “Thirty Days/* Wallace Reids newest production for Paramount whole it is hardly up to the standard of his previous pictures. It is a farce comedy adapted from a stage play by A. E. Thomas and Clayton Hamilton, which is lacking in the pep and rapidity of action of the majority of his films on the one hand and docs not contain as clever lines or situations as “Clarence” on the other. The story is slight and at the start you think when Reid proposes to his girl and she puts him on probation to refrain from flirting for thirty days that this situation is going to furnish the plot, but the action switches and it is not to get away from the impetuous flappers, but from an irate Sicilian desperado who is after him that he seeks refuge in jail for the period that gives the picture its title. James Cruze, who directed _ the picture, has produced it in good style with attractive settings and Wanda Hawley wears some stunning gowns, but there does not appear to have been sufficient rapid-fire material at hand to make it a fast-moving farce comedy of feature length. There is much brandishing of knives and stilettos, and the attempts of the star to get away from the desperado, the way the desperado’s wife keeps bobbing up, of course, at the time that Wally’s real girl is around, the secret society business with the slogan of the wide-open eye, the finding of the desperado and the star in jail at the same time and the unexpected pardon of the star just One day before the desperado is to sail for Italy, seems machine made and unconvincing even for a farce comedy. Some of the funniest scenes occur in the jail, where the warden showers Wally with favors of all kinds to keep him from revealing a shortage in his accounts, but these are overdone. Kalla Pasha, the fat and fierce looking comedian who has appeared in many Mack Sennett comedies, adds much to the merriment of these scenes, being cast as the warden. Wallace Reid portrays the role of a woebegone and sacred young gentleman who is in fear of his life and looks the part. Wanda Hawley is attractive as the girl and ■Carmen Phillips is well cast as the Italian’s wife. Herschell Mayall, an excellent heavy, .-struggles hard with the role of the des perado, but is handicapped as it does not entirely suit him. As a whole, it is a mediocre comedy which never arouses any great amount of interest and is only mildly amusing. We do not believe that this picture will enhance the star’s popularity with the fans. The Cast John Floyd Wallace Reid Lucille Ledyard Wanda Hawley Judge Hooker Charles Ogle Huntley Palmer Cyril Chadwick Polenta Herschell Mayall Mrs. Floyd Helen Dunbar Carlotta Carmen Phillips Warden Kalla Pasha Adapted from play by A. E. Thomas and Clayton Hamilton. Directed by James Crnze. Length, 7,788 Feet. Story John Floyd, with a propensity for flirting, proposes to Lucille and she put him on probation for a month. He goes with her into the slums to help In her settlement work and, while sympathizing with an Italian woman, her husband returns. Floyd beats a hasty retreat, the woman follows and says her husband is going to kill him. To escape, Floyd picks a fight with a pal and a friendly judge sends him to jail for thirty days. He soon finds the man is in the same jail. Floyd becomes friendly with the warden, who has the desperado discharged. Lucille comes to the jail and finds Floyd, but he bluffs her by saying he is studying prison conditions. He is pardoned one day before the man is to sail for Italy and finds him waiting outside, but eludes him. That night the desperado makes another attempt to get Floyd, They, however, grab the judge instead. LuThey, however, grabe the judge Instead. Lucille captures him with a revolver and demands an explanation from Floyd. He cooks up one and all ends happily. “One Wonderful Night” Universal Feature Starring Herbert Rawlinson is CrookMystery Melodrama of Ordinary Appeal Reviewed by C. S. Sewell In the newest Universal production in which he is starred, which is titled “One Wonderful Night,” Herbert Rawlinson appears as a young man who immediately upon his arrival in New York is plunged by the god of chance right into the midst of a thrilling and mysterious adventure. As the title implies, the entire action takes place during one night, and events move rapidly. There is plenty of action, several fights, secret rooms, a hurried wedding, a near-murder, police third degrees, a chase through the dark, and other devices of productions of this type. The action of the picture is not always consistent, due to certain points which are not made quite clear, as for instance, just how a man can legally marry a woman with a license made out to another man, even though their names may be strikingly similar; nor as to just how the hero obtained the overcoat containing the license, so eagerly sought after by several different parties. There are also other unconvincing aspects to the picture. The main theme, that of a girl who has to be married by a certain hour to obtain a big fortune, has been used many times before. In this instance it is complicated by the fact that a crook posing as a count has won her father’s consent. He obtains the help of a gang who use desperate measures to prevent the marriage until the count, who is delayed, arrives. This brings about the situations on which the picture hinges. Herbert Rawlinson is cast in the heroic role of the young man who agrees to marry the girl and win her love afterward, which he succeeds in doing within a few hours, and his work in this instance should fully satisfy his admirers even though he comes out unscathed from a terrific fight. Lillian Rich is attractive as the girl. The production as a whole is a melodrama of only ordinary quality. It will probably satisfy a goodly number of patrons, but it can hardly be classed as among the best of the Universal program releases. The Cast John D. Curtis Herbert Ra-wlinson Hermione Fane Lillian Rich The Maid Dale Fuller Z. F. Fane Sidney DeGray Chief Detective Joseiih W. Girard Jean DeCurtois Jean DeBriac Jusgins Sidney Bracey Minister. . . Spottiswoode Aitkin Story by Louis Tracy. Scenario by G. C. Hull. Directed by Stuart Paton. Phot&raphed by G. W, Warren. Length, 4,473 Feet. Story John D. Curtis has just returned from China when he is unexpectedly thrust into a mysterious series of adventures. Witnessing an assault on a man whose assailants make a getaway, he finds he has the over coat of the injured man. In the pocket he discovers a marriage license. Scenting a plot he calls on her and finds she is a girl he danced with in China. The girl is in difficuity, as she must marry by midnight to get a fortune and has hired the man who is supposed to have been injured, to marry her. John obligingly takes his place. But this is only the beginning of the adventures which Culminate in the exposure of the fact that all the trouble has been caused by a crook posing as a count who has hired the thugs to prevent the wedding until he arrives. The gang is rounded up and Curtis wins the love of the girl he has married. “Lucky Dan” Dick Talmadge’s Antics Make Phil Goldstone Picture Double Bill Proposition Reviewed by Roger Ferri “Lucky Dan” is not up to the standard, insofar as production is concerned, to previous Phil Goldstone pictures starring the versatile and acrobatic star, Richard Talmadge. However, what the production lacks in construction, the star makes up in swift action and totally entertaining mannerism plus a personality that is catchy at every turn. His somersaulting and diving antics play an important part in this picture, and tend to hold your interest. As one of two features on a double bill, “Lucky Dan,” should be a wise investment for any exhibitor located in second run houses or the combination picture and vaudeville places or those playing to neighborhood clineteles. The supporting cast always is decidedly in the background in these pictures, for the work of Richard Talmadge is incomparable and right now he looks like one of the best starring bets in the business. There is no star in the business with whom he can be compared, for his work is individualistic and decidedly original. He carries the story on his own shoulders and what is more remarkable than his personality and ability to accomplish feats others insist on calling in doubles to play, is the fact that one never tires of him nor his knockabout daringly acrobatic stunts. The Cast “Lucky Dan” Richard Talmadgre Remainder of cast unavailable. Produced by Phil Goidstone, Length, 4,700 Feet. The Story “Lucky Dan” Is a reckless, carefree, daring young cowboy in love with a pretty iass. The latter returns that “on-to-the-altar” admiration, but her daddy is one of those gentlemen with Missourian leanings, namely, he must be shown. And at the outset daddy doesn’t think much of Dan as a business man. But then inheritances always do come in handy and in this particular Instance, an unexpected inheritance not only made popper see things tij different, but incidentaly earned a wife for our hero — thus leaving no doubt that between the two the much-welcomed inheritance would be well taken care of. And so it ends.