Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1924)

November 1, 1924 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 77 “Alice Gets in Dutch” (Winkler — -Comedy — One Reel) This is one of the best of the series of “Alice” comedies which are being distributed on the independent market by M. J. Winkler. This charming little kiddie gets blamed for another pupil’s prank, is made to wear a dunce cap and then goes to sleep. By means of the combination of photography and cartoon work of Walt Disney, Alice is shown as having a most wonderful dream in which with her pals, a donkey and a dog, she has a battle with the teacher, a devilish looking female with horns, who is assisted by three animated school books. She wins the battle by using cayenne pepper, causing the books to sneeze until they lose their leaves, but the teacher catches her and prods her with a sword. This reel is amusing and clever and is suitable for any class of theatre; the kiddies especially will enjoy it. The cartoon work and photography is ingeniously combined and some clever effects obtained; this angle has the advantage of being out of the ordinary and quite a novelty. — C. S. S. “Animated Hair Cartoons” (Red Seal — Cartoon — 300 feet) The Animated Hair Cartoons, drawn by Marcus, the celebrated cartoonist of the New York Times, which have been a feature of the program of some of the biggest houses including the Rivoli and Rialto, New York, are now being distributed through Red Seal Pictures Corporation. These cartoons are amusing and decidedly ingenious and are based on the idea of what a big difference the position or changes of hair make in a person’s appearance. Subject A of the series shows the cartoonist manipulating the hair so that a London policeman changes into Lady Astor, an unidentified man into Taft and then into Joffre and other characters into Jack Holt and Snub Pollard. Subject B shows W. J. Bryan changed to Briand of France, Shakespeare to John Barrymore and a man to Pola Negri. These subjects are immensely entertaining and afford amusement to patrons who will want to guess the character that is being developed. These are suitable for any kind of a house. — C. S. S. “The Age of Oil” (Fox — Instructive — One Reel) As one of his Educational Entertainments, William Fox is offering this subject which deals with the production of oil and its many uses. The importance of this commodity to modern industrial life is interestingly shown together with fact as to the source, refining and distribution of oil. An unusual point brought out is the fact that very few wells are gushers, and that frequently other things such as salt water springs are tapped when drilling. This subject is timely and should interest the majority. — C. S. S. “Pathe Review No. 43” (Pathe — Magazine — One Reel) “History of Fashions” is quite an interesting study of the “outline” observed by dressmakers from the time of the “cave-woman” to the present-day flapper. “Flying Over Hawaii,” an aerial tour over these islands in the mid-Pacific, and scenic points of the City of Cleveland, a Pathecolor, comprise the subjects shown in “Pathe Review No. 34.” — T. W. “Hot Stuff” (Pathe — Comedy — Two Reels) The “Spat” Family’s latest endeavor has mostly to do with fire and fire apparatus. In the small town in which they live a boarding house is burned to the ground before the local volunteers arrive. As a precaution in the event of a conflagration in their own home the “Spats” import a fire engine. They house it in a garage next to their home. One day they decide to have a fire drill. After much squabbling, which is quite amusing, they get the apparatus on to the street. Then they stage a wild ride all over the town, having many narrow escapes and capering about the speeding machine in a way which will thrill any audience. They suddenly become aware that a bonfire they started in their yard as a part of their drill has ignited a curtain in their home. A wild scramble follows and by the time they get the hose functioning the house has burned to the ground. To make matters worse one of the “Spats” turns a stream of gasoline from a garage pump upon the flames resulting in the Family taking a brief flight. The comedy as a whole is amusing but it strikes us that many audiences will find the engine incident has been overdone. — T. W. “Vaudeville” (Red Seal — Cartoon — One Reel) This number of Max Fleisher’s clever “Out-of-the-inkwell” cartoons which are being released by Red Seal Pictures Corporation shows the familiar little clown running a vaudeville theatre; he acts as ticket taker, jumps about playing each of the orchestral instruments in turn, runs the show, introduces the acts and finally comes to grief and has the audience walk out on him when he tries to do a “turn” himself. Mr. Fleischer, as usual appears in some of the scenes, and his wonderful imagination is evident throughout. The little clown performs some very amusing stunts which should delight the majority of spectators, and characteristic of this series, moves about with wonderful smoothness and realism for a cartoon character. This is well up to the standard of the series. — C. S. S. “Film Facts” (Red Seal — Magazine — 750 feet) Issue B of this magazine of the screen distributed by Red Seal Pictures Corp., comprises a number of interesting subjects that should have popular appeal and is suitable for any type of house. Geisha girls of Japan are shown dancing gracefully as compared with the unskilled dance of the Indian. There are shots of vast herds of cattle on our western plains, the value running into millions. There is a brief biography with views of the celebrated naturalist John Burroughs. The reel concludes with shots of unusual fish including the thin conger eel, the defenseless star-fish and a battle between a cuttle-fish and a spider crab.— C. S. S. “The Cat and the Magnet” (Pathe — Cartoon — One Reel) Cartoonist Paul Terry supplies his cat with a magnet with which that animal proceeds to magnetize mice and their little autos into a hollow tree trunk. There the cat resells the cars. The idea is not only original but is clever from the standpoint of laughs. — T. W. “The Mosquito” (Educational — Instructive — One Reel) A little insect, known rather unfavorably to practically everyone, furnishes the subject for the newest Principal Pictures Corporation “Secrets of Life” series. This gives to the subject additional interest for the majority of patrons. There are remarkable views of the mosquito from the time the eggs are laid in stagnant water, through its career as a swimming wiggler, its pupal stage and final transformation into the stinging singing summer torment. A fact unknown to many, that the female of the species is more deadly than the male, and that in fact it is only the lady mosquito that stings humans, is brought out. The male, decked in gorgeous plumage is a conceited vegetarian. This is one of the best and most interesting of this remarkable series. — C. S. S. “Robinson Crusoe” (Universal — Comedy — One Reel) Our friend of childhood days, Robinson Crusoe, is the newest addition to Universal’s Hysterical History series. His experiences on the desert island are amusingly burlesqued with some clever toucnes. Of course, the native Friday plays a prominent part, and in addition, Robinson meets a charming girl who had to walk home from a yatching party. After various experiences which have been travestied with good comedy effect, including the making of pancakes with gunpowder by Friday, Robinson rescues the girl, by getting the cannibals, who have learned baseball by eating an umpire, to play a game. A clever scene shows Friday putting them out of business by shooting a spear through their nose rings and tying them. — C. S. S. *‘Some Tomboy” (Universal — Comedy — Two Reels) The newest Century Comedy distributed through Universal, stars Wanda Wiley in the role of a tomboy. She dons a baseball uniform and pulls a lot of amusing stuff in a game in which she pitches for the gang of urchins. Later she goes swimming, the hero gets her clothes and makes her promise to kiss him. She consents but steals his car and he has to walk home. She does a lot of other stunts and finally as a hairdresser succeeds in ruining his mother’s hair by failing to turn off the current of the permanent wave machine. Everything turns out alright and she is forgiven. There is not much of a plot to this comedy, just a series of adventures, however, they should get laughs from the average spectator. — C. S. S. “Peeps Into Puzzleland” (Red Seal — Novelty — 740 feet) An entertaining novelty that will appeal especially to children is Issue B of the Red Seal Pictures Corporation’s “Gems of the Screen.” By means of trick photography a little girl is shown as playing with a jigsaw puzzle. She dozes, the pieces start moving about and finally form a picture which comes to life. The different subjects include a little kitten, a tray of fruit, a rabbit, a toy man and a lion. The other animals walk out the picture and scamper over the bed clothes then get back into the picture which rearranges itself to form a new one. The subject is ingeniously handled. — C. S. S.