Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

January 29, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 371 “Paradise For Two” Richard Dix, Betty Bronson and Gregory La Cava Combine to Produce Pleasant But Familiar Story Adolph Zukor and Jesse Lasky present Richai'd Dix in “Paradise for Two” A Gregory La Cava Production A Paramount Picture CAST: Steve Porter Richard Dix Uncle Howard Edmund Breese Sally Lane Betty Bronson Maurice Andre Beranger Length — 6,187 Feet Steve, fascinated by the silhouette of a girl across the courtyard, loses her when a friend hires a “wife” for him to get his uncle’s money. He falls in love with her and learns they are both the same girl, and finally wins her. Amusing comedy drama. WORKING with the trite idea of a man who must marry within forty-eight hours to receive a legacy, Richard Dix and PATRONS WHO LIKE action melodrama and don’t demand that it be consistent as long as it is exciting will certainly find plenty of it in “Wolf’s Clothing” a Warner Brothers production starring Monte Blue. The story concerns a subway guard who gets hit by an auto on his night off and it is unfolded as a melodrama of events that happened to him. We have never seen so much, so hectic and so lurid action crowded into a similar amount of film. The complications are too numerous to recite in detail but include a doping scene in a cabaret, the awakening in a dingy furnished room in Pathe presents “Play Safe” Starring Monty Banks Directed by Joseph Henabery CAST: The Boy Monty Banks Heiress Virginia Dee Corbin Crooked Trustee Charles Mailes His Son Charles Gerard Big Bill Bud Jamieson Length — 4,915 Feet To keep from having to marry her crooked trustee’s son, the heiress runs away and the boy befriends her, and despite the pursuit of a gang, the pair escapes after a thrilling ride on a runaway freight, and get married. Amusing thrill comedy. T N “PLAY SAFE” THE second comedy of A his new series for Pathe, Monty Banks has a vehicle of an entirely different type from his “Atta Boy” but which should find Betty Bronson, under the adroit direction of Gregory La Cava succeed in making the resultant comedy a sparkling and entertaining vehicle for the display of the agreeable personalities of the star and his leading woman. The director is entitled to a share of the credit, for his direction contributes very importantly to the result. It is the little flashes of delicate humor, ably gotten over by the players, that make this a story of distinction rather than the same old thing. It gives it individuality and charm. Dix is a chronic woman-hater who has deferred his marriage until the last moment, when a theatrical agent hires Miss Bronson ; a typist with stage aspirations, to pose as the wife for the benefit of the executoruncle. The uncle discovers the deception which everything seems many times its real size (a very novel effect) continual encounters with the crazy millionaire who is the cause of the trouble, a rescue from a rum ship and a runaway train in the subway. So numerous and exciting are the situations in which the hero finds himself that the story loses all vestiges of probability and appears to burlesque straight melodrama before it is revealed that it was all the delirious dream of the injured guard. “Wolf’s Clothing” depends for its audience appeal on its whirlwind action and thrillng situations, and it has enough of these for an entire serial. Monte Blue lives up to the requirements of the leading role and Pasty Ruth Miller as the girl amply justifies his strenuous efforts in her behalf. John Miljan does all that could be expected with the thankless role of the lunatic millionaire and favor with the vast majority of spectators. In contrast to the previous picture which depended solely on the hilarious mirthprovoking situations that followed each other in rapid succession, there are not nearly so many gags in “Play Safe.” In fact the early part of the comedy is more of a human interest story building up the romance between the heiress who has run away to escape an irksome marriage and the boy who befriends her. About the middle of the picture, the villainous guardian and his henchman start in to discredit the boy and there is a fight in the factory followed by the escape of villain, boy and girl on a runaway freight train. First there are fights all over the train between boy and villain until the latter is disposed of and then a succession of excellent thrill-comedy gags in which the boy and seeks to smoke out his nephew through pretending to plant himself in the house, but the real denouement comes when a party of Dix’s old friends invade the place and Dix knocks one of the men down for speaking lightly of his temporary wife. This makes him realize his love and he follows the girl to her boarding house and wins her. Edmund Breese is capital as the uncle, but Andre Beranger fails to give variety to his part as the manager. Paradise For Two is a delightful little domestic comedy. a large supporting cast are kept exceedingly busy in providing the necessary excitement. Warner Brothers present “Wolfs Clothing” Starring Monte Blue Based on story by Arthur Somers Roche Directed by Roy Del Ruth CAST: Barrie Monte Blue Rinnie Patsy Ruth aiiller Craige John Miljan Candish Douglas Gerrard Detective Arthur Millett Length — 7,068 Feet Barrie, subway guard, is injured by Craig's auto. Thus begins a wild night of exciting thrills with thugs, adventurers and a pretty woman, which proves to be only a dream as Barrie awakens in a hospital. Exceptionally exciting thrill-action melodrama. tries to get on top of the train, and finally falls off, rolls down a hill and back on to the train. There is some excellent stuff on the end of a board as the train rolls down the mountain side, including thrills, and acrobatic stunt stuff that is alternately amusing and exciting. This makes a whirlwind finish that more than makes up for the easy pace of the early reels. Monty Banks distinguishes himself in the thrill comedy situations and Virginia Lee Corbin is attractive as the girl. “Play Safe” is a fast-moving and highly diverting thrill comedy. “Wolf’s Clothing” Monte Blue and Patsy Ruth Miller in Lurid Action-Thrill Melodrama with Dream Ending “Play Safe” Monty Banks’ Newest Feature Comedy for Pathe Is Filled With Exciting Thrills and Laughs