The Moving picture world (April 1922)

April 29, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 969 Newest Reviews and .Comments "Cupid's Brand" Jack Hoxie Lives Up to His Reputation in Arrow IV e stern. Reviewed by C. W. McCarty Romance and intrigue are entertainingly interwoven in "Cupid's Brand," a picture of the western type, featuring Jack Hoxie, who is widely known to followers of western pictures as a "rip-roaring" cowboy. The picture enables Hoxie to live up to his reputation and provides him with plenty of opportunities to display his versatility. Hoxie is supported in the romance part of the picture by Mignon Anderson, who has appeared in a number of other western films. Ben Wilson again displays his particular ability in directing pictures of this type. "Cupid's Brand" is bound to interest western "movie" fans. The Cast Reese Wharton Jack Hoxie "Spike" Crowder W. McGough "Bull" Devlin Charles Force Neva Hedden. Mignon Anderson Slade Crosby William Dwyer Steve Heden A. T. Van Sicklen Story and Scenario Not Credited. Direction by Ben Wilson. Length, 4,751 Feet. The Story Reese Wharton is a convict in the state prison. He is released on the same day the sentences of Spike Crowder and Bull Devlin, two counterfeiters, expire and the trio join together for future operations. They choose as the field for their crooked work a small Western town on the edge of a desert. A crooked sheriff in the town, wishing to get a "rake-off" by giving them protection, tries to "cut in" on their schemes. The trio takes offense at his efforts and, of course, incur his enmity. Immediately he tries to have them hanged. How they manage to free themslves of the complications arising from the sheriff's net is revealed in what follows. Exploitation Angles: Sell this chiefly on Hoxie and the Western atmosphere. You can get some punch out of heart shaped rubher stamps with the title in the center. It may not pay to have these made up, but you can make them for yourself using printer's roller composition, and stamp it wherever there will be no comeback. 'My Country" "An appreciation of the most beautiful country in the world, the Pacific Northwest," is the introductory title to "My Country," Robert C. Bruce's latest Wilderness Tale for Educational. And the scenic does justice to its subject. Never before has the writer seen such marvelously beautiful views of nature in repose and unrest, such pictorial reproduction of the grandeur of distant mountains, the shining charm of silver lakes and soft beauty of fleecy clouds. In his eyes it is one of the most extraordinary scenics ever made in this country. This two-reel subject excels in pictorial qualities even Bruce's "And Women Must Weep," but, unlike that screen masterpiece, it does not pretend to tell a story. It is purely pictorial. For scenes that would show America at her best, Bruce went to the State of Washington, up along the Columbia River and around Mount Rainier. His scenes shot, he spent weeks in having them carefully tinted, and the results are amazing. The mighty Pacific pounding unceasingly upon our western shores, little farms nestling among the rolling hills, gurgling trout streams over which Devil's Darning Needles dance on the morning mist, timbered valleys and sparkling lakes, soft, white, rolling clouds, a forest fire and, for the first time on the screen, it is believed, a view from a mountain top of a wet sea fog churning heavily, "dashing an imagi "The First Woman" Mildred Harris Acts a Role Within a Role in Robertson-Cole Production. Reviewed by Mary Kelly. "The First Woman" shows considerable novelty in the conception of its plot, and it is likely that the picture's greatest appeal lies in this. In order to convince a hypercritical young playwright that she is a great dramatic actress, a girl enters his home as a thief and gets so deeply involved in some of his personal affairs that she has plenty of chance to demonstrate her talents. It is fanciful and somewhat far-fetched, but the improbability is of the type that is diverting to most fans. An apparent lack of experience is characteristic of the performance of most of the cast. Mildred Harris seems not entirely free from affectation — probably her director could have obviated this effect, at least to some extent. However, she is attractively cast, and is at certain times appealing to some extent. Percy Marmont, in the role of the playwright, and some of the other principals show a lack of smoothness in their work that detracts from the artistic success of the whole. The Cast Paul Marsh Percy Marmont Jack Gordon Lloyd Hammond Tom Markham Donald Blakemore Marie Betty Hall Blsa Flora Arline Arle The Girl Mildred Harris Story by Glen Lyons. Scenario Not Credited. Direction by Glen Lyons. Length, 4,950 Feet. The Story Paul Marsh loses confidence in the theatrical manager, Tom Markham, when the latter suggests Billie Mayo for the leading part in the new play. Billie has heretofore been identified with bizarre comedy roles. Marsh returns home late that night to find a young girl in his library playing his violin. He learns that she is one of a gang of thieves, but protects her from the police after he hears her story. She makes her home with his sister and him, but presently worries them all by her increasing admiration for his sister's sweetheart. Finally Paul finds her in this man's arms, and decides to break the affair up. The girl is persistent, however, even to the point of trying to stab herself. At this moment Paul rushes in and all three of the others laugh at him, as it was all only a game to prove to him that Billie could really act. She wins the role and a husband besides. Program and Exploitation Catchline: She Had Been in the Chorus So He Thought She Would Never Be a Real Actress — She Decided to Play a Role Within His Own Home That Would Demonstrate Her Dramatic Ability Beyond All Doubt — And She Won Not Only the Part but a Husband. Exploitation Angles: Sell Miss Harris and work hard on the title, which will lend itself to stunt advertising and h'ook-ups. nary surf against the rocks" — these are the high spots of a picture that, for sheer beauty, the writer has never seen surpassed. — S. S. "FullO'Pep" Snub Pollard literally makes a monkey of himself in this single reel comedy, distributed by Pathe. It is an amusing travesty of the use of monkey glands to restore pep and energy. Snub, being unusually lazy, resolves to take the treatment. He is shown as a remarkably successful example of its success, but his rival, who has taken the goat gland treatment, persists in eating tin cans and important papers. Finally he discovers that Snub must never eat peanuts. Snub, however, does not know this and when he falls for his rival's scheme, suddenly finds himself acting just like a real "Queen o' the Turf" Racing Melodrama Has Tense Race Scene As Climax — R-C Release Reviewed by Fritz Tidden. One of the most exciting race scenes run on celluloid serves as the climax of R-C's Australian imported picture, "Queen o' the Turf." It is such a good scene of its kind it puts a thrill into the picture at the finish that will stir the most phlegmatic. But "Queen o' the Turf" is not a one-scene picture, with nothing but a spirited climax. It is a racing melodrama that should interest the average audience and gives it the sort of entertainment fare that has generally proved successful. It is what is known as typical Drury Lane melodrama material, such as was "The Whip." The picture is so Australian in locale and everything else, and extremely interesting as such, that you imagine you can see kangaroos hopping about the scenery. But the importers have seen fit to change the story, with titles, to seem American and have located it in or around Lexington, Kentucky. It is not analogous. Before it is released to exhibitors it might be wise to change it back to its original locale. Even the most unobservant will find fault with the existing condition, it is so constantly obvious. And, anyway, locale cannot hurt any good story, and "Queen o' the Turf" has a good story. The cast, which is headed by Brownie Vernon, does excellent work at all times. Some of the men look so much alike that there is confusion at times during the progress of the story, but the spectator soon gets straightened out. Miss Vernon has a charming personality and is convincing in whatever she does. She is a valuable asset to the picture. The story has a familiar theme, but a popular one, and the scenarist and director have developed it in a way that gives it added interest. And again attention must be called to the race scene climax. It alone is worth the price of admission. The Cast "Bobbie" Morton Brownie Vernon Richard Morton John Faulkner Dick Morton, Jr Robert MacKinnon Dennis O'Hara John Cosgrove Jeffrey Manners Raymond Lawrence Philip Droone Tal Ordell Myra Fane Evelyn Johnson Toby Makin Gerald Harcourt Story, Scenario and Direction by John K. Wells. Length, Five Rels. The Story "Queen o' the Turf" is a romance of the Australian race course. Its heroine, "Bobbie" Vernon, is one of those girls who, although a tomboy at times, is yet a thoroughly feminine woman. She is worshipped by her father and is the favorite among the persons running his racing stable. Her brother Dick is a ne'er-do-well, in the clutches of a crook in Sydney. On her birthday she is given Alert, a wonder horse, t>y a neighbor, Denni3 O'Hara, who is in love with her. He also helps her brother monetarily. Alert is entred for a big race, and the crook is attempting to get it made "dead" for the race. Dick discovers the plot, calls his sister, who takes the place of the bought jockey, and rides home a winner. O'Hara sacrifices his love for the girl when he finds she will be happier with a younger man. Exploitation Angles: If you have worn out the Jockey-on-a-horse stunt, try something different. If you can get one of those toy race courses with numbered horses, put it in a window as "an exact reproduction" of the big race scene. Have a boy spin the toy and put up a sign asking spectators not to make bets. You can fade crap shooting for the time being and put the picture over. monkey. This effect is well brought out by trick photography. Finally Snub wakes up to find it has been a terrible dream and he rushes out of the operating room. — C. S. S.