The Moving picture world (April 1922)

April 29, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 971 Newest Reviews and, Comments 'Wo Trespassing" Irene Castle in One of Her Best Vehicles, a Highly-Involved Drama Released by Hodkinson. Reviewed by Mary Kelly. A cast that is always interesting, and at times, inspired, accomplishes the important mission in "No Trespassing" of illuminating material that is very similar to what has been picturized before. This art of revivifying familiar dramatic situations is more successful in this feature than it frequently is. Although the average spectator recognizes the characters and can anticipate what will happen, the action is sufficiently involved, and the delays are interesting enough to make the performance enjoyable to anyone. The story has been elaborately developed. There are several angles of interest and the scene shifts entertainingly from one to the other. There is the romance of the city girl and the village boy, the conflict over a strip of property, the drama of the stock-market and the fate of a dishonest cashier. Closely linked together, these plot-elements are designed to unite in making the final climax big and effective. Obvious melodrama, however, has weakened the climax. The suddenness of an everythingends-happily-for-everybody conclusion mars the general effect. Almost in one shot the cashier confesses his guilt before the mob, the father beneficently bestows the property upon the town, then offers the hero a fine position in the city, while the boy's mother, who has been chair-ridden for years, finds that she has been miraculously healed. These solutions are quite to be expected, but if the effect were less precipitant, it would be more artistic. Irene Castle gives one of the most charming and intelligent performances of her experience in pictures. Her art as a dancer is not exploited this time, but her fine taste in selecting a wardrobe will be admired by women, everywhere, as usual. From the standpoint of dramatic interpretation, the best performance in "No Trespassing" is given by Ward Crane in an admirable role of a young man with convictions. The entire cast deserves praise. Good photography and attractive settings contribute to the beauty of the production. The Cast Mabel Colton Irene Castle James Colton Howard Truesdale Mrs. James Colton Emily Fitzroy Roscoe Paine Ward Crane Mrs. Paine Eleanor Barry Dorinda Blanche Frederlci Lute Chas. Eldridge Capt. Dean Leslie Stowe Nellie Dean Betty Bouton "Victor Carver Al Roscoe Simeon Eldridge Harry Fisher George Davis Geo. Pauncefort Adapted from the Story, "The Rise of Roscoe Paine," by Joseph C. Lincoln. Scenario by Howard Irving Young. Direction by Edwin L. Hollywood. Length, 6,900 Feet. The Story Roscoe Paine owns the lane that runs through the village in which he lives, and allows the fishermen to use it as it is the shortest route to the sea. When James Colton arrives from New York, he attempts to buy the strip from Roscoe, as his sick wife is annoyed by the sounds of the fishermen as they return to their homes. Roscoe, unwilling to discommode the villagers who have been kind to his disabled mother and himself, refuses to sell. Meanwhile he falls In love with Colton's daughter, Mabel. "Victor Carver, from New York, is paying Mabel much attention, but is trying to get a line on her father's investments in the stock market at the same time. His dishonest schemes lead to a dramatic climax, but he is finally exposed, and together with "Through a Glass Window" May McAvoy Is the Sunshine Heroine in Paramount Picture With Sentimental Theme. Reviewed by Mary Kelly. Life in the tenement district, particularly the sobby side, has been pictured here in a way that will appeal to those who like sentimentality. Through cloudbursts of trouble, a typical storybook family, headed by May McAvoy as the ray of sunbeam, reaches the rainbow. The mother who goes blind finds the promise that she will see again ; the son who stole to save his sister's reputation is pardoned and dismissed from prison ; and the glad girl, herself, who has been unjustly fired, sets up a successful doughnut establishment for herself, and wins for a husband the romantic vegetable peddler. The story is not too exaggerated to prove entertaining in many localities. It would seem advisable, however, to be certain that your class of patrons have not tired of this particular type of picture. There is no attempt at dramatics, only as a quite sympathetic treatment of the hardships of poverty and sickness, with a few sugary interruptions, and always the promise of a happy ending in the background. May McAvoy has a role that carries its own laurels, but makes no demand for individuality. She will be generally referred to as "sweet" and is fully deserving of such a description. The types are all well-chosen and their performance is consistent with the theme. The Cast Jenny Martin May McAvoy Mrs. Martin Fanny Midgely Dan Martin Burwell Hamrick Tomasso Barilio Raymond McKee Matt Clancy Fred Turner Molly Clancy Carrie Clark Ward Jimmy Frank Butterworth Hartigan Wade Boteler "Coffee Pete" Russ Powell Story and Scenario by Olga Printzlau. Direction by Maurice Campbell. Length, 4,490 Feet. The Story Jenny Martin's life consists of frying doughnuts by day and nursing her mother by night, except for a few scattered moments of pleasure when her suitor, Tomasso, rides by in his vegetable cart. Her brother suffers from the cold when winter comes, so Jenny takes a five-dollar bill that the wind carries near her, while her employer is counting his money. She buys a sweater for her brother, but Pete, the doughnut boss, suspects her and accuses her of stealing the money. She gets the five from her brother who steals it from a Jewish merchant, and pays back Pete. Her brother is put into prison. She loses her job but sets up a rival doughnut factory of her own and promises to marry Tomasso when her brother is released. When spring comes around the brother returns, Tomasso claims his own, and her mother regains her sight. Program and Exploitation Catchllnes: Frying Doughnuts Was a Monotonous Life But Romance Came When She Looked Through the Window and Saw Tomasso Who Had a Vegetable Cart and a Lovely Tenor "Voice — the Winter Brought Its Troubles, But These Were Forgotten When Spring Came. other important adjustments the romance of Roscoe and Mabel materializes. Program and Exploitation Catchllnes: Irene Castle More Charming Than You Have Ever Seen Her — a Drama With Many Involved Situations — a Hundred Snarls to Unwind — An Interesting Cast to Unwind Them. Exploitation Angles: Playing up Mrs. Castle as an actress will be a novelty and give emphasis to the fact that this is a play. For the rest use the title, placarding prominent stores and Institutions with no trespass signs, adding: "For the reason go to the Blank Theatre, dates." "The Infidel" Katherine MacDonald in an Out-of-theOrdinary Type of Photoplay Released by First National. Reviewed by C. S. Sewell. One of the attractive features of "The Infidel," a First National production, starring Katherine MacDonald, is the fact that the story is different from the usual run of photoplays and provides the star with an unusual role, that of a woman who through force of circumstances denies the existence of a higher power, but is finally brought to a different realization. There are some excellent storm and sea scenes combined with excellent photography, and the picture ranks well up among this star's productions. The beginning of the photoplay is particularly good and there is a genuine surprise in the development early in the story. After this, considerable of the suspense is removed and the story follows more along conventional lines with some inconsistencies and expected situations. Quite a lot of use has been made of the flashback, showing several scenes of the minister's early life and also of the star's "past," which weaken the continuity. Taken as a whole, however, the production is one that should satisfy the average audience. Miss MacDonald is assisted by a capable supporting cast, including such players as Robert Ellis, as leading man ; Joseph Dowling, as a missionary; Melbourne MacDowell, as the heavy; Barbara Tennant, and Charles Force. There are some unusually attractive close-ups of Miss MacDonald. The Cast Lola Daintry Katherine MacDonald Cyrus Flint Robert Ellis Rev. Mead Joseph Dowling The Nabob Boris Karloff Bully Haynes Melbourne MacDowell Miss Parliss Oleta Otis Mr. Scudder Charles Smiley Mrs. Scudder Loyola O'Connor Hope Scudder Barbara Tennant Chunky Charles Force Story by Charles A. Logue. Directed by James Young. Length, 5,377 Feet. The Story Rev. Mead is a missionary on the island of Menang and Cyrus Flint is a man whom he has regenerated. Flint received a message over a secret wireless that a yacht is sinking. The next morning a small boat cames ashore with the only survivors, Lola Daintry and a stoker. They accept the minister's hospitality. Soon after Haynes, a competitor of Flint arrives, and it develops that Lola is his confederate and is playing a role to get Flint away from the island. A love affair starts between the two. Flint later learns he has been duped and sells out to Haynes. The ruler of the island, in league with Haynes, ordered a massacre but desires that Lola be captured alive. Lola, though denounced by Flint, goes to him to beg aid for the missionary and other whites whom she has previously scorned. After a fight on shipboard Haynes is washed into the sea; the white people are saved by the timely arrival of the marines who were called by wireless, and everything ends happily between Lola and Flint. It develops that Lola is really the daughter of Mead, separated from him since childhood. Program and Exploitation Cat eh lines: One of the World's Most Beautiful Women, Winner of Many Prizes for Beauty, In an Exciting Drama of the South Seas. Katherine MacDonald is a "Different" Type of Photoplay, as a Beautiful Woman Who Denies the Creator, But Learns the Error of Her Ways. Exploitation Angles: Work up on the beauty of the star and stress the cast, which employs a number of notables. You might interest the missionary societies of the churches In this.