The Moving picture world (March 1923-April 1923)

March 17, 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 345 Mad Love" Pola Negri Gives Remarkable Portrayal in Goldwyn Foreigrn-Made Film with Unhappy Ending. Reviewed by C. S. Sewell Goldwyn is presenting the celebrated star, Pola Negri, in a German-made production ■"Mad Love," which probably more than any other of this star's pictures so far imported shows her remarkable ability as an actress. At all times she acts with sureness and decision, bringing out finely every little change in the mood of the heartless flirt who at last finds love only to lose it. Due to the star's truly fine work which •serves to verify previous estimates that she is one of the screen's most talented actresses, the production is proving to be a drawing card at the Capitol Theatre, New York, and by her ability and the fine direction of the picture which we understand to be the work of Dimitri Buchowetski, who has gained a reputation as one of the best of the European directors, the attention of the audience is held closely. And this, despite the fact that the settings, production •details and work of the cast stamp the picture as a foreign-made production, and the further fact that the picture ends with the strangling to death of the heroine by a former suitor who has been rendered insane by her treatment of him. Obviously, this feature alone will render it unacceptable to spectators who demand at all times a happy <nding, but the ending is entirely consistent with the story and the character of the heroine as portrayed by Pola Negri, and, further is perfectly logical. The picture is finely mounted and unusually well lighted and photographed, and •characteristic of the better class of Germanmade productions. There are some big and well handled mob scenes. In this instance the big scene represents a carnival ball in an enormous opera house in Paris, with several tiers of boxes. It is in such spectacular surroundings that the big climax is laid. With the exception of the star, none of the other members of the cast are credited; all of them do good work and portray French roles and the entire action of the story is laid in France. cast IJane Pola NegrrI •Ofthcra Players Not Credited Lengrth, 5,518 feet. Story Chabot comes to Paris to see about his «ou8in Andreas who is in a sanitarium and learns he has been driven insane by the beartlessness of the flirt Liane, the favorite of the Odeon. A friend takes him there where he denounces the wrong woman. Liane overhears him and seeks to win bis love. She succeeds, as he does not know ■who she is, but falls really in love with him. ■They go away on their honeymoon, but a disappointed suitor follows and tells Chabot the truth. He leaves Liane and seeks to forget her but finally returns to her and finds her at a big carnival ball. Just then, Andreas, who has escaped from the sanitarium, comes on the scene and gets his revenge by «trangllng Liane to death. "Are You a Failure?" Al Lichtman's Tom Forman Comedy Drama a Lesson in Correspondence School Tactics Reviewed by Roger Ferri No doubt every student of correspondent schools will want to see B. P. Schulberg's comedy drama, "Are You a Failure?" directed by Tom Forman. For wasn't it a correspondence school that made a success of Young Blaine, a once hopeless failure? This writer dislikse to think what Blaine would have done if any of his lessons were lost in the mails. Gosh, he'd probably be sporting that raincoat and wearing his rubbers when the sun shone its brightest. That's how hopeless this chap was. But we are seemingly living in the age of miracles. Coueism had nothing on the wonders that correspondence school course did for Blaine, who came from a family of fighters. Tom Forman knew this Blaine kid so well he presented him in a style that makes one sympathize with him and hope with him that the postman will not forget to deliver his next lesson. Anyway, your audience will have a lot of fun watching this chap trying to burn up the world. It took one week — only one week — to reconstruct his entire character. And, gee wilkins, what a change. The story is not new, but Tom Forman has handled it in a semi-serious way that proceeds to prove the authenticity of Dr. Coue's theory that imagination is superior to will power. The story is interesting throughout, hoakum business putting over some of the rougher spots. The log jam toward the close of the picture in which Young Blaine proves himself worthy of the love of a wealthy lassie, is the real thing and very cleverly put over. The direction is flawless and the settings picturesque. Lloyd Hughes as the youngster is satisfactory in every way as is also Madge Bellamy who looks her best in this one. Tom Santschi, in a heavy role, does a comeback that is refreshing. The rest of the cast is good. The Cast Phyllis Thorpe Madgre Bellamy Oliver Wend.-ill Blaine Lloyd Hnghes Kllldevil Brennon Tom Santschi Gregory Thorpe Hardee Klrkland Aniit EmJly ..Jane Kackley Emmett Graves Jane Cooley Aunt Charlotte Myrtle ■Vane Tbuddens Crane Samuel Allen Adapted by Eve Unsell from story. Directed by Larry Evans. Photography by Harry Perry. Length, 5,700 feet. The Story The Blaines were an old family, famous for their fighting ability. But Oliver ■Wendall Blaine, present head of the Blaine household, was helpless and the laughing: stock of the town. He is loved by Phyllis Thorpe, daughter of his father's old employer. She has confidence in him. Discouraged, following an escape in which he is held up and ridiculed, Oliver consults the advertising column.s of a newspaper, notices an advertisement of a correspondence school guaranteeing success in a week. He takes up the course and through these daily lessons finds himself and proves himself a hero when a log jam threatens to flood the town. Incidentally, he wins himself a job — the job held by his late father — and a wife. "The Grub-Stake^ Unusually Fine Wild Animal Scenes in American Releasing Feature Starring Nell Shipman Reviewed by C. S. Sewell Apparently taking the cue from the big success of a previous picture with its unique assortment of wild animals in their native haunts, Nell Shipman is again presented in a picture of this type, "The Grub-Stake," which is being distributed by American Releasing Corporation. And it is on this angle, that the drawing power of the picture will mainly depend. There are animal scenes in great abundance, full-grown and baby bears, cougars, foxes, and various other wild things, even including a family of skunks and anyone who delights in seeing views of wild animals "at home" will be delighted with this picture. In fact there is such an abundance of these scenes massed together in such profusion that they tend to retard the development of the story. From the straight story angle, the picture is interesting, however, and despite faults in its development and direction there is sufficient "punch" to hold the average spectator. There is a melodramatic climax with a good if somewhat theatric thrill and some good fights. The locale is almost entirely in Alaska and the action vigorous. The picture is finely photographed and there are some exceedingly attractive shots. Taken all in all, due to the acceptable story and the excellent animal stuff it is a picture that should please a majority of audiences, especially in neighborhood houses, and if properly exploited along its unusual angles, prove a good box office bet. Nell Shipman is attractive in the leading role and she has been surrounded by a good cast who portray their roles satisfactorily; especially good is Alfred Allen in the unsympathetic role of the Alaskan who proves to be a thorough scoundrel, and George Berrell in a character role. Cast Faith DIggs Nell Shipman jeb Hugh Thompson Mark Leroy Alfred Allen Malamnte Mike George Berrell The "Skipper" Walt 'Whitman The Moonty C. K. 'Van Anker Wong Ah Wlnar Story by Nell Shipman. Directed by Bert Van Tnyle. Length, 8,061 feet. Story Faith Diggs, who makes a precarious living for herself and her invalid father, encounters Mark Leroy. Faith's dreams are of the north and she begs Leroy to give her a grubstake bo she can make a fresh start in Dawson. Leroy gives her the money and later pretends to marry her, while Faith, believing she is meeting the elite of the town, is introduced as the new "Queen of the "yukon." From Dawson Kate, a woman of the dance hall, Faith learns the truth about Leroy. The girl with her father flee* into the wilderness. They are stranded, their supplies are gone and Faith's father is delirious with fever. Faith encounters scores of wild animals and lives in the woods until sho is found by Kate's son. A romance springs up between them and they find a lost mine. Faith's "husband" seeks to jump the claim, bu£ is repulsed and killed by a fall over a cliff. Faith falls too, but is rescned and all ends happily. "Scars of Jealousy" Thomas H. Ince Introduces an Unusual Theme into His Newest First National Production Reviewed by C. S. Sewell There is an unusual note in Thomas H. Ince's First National production, "Scars of Jealousy," due to the fact that when a straight-laced, high principled gentleman of the old school disowns his own son because of his dissolute habits, he adopts in his place an ignorant mountaineer, of a clan known as Cajans, who are said to inhabit a section of a Southern state and who have degenerated intellectually but in whose veins flow some of the best blood of France, as their ancestors were noble refugees from the wrath of the king. On these premises is built a story involving a romance and a hatred between the two boys which develops into a strong friendship and the regeneration of the dissolute chap when the Cajan adopts caveman tactics and takes him away to the mountains. From a production standpoint, the picture is well handled and there are some excellent tinted scenes of a forest fire; there is also a melodramatic ending where the hero nearly loses his life in seeking to save the girl from the flames. The basic theme is not altogether convincing, but for those who accept it at its face value, the character development, particularly of the Cajan boy and the straightlaced old father, furnishes an interesting study. Then, too, there is a pretty little romance which is rapidly developed between the polished and refined girl and the Cajan whose people are feared and looked down on by whites and blacks alike. Aside from the unusual angle of the story this picture is not especially distinctive and from a standpoint of general interest does