The Moving picture world (January 1924-February 1924)

January 19, 1924 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 227 "New Wilderness Tales" IN THIS ISSUE Robert C. Bruce Offers First Four of 1924 Series Released Through Educational Reviewed by Mary Kelly For the exhibitor who wants to include on his program one reel of scenic and emotional entertainment of a heavy nature, the new series of Wilderness Tales will fill the need. Robert C. Bruce has produced the first four of these in almost the same mood. They are all serious and two of them are decidedly tragic. In each case the story takes precedence of the settings, although these aid greatly atmospherically. A few spectacular and a number of picturesque scenes are used but the emphasis is not on this angle. There is an impression of stark realism and even fatality about life as presented here that is certain to affect persons according to their own temperament. The simplicity and naturalness, however, should appeal to everyone. "The Homemaker," the lightest of the four, shows an aging couple evicted from their home and forced to live by their resourcefulness. They find an old houseboat and the wife gradually ceases her drone of worrying when her husband proves equal to all emergencies. Some of the river scenes are beautiful. "Jean of Heceta Head" is the tragic love story of a girl who loses through no fault of her own and has to watch the other girl enjoying the happiness that might have been hers. The coast scenes add greatly to the somberness. "Haunted Hills" shows how a man who has stolen another's food on the desert is haunted and mocked by the man he has cheated. The pinnacles of sand are extremely spectacular. "Flowers of Hate" is laid in the mountains where two rivals go on a three-day hike to get rare flowers for a girl who scorns them both when they return, exhausted. There are some beautiful views of the mountains. "Smithy" (Pathe — Comedy — Two Reels) Stan Laurel as a "buck" private who is discharged and accidentally becomes foreman of a force of carpenters gives one of his funniest performanes, and there are a lot of laughs in the siutation where he bosses his former sergeant. The military camp scenes are novel in a comedy and the building process in which everything falls off the roof is hilarious entertainment. — M. K. "A Sailor's Life" (Educational — Hodge Podge — One Reel) A study of the various Indian tribal types is a worth while feature in this Lyman H. Howe collection. Interesting shots of Hawaii and a sketch of the American sailor, his duties and pleasures, are found. There are also novel cartoon tuoches. — M. K. "The Animals' Fair" (Pathe— Comedy— One Reel) Paul Terry's usual cleverness is evident in this Aesop's Fable cartoon. The animals hold a fair and they certainly indulge in some unusual and highly improbable stunts. It is up to Terry's usual standard and will amuse the majority of patrons. — C. S. S. Animal Fair, The (Pathe) Bar-FIy, The (Pathe) Black Sheep, The (Pathe) Caddy, The (Universal) Haunted Hills (Educational) Flowers of Hate (Educational) He Loops to Conquer (F. B. O.) Home-Maker, The (Educational) Jean of Heceta Head (Educational) Lest We Forget (Educational) Pathe Review No. 3 (Pathe) Sailor's Life, A (Educational) Smithy (Pathe) Spring Fever (Fox) Stay Single (Educational) White Wing Monkey, A (Universal) "The Bar-Fly' (Pathe— Comedy— One Reel) The night out and fearful return to the wife is the subject of the latest of the Dippy Doo Dad series. Only monkeys are used in the cast and the roles of the policeman, the inebriates, the wife and the child are cleverly handled. Slow motion helps to depict the effects of the liquor and gets a number of laughs. — M. K. "Stay Single" (Educational — Comedy — Two Reels) Dorothy Devore gives the public two reels of pleasant amusement in this Christie comedy which has a light but interesting idea as a basis. She has to pretend to be wife to two men and her swift changes in costume and the other complications in carrying out the imposed deception are good for a number of laughs. The idea has been cleverly handled. — M. K. "Pathe Review No. 3" (One Reel) An unusual spectacular appeal is found in the pictures of a Buddhist temple in Siam called the Angkoe-Wat and showing the crowds of worshippers making the steep ascent to pay their vows. Scientific methods of recreating old plants and a color study of "The Mountain Stream" are also found. — M. K. "Lest We Forget" (Educational — Songs — One Reel) The sentimental appeal is unusually strong in this number of the Sing Them Again series. "We're Tenting Tonight" is the featured song, and the mother love angle here will be sure to stir the sympathies. Two others, "Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie," and "Mother Machree," are included. — M. K. "He Loops to Conquer" (Universal — Series — Two Reels) Kid Robertson's fighting career involves some movie stunts and a heavy amount of intrigue in the second of the new Leather Pusher series. The studio lights and areoplane feats play havoc with the hero's eyes and health. A pretty ingenue helps to bring him back, however, and he wins the scheduled fistic battle despite a bad beginning. It is very good entertainment. — M. K. "A White Wing Monkey" (Universal — Comedy — One Reel) Joe Martin, the famous monkey, proves an angel of mercy in this comedy. He restores stolen money, catches an infant who has been thrown out of its carraige down a steep incline and saves another child from the lions. There is plenty of action and Joe's cleverness should make a hit. — M. K. "The Black Sheep" (Pathe— Cartoon— One Reel) When the puppy disgraces his family by smoking a pipe he is banished from home. But his great chance to atone comes when the eagle snatches away the pet gosling and he rescues it by airplane, thus becoming a public hero. It is full of bright action and amusement — one of Paul Terry's best. — M.K. "Spring Fever" (Fox — Comdy — Two Reels) Love with a farmyard setting is an excellent laugh source in this Sunshine comedy featuring Harry Sweet. There are many hilarious gags. Every creature from the pullets to the mule tastes of the Mexican jumping bean and the results are tremendously funny. It is a comedy that will be boisterously received. — M. K. "The Caddy" (Universal — Comedy — Two Reels) Although there are a few scenes on the golf course to bear out the title, the chief entertainment here lies in Buddy's days in an orphan asylum and his escape. It features the youthful comedian in a role of various forbidden activities and should amuse his followers. — M. K. "The Whispered Name" {Continued from page 218) Cast Anne Gray _ Ruth Clifford Lagoon Van Kreel Charles Clary Robert Gordon William E. Lawrence Marcia Van Kreel May Mersch Craig Stephenson _ John Merkyl John Manning Miles Welch Fred Garvin Harden Stevenson The Office Boy Buddy Messenger Based Upon Stage Play "The Co-respondent," by Rita Weiman and Alice Leal Pollack. Scenario by Raymond L. Schrock. Direction by King Baggot. Length, 5,196 feet. Story Mrs. Van Kreel sues for divorce at the instigation of attorney Craig Stephenson, her lover. They put detectives on Van Kreel's trail. Meantime, Anna Gray, a country girl, elopes with Robert Gordon, a scapegrace. Van Kreel discovers Gordon's plans and Interferes. The detectives obtain a flashlight photograph of the two. Anne, obtains a position on the "News," a conservative paper edited by young John Manning. Its city editor, Fred Galvin, is the secret owner of the "Tattletale," a scandal weekly. Anne and Manning fall in love. She interviews Mrs. Van Kreel who denounces her. Manning thrashes Galvin. who confesses to the blackmail plot, clearing the situation. HetJSotjfttan •Put gteuntjer