The Moving picture world (March 1924-April 1924)

570 MOVING PICTURE WORLD April 12, 1924 Beau Brummel" Given High Praise by New York Critics ALL New York roads last Sunday led to the Mark Strand Theatre where was presented the eastern premiere of Warner Brothers' "Beau Brummel," adapted from the sparkling play of Clyde Fitch, and with John Barrymore in the title role. So resolved were the amusement seekers not to miss this performance, that an unusually large audience came for the first presentation at 12 :35 ; by two o'clock not a seat could be had for love or money. Throughout this and successive showing during the day, the theatre assumed the appearance of a regular first-night of a picture at a regular theatre house. Below follow excerpts from the reviewers of the New York press on "Beau Brummel" : N. Y. Times : "One of those artistic celluloid efforts that come along none too frequently is to be seen this week at the Strand. . . . John Barrymore, who is singularly well suited to the role of the dignified, blase, bumptious dandy, delivers a performance that is a delight to the eye. . . . Barrymore's acting as the Beau is the best thing he has ever done for the screen." Daily News: "Devastating is the proper word for Mr. Barrymore's 'Beau Brummel,' bowing himself gracefully through life at the Strand this week. . . . It is a polished and a flawless performance. The film story unfolds with case and charm." The World : "The film version ... is effective and beautiful." Arrow Receives Print Arrow Film Corporation has just received the first print of "The Lash of the Whip, ' the first of the Arrow-Great Western "Pinto Pete" scries featuring Ashton Dearholt. This shows many unusual features in location, photography and action. Francis Ford's direction assures some lively fight', while Dearholt does some very skillful work with a bull-whip instead of a lasso. Herald-Tribune : "And now comes something pleasant to record — 'Beau Brummel' at the Strand. . . . 'Peter Ibbetson' is the only other love story we know which is so beautiful, and we enjoyed 'Beau Brummel' much more. It is beauti fully produced and is played by a cast that is perfect." The American: "If Richard Mansfield had lived to see 'Beau Brummel' put into motion pictures, I feel sure that he would have nominated John Barrymore for the engaging role that he himself created on the stage. All the humor, all the pathos, and the romance that surround this dandy of 1800 in the deft hands of Mr. Barrymore becomes as much of a classic in the silent drama as Richard Mansfield's portrayal of the famous Clyde Fitch play was on the spoken stage. 'Beau Brummel' is a credit to the house of Warner." &ui*t in the &Le€d! Moving' Picture WORLD Obstructionists Cannot Stop T. O. D. C. Pictures, Says True THAT he is not interested in controversy and that exhibitor politics have ceased to be effective as far as Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation of New York is concerned was the statement of William A. True last week. "We are too busy trying to make up for lost time to be coaxed into any arguments. Pictures, not politics, must be the sole business of T. O. D. C. if the idea of exhibitor co-operation in the distribution of pictures is to be realized as quickly as we have planned it shall become a fact. We are making rapid progress and are very well satisfied with the splendid support we are receiving from leading exhibitors throughout the country. "There will always be exhibitor politics. They are necessary to the life and well being of ex hibitor organizations. At every new election new issues will have to be found upon which to base the fights of the different candidates for office. But T. O. D. C. must and shall be kept out of these fights. Exhibitors now have their own distributing organization and one that is free from politics and devoted entirely to the acquiring and distributing of pictures. It is entirely out of reach of obstructionists and the officers do not propose to allow themselves to be dragged into any controversy that will steal their time and attention from the serious business of giving the exhibitors good pictures under their own banner. After all, that is all that matters to all who are interested in the big idea." Carl Anderson commented on the recently issued Cohen statements as follows : "We were made very well acquainted with the use of smoke-screens during the war. Cohen's talking movies have been used as smoke-screens so often that folks in the industry have gotten pretty well used to looking behind them to see what movement, or lack of movement, they conceal. Fourteen months of inaction and obstruction in the theatre-owner-distribution idea were fairly well hidden by the use of loud talk but the run of the talking movies has ended; regular pictures by and for exhibitors will soon take their place." Scene* from Distinctive'* Production, "Second Youth," Distributed by Goldwyn. To Head Follies Unit Wanda Wiley, beautiful and talented Texan actress, is playing the leading ingenue role in Al. Herman's "Water Waves," ui which Joe Bonner, William Irving and Betty Young are playing the featured roles. Miss Wiley was engaged by Stern Brothers after seeing her work in several of "The Leather Pushers" series, and several Goldwyn productions. She is slated to head the second unit of Century Fellies Girls the Century officals plan to organize this season.