The Moving picture world (September 1924-October 1924)

The Pep of The Program News and reviews of Short Subjects and Serials "Hello Frisco" (Universal — Comedy — One Reel) Quite different from their usual type of comedies is this single-reeler starring Slim Summerville and Bobby Dunn. It is really a review of screen celebrities. Slim and Bobby are cast as cameramen who are assigned to photograph the stars attending the VVampas ball in Frisco. There is considerable slapstick stuff with the camera which will not stand straight and with a roll of film that unwinds as it goes down hill and finally catches fire. This business will amuse, but the main point of the picture is the introduction of the prominent screen favorites. There are about two dozen of them. It is a reel that should provide good entertainment for the majority of fans. — C. S. S. "Snappy Eyes" (Universal — Comedy — Two Reels) Wanda Wiley is the star of this two-reel Century Comedy distributed by Universal, which is built on the familiar comedy situation of a country girl who has a rural lover and is also sought after by a city chap. To get her away from the city fellow, Wanda's father sends to a finishing school and when the other girls get her in the boxing ring to haze her she "finishes" them alright. The city fellow follows but it turns out he has a wife who appears on the scene when he tries to elope with Wanda. While there is nothing especially novel in this comedy, there are a number of amusing moments and from an amusement standard it measures up to the average of recent Century comedies.— C. S. S. "Unreal News Reel" (Fox — Comedy — Two Reels) This Sunshine comedy is a burlesque on the average news reel. Accordingly, it shows various incidents as they never could happen. Some parts of it are quite funny. The idea is quite a good one and probably will be liked by the average fan. It is rather a drawn-out procedure for two reels, however, and would have far better pulling power if confined to one reel. The latter, of course, applies to the material burlesqued. But the events would have to be unusually snappy in order to hold the attention of the average audience through two reels. Of the many news items burlesqued in this release some of the best are on the Olympicgames, vacationing politicians and royal guests. — T. W. "Fast and Furious" (Educational — Comedy — Two Reels) This Mermaid Comedy, a Jack White production directed by Norman Taurog features Lige Conley in the role of a none too bright grocery store clerk who meets with all sorts of amusing experiences. Throughout the two-reels there is a continual succession of gags which will get the laughs, some of them are new and many follow familiar lines. One of the cleverest shows three eggs hatched by an electric heater. First the "SHORTS" REVIEWED IN THIS ISSUE Danger Lure, The (Pathe) Dixie (Pathe) Fast and Furious (Educational) Eyeful, An (Universal) Goofy Age, The (Pathe) Hello 'Frisco (Universal) No Fooling (Educational) Snappy Eyes (Universal) Unreal News Reel No. 4 (Fox) feet of the new chicks break through the shells and they do all sorts of funny stunts before the chicken is entirely hatched. Another amusing sequence shows the hero coming to woe in demonstrating a new pancake flour as the porter has substituted cement in its place. There is another merry sequence with a woman seeking to have the clerk put on a pair of shoes several sizes too small, ending in bursting the shoes. There is the usual chase scene, which is well handled. The hero rides through traffic on the handle bars of a motorcycle with no one in the seat and the porter has been knocked off. He finally lands among the thieves who have stolen the boss's money, captures them and gets the girl. There is a lot of slapstick, and plenty of action to this comedy, with an unusual variety of gags. It should keep the majority of spectators interested and amused. — C. S. S. "Dixie" (Pathe — Chronicle — Three Reels) Here is one of the finest subjects yet issued in the "Chronicles of America" series. Its backgrounds are scenically beautiful and well chosen views of Southern landscape, the story is interesting and moves along smoothly, the acting is well nigh perfect and the subject as a whole has, thanks partly to its historical value, real dramatic intensity. Furthermore, this intersectional strife which aroused bitter partisanship in the country, is treated with the utmost delicacy and tact. The story is told from the angle of a Southern family. After the sons go off to fight, there are many really striking scenes of the Southern negroes as they were in those days. They are perfectly posed in the group scenes and act as though they were not acting at all. Their disloyalty— if it can be called that, as ignorance played a large part in their actions — is shown when a Xorthern spy tells them that Lincoln's army will set them free and that they won't have to work any more. They set fire to a barn containing supplies for the Confederate troops. The high light is the meeting of Generals Lee and Grant at Appomattox Courthouse when the last hope of the Confederacy vanished. This is treated in a highly impressive manner and is so well acted that the scenes seem real. — S. S. "The Goofy Age" (Pathe — Comedy — Two Reels) This Hal Roach comedy deals with that age when romance is a hectic thing and ordinary obstacles resemble the Alps. For instance, the hero's loved one is threatened with marriage with a rival, due to the machinations of her mother. The simplest solution of the situation is to marry her, and upon being reminded of it, the hero lays plans for a hurried ceremony in the goldfish store where he works. But as it is a case of true love, things don't move smoothly. Customers interrupt and so forth, as the justice of the peace tries to spiel off the fateful words. The culminating disaster is when firemen smash in the door, but a simple solution presents itself and the lovers, justice of the peace and witnesses make off with the hook and ladder wagon and the knot is tied before they are caught. This subject opens with some fine comedy involving the lovers, a parrot and a crowded subway train. The whole idea is very slight but it is well worked out, the last bit of humor being extracted. Glenn Tryon, a new face in Roach comedies, does good work. The others in the cast, who also are capable, include Blanche Mehaffey, Noah Young, William Gillespie, Al Hallett, Patsy O'Bryne and Laura La Varnie. — S. S. "An Eyeful" (Universal — Drama — Two Reels) This Universal two-reeler described as an action drama starring Billy Sullivan is an unusual type of production. There appears to be a facetiousness and note almost of satire in the early part of the story and the titling that keeps you guessing, and somewhat in doubt as to whether it is serious western melodrama. The latter part, however, is typical western stuff with the hero riding to the rescue of the easterners who have been held up and overcoming the bandits bringing one of them back with him. Taken all in all, it is an out-of-the ordinary picture and the audience reaction will probably be varied. The title refers to the fact that much of the trouble is caused by the heroine thinking the city girl has winked at the hero, while it turns out she simply had desert dust in her eye. — C. S. S. "No Foolin' " (Educational — Comedy — Two Reels) In this Cameo Comedy distributed by Educational, Cliff Bowes appears as a ratherthick headed chap who loves to sleep late and who is in love with the girl, Virginia Vance, whose father does not like Cliff. This dislike is heightened when Cliff gets to monkeying with a fountain pen and squirts ink all over father, some of it going into his medicine. Cliff is thrown out and then follows a series of scenes in which he gets into more difficulties. Altogether it is an average slapstick comedy not quite up to the standard of the best of this series. — C S. S.