The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

460 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 5. 1925 "The Green Archer" Baffling Mystery Is Keynote of Thrilling and Exciting Serial With Allene Ray and Walter Miller Reviewed by C. S. Sewell MYSTERY, baffling mystery, is the keynote of "The Green Archer," Pathe's newest ten-episode serial featuring Allene Ray and Walter Miller, wliicli is well up to the high standard of entertainment value consistently maintained by this firm's chapter plays, and in many respects even eclipses its predecessors. From story as well as production standpoint this serial is unusual. From every technical angle the production is on a par with the best grade of feature pictures; especially is this true of the handsome and elaborate sets which depict the interior of the castle in which most of the action occurs. All of this production excellence has its value, but after all it is the story that counts, and the story of "The Green Archer" is guaranteed to thrill and mystify to an unusual extent. The plot concerns a self-made millionaire who obviously is guarding a dark secret. The heroine believes the key to this is the disappearance of a girl she has been seeking. For other reasons, the captain of the state troopers and a newspaper reporter also seek to solve this puzzle and in doing so are brought at crucial moments face to face with an even greater mystery, the identity and nature of a masked figure dressed in green whose every appearance signifies death or attempted death of someone who seems to be getting at the heart of the mystery. This opens up a series of particularly puzzling questions : Who is the Green Archer ? what is the great mystery? what is his motive? in whose interest is he hurling his deathshafts? All of these questions and many lesser ones keep cropping up from time to time and the audience will find itself more and more baffled in seeking to guess the solution for the story has been so built up that suspicion is made to point conclusively to first one and then another of the characters as being the Green Archer, only to be shown later that your guess was all wrong. His motives defy your solution, too, for at one time he attacks friends and at other times foes of the chief conspirator. The attempts of hero, heroine and the reporter to find the solution result in a series of exciting and thrilling episodes that just bristle with suspense. Unlike a lot of serials this one goes not go in for stunts ; but don't think the end-of-the-chapter punch and carried-over suspense is missing. Far from it, for as indicated by the first three episodes, each time we are again brought face to face with the designs of the green archer. Why, the second episode even has a whale of a kick where it seems he has actually gotten the heroine with one of his arrows. In addition to the Pathe serial favorites, Allene Ray and Walker Miller, the cast includes such players as the celebrated stage actor, Burr Mcintosh, as the sinister millionaire, with Frank Lackteen as his secretary, an unusual character apparently in league with both sides. Wally Oetell, Walter P. Lewis, Tom Cameron and Stephen Grattan give fine performances in minor roles. The story is skillfully developed so as to arouse the greatest possible suspense and provide an abundance of punches. It should prove thrilling and baffling entertainment even for those who profess not to like serials. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ Here The Are I Bonchcad Age, The — Pathe. Eighteen Carat — Unwcrsal. Felix the Cat Tries the Trades — Educational. Green Archer, The — Pathe Happy-Go-Lucky — Universal. Hold Everything — Pathe. M arionettes — Edu cationaH. On the Links— F. B. O. One Wild Ride No. 49— Pathe. Santa Claus — Kleinschmidt. iiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiKiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii "Eighteen Carat" (Universal — Comedy — Two Reels) A FARMER'S daughter is given a big diamond to use in paying off a mortgage. A hen swallows it and gets lost in the flock. The girl goes to the city to earn the money and after a series of typical comedy experiences locates the diamond in a chicken that is being served at a home where she delivers some packages. This is the outline of the story of "Eighteen Carat," a Century Comedy starring Edna Marian, who goes through a series of exciting adventures before the final flash. There are several peppy and amusing, but famih'ar gags. They are sprightly and well handled and good for a number of laughs. Most of the action deals with her attempts to deliver three boxes of dress suits. They are stolen by crooks. Edna stops everyone with similar packages until the whole street seems to be filled with persons carrying boxes. Of course she gets into squabbles over this. At last she locates the clothes bemg worn by the crooks and her sweetheart gallantly strips them off in the street. She delivers them and finds the diamond. A bumping flivver with odd shaped wheels adds to the merriment. A good comedy that should amuse the slapstick fans. —C. S.. Sewell. "Happy Go Lucky" (Universed — Comedy — One Reel) MEMBERS of a bachelor's club try to flirt with a pretty girl but are repulsed. Billy, played by Neely Edwards, bets he can make her acquaintance before night. This forms the groundwork of the comedy which shows Neely doing everything he can think of to win. His efforts follow familiar comedy lines, such as trying to board the same car and getting on the wrong one, finally getting aboard by transferring from a taxi in motion just as the girl gets off. This is a good stunt as he stands with one foot on each vehicle while looking for change. The girl enters a hospital and Neely fakes an accident but jumps off the stretcher when she comes out. Just as he gives up, a motorcycle hits him and throws him into the girl's taxi. Thinking he is hurt the girl strokes his forehead and finally smiles at him. A fast-moving and amusing reel with several good laughs.— C 5". Seivell. Pathe Review No. 49 (Pathe— Magazine — One Reel) "Tp HE three features of this magazine reel are "The Timber Farmers," illustrating government work in redeeming western forests devastated by unscrupulous lumbermen and fires; "Makers of Men," the building of America's military man-power at West Point, and "The Gorges of the Cher," Pathecolor scenes of the Chateau country in France. It is all very interesting. — Sumner Smith. "The Bonehead Age" (Pathe— Cartoon— One Reel) THIS Paul Terry's Aesop's Film Fables we didn't like as well as most of them simply because it deali more with human beings — a girl as well as the farmer — than with the funny animals the world laughs .'t. The art work is gocd as ah.ays, except fhat the facial expressions aren't quite as ludicrous as usual, but the gags are weak. — Sumner Smith. "One Wild Ride" (Pathe— Comedy— Two Reels) »-p HIS Hal Roach "Our Gang" subject 1 rather features Farma, since the little colored hoy supplies the thrills and laughs that close the action. The gang builds a strange vehicle out of an old automobile, using a horse attached behind for the motive power. Farina toddles along after them no matter where they go, crying for a ride. The owner of the horse claims it while the gang is temporarily absent. This gives Farina his chance. He climbs in, the vehicle begins a wild descent of numerous hills and Farina gets the thrill of his life. On the way down he is joined by a parrot and a monkey, and with these companions he holds an animated and agitated discourse. The subject has much humor in it, is typical of boy life and ought to prove another highly successful issue in the "Our Gang" series. — Sumner .'imith. "Hold Everything" (Pathe— Cojnedly— One Reel) EDDIE BORDEN, Katherine Grant and Martha Sleeper are the featured players in this Hal Roach onc-recler. Fred L. Guiol directed. Eddie is a big butter and eggs man who attends a theatrical performance of his protege in a somewhat sleepy state. He manages to make himself a nuisance with everybody in his vicinity and is finally ejected. The gags are the usual ones mvolving falling over people in the theatre aisles and general hysterical conduct. The subject is of average interest. — Sumner Smith. "On the Links" (F. B. O.— Comedy— One Reel) ttnpHREE fat men, all good candidates X for the heavywieght stakes as their rouibined avoirdupois is close to half a ton, furnish the comedy in this offering made by Joe Rock for Standard Cinema Corporation and released by F. B. O. The biggest one, Frank Alexander, is cast as the father. He kids golf until he sees other "papas" with pretty partners, then he becomes a regular bug and his two fat sons try various slapstick means to cure him. — C. S. Sewell.