The Moving picture world (May 1926-June 1926)

Glhpough the Box-Office cMndow J cffievLewers' Views On feature CfLLms Sdited by CS. Sewell "Rolling Home" — Universal Reginald Denny Has Another Laughing Success in Breezy Story of a Bluffer Who Made Good Farce Comedy IN LIGHT AND AMUSING comedy, Reginald Denny has achieved an enviable reputation by his snappy portrayals of bright, breezy go-getter types of young American manhood, and in Ii is newest Universal-Jewel production, he lias both a story and role that are typical Reginald Denny stuff and fit him like the paper on the wall. Denny has the role of a snappy young promoter who gets big ideas but all of them seem to flop. Just as he is due to return home and visit his mother to whom he has written that he is rolling in wealth, his newest scheme fails and leaves him dead broke. He meets a war buddy who poses as a rich chap and turns out to be a chauffeur. The pair decide to "borrow" the car that the pal, "Dan" drives and put over the millionaire idea in the small town and then depart. Fate wills otherwise, the whole town greets Denny as a hero and a capitalist and in desperation he flounders around until he hits upon the scheme of telling them that the town waterfall will make them all millionaires. They fall for the idea and offer him the franchise for a paltry $100,000. Everything looVs rosy as a capitalist offers to buy it at a big profit, but just then the owner of the car appears, denounces them as crooks, and claims they stole the car from him. They manage to stall for awhile, but finally confess the truth. The financier then learns that the franchise is genuine and buys Reviewed by C. S. Sewell CAST: >nt kldcu .Reginald Denny Phyllis Marion Mion Mr. Gruhbell E. J. Ratcliffe Dan Ma.HOn Hen Hendricks, Jr. Mrs. Alden Margaret Seddon Col. Lowe (iforjie \ichols Aunt Adele Watson Story by John H. Booth. Scenario by John McDermott and Rev Taylor. Directed by William A. Setter. it for much more than the other party offered, and Denny finds happiness with his boyhood sweetheart who turned him down when she thought he was really a millionaire. The story has been developed as straight farce comedy of the fast-moving, breezy type. Director William A. Seiter has given it exceptionally good direction playing up every situation to the utmost and as a consequence, there is not a dull moment in the picture. The device of getting the hero in embarrassing situations where he has to keep on his mettle and use his wits to extri-i cate himself is worked with unusual effectiveness. For instance, where he is called on to make a speech about the town's natural resources and starts off talking without any idea what they are and finally gets his cue from his pal who stops a picture of a waterfall, is genuinely funny and with the pal trying to give him the idea by pantomine, and aided by an exceptionally good set of comedy titles, it is a scream. The parade of the citizens in his honor, with the local band, fire department, etc., is all good-natured and amusing burlesque of small town stuff and one of the best handled scenes of its kind we have ever witnessed. The types are excellent and the situations good for a number of smiles. Almost crowding Denny for the comedy honors is Ben Hendricks, Jr. as his pal, he scores heavily in the pantomime scene and in fact his work throughout is excellent and exceedingly effective, in fact he comes very near "stealing" some of the big scenes. Marion Nixon is exceedingly attractive, sincere and wholesome as the small town girl and Margaret Seddon appealing as the mother, while E. J. Ratcliffe makes a capable blustering hard-headed and hard-hearted financier. "Rolling Home" is genuinely amusing, fast-moving, farce-comedy built for laughs which are present by the hundreds, and any type of audience should find it thoroughly enjoyable. It is an even better picture than "Skinner's Dress Suit," which it resembles in many respects and in fact we are inclined to believe that it is Reginald Denny's best. "Bachelor Brides"— Prod. Dist. Corp. Excitement and Laughter Alternate to Make Crook Mystery Story Good Box-Office Bet Mystery Drama CONTRARY TO WHAT might be expected from the title, the Producers Distributing Corporation feature, "Bachelor Brides," is a thrill-crook-detective story filled with mysterious characters and strange happenings. A generous portion of peppy comedy has been introduced and altogether it proves above the average as entertainment. The story concerns a rich American girl and a titled Englishman. The night before their wedding, the family pearls are brought out and grabbed by a hairy hand, and as suddenly reappear. A forlorn woman comes to the castle with a baby and claims to be the nobleman's secret wife. A doctor follows and says she is insane, a Sherlock Holmes type of sleuth enters and says he is the detective hired to guard the jewels. The prospective groom, unable to fathom the mystery, gets suspicious and catches the supposed detective stealing the silverware. The doctor and woman come through a secret passage in Reviewed by C. S. Sewell CAST: Percy \*lilleld Rod IjiRoeque Lady Ashtield Kulnlle Jensen Mary Bowing Elinor Pair Henry Boning George Nichols Panjsy Julia Fare Maid Sally Rand Glaasow Willie Hddle Grlbhon Strang Paul Nicholson Hatted on play by Charles Horace Malcolm. Scenario by Garrett Fort and C. Gardiner Sullivan. Directed by William K. Howard. quest of the pearls. Finally the real detective appears wearing huge bearskin gloves explains that he substituted fake jewels for the real ones and that the doctor, woman and other detective are well-known criminals. The baby has been stolen from a circus and the circus people, with a bear, and sideshow freaks come into the house and claim the baby. The snap and action and mystery is well sustained and make the picture thoroughly exciting, at the same time there is such a strong comedy element running through the story, and the farcical touch at the ending is so pronounced that the spectator is liable to get a strong impression that it is all intended for a good-natured burlesque of the more serious pictures of this type. However, whether considered as a travesty or as straight thrill mystery stuff, it is thoroughly enjoyable. The cast is high class, and William K. Howard has competently directed the story with plenty of action, suspense and strong dramatic tension that is characteristic of his work. Rod LaRocque scores as the hero and Elinor Fair is attractive as the girl. Lucian Littlefield adds another sterling portrayal in the eccentric role of the butler to his already long list. Eddie Gribbon as the fake detective and Julia Faye as the woman crook give good performances.