The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

November 6, 1926 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 33 Timely Reviews of Short Subject Productions **Masked Mammas" (Pathe— Two Reels) About evenly pro portioned is the comedy work of the three leading players, Vernon Dent, Billy Bevan and Thelma Parr who is pictured here, in this Mack Sennett offering. Bevan is cast as a beauty specialist who meets Vernon, an old pal, and arranges for a party. He invites his patient, Vernon's wife, and they go to a masquerade. Of course, wifie finally discloses her identity and then Vernon starts out to beat up the man who brought her to the party, but Thelma chastises both good and plenty. An amusing and cleverly constructed farce slapstick two reeler that should please. — C. S. Sewell. "Janets Engagement Party" (Universal — Two Reels) In the newest issue of Stern Brothers' "What Happened to Jane" series, starring Wanda Wiley, Toney Hayes in the role of her sweetheart really has the majority of the opportunities. There is a wild ride in a motorcycle side-car unexpectedly enjoyed by Wanda's mother and a sequence where Toney gets rid of a large and tough rival by charging him with being a bigamist and masquerading as his wife. This two-reeler is of average amusement value, but lacks the pep of some of the earlier issues. — C. S. Sewell. **Barely Reasonable" (Universal^ — Two Reels) Dorothy Kitchen, pictured here, the winner of a beauty contest appears as the girl for whose love all of the male members squabble in this Mustang Comedy, featuring Ben Corbett and Pee Wee Holmes. To aid Pee Wee, Ben disguises as a noted bandit and there is a mix-up with the real bandit, who is accidentally captured by a sissified youth, who wins the girl. A novelty is the showing of the entire cast as they were when kiddies. There are several laughs in this number.—C. S. Sewell. "The Lone Prarie" (Universal — Two Reels) George Magrill, a new star in Universal Westerns, makes his debut here and proves to be an excellent horseman and fighter and a likeable chap. The action concerns his sweetheart's jealousy of another girl who has been his lifelong pal, played by Regina Doyle, pictured here. The climax comes when this girl's father is waylaid by an escaped bandit and George goes to the rescue and they fight all over the hillside ending in the bandits death by a fall. An average number of the series with the action situations of a familiar type. — C. S. Sewell. "Pound FooUsh" (EducatioflEil — One Reel) With Lucille Hutton, pictured here, George Davis and William Bailey, in the leading roles, this Cameo Comedy is built around the idea of a man who gets tired of paying insurance and lets his policies lapse. Soon after, he has an auto accident and then his house catches on fire. The only ray of sunshine is the fact that supposedly worthless oil stock turns out good. Fast-moving slapstick with George Davis doing excellent comedy work, this offering should prove a laugh-getter.— C. S. Sewell. "Business Worries" (Universal— One Reel) A flirtatious boss who gets his office boy to help him by taking his secretary to lunch when his wife suddenly appears on the scene, and the inevitable blowup which follows the boss' attempt to sidetrack' the wife and return to the girlies, furnishes the ingredients of this comedy featuring Arthur Lake as the office boy, with William Franey, an old-timer, in the role of the boss. There is also a mix-up over the payment of the check, when both boss and boy find they are broke. The situations are of a familiar type and moderately amusing. Elsie Tarron, pictured here, is the secretary. — C. S. Sewell. "Dodging Trouble" (Educational — Two Reels) Efforts of a process server to serve a subpoena on a chap who is about to sail for Europe on his honeymoon and succeeds in doing so only after the vessel has passed the three-mile limit, furnishes the motive for this Christie Comedy starring Neal Burns, with Edna Marian playini, opposite. There is considerable rough and tumble and a lot of running around in the efforts of Neal to dodge Eddie Baker, pictured here, cast as the subpoena server, and the little dog Buddy adds his share to the excitement. It is a fast-moving two-reeler that should appeal to the slapstick fans. — C. S. Sewell. "The Fighting Fool" (Bray — Two Reels) This is one of the new "Fistical Culture" series, centering around the prize fight game and featuring Lewis Sargent. He is seen here as a chap who promises his mother to give up pugilism. An insult in the presence of his sweetheart who thinks he is a coward when he does not resent it, causes Lew's mother to release him from his promise and lie licks his opponent to a frazzle in the ring. The fight scene is a good one and this comedy should appeal to all who like pictures of this type. — C. S. Sewell. ^Tlumb Goofy" (Educational — One Reel) A fast moving slapstick comedy with some novel touches and abundance of familiar type of knockabout action is this Cameo with Phil Dunham, pictured here, in the leading role and Toy Gallagher playing opposite. An elopement furnishes the idea, with father and mother trying to prevent it and little brother also doing his share. A series of amusing sequences show the kid pulling a boat attached to a flivver, and doing considerable damage to the pedestrians as it skids along overland depositing the elopers right in front of a church. Well supplied with action and laughs for the slapstick fail.— C. S. Sewell. ^TPlease Excuse Me" (Universal — Two Reels) In this issue of Stern Brothers ''The Excuse Maker" series feat u ri n g Charles King, Charlie is cast as a chap who running out of excuses for being late to work fakes one about rescuing the bosses daughter. She queers it and then helps him to get back a diamond ring from a tough guy who has defaulted on his payments. She vamps him and finally Charlie stages a fake kidnapping to cause the tough to follow them to the office. Naturally, he gets both the ring and the girl. Some amusing situations and a lot of rough and tumble and slapstick that should be good for several laughs in the average theatre. Constance Darling, pictured here, appears as the girl. — C. S. Sewell. "King of the Kitchen" (Fox— Two Reels) Lige C o n 1 e y has the leading role in this Fox Comedy, with Delia Patterson, j m pictured here, in ™ the opposite role. The idea concerns a hungry chap who after rescuing a girl is shanghaied as a cook aboard ship and finds the girl as a stowaway. There are a number of amusing gags in the kitchen and a lot of slapstick stuff aboard ship, including a series of situations by which Lige manages to bump all of the crew oft" the boat when the girl is discovered. A laughable bit shows the girl, although masquerading in sailor's togs, moving about with a very feminine gait and the rough crew trying to imitate her. Plenty of action and amusing slapstick— C. S. Sewell. Pathe Review 44 (Pathe— One Reel) THIS ISSUE of the Review contains another installment of the "With Roosevelt in Turkestan series," an attractive color section showing ruined castles along the River Rhone, "Mud Baths" in Massachusetts and a beautiful set of country scenes entitled "Memory Road." One of the best of the recent reviews.— C. S. Sewell.