Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1925)

SAVES YOUR PICTURE TIME AND MONEY The Six Best Pictures of the Month THE PONY EXPRESS THE DARK ANGEL HE'S A PRINCE HER SISTER FROM PARIS THE COAST OF FOLLY THE TOWER OF LIES The Six Best Performances of the Month ViLMA Banky in "The Dark Angel" Wallace Beery in "The Pony Express" Raymond Griffith in "He's a Prince" Constance Talmadge in "Her Sister From Pans" Gloria Swanson in "The Coast of Folly" Ronald Colman in "The Dark Angel" Casts of idl pictures reviewed will be found on page ii8 THE DARK ANGEL First National WE have been waiting a long time for George Fitzmauvice to give us a picture with all of the beauty and artistry for which he is famous, in the background, overshadowed by the story and submerged by a great heart throb, by a poignant note of real human warmth. In "The Dark Angel" he has done it and in doing it has made not only the greatest picture of his career but one of the finest pictures which have ever come to the screen. As proof, the English hunting lodge is probably among the most beautiful sets he has ever achieved, yet against it are happenings of so vital appeal that you enjoy the set only subconsciously. This story of a great love that survived war, separation, scandal, the belief of death and the fact of bhndness, is presented with a dehcacy, a charm and an utter realism that prove more than any picture for many moons the possibilities of the screen in this direction. Another real service it performs is to bring to picture audiences for the first time the little Hungarian actress, Vilraa Banky. She seems to us the find of the year and should crowd Norma Shearer very close for first honors among the young stars. Under Fitzmaurice's able direction, she makes the young English girl who defies convention for the man she loves and risks her own good name to protect his, exquisitely touching and very real. The night battle scenes, of which there are just enough, are most effective. Ronald Colman's work as the hero is excellent and he has never looked more handsome. His lightness of touch makes the scenes after his bhndness much bigger and more pathetic than a heavier hand would have done. — I. St. J. '» w '"^ ^^H I THE COAST OF FOLLY— Paramount GLORIA SWANSON once more in modern clothes and a society scandal. It's a light story of the perils of Palm Beach, neatly sandwiched with some snappy episodes of the sort that have made Allan Dwan famous. The picture will be discussed for two reasons: One is a scene in which Gloria wears galluses. The other is Gloria's portrayal of the heroine's mother. Gloria gives a strikingly repellent picture of a gay old woman, worn by life but clutching at youth. But unfortunately, the mother in the story couldn't have been a day over forty-five. And a modern woman of fortyfive is a mere flapper. Occasionally, too, her face assumes a youngish expression, that is not in character. In spite of its flaws and frailities, it's the sort of picture people want Gloria to play. So there you are! — A. S. THE TOWER OF LIES—Metro-Goldwyn IF the director had been as concerned with telling the story as he was with thinking up symbolic scenes, this would have been a great pictuie. As it is, Victor Seastrom was so busy being artistic that he forgot to be human. The emotions are those of the theater, not of life, in spite of the fact that both Lon Chaney and Norma Shearer might have made them real. It's the story of a farmer and his much loved daughter. The mortgage 'is due, the gii! is beautiful— can't you guess the rest? .-Xnyway, the old man goes crazy and thinks he's the Emperor of Portugallia and the director goes crazy and thinks he's old man Ibsen. Heartily recommended for those who think most movies too flippant. — K. S. J,9