Photoplay (1923)

The Shadow Stage (REG. U. S. PAT. OFF.) A REVIEW OF THE NEW PICTURES By Frederick James Smith THE world of the cinema is picking up. The photoplay never had a healthier month than the recent four weeks producing such varied — and excellent — film fare as "The Pilgrim," "Java Head," Alice Adams " and "Driven." OF Photoplay's honor six, we believe "Driven," done from an original story by Charles Brabin, is the most experimental. Here is a gripping story of the "Tol'able David" type — all good mountaineer tales come under that classification now — developed with a searching camera analysis. In presenting this tragedy, which unfolds itself largely within a drab little mountain cabin, Mr. Brabin has resorted to a curious slow tempo of telling. He has taken time for the most subtle shadings of character and mood. "Driven" is the story of a weakling dreamer but there is no glamorous rehabilitation. He defeats no bully twice his size. He tried, it is true, and is soundly beaten. The chance to achieve his dreams comes when his mother sells out her snarling family of moonshiners to the revenue ofhcers. With the reward, the grim old woman sends him on his quest for happiness beyond the mountains. The Brabin direction is highly interesting. We recommend "Driven" to you — unless you insist upon hurried film drama. But we are sure you will like the acting. It is a remarkable cast, to us the best of the year thus far. IF we have doubts about recommending "Driven" to everyone— although we look upon it as the best all 'round photoplay of the month — we have no such qualms about Charlie Chaplin's new four reeler, "The Pilgrim." And yet there is a possibility that this gorgeous bit of fooling may offend those who take their churchgoing very seriously. For Charlie plays a convict who steals a suit of clothes belonging to a parson — and, perforce, must a parson be. "The Pilgrim" isn't another "The Kid." Nor is it a "Shoulder Arms." But it is a superb sketch from which Chaplin might have developed a classic. As it is, "The Pilgrim" has three or four fine comic moments. Consider, for instance, the moment where Chaplin is forced into the pulpit and resorts to the story of David and Goliath. Here is comic pantomime of sheer genius. And there is the episode in the house where the pseudo-parson resides. Parishioners come to caU and here Syd Chaplin is a joy as a serious minded father whose brown derby, due to its architectural resemblance, gets mixed into a pudding. You'll find nothing funnier than these high points in the whole stretch of Chaplin's screen work. Here is comic genius ! Charlie Chaplin, as the pseudo-parson of "The Pilgrim," gives probably the best performance of the month T300TH TARKINGTON'S story of small town life, "Alice -LJAdams," has been very tenderly and sympathetically transferred to the screen under the directorial supervision of King Vidor. The Tarkington novel, with its cross-section of a household of bickering, quibbling but well meaning people, is admirably transferred to the screen. Miss Vidor realizes Alice to the Hfe, the Alice who saw her pitiful little shams and dreams topple to the ground but who had the courage to start anew, fresh and true. GEORGE MELFORD'S visualization of Joseph Hergesheimer's "Java Head" can be recommended as highly entertaining. Yet it will disappoint the lovers of the story as it was told between novel covers. Mr. Melford has related most of the romance as Hergesheimer outlined it — enough in itself to make a colorful photoplay — but he has missed much of the bigness of the tale. There were epic qualities to this story of Taou Tuen, Manchu princess, dropped into old Salem as the bride of a sea captain. Here was the clash of civilizations. All that is missing in the film version. Leatrice Joy is the Taou Tuen and, while she touches a note of appeal, she is not the cold and tempered Manchu, exquisite flower of the most subtle civilization in the world. She is carmined and slant eyed but she is not that inscrutable philosopher that Mr. Hergesheimer painted so superbly and so deftly. Nor is Jacqueline Logan, pretty as she is, the Nettie Vollar. Nor is Melford so successful with his East as with his Salem of 1849. However, "Java Head" was too vital a story to be other than interesting. You will be charmed by its color. EDMUND GOULDING, in writing "Fury" for Richard Barthelmess, seems to have set out to create a seagoing prototype of "Tol'able David." Boy Layton is a weakling, although he is son of a superb brute of the seven seas, Dog Layton. He rehabilitates himself in conventional screen style and revenges his father — but the revenge comes as a thing of anti-climax, lacking in plausibility. "Fury" needed shortening and should have ended when Boy found his derelict mother in the waterfront saloon. Barthelmessplays his maritime David with his usual skill. Here is one of the few conscientious stars of our screen. "Fury" has a drab tone, it harps long and unnecessarily upon the theme of revenge, and it moves through a sordid swirl of grimy ship and Limehouse shadows. WE give Norma Talmadge's "The Voice of the Minaret" a place in the chosen six because we recognize its audience appeal. Most everyone will want to see Norma and 'Gene O'Brien together again, if nothing else. 63