Picturegoer (1922)

52 THE PICTUR&GOE-R MAY 192J much boxing and similar displays of energy .mil muscle. 1 picture lovers who remember the Hepworth production oi The Marriage oj William Ashe, with Alma Taylor, Violet Hopson and Henry Ainley in the leading roles, will be amused to see how different arc American ideas to ours. In the Yankee version, which is now to be seen, the wife of the Home Secretary is shown walking abroad in Scotland (of all places ') dressed in very short kilts and bare-kneed. The way in which British ladies of title resort to strong terms when quarrelling at a public entertainment, too, is absurd. Otherwise the adaptation is very amusing, and May Allison as " Lady Kitty," and Wyndham Standing as " William Ashe," are excellent. This kinema version does not follow the book at all closely, and many incidents occur which arc hardly justifiable. Some lovely Venetian scenes are much to the credit of the producer : all the exteriors, in fact, are picturesque, and the interior scenes lavish and charming. HPsuru Aoki stars alone in The Breath J of the Gods, an elaborate sixreel production which is rather longdrawn out. It is a story of the time ol the Russo-Japanese war, and although there are no war scenes, all the characters are in the Diplomatic service, and the heroine has to choose between love and duty. Being a Japanese heroine, she naturally chooses duty and marries a Japanese, hoping that her knowledge of American life (she had been studying at Wash ington) would aid her country. But love intervenes again in dramatic fashion, and the heroine takes her own life for the sake of patriotism. Tsuru Aoki makes an altogether satisfa( tory heroine, as she has a difficult role, and manages to be convincing and natural throughout. The photography is very fine, and the backgrounds include some very beautiful " shots " of Fujiyama, Japans sacred mountain. The Japanese interior sets are artistic, and the whole thing thoroughly at one with Japanese ideals am! ideas. 1'at O'Malley and Arthur Carewe play the principal supporting roles. An oft-told story is that of the rich, rather wild, but lovable youth who sows his wild oats at the feet of a gay " baby vamp," but finally reforms and marries the nice girl who'd loved him all along. But Jack Pickford in The Man Who Had Everything makes quite a likeable chap of the hero, and the picture is a. satisfactory one. As " Harry Bullway," a multi-millionaire's son, he is cursed by an old blind man in these words : " May you always have everything you want " ; and he finds, when his father's millions become his, and the " curse " materialises, that the old beggar knew what he was about. Alec B. Francis, who plays this beggar-man, gives a specially good performance. Lionel Belmore. as a self-made man, is good ; so are Priscilla Bonner as the heroine, and Shannon Day as the vamp. Clyde Cook, better known as a comedian than camera-man, photographed this picture. Latest reports from Los tell us that Jack Pickford is not to A scene from " Pay Day," Charlie Chaplin's latest comedy. I*> the star of A Tailor-Made Man, after all, he having sold the story to another company. Along-cherished dream was realised when Mary Pickford acquired the right to film Little Lord Fauntleroy. Mary had seen the stage version of F. Hodgson Burnett's world-famous story, when Elsie Leslie starred as " Cedric," and wished ever since to portray the poor little boy who became a nobleman. The idea of playing both the boy and his mother was an afterthought, but one which will commend itself to all picturegoers when they see the film. It is a triumph in every detail, from the screen translation, which is more than usually perfect, to the atmosphere, direction and photography. The double exposure work is wonderful, and Mary manages as ' Dearest " to look down upon herself as " Cedric " by quite two inches. How she does it is her secret (and the cameraman's). She is lovable and restrained as the mother, and a little ' better than usual, if possible, as the son. Her swagger for which she gives Douglas Fairbanks the credit — is delightful, so is her fight with the other " boy " (Frances Marion). Claude Gillingwater is a splendid "Earl of Dorincourt," and the English countryhouse settings are one of the features of the production. Elaine Hammerstein has another i good story this month. Her The Pleasure Seeker is a love-story, but a singularly powerful and entirely wholesome one. Elaine appears as the ward of a clergyman, who. after his death, marries a rich man and returns with him to New York. But his father frowns upon the alliance, and the young pair have to go to work. The young wife becomes her father-in-law's stenographer (keeping her identity a secret, of course), and matters are proceeding smoothly when the husband gets mixed up with a gang of his old cronies. She fights again, and wins. Frank Currier gives a magnificent study of the old broker, John Winchcll, whose every mood In shows us in masterly fashion; and effective camera-work, and good, natural direction, make up a well-told ami thoroughly interesting film play. Mary Pickford has three releases (one is a re-issue) this month, but there will be no more for a long while, for M.ir\ has not been working since Fauntleroy was completed. The re-issue, Heart oj the Hill'., is a story of old Kentucky farm life, and Mary has one of her familiar tomboy roles at the beginning, becoming sweetly civilised in the final reels. The film has some delightful moments, one in particular towards the end ot the rustic " hop." 77 J oih J.i^/it is a Frances Marion story, which gi\<s Vlarj i \"'tv tragic r6le, not entirely I .i lulled n« paff ■ i