Picture Play Magazine (Sep 1921 - Feb 1922)

The Screen in Review 71 to the primitive. "At the End of the World" has a rather dreary and dull story, but because it was directed by Penrhyn Stanlaws, the illustrator, the pictures are pretty. The scene of the story is Shanghai and the islands of the Pacific. Having achieved the distinction of being an emotional actress. Miss Compson is now enjoying the distinction of playing roles as dreary as Pauline Frederick's. Oh, for the carefree life of a bathing girl ! The only glory ]\Iiss Compson gets in "At the End of the World" is the honor of having about twenty-five leading men fight for her. IMilton Sills is among those present. Mr. Sills also provided the cure for snake bite in "The Great Moment." Such goings-on ! "Wedding Bells." Constance Talmadge has the time of her hfe in "Wedding Bells," a picture that has a clever plot, prett\ trimmings, and a gay swing to it. Constance takes the blue ribbon as the strictly modern girl of the screen. She is seen as a girl who marries in haste, changes her mind, breaks up her husband's second marriage, and goes off on another honeymoon. If you want to know how serious the story is, I will tell you that a Pekingese pup plays an important role in the farce. Harrison Ford makes an agreeable leading man, only he is more led than leading. Since the reviewer of movies ought to be a fashion expert, too, I can assure you that Miss Talmadge sports around Palm Beach in some fascinating clothes. If you don't concentrate, her costumes will take your mind off the plot. The picture also concerns itself with the momentovis problem of bobbed hair. "A Midnight Bell." From "Wedding Bells" we pass on to "A ]\Iidnight Bell," Charles Ray's newest. Adapted from a farce by Charles Hoyt, it has been altered to suit the star and to suit the present requirements of the screen. It is only a fairly amusing vehicle for INIr. Ray. But it has plenty of action. The story centers about a haunted church that is used as a clubhouse for a band of bold robbers. "A Trip to Paradise." Those who saw the Theater Guild's remarkable production of "Liliom" in New York are not going to enjoy "A Trip to Paradise," offered to them by ]Metro. But those who do not know the original "Liliom," by Franz Molnar, will find much to admire in the production so astutely compounded by Maxw^ell Karger and June Mathis. Some of the spark of ]\Iolnar's play is left to lighten the screen version. The scene of the drama has been transferred from an amusement park in Budapest to Coney Island. Liliom, the Hungarian roughneck, is made an Irishman. His tragic encounter with God in the police court of suicides has been changed "Wedding Bells" with Constance Talmadge, concerns itself with the momentous problem of bobbed hair. into a dream. But, on the screen, it is a beautiful dream. It is the one inspired scene in the picture. ]\Ir. Karger has plenty of fun showing us life behind the scenes at Coney Island, where the most na'ive class of show folk scream for nickels and dimes. Curley Flvnn, enacted by Bert Lytell, is a lazy bum who is something of an artist at heart. Until he meets A^ora O'Brien he is a barker for Dreamland. The ]Vidoii.< BoJand. who manages the concession, doesn't believe that an artist should marry, so Curley finds himself out of a job. It is easy for an artist out of work to turn criminal, and Curlcv turns criminal for the sake of his child. As a crook he is a failure. He is shot, seriously wounded, and taken to a hospital. There, under the influence of ether, he takes his trip to paradise. He pleads his case, is put on probation, and redeems himself. Undoubtedly when Metro decided to produce "Liliom" it did not realize the immense popular appeal of the play or the company might have done less adapting and compromising. The spirit of the original has been so befogged by translation that the high points of its come_d\and its tragedy are lost. Produced by a company with the ideals of the Theater Guild, it would have been a great screen classic. Even if you have seen Joseph Schildkraut as Liliom. you will find much to praise in the acting of Bert Lytell. He has everv reason to be proud of his splendid performance. He is quite able to hold his own even when he is forced into comparison with one of the best actors in America. Virginia A^alli is an appealing and wistful figure as the unfortunate Xora O'Brien who married the great artist of Coney Island. And as for the Rest "Don't Neglect Your AA'ife," written by Gertrude Continued on page 89