Picture Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1926)

74 The Screen in Review Continued from page 69 The Triumph of the Season— " Ben-Hur" Forty-five years ago, some vital spark that "learned among the rather tedious details of a hook by General Lew Wallace, aroused an answering spark in the hearts of a tremendous public. The hook was called "BenHur," and it was a purely fictional tale mingled with hits from the Bible stories of the life of Christ. But the spark that gave it life was bright enough and hardy enough to burn its way to the stage ; and while the stage of twenty-five years ago, footlighted and mechanically deficient, was not ready for such a spectacle, "Ben-Hur" survived gloriously for nearly a quarter of a century. It is hardly strange then that, surrounded by every modern effect of lighting, coloring, and staging, the spark of "Ben-Hur" should now flame up into dazzling brilliance. Somehow, out of the chaos of the three actual years spent in filming "Ben-Hur," out of the mechanical confusion that must have befuddled its makers, a picture of clarity and beauty has been formed. The settings are superb; some of the biblical views are poignantlv lovely; put most of all. it has the earnest and romantic acting of young Ramon Novarro, who has at last lifted BenHur from the ranks and changed him from an actor to a hero. The name "Ben-Hur" has always suggested chariot races, togas, actors in grease paint, and a stage constructed *at great expense, to hold eight galloping horses, and to the sophisticated, it has also meant something to be vaguely smiled at. In this age of individual expression, it is usually rather funny to see an actor assume the clothes and attitudes of a mythical hero. We know so little of how brave young men reallv did act a thousand or so years ago, that no matter how an actor interprets these actions, we usually become condescending and feel that he must be wrong. But Mr. Novarro's youth, spirit, and very fine acting are not to be laughed away. He is earnest and he is real, and the mammoth sets, the long and rambling story, the almost overwhelming brilliance of the whole picture, have been caught and held together by the intensity of his youthful belief in his part. And in this day of Nordics and brisk young go-getters, his Ben-Hur is a romantic and fiery bit from the past. The rest of the cast, I am willing to believe, are everyday people, people I know or know about, but Mr.. Novarro seems Utterly foreign, very; very handsome, and most gorgeously young. In the first chapter of the picture, Betty Bronson does a very astounding thing. In a few brief and exquisite flashes, she gives an unforgetable portrait of the Madonna. She is as inspired and gracious as a religious masterpiece. I could hardly believe that this was the same Betty Bronson Who had disported herself prettily and prankishly in "Peter Pan." She, too, has inevitable youth, and belief in what she is doing. The rest of the cast can be dismissed as capable actors. May_ McAvoy's pretty face is set off by a blond wig, and in keeping with her role, she plays with doves. In a scene where Mr. Novarro catches one of her birds and brings it back to her, he seems awake with interest, while she displays no more than her usual covness. She plays the part of Esther. Claire MacDowell brings a little Oriental sadness to the role of Bcn-Hnr's mother, and Kathleen Key is the dark-eyed, glowing Tircah. Francis X. Bushman is really superb as Messala, that haughty and villainous Roman. He is an actor at all times, but there is something admirable in the way he does it. He has the muscled, theatrical, effects of several years ago, ready to use at a moment's notice, and he uses them. He was in the audience at the opening of the picture, and I thought be seemed a little dazed at the superb spectacle of which he formed a part. There are exceptionally few hackneyed devices employed by Fred Niblo, who directed the film. He has freshened the story and handled it without the gloves of convention. The picture begins with a simplicity that is disarming. No long list of names is thrown on the screen. There is no foreword of explanation. The names of the cameramen and assistant directors, the number of extras used, the amount of money spent — all this is kept from you, and in blissful ignorance, you watch the picture just for itself. Before the curtain rose, the names of the members of the cast were set in panels, attractively lighted, at either side of the stage. When the picture began, they vanished, and no more was said about them. Years ago, when "Ben-Hur" was first staged by Mr. Erlanger, he assured its author, General Wallace, that the religious scenes -would be handled as delicately as possible. Christ was represented only by a suggestive use of light. In the film, Mr. Niblo has represented Him by a compassionate and sensitive hand, and in this way, he has attained an effect of divinity that could not have been achieved in any other way. Most of the biblical scenes are in color, the color of old masterpieces. Those of the birth of Christ and of the Last Supper are as inspiring as lovely canvases. I think the entire audience was completely awed by their beauty. It is hard to say which are the most conspicuous spots in the picture. The scene showing the galley slaves chained to their oars is as modern and striking in its brutalitv of handling as anything I have ever seen. The steady heat of the drum, and the monotony of the ghastly straining at the oars very nearly set my nerves on edge. The sea battle that follows is as spectacular and thrilling as even the most critical could wish for. But none of the scenes measured up to the final and glorious thrill of the chariot race. In a superb amphitheater, the horses, the dust, the crowds, and the endless romance of that race obliterated all pictured dramatics that have gone before. "Ben-Hur" should not, in justice, be called a spectacle. It is much, much more than that — it is an achievement, and a gorgeous one. For in spite of Rome and the Romans, there isn't the faintest sign of an orgv in it, and the brief appearance of an Egyptian siren, played by Carmel Myers, seemed entirely plausible. Only one , jarring note is struck, and that is when there are flashes of lightning and great earthquakes during the crucifixion. I think these scenes might very well be cut. This is the first time I have ever seen color used intelligently, with the greens and blues predominating, and it is the first picture with biblical significance that hasn't gone in heavily for long gray beards. There isn't even a faint suspicion of the grinding of the camera, nor of the creaking of the scenery. It is a big thing, but it is a real one. Instead of relying on its overwhelming details to impress you, it has decided to stand on its feet as a whole, with the result that the impression of effort and money spent is not always with you. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer must be happy indeed over their prospects for the new year. In New York, "The Merry Widow" is still playing to crowded houses, "The Big Parade" is selling six weeks in advance, and now "Ben-Hur" has apparently become a fixity. For, the storv that was translated into everv language in the world and was blessed by His Holiness Leo XIII., and the play that ran for nearly twenty-five years, have Continued on page 115