Picture-Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1926)

A Confidential Guide to Current Releases WHAT EVERY FAN SHOULD SEE. "Ben=Hur" — Metro-Goldwyn. A beautiful and inspiring picture, directed with skill and originality. Ramon Novarro, in title role, gives earnest and spirited performance ; Francis X. Bushman excellent as Messala; May McAvoy, Betty Bronson, Kathleen Key, and Carmel Myers all handle their roles well. "Big Parade, The"— Metro-Goldwyn. Most realistic war picture ever made. Story of three tired, dirty doughboys, one of whom is John Gilbert, who falls in love with a French girl, played remarkably well by Renee Adoree. "Black Pirate, The"— United Artists. Doug Fairbanks' latest, exquisitely filmed entirely in color. Bloodcurdling pirate tale, with Mr. Fairbanks as active as usual. Billie Dove the heroine. "For Heaven's Sake!" — Paramount. Harold Lloyd unwittingly goes in for mission work, with amusing results. "Kiki"— First National. Norma Talmadge very entertaining in the highly comic role of the little gamin girl of Paris who tries to break into the chorus and falls in love with the manager. "La Boheme" — Metro-Goldwyn. A classic skillfully screened. Lillian Gish poignantly appealing as the little seamstress of the Paris Latin Quarter who sacrifices all for her playwright lover, spiritedly played by John Gilbert. "Little Annie Rooney" — United Artists. Mary Pickford a child again. Delightful film of New York's lower East Side, full of humor, with just enough drama to make a good plot. William Haines makes attractive hero. "Mare Nostrum" — Metro-Goldwyn. Beautifully photographed version of Ibaiiez's tale of a Spanish sea captain who, during World War, comes under the disastrous spell of the Germans, through his love for a beautiful Austrian spy. Antonio Moreno and Alice Terry admirable in leading roles. "Merry Widow, The"— Metro-Goldwyn. Skillful screen version of the popular old musical comedy in which Mae Murray gives one of the best performances of her career, with John Gilbert ably supporting her. A credit to its director, Von Stroheim. "Night Cry, The"— Warner. Rin-TinTin more amazing than ever in exciting film of the sheep country, in which the villains arc foiled only just in time. ■ "Pony Express, The"— Paramount,. St irring Western picture of the days just preceding Civil War, with effective riding scenes, plenty of excitement, and a splendid cast, including Ricardo Cortez, Betty Compson, Ernest Torrence, and Wallace Beery. "Sea Beast, The"— Warner. John Barrymore gives one of his typical portrayals as a young harpooner who grows old and bitter seeking vengeance on a whale that has bitten off his leg and thereby indirectly deprived him of the girl he was to marry. Dolores Costello appealing as the girl. "Stella Dallas"— United Artists. A picture in a thousand, telling with many pathetically humorous touches the heartrending story of a mother and daughter. Belle Bennett, in title role of mother, does one of finest bits of acting ever seen on screen. Lois Moran, charming as young daughter; Ronald Colman, satisfactory as father. "Three Faces East" — Producers Distributing. Splendid mystery melodrama about World War spies, with Jetta Goudal, Clive Brook, and Robert Ames. "Vanishing American, The" — Paramount. Beautiful and authentic picture of the history of the American Indian, ending with a perfectly ordinary modern Western story. Richard Dix excellent as an Indian. Lois Wilson and Malcolm MacGregor also in cast. FOR SECOND CHOICE. "Ancient Highway, The" — Paramount. Jack Holt and Billie Dove in a decidedly pleasing picture full of action and gorgeous scenery. "Auction Block, The"— Metro-Goldwyn. Charles Ray, as spendthrift son of wealthy father, shown to better advantage than usual. Eleanor Boardman and Sally O'Neil make for complications. "Barrier, The"— Metro-Goldwyn. Exciting melodramatic romance of the far, far North, with Lionel Barrymore, Norman Kerry, and Marceline Day. "Bat, The"— United Artists. Not nearly so thrilling as the stage version of this famous mystery melodrama, but funnier and just as mysterious. "Behind the Front" — Paramount. Hilarious bit of slapstick, with Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton both sublimely ridiculous as doughboys. Mary Brian is the girl. "Beverly of Graustark" — Metro-Goldwyn. Amusing complications arise when Marion Davies disguises herself as a boy and pretends to be a certain prince. Antonio Moreno opposite her. ' "Black Bird, The"— Metro-Goldwyn. Good melodrama of London's Limehouse district, with Lon Chaney playing double role of a thug and a bishop. Renee Adoree charming as French dancer; Owen Moore a gentleman crook. "Blind Goddess, The" — Paramount. Good plot and excellent cast, including Jack Holt and Esther Ralston. Case of a girl who is ignorant of her mother's identity, and testifies against her in a murder trial. "California Straight Ahead" — Universal. One of Reginald Denny's fastmoving comedies. He loses his girl on the eve of his wedding day, and has to win her all over again in his own unique way. "Cave Man, The" — Warner. Marie Prevost and Matt Moore make funny the rather thin story of a bored young heiress who tries to elevate a coal heaver to society. "Classified"— First National. Corinne Griffith both funny and beautiful as a poor working girl in a thoroughly delightful comedy. Jack Mulhall engaging as a young mechanic. "Clothes Make the Pirate"— First National. An entertaining film of a henpecked tailor of Colonial days who unwittingly becomes a pirate chief overnight. Leon Errol's unique comedy gifts given full play; Dorothy Gish is the shrewish wife. "Cohens and Kellys, The"— Universal. One of those sure-fire comedies involving a mix-up between the Jews and the Irish. George Sidney and Charles Murray head the respective tribes. "Crown of Lies, The" — Paramount. Pola Negri in tale of a servant girl who is transported to a mythical Balkan state and made queen. "Dancing Mothers" — Paramount. Conventional story about fast-living younger generation, with Alice Joyce, Clara Bow, and Norman Trevor. "Dark Angel, The"— First National. Old story of blinded soldier. Ronald Colman at his best. Vilma Banky makes first appearance on American screen — a very beautiful woman and fine actress. "Desert Gold"— Paramount. WildWest melodrama. Neil Hamilton is the handsome hero, William Powell the villain, and Shirley Mason the girl. "Eagle, The"— United Artists. Rudolph Valentino, as Russian lieutenant who turns bandit, gives a bette'r performance than he has in a long while. Pleasant picture with complicated plot; Vilma Banky beautiful and natural as heroine. "Flaming Frontier, The" — Universal. An accurate historic picture of American frontier days, with Hoot Gibson in the role of a pony-express rider, and Dustin Farnum as General Custer. "Golden Cocoon, The"— Warner. Helene Chadwick very charming and human as wife of a man whose political career is almost ruined by a trivial but misconstrued incident in her past. "Grand Duchess and the Waiter, The" — Paramount. Perfectly delightful comedy, with Adolphe Menjou at his very best, and Florence Vidor quite fascinating in the sophisticated role of the Duchess. "Hands Up" — Paramount. Farcical romance of the Civil War, starring the inimitable Raymond Griffith as a Confederate spy. Not quite so funny as some of his pictures. "His People" — Universal. Rudolph Schildkraut in an excellent drama, with plenty of comedy relief, dealing with lives of the four members of a Jewish family of the lower East Side of New York. George Lewis a captivating new juvenile. "His Secretary" — Metro-Goldwyn. Norma Shearer shows how plain she can look in entertaining picture of homely stenographer who startles and Continued on page 114