Picture Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1927)

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68 The Screen A critical survey of the deavor is made to guide By Norbert William Haines, with Sally O'Neil, in "Slide, Kellv, Slide," throws new and humorous light upon the subject of baseball. IF baseball is in any need of popularization, "Slide, Kelly, Slide" certainly does it. A more amusing, lively, and entertaining picture built around the national game isn't possible. Nor could a more appropriate cast have been gathered together. Ever since "Brown of Harvard," William Haines has been in the forefront of the straight comedians, and as Jim Kelly, he goes pretty near the head of the class in a role that permits him to display his own individual brand of engaging impudence and naive sentiment to a degree hard to resist. Jim Kelly begins as a small-town ball player, who is discovered by Cliff Macklin, manager of the Yankees, and brought on to join the team. He is a braggart, a show-off, a wise-cracker, who would be obnoxious were it not for the skill of Mr. Haines in making you tolerant of Jim's failings. He patronizes the veteran players, side-steps Macklin s orders, and makes love to Mary Munson despite the disapproval of her father, an old pitcher. In the end, Jim comes through all right, both as a star of the diamond, and a much-chastened and subdued young man. This is brought about gradually and by means of so much good acting on the part of all concerned, that the criticism of the presence of a great deal of hokum isn't a fair one, because the general result is genuinely satisfying. Junior Coghlan, the boy actor, is used as an excuse for most of the sentimentality, for his role is that of the child who convinces Jim of the error of his ways. As a waif who becomes the mascot of the company, and takes an active part in Jim's affairs, the boy has the best role that has yet come his way, and discharges his duties splendidly. Harry Carey is Munson, the old pitcher who is humiliated and put upon by Jim, and Warner Richmond is the manager, while Karl Dane is "Swede" Hansen. Each is perfect. Sally O'Neil, who has the feminine interest her own way, because she is the only girl in the picture, meets, I suppose, the popular demand for adolescent love interest. Ladies' Day. Heed friendly counsel and don't miss Esther Ralston in "Fashions for Women." It's sheer pleasure, gay, light, and very beautiful. More than that, Miss Ralston is a delirium of loveliness. Frankly, I don't quite know what that is, but it indicates excessive admiration ; and Miss Ralston is more than welcome to my utmost. The picture is the first effort of a new director, Dorothy Arzner, and judging from her success in bringing out Miss Ralston to the effulgence of an American Beauty rose, I suggest that she make the rounds of all the studios and animate and vitalize some of the hollyhocks and wallflowers. Miss Ralston has always been lovely to look upon, but in this film her beauty is enhanced by moods and dresses and a story that becomes her, as well as naive and endearing comedy that almost causes you to cry out for her to stop, lest the thought of her wasted efforts in past pictures become too much to bear! If all this comes from supplying the "woman's touch," then Dorothv Arzner has certainly a lot to be thanked for. "Fashions for Women" belongs to the category of French farce, and it affords the star a dual role, that of Celeste de Givray, the best-dressed woman in Paris, and Lola Danvry, a cigarette girl who takes her place as a mannequin while Celeste absents herself from the haunts of fashion in order to reappear at the critical moment and denounce Lola as an impostor. All this is the scheme of Sam Dupont, Celeste's press agent, drolly played by the accomplished Raymond Hatton. Of course, his plot goes awry, with all manner of amusing and surprising complications. Einar Hanson is highly effective as Raoid de Bercy, an ace of the air, who is pressed into service as Celeste's aerial chauffeur, and who never suspects that the grandiose Celeste is the cigarette girl who has adored him in silence. The only film fashion show worthy of the name occurs in this picture which, as you may have guessed by now, has distinction written all over it. And distinction is the rarest of all qualities found in pictures, or in the people who appear in them. Mr. Dix in a Wow. Richard Dix's best picture in years is "Knock-out Reilly." Furthermore, it is the most logical, entertaining, and exciting fight film ever produced. That's enough to explain why it should be seen by the average moviegoer; it won't be passed up by the Dix fans, anyway. Dundee Reilly, a steel riveter, calls himself a torch expert on his visiting cards. He knows nothing about pugilism, and cares less ; yet he manages, by a happy chance, to knock out "Killer" Agerra, the heavyweight champion. This is accomplished quite naturally, when