Screen Opinions (1923-24)

ALL THE “TRUTH” ABOUT PICTURES 189 erty, but worth millions, and buys up the town. Lila Lee, playing opposite him, is charming, and gives an intelligent portrayal of Mary Thorne. Richard Carlyle, as John Thorne, inventor, is an excellently chosen type, and Gertrude Quinlan, as Aggie Twaddle, is a delightful comedienne and gets a laugh every time she appears. Florence Dixon also gives a fine performance as Olivia Hornby, who “backed the wrong horse.” The cast is excellent throughout, and Director Alfred E. Green is deserving of the highest praise for his effective handling of the story. James Marlowe is another of the cast who is worthy of special mention. STORY OF THE PLAY Tom Redding, after seeing his father’s dreams and business a failure, goes west to prospect for oil. When his mother is about to be evicted and his hopes are all but gone, he strikes oil and comes home worth millions^ To learn who are and who are not his friends he keeps his wealth a secret, and through an agent posing as representative of Du Pont Keene, he buys up the town. And when he has the whole combination where he wants it he enters a private car awaiting him at the railroad junction and steps out at the station of his home town to receive the elaborate welcome prepared for Millionaire Keene. Later Tom entertains the townspeople at dinner and benevolently allows the management of the industries he has bought to remain in the hands of those who have treated him shamefully. Those who have proved themselves in adversity receive the reward of true friendship. Mary Thorne, a girl who always believed in him, becomes his wife. PROGRAM COPY — “Back Home and Broke” — Featuring Thomas Meighan Picture the satisfaction of Tom Redding returning to his home town to punish his former persecutors with a million dollar success and you have but a slight idea of the fun you are going to have looking at Thomas Meighan’s latest, “Back Home and Broke.’’ “KINDLED COURAGE”— Class D (Adapted from story of same name) Story: — Youth Makes Friends Retract Taunts VALUE Photography — Good — Virgil Miller. TYPE OF PICTURE— Amusing. Moral Standard — Average. Story — Good — Comedy-melodrama — Family. Star — Good — Edward (Hoot) Gibson. Author — Good — Leet Renick Brown. Direction — Good— William Worthington. Adaptation — Good — Raymond L. Schrock. T echnique — Good. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Producer — Universal CAST Andy Walker Edward (Hoot) Gibson Betty Paxton Beatrice Burnham Hugh Paxton Harold Goodwin Sid Garrett Harry Tenbrook Sheriff Naylor James Gordon Russell Town Marshal J. Russell Powell Overland Pete Albert Hart February 1 to 15, 1923. Distributor — Universal Footage — 4,418 ft. Oar Opinioa MORAL O’THE PICTURE — Heroism Is Often a Product of Circumstance. Picture Has Good Entertainment Qualities — Comedy and Melodrama The plight of timid Andy Walker in “Kindled Courage,” when he finds himself in a freight car with a couple of dead bandits as companions is in itself amusing, and becomes more so when, on the arrival of the sheriff and a posse he is hailed as a hero. Hoot Gibson is well suited to the role, and Director Worthington gets a good deal of fun out of the situation in which Andy, made a deputy to the sheriff, is sent out with a strange young lady in search of her brother and incidentally to round up a bandit gang. The types of the story are well portrayed, the haunted house which the bandits occupy affords some amusing scenes, and altogether the picture is good for the average program. It is, however, just ordinary “movie stuff.” Beatrice Burnham does well in the feminine lead. STORY OF THE PLAY Andy Walker, taunted with being a coward, decides to go west to get a new start and avoid unpleasant criticism. In a freight car, by which he makes the journey, two bandits are killed by the brakeman, and Andy is mistaken for the hero of the situation, and is made deputy sheriff at the next town. Later he is ushered into another situation, in which to prove his heroism to the girl he loves he has to stage a real fight. This time he brings in the men he went after and restores to the girl a long-lost brother she has been looking for. The story closes with Andy’s courage leading him to the license bureau. PROGRAM COPY — “Kindled Courage” — Featuring Edward (Hoot) Gibson Andy Walker believed he was a coward until fate took him by the heels and threw him into the fray. Edward (Hoot) Gibson is the star of the amusing comedy-melodrama, “Kindled Courage.” No Advertising Support Accepted!