Screen Opinions (1923-24)

“BOOK THE NEW PERCENTAGE WAY” 35 “CUSTARD CUP”— [Class A] 80% (Adapted from story of same name) Story: — Mother of the Slums Ensnared by Counterfeit Gang VALUE CAST Photography — Very good — Tom Malloy. Penzie ...Mary Carr TYPE OF PICTURE — Sentimental — Lettie Miriam Battista Adventurous. Gussie Bosley Myrta Bonillas Moral Standard — Good. Frank Bosley Henry Sedley ' — Jeremiah Winston Frederick Esmelton Story — Very good — Melodrama— Family. Lorene Percy Peggy Shaw Star — Very good — Mary Carr. Crink Terry Devine Author — Very good — Florence Bingham Dick Chase Ben Lyon Livingston. Mr. Wopple Edwin Boring Direction — Very good — Herbert Brenon. Perennial Prue Emily Lorraine Adaptation — Average — G. Marion Buiton. Filibuster Caesar Lassie Technique — Average. ■■■■-■ — Spiritual Influence — Average. May 1 to IS, 1923. Producer — Fox Footage — 6,166 ft. Distributor — Fox Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE — The Spirit of Compassion a Saving Grace. Contains Much Hoakum But Entertaining Withal There can be no question about the box office values of “The Custard Cup,” for together with a good selling title it has all the qualities beloved of the movie fan, with the director’s melodramatic instinct working overtime. Mary Carr makes, as usual, a sweet and lovable mother. In this picture, having lost all her own children, she mothers all the orphans of the neighborhood known as the Custard Cup. The interweaving of Penzie’s life with that of a couple of “phony” people on the floor above, who persist in hiding mysterious packages in her home, brings to the story a fine tang of melodrama, and opportunities galore for scenes spectacular and tense. Miriam Battista is exploited quite extensively in this picture, and as Lettie, brought to Penzie’s home from the dump, she provides most of the comedy; for “fire eatin’ Lettie” has a temper all her own, a strong punch and a stronger kick. A number of effective closeups of this talented child are presented which are a credit to the cameraman. One of the picture’s spectacles is the fire aboard the ferryboat, which starts with the burning of some phony bills by one of the gang. STORY OF THE PLAY Penzie, a compassionate dweller in the Custard Cup, has lost both husband and children, and mothers all the orphans in the neighborhood. In the course of events a couple of counterfeiters living on the floor above give her a bill to change while on a ferry picnic, and Penzie is hauled to the police court to explain. The outcome of it all is that an old friend on the secret service, who has been palling with the counterfeiters to get evidence, identifies her, arrests the gang, and later marries Penzie. The kidnaping of little Thad, one of the orphans, is a melodramatic feature of the story. PROGRAM COPY — “The Custard Cup” — Featuring Mary Carr The gentleness of Penzie, a slum mother, overcame the obstacles of an unhappy environment. Don’t miss seeing Mary Carr in one of her best roles, and Miriam Battista as a fighting slum youngster. It’s one of the best. “NTH COMMANDMENT”— [Class B] 65% (Adapted from story of same name) ® Story: — Struggle of Wife to Earn Money to Save Life of Sickly Husband VALUE CAST Photography — Good — Not credited. TYPE OF PICTURE— Gloomy. Moral Standard — Average. Story — Good — Drama — F amily. Star — Good — Colleen Moore. Author — Good — Fannie Hurst. Direction — Good — Frank Borzage. Adaptation — Good — Frances Marion. Technique — Good. Spiritual Influence — Average. Producer — Cosmopolitan Sarah Juke Colleen Moore Harry Smith James Morrison Jimmie Fitzgibbons Eddie Philjips Angine Sprunt Charlotte Merriam Max Piute George Cooper May 1 to 15, 1923. Footage — 7,339 ft. Distributor — Famous Players No Advertising Support Accepted!