Screen Opinions (1923-24)

52 SCREEN OPINIONS TELLS THE TRUTH “HER ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND”— [Class C] 50% (Adapted from story of same name) Story: — Hatred Causes Girl to Marry Man Her Father Dies to Rescue CAST Rena Goring Miriam Cooper Gordon Gray Forrest Stanley VALUE Photography — Very good — Not credited. TYPE OF PICTURE — Sensational — Unusual. Moral Standard — Fair. Story — Average — Melodrama — Adults. Cast — Very good — All-Star. Author — Average — Lois Zellner. Direction — Average — Dallas M. Fitzgerald. Adaptation — Average — Not credited. Technique — Average. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Producer — Belasco Productions ( Others Mitchell Lester) the cast are Richard Tucker, Lewis, Maude Wayne and Kate May 15 to 31, 1923. Footage — 5,638 ft. Distributor — C. B. C. — State Rights Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE— None. Good Sea Stuff, but Story a Bit Far-Fetched "Her Accidental Husband” will doubtless prove a satisfactory production for the ordinary class picture house where the rather far-fetched story will not be objected to, and its sensational flavor, together with the excellent sea atmosphere, will be found more than ordinarily entertaining. The night photography, showing a man clinging to a bit of driftwood, and the girl of the story leaping from her father’s fishing boat and swimming swiftly to the rescue, is one of the effective features of the picture. An excellent vein of suspense is found in the same situation, when the blind father of the girl, struggling to pull the half-drowned man aboard, himself falls into the raging sea and is lost. The objectionable point in the story is the girl’s determination to marry and hold the man she blames for the loss of her father, inasmuch as her hatred of the man because of a happening for which he was not responsible is unreasonable. However, the average person will not stop to consider this point, and we have no doubt that “Her Accidental Husband,” which has also some wellstaged society scenes, will give good satisfaction. STORY OF THE PLAY Rena Goring, daughter of a blind fisherman, rescues a stranger from drowning. At the same time her own father falls overboard, and striking out blindly, is soon lost in the storm and darkness. Rena, who has promised her father that his fishing boat will be kept working until the last fish in the harbor is caught, or until it goes to pieces, develops a hatred for the man she blames for her father’s death, and forces him to marry her with a view to making him master of the ship and causing him to spend his days at sea. Gordon Gray, the man, moves in a social set, and later the events of the story lead him, along with Rena, back to where he came from. Finally Rena discovers that she really loves her husband when he rescues her from the villain. PROGRAM COPY — "Her Accidental Husband” — With an All-Star Cast Rena Gordon’s hatred for the man whose rescue from drowning caused her father’s death, grew into love, when she was forced to compare him with the villain, who would! have ruined her future. Miriam Cooper, Mitchell Lewis and Forrest Stanley head the cast. “BELLA DONNA”— [Class A] 80% (Adapted from novel of same name) Story: — Love for Egyptian Causes Wife to Attempt to Poison English Husband VALUE CAST Photography — Excellent — Arthur Miller. Bella Donna Pola Negri TYPE OF PICTURE — Unwholesome. Mahmoud Baroudi Conway Tearle Moral Standard — Fair. Nigel Armine Conrad Nagel ' ' ' ■ Mr. Chepstow Adolphe Menjou Story — Very good — Drama — Adults. Dr. Meyer Isaacson Claude King Star — Very good — Pola Negri. Patricia Lois Wilson Author — Very good — Robert Hichens. Ibrahim Macey Harlam Direction — Very good — George Fitzmaurice. Dr. Hartley Robert Schable Adaptation — Very good — Ouida Bergere. Technique — Very good. ■ 1 1 ■ 1 Spiritual Influence — Neutral. May 15 to 31, 1923. Producer — Paramount Footage — 7,903 ft. Distributor — Famous Players (Continued on next page) No Advertising Support Accepted!