Screen Opinions (1923-24)

“BOOK THE NEW PERCENTAGE WAY” 59 Sives her a pearl necklace supposed to belong to his mother, for a betrothal gift. The man, lick McCann, swindles Jimmy out of what money he has in a crooked land deal, serving as a waiter in a restaurant Jimmy overhears news concerning a sale of stocks that will give McCann the control of a big railway company. Jimmy telephones Nellie Blye, a friend, to bring money to buy the stocks while he heads off the men for whom McCann is waiting, with a twentydollar gold piece which Mr. Dorgan, previous to his death, buried in a box in the ground unknown to anyone but Nellie, together with a letter telling Dick of the remainder of a large fortune which should be his as soon as he made good, she completes the five hundred necessary. Jimmy becomes master of the situation, sells the stocks at a big profit to the railway company and also secures a position of responsibility. PROGRAM COPY— “Fools and Riches”— Featuring Herbert Rawlinson Jimmy Dorgan’s flipping of a twenty-dollar gold piece moved the hand of fate in chastisement. Come and see what happened to spendthrift Jimmy and how he reached the pinnacle of success on the stepping stones of his folly. Herbert Rawlinson is the star. “NE’ER-DO-WELL”— [Class A] 80% (Adapted from novel of same name) Story: — Romance and Adventures of Young Man Sent by Father to Panama to Make Good VALUE Photography — Very good — Ernest Haller. TYPE OF PICTURE— HumorousSensational. Moral Standard — Fair. Story^ — Very good — Comedy-melodrama — Family. Star — Very good — Thomas Meighan. Author — Very good — Rex Beach. Direction — Very good — Alfred Green. Adaptation — Very good — Louis S evens. Technique — Very good. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. CAST Kirk Anthony Chiquita Edith Cortlandt Stephen Cortlandt Anares Garavel Ramon Alfarez Clifford Allen Allan Runnels Thomas Meighan Lila Lee . . Gertrude Astor ....John Miltern . ..Gus Weinberg Sid Smith ..George O’Brien . . . .Jules Cowles .Laurance Wheat June 1 to 15, 1923. Producer — Paramount Footage — 7,414 ft. Distributor — Famous Players Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE— None. Interesting Adaptation of Rex Beach Novel — Comedy Element Strong — Action Peppy With seven reels of film to its credit “The Ne’er-Do-Well” wins with every foot of its length; and if the role of Kirk Anthony had been made for Thomas Meighan it could not have suited him better. He gets under the skin of the character, as it were, and expresses every mood that the irrepressible Kirk is capable of with accuracy. The production which is based on the romantic novel of the same name by Rex Beach divides its locale between New York and Panama, and with the aid of an excellent adaptation which allows of a plentiful sprinkling of comedy, and direction that is in accord with the intention of the story, is unusually entertaining. The colored aide of Kirk’s Panama sojourn is the source of many laughs. There is also a melodramatic flourish that will be most welcome to the majority of audiences in the situation which causes Kirk to become embroiled in an affair wished on him by a certain married lady, and in which he is an innocent party. The fact that her folly causes him to be accused of the murder of her husband is the cue for a note of suspense. Gertrude Astor and Lila Lee give convincing portrayals of the two chief feminine characters, and Laurance Wheat, John Miltern, Sid Smith and Gus Weinberg are valuable members of an excellent cast. “The Ne’er-Do-Well” is sure to be popular, and you can book it as one of the season’s best, playing up the names of author and star. STORY OF THE PLAY Kirk Anthony so distracts his father with his extravagant, irresponsible ways that he decides to have him shanghaied and shipped to Panama. In Panama he is forced to start at the foot of the ladder, and from railroad engineering he soon becomes a valued executive. All would have gone well, had it not been for Mrs. Cortlandt, who fell in love with Kirk, and caused her husband to believe that the young man was the one at fault Finally, after desperately trying to hide his feelings in the matter, Cortlandt commits suicide in Kirk’s rooms, and the latter is arrested for murder. A letter left by Cortlandt is later brought by his wife to the district attorney, and the sentence of death, which might have been passed on Kirk, is thereby stayed. The story includes a romance with Chiquita, a Spanish senorita, of whom (Continued on next page) No Advertising Support Accepted!