Screen Opinions (1923-24)

“BOOK THE NEW PERCENTAGE WAY” 63 and while they cover much the same ground that has been covered before in the Paul Rainy, and the H. A. Snow series, they are vastly interesting in that the camera has been able to approach extensive herds of the various kinds of African wild animals, and have been photographed and assembled with an eye to the box office. PROGRAM COPY— “Trailing African Wild Animals’’ You should not miss seeing this latest collection of wild animal pictures from the heart of British East Africa. They are thrilling and entertaining, and show Mrs. Martin Johnson as a skilled gun-woman, actually shooting charging rhinoceros, wild elephants, lions, leopards, etc. “LOOK YOUR BEST”— [Class B] 65% (Especially prepared for screen) Story: — Romance of Little Italy, a Girl and a Theatrical Manager VALUE Photography — Very good — Norbert Brodin. TYPE OF PICTURE— Entertaining. Moral Standard — Average. Story — Good — Comedy-drama — Family. Stars — Good — Colleen Moore and Antonio Moreno. Author — Good — Rupert Hughes. Direction — Good — Rupert Hughes. Adaptation — Good — Rupert Hughes. Technique — Good. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Perla Quaranti.. Carlo Bruni Pietro Nella Krug Mrs. Blitz Alberto Cabotto. June 1 to 15, 1923. Producer — Goldwyn Footage — 6,000 ft. CAST Colleen Moore Antonio Moreno William Orlamond Orpha Alba Earl Metcalfe Martha Mattox Francis McDonald Distributor — Goldwyn Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE— If You Would Look Well, Mind Your Diet. Not Particularly Artistic, but Makes Good Entertainment — Stars Do Well Scenes in Little Italy, in which an Italian organ grinder and his wife are forced to serve a thirty-day sentence in jail following a knife and china shower, are fraught with comedy, and so also is the initiation of Perla, the pretty daughter, into the stage technique of playing butterfly and being hoisted on a wire to flutter her butterfly wings. Colleen Moore is charming in the role of Perla, and one of the notably good performances of the picture is done by Orpha Alba, who plays the role of Nella Quaranti, Perla’s mother, who, between laughter and tears, chastises her husband, Pietro, with the first article that comes to hand, no matter what the substance is, and then makes parting at the jail “such sweet sorrow.” William Orlamond is the type for Pietro, and Antonio Moreno, as Bruni, whose theatrical grace was spoiled by too much eating, is also very good. Earl Metcalfe, as Krug, elected to serve as Perla’s wire hoister, in love with her and reproachful when he failed to obtain kisses in return for the food that made Perla “not as thin as she used to was,” is all that the role requires — he does well. Francis McDonald is the baker joy and jealous lover, and looks and acts the part. The picture contains some attractive stage scenes with the butterfly girls flitting rapidly past the camera, and there is also an elaborately staged classic dance, supposed to take place in the greenwood, in which Colleen Moore is dressed as a white peacock, which is slain by the hunter, Antonio Moreno, and mourned by the wood nymphs. This is really a very enjoyable feature. STORY OF THE PLAY Perla Quaranti, a street dancer, finds herself alone when her father and mother are sentenced to thirty days in jail for fighting. She is offered a position by Carlo Bruni, an Italian theatrical manager, whose specialty is a group of butterfly girls. Perla, filling the place of a girl who got too stout to hoist, grasps good fortune by the neck and eats herself stout also on the bounty of one Krug, a wirehoister. Krug plays her false when he realizes that she loves Bruni instead of himself, and takes revenge by cutting the wire so that during the whirl of butterflies Perla falls to the stage and is injured. The story closes happily with Perla and her parents reunited, and Bruni her prospective husband. PROGRAM COPY — “Look Your Best” — Colleen Moore and Antonio Moreno Perla Quaranti’s butterfly days ended with a bang when a jealous lover took revenge for lack of kisses. Don’t miss seeing Colleen Moore, Antonio Moreno and an excellent cast in “Look Your Best,” one of the funniest and most original of recent comedies. No Advertising Support Accepted!