Screen Opinions (1923-24)

140 SCREEN OPINIONS TELLS THE TRUTH “LOVE BRAND” — [Class C]50% (Especially prepared for screen) Story: — Romance of Ranchman in Love With Girl Planted to Filch Him of Oil Lands VALUE CAST Photography — Very good — William Thornley. Don Jose O’Neil Roy Stewart TYPE OF PICTURE — Romantic. Frances Collier Margaret Landis Moral Standard — Average. Peter Collier. Wildrid North i .1 Charles Mortimer Arthur Hull Story — Average — Drama — Family. Miguet Salvador Sydney De Grey Star — Good — Roy Stewart. Teresa Marie Wells Author — Average — Raymond L. Schrock. .. .. — . ■ . . Direction — Average — Stuart Paton. August 15 to 31, 1923. Adaptation — Average — Adrian Johnson. Technique — Average. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Producer— Universal Footage — 4,832 ft. Distributor — Universal Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE — None Beauty of Natural Settings an Asset of Ordinary Production As a rule a story of the type of “The Love Brand” is developed along melodramatic lines. Not so with this production in which the action veers into the road of romance and remains in its more or less placid atmosphere most of the way. With the exception of a leap from a cliff into the river on horseback by a cattle rustler, and an attempt of the hero to brand his sweetheart with a red hot branding iron, believing she has misled him into thinking she is in love with him to help her dad gain possession of his land, there are no thrills to speak of. The scenic backgrounds against which the picture is taken are unusually beautiful, the hacienda used being located at a high point among the hills. The interior settings are picturesque and with the exception of the fact that the story is unconvincing at times, the production will serve the average moving picture house well. The cast is good throughout. The star has the advantage of good photography and does as well as opportunity allows. STORY OF THE PLAY Don Jose O’Neil, owner of the biggest ranch in the Southwest cattle country, falls the the charms of Frances Collier, whose father has come west with the intention of getting’ possession of Don Jose’s ranch by fair means or foul because of a report that this land is rich in oil. In place of serving as a foil, Frances, realizing that Don Jose is different than the men she has met in society circles, finds herself in love and unable to carry out her father’s wishes. When Don Jose learns from Teresa, a Spanish girl in love with him and jealous of Frances, that the Colliers are trying to get his land, he tries to brand Frances with a red hot branding iron, but is prevented by the interference of the cowpunchers and her father. To prove that she really loves him she grabs the iron and presses it to her neck. The story ends happily. PROGRAM COPY — “The Love Brand” — Featuring Roy Stewart Falling in love with a "sawdust doll” wasn’t what Don Jose O’Neil had mapped out for himself. "The Love Brand,” Roy Stewart’s latest, will convince you once again that Cupid is no respectier of ideals. € BRASS BOTTLE”— | (Adapted from story oi [Class A]80% [ same name) Story: — Romantic Adventures of Young Man with a Genii Imprisoned Thousands of years in Brass Bottle VALUE Photography — Excellent — Arthur Todd. TYPE OF PICTURE— Fantastical— Elaborate Moral Standard — Average. Story — Very good Fantastical comedy-drama — Family. Cast — Very good — All-Star. Author — Very good — F. Anstey. Direction — Very good — Maurice Tourneur. Adaptation — Very good — Fred Myton. Technique — Very good. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Producer — M. C. Levee Footage— CAST Horace Ventimore Harry Myers Fakresh-el-Aamash Ernest Torrence Professor Hamilton Tully Marshall Mrs. Hamilton Clarissa Selwyn Rapkin Ford Sterling Mrs. Rapkin...... Aggie Herring Marjorie Hamilton Charlotte Merriam Samuel Wackerbath Ed Jobson The Queen Barbara La Marr August 15 to 31, 1923. -5,279 ft. Distributor — First National (Continued on next page) No Advertising Support Accepted!