Screen Opinions (1923-24)

“BOOK THE NEW PERCENTAGE WAY” 3 Villainous — are well handled by W. P. Carleton and Cyril Ring. Hugh Cameron is excellent as Murphy, the hero’s right hand man. The storms at sea are quite spectacular. STORY OF THE PLAY Jim Bedford, in love with Mary Brent, his employer’s daughter, is reproached by Mary for not pushing ahead to captaincy, unaware of Tim’s splendid act in supplanting a drunken captain on one of her father’s boats, which would have been driven on the rocks in a storm had it not been for Jim. His modesty, together with his captain’s deceit and boasting, prevent him from impressing Rufus Brent with the fact that he is deserving of promotion, and to get rid of him and incidentally to keep him away from Mary, he offers him a half interest in an old ship if he will take it to a South American port for sale. Learning that Captain Svenson, the intemperate skipper, is to navigate the yacht on which Mary is to cruise, Jim takes matters in his own hands, _ threatens Svenson with exposure unless he agrees to send a message to Mary’s father stating that he is indisposed and has chosen Jim as his substitute. During the voyage Jim has occasion to strike Mary’s brother to prevent him putting out into a storm with the life boats, and Mary, in misunderstanding the situation, orders the vessel to return to the home port. Later Mary learns from Murphy, Jim’s right hand man, the truth about everything, and on the eve of his departure she marries him. in spite of his refusal to allow her to board the condemned schooner, she steals aboard, and it is not until she is struck by a spar during a storm that Jim becomes aware of her presence on the boat. Jim triumphs when, with the old schooner, he tows. the rudderless yacht to port, and on Mary’s recovery her father offers Jim a half interest in his business. PROGRAM COPY — “Homeward Bound” — Featuring Thomas Meighan Jim Bedford, sturdy seaman, riding to victory on a rickety old schooner. This is one of the interesting features of “Homeward Bound,” romantic sea story, featuring Thomas Meighan. “ELEVENTH HOUR”— [Class A] 80% (Adapted from a story of the same name) Story: — Attempt of Foreign Prince to Gain Possession of American Formula for High Explosive VALUE CAST Photography — Very good — Don Short. Barbara Hackett Shirley Mason TYPE OF PICTURE^ — Exciting. Brick McDonald Charles Jones Moral Standard — Average. Herbert Glenville Richard Tucker ■ -■ -'■■■ Prince Stefan de Bernie Alan Hale Story — Very good — Melodrama — Adults. Dick Manley Walter McGrail Stars — Very good — Shirley Mason and Charles Estelle Hackett June Elvidge Jones. Submarine Commander Fred Kelsey Author — Very good — Lincoln J. Carter. Mordecai Newman Nigel de Brulier Direction — Very good — Bernard J. Durning. ■ ■ ■ Adaptation — Very good — Louis Sherwin. September 1 to 15, 1923. Technique — Very good. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Producer — Fox Footage — 7,000 ft. Distributor — Fox Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE— None Rip Roaring Melodrama — Doesn’t Pretend to Be Anything Else — Excellent Box Office Attraction The producers of “The Eleventh Hour” lose no time in fixing in the mind of the spectator the fact that the picture he is about to see is the frankest sort of melodrama. Therefore no one has a right to be disappointed or to expect anything else. It fairly bristles with thrills that are second only in nerve wrecking effect to Harold Lloyd’s “Safety Last.” Fancy seeing a man drop into a vat of boiling metal. And this is but one of a series of surprises that ends with a foreign prince being torn to pieces in a den of lions prepared for the destruction of those who refused to do his bidding, and the swallowing up of another member of the villain group in the boiling metal in which he has tried to dispose of innocent offenders. The story of the play is constructed with the idea of keeping up a round of excitement, and the reason that we have marked the production for adults is because of the action in the shooting of the hero and the heroine. Scenes on a submarine, torpedo tubes, and various other similarly thrilling moments are contained in this picture, which is suitable for presentation as a special. STORY OF THE PLAY Prince Stefan de Bernie, visiting in America, learns of a wonderful new explosive about to be manufactured at the Hackett munitions plant, and determines to gain possession of the formula. Together with his hirelings he stops at nothing to gain his point. Brick McDonald (Continued on next page) No Advertising Support Accepted!