Screen Opinions (1923-24)

22 SCREEN OPINIONS TELLS THE TRUTH hurry into a standing automobile to avmd the trailing detective. In the cab is a pretty young woman whom he meets later when he is shot trying to escape from a doctor’s office where he has been taken to have an earlier wound attended, during which time the doctor, believing he has taken a dose of knockout drops intended to put him to sleep until the police arrive, calls headquarters. As he drops from an upper window to the ground, the girl faces him with a guru A few hours later he awakens in the girl’s apartment, where he has been put to bed unconscious from his wound. The romance, which quickly reveals to him the fact that the girl, realizing his innocence, is trying to shield him from a fate experienced by her own brother. PROGRAM COPY — “Alias the Night Wind” — Featuring William Russell A thrilling series of adventures in which William Russell, the popular acrobatic star, evades his pursuers and wins a wife. You’ll like this one. “WHERE THE NORTH BEGINS”— [Cl. A-c] 90% (Especially prepared for screen) Story: — Romance of the North and Adventures of Dog That Left Wolf Pack to Protect Man VALUE CAST Photography. — Excellent — Not credited. The Wolf Dog Rin-Tin-Tin TYPE OF PICTURE— Vigorous — Felice McTavish Claire Adams Fascinating. Gabriel Dupre Walter McGrail Moral Standard — Good. Shad Galloway Pat Hartigan Marie Myrtle Owen Story — Good — Melodrama — Family. The Fox Charles Stevens Star — Excellent — Rin-Tin-Tin. Scotty McTavish Fred Huntley Author — Good — Not credited. ..... ... . ..... Direction — Excellent — Chester M. Franklin. September 15 to 30, 1923. Adaptation — Excellent — Fred Myton and Chester Franklin. Technique — Excellent. Spiritual Influence — Average. Producer — Harry Rapf Footage — 6,800 ft. Distributor — Warner Brothers Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE— The Dog Is Man’s Most Faithful Friend. Excellent Special — Star Police Dog Unusually Intelligent — Plenty of Human Interest and Vigorous Action — Northern Atmosphere Thrilling “Where the North Begins” is a compelling production — the sort that thrills you, brings you to the verge of tears and at the finish makes you applaud in spite of yourself. The police dog, Rin-Tin-Tin, is a rare animal. He acts with almost human intelligence, and Director Chester Franklin seems to have covered every mood and emotion of which a mere dog is capable in piloting RinTin-Tin through his excellent production. Apart from the melodramatic theme of the story there are other features of interest, such as herds of deer scattered over the northern hills, blinding snow blizzards and realistic fights between man and dog, all of which is enhanced by a fine quality of photography. To see this wonder dog leap at the throat of the villain, wrestle with him, pin him to the ground and tear his clothing in ribbons, and at another moment to see him cowering from his master’s uplifted whip, his expression that of a tearful child, dumbly unable to assert his innocence, convinces you that both dog and director are at the head of the class. We believe that “Where the North Begins” will prove a better box office attracion than “The Silent Call,” because it has a greater sensational value. It is well edited, the action is rapid, and while the plot of the story is not out of the ordinary, the general effect is fascinating. Walter McGrail, as Gabriel Dupre, the dog’s master and friend, is eminently satisfactory in the part. Claire Adams is pleasing in the feminine lead, and Pat Hartigan and Charles Stevens give worth performances. Rin-Tin-Tin is said to have been born in a dugout on the battlefields of France. STORY OF THE PLAY A puppy police dog, jostled from a prospector’s sled in the far north, released from his basket and adopted by a wolf pack, later becomes the faithful friend of a man whom he finds lying wounded in the snow. After protecting him from the wolves and madly fighting an Indian who attempts to kill the man, he is framed for the supposed killing of a baby adopted by his master, Gabriel Dupre. Rin-Tin-Tin is saved from being shot by the arrival of Gabriel’s sweetheart on the scene to explain that the baby is safe in her cabin. Shad Galtoway, the arch villain of the story who tries to lay the responsibility of a theft of furs on Gabriel, is killed fleeing from arrest, through his dying henchmams confession when the dog hurls him from a cliff. The close of the story shows Gabriel and his sweetheart, Felice, married, and the dog bringing home his mate with a batch of lively puppies. PROGRAM COPY — “Where the North Begins” — Featuring Rin-Tin-Tin A thrilling tale of an emotional dog, that left a northern wolf pack to protect a man, and became his faithful friepd. If you only see one picture in the year, this should be that one. The wonder dog, Rin-Tin-Tin, is the star. No Advertising Support Accepted! ( C