Screen Opinions (1923-24)

24 SCREEN OPINIONS TELLS THE TRUTH Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE— None. Ordinary Production — Story Interesting, But Colorless Subtitles Mar Picture This is just an ordinary production with nothing of great value to recommend it. The general effect is marred to some extent by colorless, stereotyped subtitles, and the picture bears the ear marks of the made-in-England photoplay. The story on which the production is based is an interesting melodrama, not unusual, but sufficiently romantic and amply melodramatic to hold the attention of the average person in the ordinary class house. The English backgrounds are charming — in fact, as said before, the whole production is typically ( English. Tom Moore is pleasing in the role of a young naval officer, but Isobel Elson, playing the feminine lead, is not the type to appeal to American audiences, and is not thoroughly at home on the screen. STORY OF THE PLAY Lieut. David Kingsley is about to marry Dora Nelson when he is framed for the murder of a man who jilted Dora’s sister. The usual complications occur in connection with this angle of the plot, and finally Mark Helstone, the real murderer, confesses and the story ends happily, with Dora and Kingsley on the eve of the honeymoon. PROGRAM COPY — “Harbor Lights” — Featuring Tom Moore Whn Lieut. David Kingsley sighted the harbor lights and the girl he loved, he wasn’t aware of the tragedy that threatened. See Tom Moore in “Harbor Lights,” staged against lovely English backgrounds, if you want the thrills of the old-time romantic melodrama. “BLINKY” [Class C] 50% (Especially prepared for screen) Story: — Youth Suffering from Too Much Mother Becomes a Hero at Military Post VALUE CAST Photography — Good — Virgil Miller. Geoffrey Arbuthnot Islip Hoot Gibson TYPE OF PICTURE — Humorous. Mary Lou Killeen Esther Ralston Moral Standard — Average. Mrs. Islip Mathilde Brundage Col. “Raw Meat” Islip De Witt Jennings Story — Average — Comedy-drama — Family. Priscilla I slip Elinor Field Star — Average — Hoot Gibson. Bertrand Van Dusen Donald Hatswell Author — Average — Gene Markey. Major Kileen Chas. K. French Direction — Average — Edward Sedgwick. Husk Barton John Judd Adaptation — Average — Edward Sedgwick. Lieutenant Rawkins William E. Lawrence Technique — Average. The Adjutant W. T. McCulley Spiritual Influence — Neutral. 1 ■■ September 15 to 30, 1923. Producer— Universal Footage — 5,807 ft. Distributor — Universal Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE— Bring Your Boy Up to Be a Man. Ordinary Picture With Some Good Comedy — Moves Slowly Until the Climax This is not one of the best Hoot Gibson pictures. The story is not a good vehicle for him, for the reason that he is not at home in a passive role, nor in a part that requires subtly of interpretation, but is at his best in action such as the western comedies in which he has made his name, afford. The plot of the story is slight and not worth the footage given it, and until the climax where the mollycoddle gets busy and tries to capture a band of liquor smugglers and finally rescues the girl who is kidnaped while out riding, he has nothing to do but to stare at the camera through a pair of goggles. A good cast supports the star, with De Witt Jennings carrying off the honors. STORY OF THE PLAY “Blinky,” so-called by his college mates because of a pair of goggles which he wears, and a queer habit of blinking which he has acquired, is a “mamma’s boy,” and “mamma” has a social “bug” that has reduced her common sense to a minimum. Col. Islip, his father, known as “Raw Meat” Islip, determines that the boy shall be made over into a man, and finally Geoffrey becomes a commissioned officer in his father’s old regiment. The remainder of the story is absorbed with his adventures in learning to ride, shoot and do the various things required of the average soldier. He becomes a hero when he rescues his superior officer’s daughter from a band of liquor smugglers. PROGRAM COPY— “Blinky”— Featuring Hoot Gibson Hoot Gibson as the mollycoddle who can neither ride, shoot nor do any of the things that are a part of the average man, is funnier than he ever was. You can’t afford to miss hts latest feature, "Blinky.” No Advertising Support Accepted!