Screen Opinions (1923-24)

“BOOK THE NEW PERCENTAGE WAY” 35 life was totally misunderstood, and whose happiness was destroyed by the marble coldness of his wife, and he has thrown himself into the character with an abandon that makes it startlingly convincing. Margaret Fielding is next in merit. She sustains the outstanding characteristics of Mark Sabre’s wife to a marked degree — her’s is one of the best impersonations in the picture. Then there are Gladys Leslie as Effie, who keeps smiling through her tears and finally commits suicide to relieve her benefactor of the trouble she has brought him, and Ann Forest, as Nona, a woman with a cruel husband, and secretly in love with Sabre, and Twyning, a scheming liar who flayed Mark Sabre and v/as afterward forced to accept his pity when sorrow fell across his path in the death of his son. These and a number of other characters of distinctive type are carefully outlined in the picture. The court room scenes are quite too drawn out, adding the only cheap touch evident in the production. These and the scenes following are constructed with a sensational object in view. There are many tears throughout the picture, especially as it progresses to the period of the world war and into the approach to the climax. “If Winter Comes” is an excellent special feature, but will be better understood and appreciated in the better class houses. STORY OF THE PLAY Mark Sabre, promised a partnership in the firm with which he works, is constantly misunderstood by a cold hearted wife, and throughout his life seems to be the butt of circumstances that tend toward his unhappiness. Rejected during the world war as a soldier, he finally enlists and gets in the fight. On his return Effie, a motherless girl who has had a child out of wedlock, appeals to his wife for shelter, and is refused. Mark, unable to bear the sight of the girl’s misery, demands that she be taken in, an incident that results in his wife leaving him. While Mark is absent at Brighton, Effie kills herself and her baby, and Mark is accused of having false relations with the girl, and is arrested as an accessory to the suicide at the same time that his wife is suing for divorce. He is hounded and lied about, by one Twyning, but is finally acquitted by the jury. Shortly afterward he collapses, and after lying for some time in a hospital in London, he awakens to find Nona, Lady Tybar, whose cruel husband has been killed in the war, and who has always loved Sabre, standing at his side. The storv closes with Mark at last in the sunshine, looking forward to spending the rest of his life with Nona. PROGRAM COPY — “If Winter Comes”— With an All-Star Cast You cannot afford to miss this realistic visualization of how the winter of sorrow touches the hearts of men and women and sweeps them into oblivion, unless they grip the solace offered by the spirit of love. Percy Marmont, Margaret Fielding, Ann Forrest and a fine cast play the picture. “FRENCH DOLL”— [Class A-c] 90% (Adapted from play of same name) Story: — Romance .and Adventures of Antique Dealer’s Daughter VALUE CAST Photography— Excellent — Not credited. Georgine Mazulier Mae Murray TYPE OF PICTURE — Humorous — Spirited. Wellington Wick Orville Caldwell Moral Standard — Average. Pedro Carrova Rod La Rocque — Madame Mazulier Rose Dion Story— Excellent — Comedy — Adults. Monsieur Mazulier Paul Cazeneuve Star — Excellent — Mae Murray. Joseph Dumas Willard Louis Author — Excellent — A. E. Thomas. Snyder Bernard Randall Direction — Excellent — Robert Z. Leonard. Butler Lucien Littlefield Adaptation — Excellent — Paul Armont and — — ^ ^ — — — — Marcel Berbidon. October 1 to 15, 1923. Technique — Excellent Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Producer — Tiffany Productions Footage — 6,000 ft. Distributor — Metro Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE— None. Elaborately Produced and Entertaining — Combination of Comedy and Sex Appeal Mae Murray is charming as ever in her latest production “The French Doll.” The character she plays, that of the beautiful and vivacious daughter of a French antique dealer is interpreted by her in a spirited fashion that allows her few moments of repose. We wonder if a little more deliberation might not have improved the general effect. In so far as the casual observes is concerned “The French Doll” will be considered an A-l picture, beautifully set as are all of Mae Murray’s features, and the usual dance with the expose of ravishingly pretty limbs occurs. The play bristles with comedy situations, not the (Continued on next page) No Advertising Support Accepted!