Screen Opinions (1923-24)

SCREEN OPINIONS TELLS THE TRUTH 83 cheaper class theatre — its spectacular and human interest features are the answer. The cast is an excellent one, and quite too good for the material afforded them. Mary Carr, for instance, is lost, inasmuch as the role she plays has no objective. She is charming nevertheless. So also is Madge Evans, who appears in a number of fascinating closeups. Mary MacLaren has not been as kindly treated by the camera in some time. The same may be said of James Morrison, who has the lover role and who makes the best of a rather tame situation. Burr McIntosh, Marcis Harris and Ed Roseman are also outstanding figures in the cast. The direction of the picture is satisfactory. STORY OF THE PLAY David, a youthful villager on the banks of the Wabash, has difficulty in getting backing for a wireless controled boat, which he has invented, because the village folk cannot see the practicability of anything so modern. Finally a New Yorker offers to back him, but before they are able to make the journey the Wabash floods its banks. During the flood old “Cap” Hammond fires up the old Sarah Jane, a ship that has been standing idle for years, and -goes to the rescue of the flood victims. On his return the boat blows up. A happy incident of the flood is the return of Paul Bixler to his wife, who has a short time before been told he was dead. The lovers of the story are reunited after a brief separation through the vamping of David by Ivonne, a city girl. PROGRAM COPY — “On the Banks of the Wabash” — Featuring Mary Carr, Burr McIntosh and James Morrison If you like a spectacular, romantic, human interest production with interesting types and thrilling flood scenes, don’t miss “On the Banks of the Wabash,” a realistic visualization of life on the banks of the famous river. Mary Carr, Burr McIntosh and James Morrison are featured members of the cast. “PURITAN PASSIONS”— [Class A-c] 90 % (Adapted from “The Scarecrow”) Story: — Witchcraft and Puritan Days in Salem Town VALUE Photography — Excellent — Fred Waller. TYPE OF PICTURE— Allegorical. Moral Standard — Good. Story — Excellent — Drama — Family. Star — Excellent — Glenn Hunter. Author — Excellent — Percy Mackaye. Direction — Excellent — Frank Tuttle. Adaptation — Excellent — Ashmore Creelman and Frank Tuttle. Technique — Excellent. Spiritual Influence — Good. Producer — Film Guild Footage — 5,000 CAST Lord Ravensbane ) GIenn Hunter The Scarecrow ) Rachel Mary Astor Dr. Nicholas Osgood Perkins Goody Rickby Maude Hill Gillead Wingate Frank Tweed Richard Talbot Elliott Cabot Bugby Dwight Wiman The Minister Thomas Chalmers November 15 to 30, 1923. ft. Distributor — W. W. Hodkinson Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE — Be Sure Your Mirror of Truth Reveals an Image of Beauty and Not a Scarecrow Artistic Production Above the Heads of Majority — Intention Hard to Decipher If the moving picture theatre is to reach a point of classification then we would say that the success of “Puritan Passions” is an assured thing, for its place is in the better class theatres. It is intensely artistic, but the symbolic fashion in which its subject is treated places it above the heads of the masses who see with the physical eye, but do not think deeply. We wonder if the original play, “The Scarecrow,” might not have been adapted in a way which would have made its excellent moral more accessible to the vast majority of picture fans. As it stands the picture contains a picturesque beauty, and the construction and composition of individual scenes, together with careful and effective illumination is delightful. The carrying out of the idea of the mirror of truth is well done, and so also is the molding of a man from a pumpkin head scarecrow. The scarecrow man’s contact with life is interesting, including as it does the birth of soul through the awakening of the spirit of love — the death of the scarecrow and the man’s escape from Satan by the pathway of love. The Puritan atmosphere of the old town of Salem in the days when witches and wizards and their kith and kin were hanged, and when an extra frill on a lady’s skirt was considered an unpardonable evidence of vanity, punishable by extreme measures, is fascinatingly presented. In fact, “Puritan Passions” cannot be passed by as an ordinary film, but on the contrary must (Continued on Next Page) Unbiased and Independent Reviews Only!