Screen Opinions (1923-24)

84 “BOOK THE NEW PERCENTAGE WAY’’ be considered as one of the big productions of the year. The cast is an unusually capable one. Mary Astor has never played as charmingly nor looked as lovely as she does in this picture, and Glenn Hunter plays the role of the scarecrow man, Lord Ravensbane intelligently. Maude Hill is excellent as Goody Rickby, and one of the best performances of the picture is given by Osgood Perkins as Dr. Nickolas, in plain words, Satan. The exhibitor must be his own judge as to the suitability of this picture to his particular class of patrons. STORY OF THE PLAY Goody Rickby, a Puritan maiden, bears an illegitimate child to Gillead Wingate, the beadle of the village of Salem, and secretly bears her sorrow, denied even the attention of a doctor for the child when it becomes ill, for fear that the name of Wingate may become tainted with scandal. Satan enters the scene and tries to negotiate with the mother for the child’s future in return for curing it. She refuses and the child dies. Several years later Goody, who practices secretly the art of witchcraft, sees an opportunity to get even with Wingate when the kith and kin of witches are also doomed to hang by order of the law, if only she could prove his connection with witchcraft. Satan comes to the rescue, and from a pumpkin head scarecrow molds the soulless image of a man, recalling to life the son of Goody and Wingate. In the incidents that follow the scarecrow man, Lord Ravensbane, as he is called, falls in love with Rachael, a maid of the village, who, with a Mirror of Truth given her by Goody, reveals the ugly scarecrow hidden beneath a human exterior. But at that moment the scarecrow develops a soul, and dies leaving a man in its place. PROGRAM COPY — “Puritan Passions” — With Glenn Hunter and Mary Astor A picture with a moral, a romance, a tragedy and delightful entertainment staged in the quaint old days of Puritanism. Here is something different, a picture that you should see with Glenn Hunter, lovely Mary Astor and a splendid supporting cast. c “UNSEEING EYES”— [Class A] 80% (Adapted from story of same name) Story: — Man’s Struggle to Rescue Girl in Snow Blizzard in Northern Canada VALUE Photography — Excellent — Al. Siegler and Jack Lamond. TYPE OF PICTURE— Thrilling. Moral Standard — Average. Story — Good — Drama — Family. Stars — Very good — Lionel Barrymore and Seena Owen. Author — Good — Arthur Stringer. Direction — Very good — E. H. Griffith. Adaptation — Very good — Bayard Veiller. Technique — Very good. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Conrad Dean... Miriam Helston. Laird Father Paquette Dick Helston... Arkwright Mrs. Arkwright. Trapper Eagle Blanket.. Singing Pine... Half Breeds. . ,. CAST Lionel Barrymore Seena Owen Louis Wolheim ....Gustav von Seyffertitz Walter Miller Charles Beyer Helen Lindroth Jack Johnston Louis Deer Francis Red Eagle f Paul Panzer j Dan Red Eagle November 15 to 30, 1923. Producer — Cosmopolitan Footage — 8,500 ft. Distributor Goldwyn Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE— None Splendid Snow Atmosphere and Excellent Photography, But Story Not Strong Enough to Go Over Big If the story of “Unseeing Eyes” was separated from the scenic splendor of the film version there would be little in the production outside of an interesting cast to attract the average person. But of course this particular story could not exist in its present form without the snow blizzards and the trackless white wastes of the north, therefore it is not fair to consider the simple tale merely on its dramatic or narrative merits, and so we will describe it as a splendid snow spectacle, that its fascinating quality may be more easily conceived. The picture conveys an awesome impression of the loneliness of the silent northland which aids the slender thread of drama presented in the story to fasten itself in the memory. Thrilling scenes photographed from an aeroplane flying above the mountain tops form a feature of the picture, as do also those moments in which the woman, stricken with snow blindness, struggle over the snow fields, finally rolling down a steep slope almost at the feet of a halfbreed, who means to claim her for his squaw. The fights between the hero and the villain, the one meaning to protect her, and the other mad for possession, are thrilling. In these scenes Lionel Barrymore and Louis Wolheim perform realistically, although the picture as a whole does not offer Mr. Barrymore large opportunities. Seena Owen is quite the type for the role of Miriam Helston, which (Continued on next page) ( No Advertising Support Accepted!