Screen Opinions (1923-24)

SCREEN OPINIONS TELLS THE TRUTH 165 “WHISPERED NAME”— [Class B] 65% (Adapted from play of same name) Story: — Girl’s Elopement Causes Mixup in Divorce Case — Ends in Romance VALUE CAST Photography — Very good — Jackson Rose. Anne Gray Ruth Clifford TYPE OF PICTURE — Sensational. Langdon Van Kreel Charles Clary Moral Standard — Average. Judge James Morrell ...Herbert Fortier — ..I Robert Gordon William E. Lawrence Story — Good — Drama — Adults. Marcia Van Kreel May Mersch Cast — Good — All-Star. Craig Stephenson John Merkyl Authors — Good — Rita Weiman and Z. Todd Carl Stockdale Alice Leal Pollock. John Manning Niles Welch Direction — Good — King Baggot. Fred Galvin Hayden Stevenson Adaptation — Good — Raymond L. Schrock. The Office Boy Buddy Messenger Technique — Good. ■ ■ — — — ■ Spiritual Influence — Neutral. February I to 15, 1924. Producer — Universal Footage — 5,196 ft. Distributor — Universal Our Opinion MORAL O’THE PICTURE— None Outstanding. Fictitious Plot Somewhat Overacted, but Production Should Prove Enter taining to Average Audience If the plot of “The Whispered Name” was fashioned on more convincing lines the screen adaptation of the play would prove more interesting. From start to finish the effort to create plot is obvious. The flow of incident is not natural. On the other hand, some of the players have given such excellent performances that in spite of its faults the picture is apt to please. Notably among those who lend distinction to the production are Ruth Clifford, playing the role of Anne Gray, Charles Clary as Langdon Van Kreel, and Hayden Stevenson as Fred Galvin. The camera has never been more kind to Miss Clifford than in “The Whispered Name”1’ and her portrayal of the girl thrust by fate into strange and interesting complications is unusually charming. Niles Welch is miscast in the role of John Manning, William E. Lawrence gives a satisfactory performance as Robert Gordon. STORY OF THE PLAY Anne Gray, a country girl, elopes with Robert Gordon, a traveling salesman, who takes her to the city and then pulls the old gag about not being able to get a license that night. While Gordon is trying to convince Anne that everything will be all right, Langdon Van Kreel, whose wife is about to consider reconciliation as a good substitute for Rene, overhears him, and realizing the girl’s plight, attempts to interfere. The result is that Gordon goes away and fails to return, and Van Kreel’s effort to be of service in the girl’s predicament is the cause of further complications in his domestic life. Anne becomes a reporter, and incidentally the sweetheart of the managing editor, John Manning sent to interview Mrs. Van Kreel, whose jealousy has been fanned to fresh flame by a blackmail lawyer, who produces a photograph of her husband and Anne, and the climax is quickly arrived at. The villains get theirs, the Van Kreel problem is once and forever solved, and Anne and John Manning are betrothed. PROGRAM COPY — “The Whispered Name” — With an All-Star Cast Anne Gray became the center of strange complications through an elopement whicft made her the innocent victim of a blackmail plot Ruth Clifford is the girl in the case. “DON’T CALL IT LOVE”— [Class A-c] 90% (Adapted from “Rita Coventry”) Story: — Inconstant Love Affairs of a Famous Prima Donna VALUE Photography — Excellent — Guy Wilky. TYPE OF PICTURE — Humorous satire. Moral Standard — Low Story — Excellent — Comedy — Adults. Cast — Excellent — All-Star. Authors — Excellent — Julian Street (novel), Hubert Osborne (play). Direction — Superior — W illiam DeM ille. Adaptation — Excellent — Clara Beranger. Technique — Excellent. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. CAST Alice Meldrum Agnes Ayres Richard Parrish Jack Holt Rita Coventry Nita Naldi Luigi Busini Theodore Kosloff Patrick Delaney Rod La Roque Henry Van Courtlandt Robert Edeson Clara Proctor Julia Faye February 1 to 15, 1924. Producer — Paramount Footage — 6,457 ft. Distributor — Famous Players (Continued on Next Page) Unbiased and Independent Reviews Only!