Screen Opinions (1923-24)

“Book the New Percentage Way” 47 “AFTER THE BALL”— 65% (Suggested by the song of the same name) Reviewed April, 1924 Theme: — Youth Sent to Prison Interferes with Sister’s Romance VALUE Photography — Good — Not credited. Type — Sensational. Moral Standard — -Average. Story — Good — Melodrama — Family. Star — Good — All-Star. Author — Good — Charles K. Harris. Direction — Good — Dallas Fitz-Gerald. Adaptation— Good — James Colwell. Technique — Good. Spiritual Influence — Average. Moral — Path of folly ends in disaster. CAST Lorraine Trevelyan Miriam Cooper Arthur Trevelyan Gaston Glass Arthur’s Wife Edna Murphy Mr. Trevelyan Tom Guise Tom Robert Frazer Producer — Renco Film Co. Footage — 6779 feet. Distributor — Thorugh F. B. O. The Opinion This Picture Should Please in Neighborhood House The story takes the form of melodrama in which a youth in the midst of his folly is held up at pistol’s point by a thug who forces him to exchange clothes with him and in his flight from the police. He meets his sister during a ball, and is the unintentional cause of her breaking her engagement with the man she is to marry. The close of the story brings reconciliation and explanations, and returns the youth to his young wife and child he has never seen. The production is played by a capable cast including Miriam Cooper, Edna Murphy, Eddie Gribben, Gaston Glass and Tom Guise. The picture is well made, and quite up to the standard of productions of its type. It should give excellent satisfaction in the neighborhood house and in transient theatres. “WOMAN’S SECRET”— 50% (Especially prepared for the screen) Reviewed April, 1924 Theme — Romance of Mother of Illegitimate Child VALUE Photography — Average — Not credited. Type — Sensational. Moral Standard — Average. Story — Average — Melodrama — Adults. Star — Good — Mae Marsh. Author — Average — Not credited. Direction — Average — Not credited. Adaptation — Average — Not credited. Technique — Average. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Moral — Be frank; avoid complications. CAST Dorothy Forbes Mae Marsh John Forbes Allan Aynesworth Sir Richard Hawkes .Aubrey Smith Dorothy’s Aunt Eva Moore Henry Watson Herbert Langley Kate Watson Hilda Bayley Arthur Watson George IC. Arthur Producer — Graham Wiles Production. Footage — 6986 feet. Distributor — State Rights. The Opinion English-made Picture — Robs Mae JIarsh of Usual Charm Mae Marsh loved by the screen public the world over does not come into her own in “A Woman’s Secret,” an English-made melodrama in which she plays the stellar role. The picture is not well cast, we believe, according to the tastes of American audiences, who like, for instance, to see a handsome young man in the hero-lover role. Aubrey Smith, who is a finished actor but not of the matinee idol type, has the role of the romantic lover and husband. He does the best he can with a part not suited to him. The story is cheaply melodramatic, and treats of the life of a girl who bore a child to her father’s chauffeur, and tried to live down the incident by trying to forget it when her relatives gave the child into the care of strangers. The1 baby is murdered by its own father, and at the trial circumstances so shape themselves that the woman’s husband is forced to place her on the witness stand and hear the truth, in his capacity as attorney for the crown. The husband forgives the deception and leaves his profession to devote his life to his wife. No Advertising Support Accepted!