Screen Opinions (1923-24)

No Advertising Support Accepted! 3 “LILY OF THE DUST”— 90% (Adapted from a novel of the same name) Reviewed September. 192t Theme — Experience of woman who hesitated between position ami love VALUE CAST * Photography — Excellent — Alvin Wykoff Lily. — Pola Negri Moral standard — Fair. Lieut. Prell — _Ben Lyon Story — Excellent — Drama — Adults. Col. Mertzbach Noah Beery Star — Excellent — Pola Negri. Richard Dehnecke Raymond Griffith Direction — Masterful — D. Buchowetski. Technique — Masterful. Producer — Paramount. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Footage — 6811 feet. Moral — Happiness destroyed by rash act Distributor — Famous Players-Lasky. THE OPINION Extremely artistic production based on interesting story with unhappy ending. Pola Negri excellent. Noah Beery makes much of fine opportunity. Ben Lyon and Raymond Griffith excellent. Large, richly appointed sets a feature. Director has extracted interest from the story, injecting sex appeal and a romantic quality that commends it to the average audience. Essentially for the high class theatre. European atmosphere and careful attention to smallest details noticeable. Story absorbing, but unhappy ending makes it speculative attraction. THE STORY Lily is loved by CoL Mertzbach, and also by a young officer, Lieutenant Prell. The Colonel’s offer of marriage is accepted after Prell, taking rejection for granted, rushes away. Later he makes a secret visit to the home of Mertzbach, and' is discovered by the Colonel embracing Lily. A duel is' the result in which Prell is injured. Lily, cast out from the Colonel’s home, becomes mistress of Wealthy Richard Dehnecke, believing Prell to be dead. Discovery to contrary leads her to leave Dehnecke after explanations to Prell, who introduces her to his uncle for approval. She is headed toward happiness when 'Dehnecke enters with a group of drunken associates. Pieii gives her up for good, and the close of the story shows her with Dehnecke who is begging forgiveness. “EMPTY HANDS”— 65% (Adapted from a story of the same name) Reviewed September. 1924 Theme — Romance of mun and girl thrown together in wilderness VALUE CAST Photography— Very good — Schoenbaum. Grimshaw Jack Holt Moral standard — Average. Claire Er.dicott Norma Shear Story — Average — Drama — Adults. Robert Endicott Charles Clark Cast — Very good — All-Star. Montie Ramsay Wallace Direction — Good — Victor Fleming. Technique — Good. Producer — Paramount. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Footage — About 6800 feet. Moral — None. Distributor — Famous Players-Lasky. THE OPINION Farfetched tale of girl rescued from drowning in river rapids and isolated in wilderness until discovered by aeroplane pilot. Very romantic and has considerable sex appeaL Attitude of girl in daring bathing suit before hero who wanders inadvertently into her boudoir not in keeping with respectability of home. Rescue scene and previous river scenes where girl and man shoot rapids in canoes quite thrilling. Wilderness scenes attractive, but log cabin and furnishings not sufficiently primitive to be convincing. Norma Shearer and Jack Holt give good performance. Relationship between title and story vague. Average audience will accept it for its thrilling incidents and novelty. MAKE SUGGESTIONS Several subscribers have written to us and made suggestions that we are glad to follow. One has asked us to suggest some pictures that would be especially suited for Sunday showing. From the data we give in the opinions and the rating, the exhibitor can judge quite well as to the suitability of the picture for Sunday, but we will suggest in our opinions frequently when pictures are especially suited to showing on Sundays. We always welcome suggestions and criticisms that may lead to more helpful service.