Screen Opinions (1923-24)

Wo Advertising Support Accepted! °\?° S)))}W* 11 “MEASURE OF A MAN”— 65% (Especially prepared for the screen) Reviewed October, 1924 Theme — Success of sky pilot’s good fellowship methods at lumber camp VALUE Photography — Good — Jack Rose. Moral standard — Good. Story — Good — Melodrama — Family. Author — Good — Norman Duncan. Star — Good — William Desmond. Direction — Good — Arthur Rosson. Technique — Good. Spiritual Influence — Good. Moral — Universal love true conqueror. CAST John Fairmeadow William Desmond Jack Flack -...Albert J. Smith "Pale” Peter -....Francis Ford Billy the Beast William J. Dwyer Pattie Batch Mary McAllister Producer — Universal. Footage — 4979 feet. Distributor — Universal. THE OPINION Picture with good moral, for ordinary people. Story fairly handled, and closing scenes built on cheap melodramatic lines with subtitles of the same cheap quality. You can run this picture in the average neighborhood house with good success on account of the substantial moral teaching of the parson toward drunkards and women. Mary McAllister, as the unsophisticated, is charming. Cast does well. Good lumber camp atmosphere. THE STORY John Fairmeadow, looking for the wickedest place on earth, happens on Swamp End. Here he finds men of the lumber woods at a saloon. He opens a reading room in opposition, and succeeds eventually in converting most of the men. His greatest conquest is in the person of Billy, the Beast, who he reforms. The wife of “Pale’’ Peter, the saloonkeeper, drowns herself after giving birth to a child to a camp rogue. John becomes engaged to Patties Batch, a pretty orphan girl. “PRIDE OF SUNSHINE ALLEY”— 80% (Especially prepared for the screen) Reviewed October, 1924 Theme — Romance and adventures of policeman in the slums VALUE Photography — Good — Art Reeves. Moral standard — Good. Story — Very good — Com.-Melo. — Family Author — Very good — Samuel M. Pyke. Star — Good — Kenneth McDonald. Direction — Very good — Wm. J. Craft. Technique — Very good. Spiritual Influence — Good. Moral — There's might in right. CAST Tim O’Malley Kenneth McDonald Pat O’Malley. Monte Collins Mary O'Neill... .Violet Schram Mrs. O’Neill Edith Yorke Tom O’Neill _ : Phil Ford Producer — E. J. "Bud” Barsky. Footage — About 5000 feet. Distributor — State Rights. THE OPINION All audiences will react favorably to this production. Good comedy helped by subtitles, and swift melodramatic action. Good slum types excellently portrayed. This picture is especially life-like in development. The joys and sorrows of the people of the picture become very real to the spectator. THE STORY Tim O’Mally, a newly appointed policeman, is placed in his own district in the slums and becomes the butt of Red Mike’s gang. He loves Mary O’Neill, Red’s girl. Red Mike frames Tim with shooting a man. After many adventures which includes Tim’s suspension from the force, and the rounding up of a band of auto thieves, tim finally succeeds in showing up his enemies with the usual happy ending. “OH YOU TONY”— 80% (Especially prepared for the screen) Reviewed October, 1924 Theme — Experience of Rancher victimized in social game VALUE Photography — Very good — Not credited. Moral standard — Average. Story — Very good — Comedy — Family. Author — Very good — Don W. Lee. Star — Very good — Tom Mix. Direction — Very good — J. G. Blystone. Technique — Very good. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Moral — None. CAST Tom Masters Betty Faine Mark Langdon Jim Overton Countess — Tom Mix ......Claire Adams Dick Lareno Earle Foxe Dolores Rousse Producer — William Fox. Footage — 6300 feet. Distributor — Fox. THE OPINION You can make no mistake on this one, if your patrons like Tom Mix pictures. The race alone in which Tony carries his master to victory in a cross country competition is worth the price of admission to sport lovers. Some good comedy occurs in the scenes in which the rancher comes in contact with the fashionable set in Washington. A good vein of intrigue and consequent adventures afford interesting thrills. This is one of the best of Tom Mix momedy-melodramas. THE STORY Tom Masters, half owner of a ranch with Betty Faine, goes to Washington to represent an association on irrigation. While there he takes lessons in deportment for the purpose of pleasing a certain gold-digging countess. A fake oil scheme claims some of his money, the leaders of which try to force payment of a twenty-five thousand dollar note. He enters his horse in a race, and wins the money and also the love Of Betty.