Screen Opinions (1923-24)

Xo Advert intutt i»tt|>tlBtt Attepicd! THE OPINION This brutal story will not be enjoyed as well as some of Ray's former pictures, but it is different. Wallace Beery is splendid as the brutal Rourke, and Bessie Love as the much-beaten wife. Fine Alaskan blizzard scenes are features. Good for neighborhood and transient theatres if brutality is not objected to. THE STORY A woman promises to tell a murder story to Smith, a reporter, if he helps her escape to Alaska, from dive on Barbary Coast. The woman dies later. Her husband, Rourke. seeks Smith, and after a fight is killed. Story ends happily for Smith and his sweetheart. “HE WHO GETS SLAPPED”— 80% (Adapted from play of same name) Reviewed November, 192* VALUE Photography — Very good — M. Moore. Moral standard — Average. Story — Very good — Drama — Adults. Author — Very good — Leonid Andreyev. Cast — Very good — All-Star. Direction — Very good — Victor Seastrom Technique — Very good. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Moral — None. CAST He Lon Chaney Consuelo — Norma Shearer Bezano John Gilbert Count Mancini Tully Marshall Baron Regnard Marc McDermott Producer — Metro-Goldwyn. Footage — 6600 feet. Distributor — Metro-Goldwyn. THE OPINION The neighborhood house will like this one. It is also suitable for high priced theatres — in fact for all moving picture audiences. Plenty of interesting action. Decidedly different from the general run. The circus stuff is good but in spots too long. It includes clown antics and bare back riding alternated with views of audience. Norma Shearer plays delightfully. John Gilbert is a pelasing hero, and Marc McDermott and Tully Marshall are Interesting as intriguing characters. Lon Chaney, playing the title role, is excellent. THE STORY A student of science seeks oblivion as a circus clown. He falls in love with Consuelo, the beautiful bare back rider and daughter of a dissolute count, who tries to sell her in marriage to Baron Regnard. "He," which is the only name by which the clown is known, tries to save her. In the events that follow he lets the eircus lion loose to devour them, and himself is killed. “DARWIN WAS (Especially prepared for screen) RIGHT”— 25% Reviewed November, 1924 VALUE Photography — Good — Jay Turner. Moral standard — Average. Story — Poor — Farce Comedy — Fa m i 1 y. Author— Poor — Edward Moran. Cast — Fair — All-Star. Direction — Poor — Lewis Seiler. Technique — Fair. Spiritual Influence — Neutral. Moral — None. CAST Alice Nell Brantley Robert Lee. ....-George O’Hara Courtney Lawson Stanley Blystone Henry Baldwin Dan Mason Aunt Priscilla —.Nora Cecil Producer — Fox. Footage — 4992 feet. Distributor — Fox. THE OPINION Too much monkey business for a five-reel feature. Will delight children, but grown persons will resent having to sit through the foolish, poorly-made farce eomedy. Three well trained monkeys amusing. "MARRIED FLIRTS”— 90% (Adapted from "Mrs. Paramor”) VALUE Photography — Excellent — Oliver Marsh. Moral standard — Average. Story — Excellent — Drama — Adults. Author — Excellent — Louis Jos. Vance. Cast — Excellent — All-Star. Direction — Excellent — Robert Vignola. Technique — Excellent. Spiritual Influence — Average. Moral — Be bigger than what happens. Reviewed November, 1924 CAST Mrs. Paramor -Pauline Frederick Perley Rex — Conrad Nagel Jill Wetherell Mae Busch Pendleton Wayne Huntley Gordon Peter Cranville ....Paul Nicholson Producer — Metro-Goldwyn. Footage — 6766 feet. Distributor — Metro-Goldwyn. THE OPINION Excellent society drama with strong appeal in marital problem. A story of crls-crossed loves, and retribution dealt by wronged wife who gleaned strength of character through sorrow, A tale of human error well told. There are no dull moments, and the Interesting character of Its problem makes it a safe bet for the average exhibitor. The cast is excellent throughout. THE STORY Nelly Wayne, a novelist, who neglects her personal appearance and her husband, loses him to an irresponsible woman who promptly throws him down and marries another. Nelly, later becomes a dazzling social belle and literary light. She then fascinates and wins the other woman’s husband. Having taught her rival a lesson she releases the man and takes back her own husband.