The Billboard 1923-12-01: Vol 35 Iss 14 (1923-12-01)

panes Meare TOP YS es The Billboard DECEMBER 1, 19223 REVIEWS 'By SHUMLIN “FLAMING YOUTH” A First National Picture Gloriously pictorial, with meny moments of rare delightfulness and novelty, thie picture is chiefy remarkable for ite unusual story. Taken from one of the ultra-modern zippy novele of high life, the picture depicts with fair accuracy the accepted tale of restlessness in the younger generation and the equally conventional stories of the failure of matrimony among the socially elect. While narratives retailing the erotic excesses and conventionbreaking manners of our best families have been widely published and read for several years, in ‘Flaming Youth” we find ite first appearance on the screen. For this reason the picture is quite @ novelty, with its surprisingly frank departure from the bhide-bound movie traditions of morality. It should do very well ~ at the box-office. “Flaming Youth’ does not attempt to preach or point a moral, It touches upon various features of modern life without prejudice, merely offering them for what they are worth. Divorce, for instance, which the movies have since earliest days regarded as work of the devil, is merely referred to casually; neither condemned nor upbeld, simply treated as a fact. The production accorded the picture is without doubt one of the finest any picture has ever bad, The settings are beautifully done, impressive, and yet not overshadowing the action. They are real. In the leading role Colleen Moore is positively radiant, She is the most glowing, living creature in al) -movieland, with a personality unperalleled in its aliveness. She is youth itself,, faming youth. Others in the cast are Milton Si.ls, Wlict Dexter, Myrtle Stedman, Sylvia’ Breamer, Betty Francisco, Phillips Smalley and Walter Grail, The story of “Flaming Youth" is, in ite synopsis, rather sketchy. But the way in which it is worked out in the picture, it is entirely interesting, with many situations and side-incidents to fill in the gaps between the major events. Miss Moore plays Pafricia Prentiss, daughter of the rich, seeking for happiness. Her parents were not happily married; they were little more than acquaintances, Her mother had many men friends and admirers, and her father is a confirmed skirtchaser. At the opening of the picture, while an alcoholic party rages in the Prentiss home, Patrica’s mother dies, still young. As Patricia grows up she obtains vicarious thrills from mushing, necking, a little drinking—all the youthful pastimes. She sees her two elder sisters married to men they rarely see, unehappy and dissatisfied. Then Cary Scott, a friend of her mother, comes into her life. He shows her the silliness of her mode of living. They fall in love. But Scott is married, his wife residing in Paris. They decide to part unti] he can obtain a divorce. During the time they are separated Patricia decides that marriage is a failure, that if she weds Scott they will cease to love one another. She seeks other interests. An unprincipled musician wins her interest and she accompanies him on a yachting party. He attacks her, but she throws herself into the water and is rescued in a hysterical state gnd brought to her home. There Scott, just returned, finds her. She is near death from the sbock, and the doctors give her up. But Scett calls upon her dead mother to send her back to life, and, in a dramatically picture manner, she recovers. A splendid record of intelligence is maintained in the picture, excepting for one of the st scenes, This scene shows Patricia’s asters and their estranged husbands rediscover g affection for one another when Patricia 1s apparently dying. This sudden reversal, ine spired by a desire for an all-round happy ending, is, to say the least, bewildering. Direction by John Francis Dillon. Distributed by Associated First National, Inc. “AROUND THE WORLD IN THE SPEEJACKS” A Paramount Picture ‘There is comparatively little entertainment in this travel picture. Comparatively, that is, ‘when considering non-dramatic features such as “Hunting Big Game in Africa’, with its interesting views of wild animals in their native lair and tense situations in the hunting of them, *‘Around the World in the Speejacks” sets out with a loud flourish of trumpets to be an unusually interesting travel picture, telling the story of the circumnavigation of the world in a 98-foot yacht. But it doesn’t deliver the goods. In its entire seven or eight reels it has no more than four or five scenes which are any better than mildly intgresting. The best thing in the picture is the portion which shows the frightfully savage Australian bushmen, the lowest grade mortals in the “THE THRILL CHASER” A Universal Picture bis Hoot Gibson picture bas a most unusual etory—queer, in fact— but it is mnerertbeless highly entertaining. In line ith Gibson's rapidly growing attraction the picture has been given a production considerably more lavish than any of his past efforts. The story starts out like a usus] Western, with Hoot on horseback catching up to a speeding train and putting aboard it the beroine who has been left by the wayside. Next Gibson is shown in the movie studios, where be has gone to become a star. This section has some funny bite in it. Then our bero goes to Arabia, where he becomes a sheix pro tem. and wins the girl of bis heart. That should be more than enough for any Picture. Studio scenes sow Mary Philbin and Norman Kerry playing a love scene under the direction of King Baggot, which Hoot, as a Roman soldier, breaks into after ruining another big scene with Laura La Plante and Reginald Denny. The desert stuff bas a bunch of galloping Arabe and French soldiers, and, lest we forget, a harem scene, in which Hoot is surrounded by a bevy of pantalooned beauties. There are a number of weak moments in the story and inconsistencies in the direction, but on the whole the picture is interesting if for no other reason than that if has Hoot Gibson in the featured role. I consider it one of the greatest pleasures to see Gibson. He is such a casual, ordinary, easy-going hombre that it is a rare delight to watch him play after a steady diet of good-looking or exceptionally talented (according to report) actors. Billy Dove plays the leading feminine role, that of the American-bred daughter of an Arabian sheik, At the opening of the story she is going Wack to Arabia with her father and a young Arab prince, likewise Americanized It is fixed that she is to marry the prince after he arranges to win the leadership of his tribes. The train upon which they are speeding west is stalled by a hot bearing, and the girl, Olala, takes a walk out into the landscape. She bumps into a cowboy, Omar K. Jenkins, who is sitting under a tree trying to make sense out of a book of poetry. They get nicely acquainted and just then the train pulls out without Olala. Omar sets her upon his horse and rides after the train, succeeding in depositing her on the rear platform. That's the last of her—for a while. Next Omar gets excited at seeing a former cowboy, now a $3,000-a-week movie star, welcomed back by his old friends, and hikes out for Hollywood. He is engaged as an extra to play a Roman soldier in “The Last Days of Pompeii’ and has a hot time messing things up. Next he doubles for the hero in a sheik picture, his prowess with his fists in a roughand-tumble fight meeting with the approval of Olala, ber father and the Arab prince, who are visiting the studio. The prince gets an idea to hire Omar as his double to do the dirty work back in Arabia. For this Omar is to be paid $25,000, He is about to refuse, but when he thinks of Olala be changes his mind and accepts. The scene shifts to Arabia, where Omar, impersonating the prince, is thoroly enjoying himself reclining on soft cushions while his many wives amuse him. Another sheik is out for Omar’s job, and when the latter goes acalling upon Olala, who languishes in her father’s desert city, he starts a scandal about it. Omar slams him and thereby precipitates a young war, the rival sheik attacking the city with his mounted hordes. But Omar rides for assistance to the French army post and returns in time to turn the tide of battle. When the rebel Arab is vanquished the real prince steps in and takes the credit, and Omar sighs and packs his duds for the return to America. When he gets to the boat, which is to take him away, however, he finds that Olala is there waiting for him. So they row away and are happy ever after. Direction by Edward Sedgwick. Distributed by Universal Pictures Corporation. world. This part, with three or four others, could be condensed into about two reels without leaying out anything very interesting in the picture. The Speejacks is the boat in which a honeymooning couple, attended by numerous sailors and navigators and several cameramen, made a trip around the world. The honeymoon idea is novel and quite interesting at the start, but gazing at this loving couple posing around for 7,000 or more feet of film is a little too much to ask of any person. The thing about this picture that absolutely condemns it, to my mind, is a glaringly raw attempt in one place to inject some suspense by false pretenses. This part shows scenes of a Pacific isle allegedly inhabited by cannibals. Titles announce that the Speejacks party grew afraid that the savages were going to attack them and returned to the boat. The return to the yacht is shown, and then the savages are shown swarming in their native craft around the Speejacks, which is unable to get away because of a faulty propeller. The false pretense comes in thru the shots of the Spee “WILD BILL HICKOK” A Paramount Picture William S. Hart is back again. It should be good news for the exhibitors to know that bis come-back picture, ‘‘Wild Bill Hickok"’, is just the same kind of a production that he used to make, the kind that established the Star as a box-office bet. It's the old, old bokum—the etuff that they eat up. Hart has stuck to the established brand, the old reliable. He has not allowed ‘‘art’’ to enter into his picture. Like *“*The Old Soak’’ it may be that only “by will power’ has Hart restrained himself from making a picture that the highbrows would commend. In these days it ig becoming more and more evident that the movie masses want the oldstyle “‘drammer”’, and. ‘‘Wild Bill Hickok’’ ig it. It is chock fuli of gunfighting, dripping with sentiment. Hart plays the part of a straight-shooting gambler, a sad character, who only kills when be must, who loves a woman he can never marry. He is supported by a good cast, including Ethel Grey Terry, Kathleen O'Connor and Herschal Mayall, “Wild” Bill Hickok was a real flesh-andblood character in the frontier days after the Civil War. With ‘‘Bat’’ Masterson and a few others he maintained order in the Western towns when the transcontinental railroads were first pushing thru. A dead shot, he is credited with having killed many lawbreakers and perhaps some who questioned his aim and courage. Hart has taken this character and a few of his reputed exploits and woven a romantic story around them. The picture opens witb a scene in the White House at the end of the Civil War. “Wild” Bill Hickok is praised by Abraham Lincoln for his bravery as an army scout. Hickok goes west, where he can have the “elbow room” that all red-blooded he-men crave, and becomes the tender of an isolated station of a stagecoach line. When the stage is attacked by a band of criminals Hickck, singlehanded, kills the whole ten of them, but is wounded himself. 3efore the leader of the outlaws dies Hickok promises him te take care of his three kids. After spending some time in a_ hospital Hickok becomes marshal of Dodge City. His guns keep the hoodlum element in awe, but Hickok tires of killing and gives up the job, giving General Custer, “stationed nearby, hie word that he will leave his revolvers aside, As a peaceful citizen Hickok becomes a gambler in one of the leading dens: of respectable iniquity, where Calamity Jane, who loves him, is hostess. But Hickok has nothing but @ respectful, altruistic affection for her or any other woman. One day, however, a party of. Easterners come to Dodge City. In the party is a young girl and her sick husband, a hide buyer. Hickok thinks she is the sick chap's sister and falls in love with her. When the tough guys of the town begin to act up and attack the hotel where the Easterners are stopping, Hickok gets back his word of honor and hops to the fray. His courage and shooting put the outlaws to rout. Then Hickok discovers that the girl he loves is married. To help out her husband he fixes it so that he wins ea lot of money at cards, knowing that it means the woman he loves will go back East. But Hickok is in a self-sacrificing mood, Then Hickok decides to leave Dodge City with his broken heart for parts unknown.g Before going he tells Calamity Jane that his eyesight is weakening, that he ean no longer see an object clearly a few yards away from him. This is overheard and the news brought to Jack McQueen, the leader of the rough element. McQueen spreads the report that Hickok is afraid of him. Hickok hears this and goes to the saloon where MeQueen hangs out. He faces McQueen, putting his own gun on the floor and daring the outlaw to draw his own gun. When McQueen does Hickok spectacularly reaches his revolver and kills him. He then rides away into the open spaces, his lips trembling, his eyes tearing as he passes out of the life of the woman he loves. The only bad thing about the picture is that it is bit too long and takes quite a while to “get going. Outside of that “Wild Bill Hickok’? is a great andience picture, which should more than satisfy the Hart lovers. Direction ty Clifford Smith. Scenario by J. G. Hawks. Distributed by Famous PlayersLasky Corporation. ————————_——_—_—— jacks surrounded by the “hungry”? cannibals being taken from the shore. Certainly if there had been any danger the cameraman, intrepid as cameramen are, would have been satisfied with pictures taken from the Speejacks and would not have risked his life so foolishly. The first showing of this picture in New York was at the Rivoli Theater, where it was divided into two installments, one part shown one week and the next shown the week following. If any exhibitor feels that he should play this picture it would be advisable to follow this plan, for alone the picture is decidedly weak entertainment, Distributed by the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, $$ “STEPHEN STEPS OUT” A Paramount Picture — Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., is now with us. And it looks as tho he is here to stay. He landed last week in “Stephen Steps Out"’, as engaging a picture as you would want to play. There is little doubt that the public is highly curious about this youngster and that it will pile in to see bis Grst picture. But, outside of that Personal curiosity, the picture itself is a dandy. The story, by Richard Harding Davis, is perhaps nothing out of the ordinary, not particularly hefty. It has been given a splendid, realistic production and a fine cast, and cannot help but satisfy. The best part of “Stephen Steps Out” is Fairbanks, Jr, He is a most Batural, amiable actor, perfectly at home before the camera, performing with an easy nonchalance that is amazing. For his age, fourteen, Young Doug is well developed, built along the lines of the late Wallace Reid. In fact he is very remind(ful of Reid, and I hereby predict that he wit! take the place of the late star in the public's favor—after a few years, of course. Supporting the ster are Theodore Roberts, Harry Myers, Noah Leery and Frank Currier. There is no feminine star, for the simple reaSon that there is no love theme in the picture, This lack, however, does not lessen the picture's entertainment value in the least. Fairbanks, Jr., plays Stephen Harlow, Jr., son of a wealthy meat packer. Junior is in his last year at a small college to which his father donates large sums of money. He is not a very apt student and fails to graduate because of his low mark in Turkish history. His professor in this study is Dr. Gilman, an elderly man, who is the author of five volumes on the “Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire’, For refusing to pass Harlow, Dr. Gilman is discharged by the president of the college, who wants to keep in right with Harlow, Sr, Stepben’s-father is intent upon his s0n graduating with his class, so he sends him to Turkey with an instructor to cram the bistory of the country down in its lair in order that he may take a special examination when he returns and graduate with his class. When Stephen, Jr., gets to Turkey he learns by letter of Dr. Gilman’s discharge and determines to have him reinstated, realizing that the old professor lost his position because of his honesty in giving him the mark he deserved. He meets an American newspaperman, Harry Stetson, who promises to help him. Getting the idea that if he could get the Turkish Government to bestow a medal upon Dr. Gilman for his historical work it would help the old professor, Stephen bribes Muley Pasha, one of the Sultan's advisers, who promises to give him gs minor decoration, Stetson goes back to America, but Muley Pasha fails to come thru with the promised medal. Muley is plotting to overthrow the Sultan and has conspired to kidnap the ruler’s young son and hold his life as a threat over the Sultan's head. Going to Muley’s honse to demand the medal, Stephen discovers the young Prince imprisoned in the place. He climbs the wall surrounding the house, but is captured by Muley’s servants and locked in a small room next to the Prince. By lighting a fire in his room Stephen succeeds in escaping, pursued by Maley’s men. They chase him over walls, thru streets and over roofs, right into the garden of the Sultan's palace. Inside the Sultan is conferring with his advisers over the kidnaping of his beloved son. Muley Pasha is among them, pretending to have no knowledge of the missing Prince Stephen fs brought into the room and tells the Sultan that the Prince is imprisoned in Muley's home, whereupon the latter is arrested and the Prince rescued. For his bravery the Sultan agrees, at Stephen's request, to bestow upon Dr. Gilman the Turkish Government's highest decoration, the ‘‘Grand Cross of the Crescent’’. Stephen cables this news to Stetson, who broadcasts it in all the newspapers. Immediately Dr. Gilman is besieged with invitations to teach in large colleges at a high salary. The president of the little college is bewildered, and Stephen Harlow, Sr., angry at him for discharging the only man that brought credit to the school. Stephen, Jr., hurries back to America and is present in front of Dr. Gilman's little cottage when the Turkish ambassador presents the professor with the coveted decoration. Harlow, Sr., also present, tells the president of the college to get Dr. Gilman back at a salary five times as high as formerly paid him Surprised at seeing his son back, Harlow, §&r., “smells a rat’ and gets the story from Stetson, who is there with Junior. Dr. Gilman submits Junior to an oral examination on Turkish history, but the boy again fails to pass. When he tells his father the old man forgets his disappointment in his son's failure and gloats over his ‘‘putting it over on him", The Turkish scenes are very well done, the Oriental atmosphere being fittingly suggested in the street settings and the buildings. Altogether a very good picture. Direction by Joseph Henaberry. Scenario by Edfrid Bingham. Distributed by Famous Players-Lasky Corporation.