The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Jan-Feb 1923)

ee eR CSET 28 .— THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. January 27, 1923. REVIEW. OF NEW. PRODUCTIONS—Continued. . a, eae group. of youngsters engaged ina game of ball. strain no longer he is soon seen knocking the ball about to the cheers of ‘the boys around him. On the way back to the ald, farmhouse . that he knew and loved when a boy, his! attention is drawn to a middle-aged woman of great attraction walking down the shady road ahead of him, arm in -arm with two schoolgirls. As she passes he sees in her his own boyhood sweetheart. After the usual greeting which characterises a reunion of this sort they walk up the little lane, through the old rustic gate that leads to the old well, the Mid Osher Bucket—and happiness. The children who enact the principal part in this production are: extraordinarily good, Bobby Connelly in particular revelling in his part.They are all so natural and so utterly devoid of self-consciousness that the result is a picture which is a sheer delight to the eye. The settings are magnificent, and, if only for its photographic excellence, this picture would be a winner. ‘“The Old Oaken Bucket ”’ is a new type of production which is very: welcome on our screens, and exhibitors are safe ‘in booking -a picture, which is not only perfectly acted, but has the advantage of being taken in some of the most glorious settings that have ever been seen. “Big Stakes.” A Tom Mix story with plenty of incident. FOX PRODUCTION. Length, 4,340 feet. Release Date, July 28, 1923. T-is the habit of youth to worship heroes, and juvenile patrons of the kinema have taken Tom Mix to their hearts. Consequently it does not matter. how improbable the situations are in which he is placed, nor how extraordinary the methods by which he extricates himself. He is not to be judged by the limitations of ordinary men. Consequently we find him in ‘‘ For Big Stakes ’’ coming out on top everywhere. Strong men who guard lock-ups quail at him, and hand him over the keys, while he releases a prisoner and inéarcerates the jailer. A group of armed men are appalled when he suddenly uppears from nowhere, and they hold their hands up while he wrings confessions from them, and deprives them of their weapons. So it is no wonder that individually. his‘ énemies are as straws beforg the ‘wind. He tumbles them over banks, into rivers, strings them up feet first, and stings them round as on roasting jacks, finally severing the rope with a pistol shot. With such incidents included the etory does not matter much, except to say that towards the end, when his arch-enemy has tied up the hero's sweetheart and set fire to her house, Tom appears, fights the incendiary with great violence in the burning house, and rides away through smoke and fire to rescue the gil. Thijs last scene is rather fine, the colour of the picture suggesting the luridness of the fire, and hard riding imparting vigour. ‘ Western Two-Reelers. Pearl Films fine dramatic picture, REVIOUS ‘to the. London trade screening at ** The j ‘Splendid Lie,’’ Pearl. Films showed one of. their. new . Jeo Maloney two-reel Western pictures, There i is all the thrill of the best type. of Western . picture, in.‘ The Texas Ranger,’ vigorous action and dramatic situations giving ‘strength to them... A beautiful feature is the fine Texas scenery which form the backgrounds. : Standing the Your Best Friend. Vera Gordon in J ewish mother-love picture which will do well. RELEASED BY WALTURDAW. Length, 6940 feet. Release Date, Immediate. HE mother-love picture has a vogue that is very widespread, and among the interpreters of the mother character, which is the essential, Vera Gordon claims high place. ‘The réle in ‘‘ Your Best Friend ’’ (a title that proclaims the nature of the picture straight away) is that of a Jewish widow, and the story concerns: her efforts on_ behalf of an erring sou. Here she exhibits a: determination. in’ marked, contrast to the patience with which..she has. been, enduring snubs from the smart set into which another son has ‘married. The picture opens: with Vera Gordon, as Esther ‘Meyers,hugging to herself flowers and other objects in a: manner rather too gushing to impress a blasé reviewer, but it quickly . moves, on to the homely atmosphere and activities of, the home, and the -bpsiness arrangements of Esther and ‘the old book-keeper, Morris. The first shock to the mother comes when Robert, the. Scene From ‘‘ Your Best FRienp.”’ elder son, upon wliom she dotes, comes home with the news that he is married, the wife and her mother proving to be of a supercilious type, sneering at the humble house and: furniture of the husband’s mother. They tell her of their new house, to which she must remove, and she does so. But the hectic gaiety of the new establishment is not to Esther’s liking, for, in addition to its emptiness, she realises that her money is being used for a purpose with which she cannot and would not associate herself, while she is subjected to bad treatment om the gay guests. The break comes when the second son, Harry, has ssabeanisd money from his employers and is faced with disgrace. Esther decides that her money must be. used to save him, and informs the household of her intention, much to their disgust and active annoyance. She returns“to her old home, refunds the money and saves the boy, and the following day the daughter-in-law and her mother visit her to apologise, with a view to securing a continuance of her bounty. But while they are there the house is placed under quarantine, and the visitors are obliged © to remain, Morris, the bookkeeper, seeing to it that they do‘their share of the housework. This brings about a better understanding between mother and daughter-in-law, and upon the return of Robert.from the country both young people realise that in Mrs. Meyers they have their best friend. It is naturally Vera Gordon in her mother-réle who dominates