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

February 10, 1923. THE FILM.RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. 53. | REVIEW OF NEW PRODUCTIONS—Continued from page 48° It is difficult to associate the title with the story. The storm which sweeps away the town is spoken of ir a sub-title as ‘‘ the whirlwid of the Lord come forth in fury.”” This is the Old Sceng From ‘! Tae Town Tuat Foraot Gop.” Testament idea of God punishing by devastation, but the earlicr part of the picture does not exhibit the town as being exceptionally wicked. True, the people don’t go to church,’ ‘but that is not necessarily a sign of ungodlincss. Moreover, the only wrong-doing in the picture is the hard treatment by about half-adozen people of the teacher's orphan, and to destroy a town for the wrong-doing of a few does not look like Divine justice. ‘Betty, the village. schoolteacher, is loved by Eben Tomlinson, carpenter, and Harry Adams, surveyor, the latter being successful in his suit. Eben, as a consequence, leaves the town and shortly after the husband dies. The widow returns to her teaching, and her studious boy becomes the best scholar, thus awakening the envy of the parents of other scholars. Then the mother dies, and the child, friendless, is offered for adoption as a cheaper way than sending him to an orphan asylum. He is taken by one of the school committee, who ill-treats him, and it is during this period that the grief of the lad calls for and receives the interpretation mentioned above. While a prisoner in his attic room, the storm breaks and buildings and people are swept away, the lad and Eben (who has returned) taking refuge in a loft, which becomes a haven for animals also. The morning after the two are seen near a support and crossbeam, which, forming a cross, are intended to be allegorical. David and Eben start away on a journey to a better town, where, later, David establishes a. school in memory of his mother. It will be interesting to see how this picturo is received, and whether the introduction of religion in such large doses will prove acceptable to the majority of kinema-goers. There are in the Picture some amusing comedy lengths, and these help considerably to improve the entertainment value of the picture. The photography i is excellent throughout, as is always the case with pictures from the Fox studios. Broadway Rose. An artificial sort of story grossly over-acted by the star. RELEASED BY JURY. Length, 7,000 feet. Release Date, May 14. “SHIS is described as ‘‘ Mace Murray’s best,”’ but it is really only one of Jury’s second string. It is a story of contrasts between the garishness of a young actress’s life on Broadway and the pastoral simplicity of the country folk from whom she has sprung. Love, too, enters very largely into the contrast. Rose is captivated by Hugh Thompson, the son of a New York millionaire, whe, in an excess of ardour, marries her, though he keeps the affair a secret from his people. When his father discovers how far the romance has gone he is indignant, and tells Hugh he must choose between allowing the marriage to'be nullified and giving up all hope of the parental millions. When the screw is put on him Hugh ‘has little hesitation in plumping’ for the millions, and forthwith begins to abuse Rose for marrying him for money. He is even base enough to permit his society fiancee (who is unaware of the couple’s relationship) to taunt his wife with being no more than his mistress. This is too much for Rose, ie disgusted at the turn her affairs have taken, throws off her wedding ring and falls into the arms of a less calculating lover who happens to be handy. As it is, apparently, only necessary in America to discard the symbol of marriage in crder to annul the thing itself no objections are raised by anybody, and Rose ledives Broadway for ever to become the wife of a farmer. ; ‘* Broadway Rose’’ will please simple-minded audiences, though some, even among these, may find it difficult to tolerate the grotesque over-acting of the star. It is a pity that Mae Murray cannot express the simplest emotion, or make the most elementary gesture, without indulging in absurd antics. Even an actress need not ‘“‘ play the goat’ all the time. So far as we were able to follow the ‘‘character’’ of: Brcadway Rose, our sympathy went out to Hugh and his father, and our commiseration to the man she eventually married. If this is ‘‘ Mac Murray’s best ’’ we hope we shall not be present when she is doing her worst. ScENE From ‘‘ Broapway Rosr.’’ The Radio King. A European serial in ten parts. RELEASED BY EUROPEAN. Length, Ten Two-Reel Episodes. Release Date, August 27, 1923. title, were shown this week. There are ten instalments in all, and ihe producers can certainly claim that the serial possesses, at least, a topical appeal.’ The story told in it, so far, however, is an extremely naive one, relying very largely on hackneyed stunts which have done duty in innumerable film plays before. Of course, the ‘‘ radio-activity ’’ of the various characters gives them a popular touch just now, and quite obviously a good deal of scientific ingenuity has been expended on the apparatus of the subject. Wireless contrivances are pos chapters of European’ s new serial, with the: above