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

February 24, 1923.. THE EILM RENTER. & MQVING. PICTURE NEWS, 29_ REVIEW OF NEW PRODUCTIONS—Continued. Ee og } ee attention to his new. bride, and the news of.the. birth af a son. Then follows the story of which the young Napoleon II. is the centre. He bas as his servant an old guardsman of his father’s, and this character acts as a link between prologue and play. Metternich is the real ruler of the Austrian Empire, and he is anxious coucerning his royal master’s grandson, for he fears that the latter’s Atful affections may result in entanglements which might increase his administrative difficulties. A watch is set upou what Metternich considers to be the duke’s every moveiment, but he overlooks the affection of his own daughter for the young Napoleon. She is, by the way, a party to the secret interview with the French Ambassador, who has come to invite the duke to become ruler of France. The opportunity for responding to the invitation comes later when Helene Favour, dressed as a page, arrives at the Austrian Court and delivers the Bonapartist message. The duke is in a difficulty; he has many attachments of the heart which hinder his action; Hermine, the Countess Schenstein, and a dancer at the féte being among his loved ones. Then comes the Count of Montesquicu to claim the duke fcr the French people. Metternich substitutes for the duke a man bearing a strong family likeness to him (an adventurer named Alexandre), and imprisons the duke. Helene, who has also been imprisoned, escapes, through the agency of Hermine, and follows the impostor, Alexandre, nnmasking him. She then returns to Vienna and begs the emperor to release Reichstadt. This is done and, grateful for Helene’s devotion, the duke’s respect for her develops into a strong affection. Anxious not to compromise the fnture King of France, she resolves to let him go alone, and dies of a broken heart. Hermine also declares her love, and, obstructed by her father, takes the veil. The last scenes show the duke dying in his father’s old room, clasping the great Napoleon’s sword and Hermine praying beside his tomb. We have mentioned above the fine settings of this picture, but must also express the wish that a better photography had been employed upon them. The result then would have been most excellent, The story has a mixed cast, English, French, and Austrian actors being employed. M. Simon who takes the part of the greater Napoleon looks the part, except for an obtruding sharp chin. The younger Napoleon and _ his impersonator are well portrayed by M. Ford. The picture has been considerably cut down from its original length, and thus continuity is at times rather weak. This drawback might, however, have been considerably overcome by the use of subtitles having a bridging effect; indeed, many of the sub-titles might be made more tense to fit in with the rapid movement of the prologue and give emphasis to the dramatic situation in the body of the play. Such alterations would help to put the picture over in a manner which patrons would warmly appreciate. A Motion to Adjourn, Excellent production which contains a mixture of good comedy and drama. RELEASED BY PEARL FILMS. Length, Siz Reels. Release Date, October 15, 1923. RECENT issue of Tue Frm RENTER contained. a review of this picture, which will hardly appear to have been done full justice to by our viewer. ‘‘A Motion to Adjourn ’’ is a photcplay which containg some really fine drama and excellent comédy. There is an exceptional charm .about the story which is entirely different from the type of Western photoplays to which we are sccustomed. In its comedy scenes it contains one of the finest skits on Masonry that I have.seeén, and the Masonic menibers of'a picture audience will undoubtedly be thoroughly amused. Apart from this, the drama contained in this picture is very well done, and has a general level of excellence that is indeed refreshing. The story is as follows: Silas Warner, junior, passed his days in luxurious idleness. Silas Warner, senior, was a wealtliy broker, and Archie, his younger son, was secretly gambling in the money market. Finding himself practically ruined, he attempted to steal his father’s valuable securities, but his brother caught him in the act. Their father appeared, and Silas took the blame to shield his brother. After getting Archie’s promise to go straight, Silas disappeared from home. Penniless, he hid in a west-bound goods train, in company with a tramp, who stole most of his clothes. The tramp met his death in a train wreck, and, the clothes being recognised as Warner’s, the latter's death was reported. His father was heartbroken, and Archie, conscience-stricken, confesses his guilt. Silas, junior, reached a Western mining camp. Its sole hotel, the ‘‘ Stagger Inn,’’ was run by Doe Bleeker, head potentate of the secret order of ‘‘ The Ornery and Worthless Men of the World.’’ The Doc’s pretty daughter, Sally, was immediately attracted by good-humoured Silas, and the newcomer was made a member of the society. A wealthy old prospector, whom Silas had previously assisted, was shot by claim jumpers, and, dying, left his gold dust to the young man. But the desperadoes followed up their booty and tried to break into the-inn.; Sally, hearing their movements, hurried to Silas’s room late at night to warn him of his danger; but Doc Bleeker, roused by the noise, appeared on the scene, and, horrified at finding his daughter in such a compromising. situation, forced Silas at pistol-point to marry her immediately. Directly afterwards, the bridegroom took his departure from: the place, and a little later Doc Bleeker met his death. . The. ‘', Worthless Men’ adopted Sally and sent her to a fashionable finishing school.. Here .she discovered that her room-mate ,yas really Silas’s sister. While on a visit to the Warner’s home Sally came face to face with the husband she had married under such dramatic circumstances. Silas, his name cleared by his brother’s confession, happily claimed his pretty wife before his delighted and astonished relations. ; There. are many exceptionally good scenes in this photoplay, in particular, the bedroom scene where Doctor Bleeker discovers his daughter in Silas’s. bedroom. This is one of the best incidents in the film, and is acted with a tense force that gets it over wonderfully well.. There is a pretty dancing scene in the open air at the school where Sally is finishing her education, humorously described by a somewhat grim. chaperone in a letter to Sally’s guardians, Throughout the whole picture there are a number of good situations which tend to keep one entirely interested throughout the whole six reels. Roy Stewart, who enacts the principal part, and who could pass for'a twin brother of Douglas Fairbanks, gives. one of his best performances, whilst Marjorie Daw, as Sally, is delightful throughout the picture. ‘‘A Motion to, Adjourn ”.is a type of photoplay .that makes an excellent program picture, and ‘s likely to find favour with any type of audience.—E.W.F. The New Leather Pushers. New series of “Boxing two-reelers—an advance on the previous series. RELEASED BY EUROPE AN. : Length, Two Reels,” “\HE pablic interest in exhibitions ‘of ‘‘ the re art” makes: any picture: with boxing: scenes a popular attraction, and ‘‘ The New Leather Pushers, a8 ‘featuring Reginald Denny, which European trade showed last week, will, no doubt, be eagerly booked where. the preceding series have been shown. Four. of the new serieswere shown last week :