Universal Weekly (1923-1925)

40 UNIVERSALWEEKLY June 28, 1924 "BLIND HUSBANDS" Universal-Jewel I)e Luxe Starring ERIC VON STROHEIM DR. ROBERT ARMSTRONG goes to the Tyrolese Alps for a rest with his beautiful wife, Margaret, whom he loves, but shows her little affection. In Cortina D'Ampezzo the doctor renews his friendship with "Silent" Sepp, a guide, whom the doctor has saved a number of years previously, while making a perilous ascent. Lieutenant Eric von Steuben, of the Austrian army, happens to travel with the doctor and Margaret in the same conveyance and immediately makes himself gracious to Mrs. Armstrong. While the doctor is wandering over the mountainsides, his wife, feeling neglected, responds to the lieutenant's courtesies. Though von Steuben is ardently pursuing Mrs. Armstrong, he successfully woos a number of village women. Mrs. Armstrong goes on a mountain-climbing tour with the lieutenant. A midnight tryst which he expected to keep with her is interrupted by Sepp. One day the doctor challenges the lieutenant to climb the highest peak in the vicinity. Stumbling shortly after they had advanced above the snowline, a letter falls out of the lieutenant's pocket. Dr. Armstrong recognizes the handwriting before von Steuben's hand reaches it. The wind blows it down the mountainside, and into a ravine. The doctor demands the truth. The lieutenant lies — confessing falsely to a shameful relationship with his wife. True to his promise, the doctor releases his stranglehold, but cuts the rope which binds them together. "There is no law of God or man which can compel me to take you down," he states, and leaves the lieutenant clinging to his position, crying for help. Several hundred yards below, the doctor discovers the letter — a profession of love only for her husband, and regret for her indiscreet flirtation. Overcome at the revelation, the doctor loses his hold and falls. Meanwhile, Sepp and a party are searching for the two climbers. They pick up the doctor, bruised, but not seriously injured. The lieutenant is attacked by vultures on the peak, and falls to his death. "STARVING BEAUTIES" Two-Reel Century Comedy Starring WANDA WILEY A PENNILESS show troupe, held for non-payment of rent, escape from their hotel by starting a fake fire and leaping into a life-net. Chased by the irate hotel-keeper and the cops, the company adopt many ruses to escape. Wanda, caught by one of the police men, vamps her captor, and eventually makes her escape, rejoining her companions. They are pursued again, and attempt to flee in motors, motorcycles, and on foot, but finally are captured and given free board — in the lockup. "FIGHT AND WIN" Universal-Jewel Two-Reel Series Starring JACK DEMPSEY and an ALL-STAR CAST No. 3— "West of the Water Bucket" REMOVING his orphanage to a farm to cut expenses. Jack takes his wards to a circus, where he meets a faker, passing himself off as O'Day, bullying an undersized man. The phoney champ and Jack have words, but nothing comes of it until, later, the real O'Day accepts the banistormer's challenge to mill with him in the circus ring. Despite a lame knee, injured in rescuing a couple of kids in a runaway farm wagon, Jack accepts the challenge of the fake champ and, after several amusing and exciting rounds, beats him, winning the purse offered by the circus. Not knowing the inside facts on the case, an editor prints an extra containing the sensational account of Jack having been knocked out by an unknown country boy. Jack's manager rushes to the village in a plane to get the low-down, and gets his protege in wrong with the natives, by interrupting a dinner tendered O'Day by the mayor for having knocked out the supposed world's champ. The mayor, disliking professional pugilists, leaves in disgust, taking with him his attractive daughter, for whom Jack has developed a great liking. "YOUNG IDEAS" Universal Attraction Starring LAURA La PLANTE OCTAVIA LOWDEN is the mainstay of a family consisting of Aunt Minnie, firmly convinced that she is "not long for this -world.'i Eloise, a younger sister with a twisted disposition. Uncle Eph, who fought with Grant at Appomattox, Bob, a kid brother with a sleep-and-mischief complex, and Grandma, the only regular sport in the outfit, but tied to her chair. Octavia is a photographer in Pritchett Spence's gallery and much, but hopelessly admired by Spence. With a farfiily of sick people Octavia can't give Spence a moment's attention. Finally he ventures to her house one Sunday afternoon, with such results that he is driven to a desperate trick. To get her away from her bloodsucking relatives, he sends her on an out-of-town assigrnment and then has a doctor friend quarantine the house. Detectives keep Octavia and the other inmates of the house within, and of course Octavia worries over her family, all of them probably stai-ving or dying. As a matter of fact, they're all — but Grandma — at work, facing a realization that they either work or stai-ve. Meanwhile, Spence and Dr. Hiram Smith sit back and chuckle — until Grandma gets sick. Then Spence goes to the country place to bring Octavia home, and has to whip the very detectives he put around the house because they don't know him. But a skunk releases the "prisoners" and in a shoil time Octavia finds herself at home — and a strange home it is, with Bob in overalls and Eloise and Aunt Minnie in aprons. And then Spence seeks forgiveness for his "trick" and receives punishment extraordinary— a life sentence. "THE IRON MAN" Universal Chapter Play Starring LUCIANO ALBERTINI No. 4— "Wings Aflame" WHILE Paul, Arline and LaRue are picked up by the ship's lifeboat, Mimi feigns illness so Graham won't see Arline. LaRue steals Paul's papers and passes himself off as Brian pursuing the real Brian and Arline, who, he says, are fugitive criminals. Paul and Arline escape from their cabins as the ship nears port and, pursued by the others, jump overboard and are taken ashore in a tug. Paul looks up his chum, Dick, in the Consular offices, explains everything and manages to get Arline and himself jobs in the studio owned by Graham. LaRue detects them and bribes one of the studio employees to substitute real flames for the property kind in a fire scene. Arline and Paul, handcuffed together — the scenario calls for it — are trapped in a high tower by the roaring fire. "JACK AND THE ' BEANSTALK" Century Comedy LITTLE JACK is sent to the market by his mother to sell the old cow and while there turns it over to an unscrupulous person for a bag of beans. When Little Jack arrives home the mother, upon seeing what Jack has received for the old family cow, throws the beans into the back yard. The next morning a big tree, reaching into the skies, has grown where the beans were thro%\Ti. Little Jack climbs this tree and reaches the kingdom of the terrible giant. After a series of very dangerous adventures, Little Jack kills the giant.