Universal Weekly (1920, 1923-27)

40 Universal Weekly March 1, 1924 “CHECKING OUT” Two-Reel Century Comedy Starring PAL, the Dog PAL and Harry run a hot dog stand — heavy has rival stand — rival tries in many ways to put Harry out of business, finally driving him away — after both stands have been demolished. Harry and Pal become bell hop and check boy in hotel. Harry falls in love with telephone operator — Pal attends to Harry’s duties while Harry makes love to operator — rival comes to hotel, discovers Harry, throws him out of window — Harry learns that rival and henchmen are at hotel to burglarize guests — he puts Pal on the table in charge of two guns, holding the crooks at bay while he goes for police — crooks try to scare Pal into dropping guns — Pal shoots at them and holds them until help arrives — then Pal goes for minister and has Harry and operator married, Pal giving his blessing. “STOLEN SECRETS” Five-Reel Universal Attraction Starring HERBERT RAWLINSON THE exploits of a gentleman crook known as the Eel were puzzling the police and matters came to a show-down before the mayor when the chief of police declared that the underworld was protected by a powerful political ring. He turned in his star and the mayor called in the city attorney to discuss the proposition. That night the Eel pulled two more sensational jobs, both of them within the political group declared by the former police chief to be shielding criminals. This proved the Eel to be a free lance — outside the clique. This political clique was cutting close to the mayor’s Dockets and the mayor knew it. So the Eel became the object of nets thrown out by the mayor’s forces and the opposition political ring as well. The mayor’s daughter, blonde, pretty, intelligent and adventuresome, took the matter of helping her father into her own hands and an interview was arranged with the Eel through the personal columns of the morning paper. That night found the Eel and the mayor’s daughter in the home of the head of the political group which sought the Eel. The Eel desired cei'tain papers, he told the girl, which should present a clear expose of the mayor’s opposition and the graft involved. But the Eel, clever as he appeared to be, seemed to have pulled a faux pas. Three men stepped into the room and he and the girl were trapped on a neat count of burglary and in a wonderful position for a blackmail shake down. But the Eel had only started — “THE LEATHER PUSHERS” Two-Reel Universal Jewels Starring BILLY SULLIVAN No. 6— “Big Boy Blue” KID ROBERTSON saves Janet Ingersol, daughter of an aristocratic mother and an autocratic father, when her horse runs away, and falls in love with her at first sight. Twelve hours before his championship battle with the English titleholder, Wildcat George, the Kid is training in a hammock with Janet, much to his manager’s and trainer’s disgust and alarm. Janet’s father tries to buy the Kid off and tells him that no Ingersol will ever marry a pugilist. Later, however, he arrives at the ringside to see his future son-in-law knock out the English champion, and he changes his mind about the Kid’s desirability as a member of the family. rrA Lady of Quality” ( Concluded from Page 35) that was expert, too. Mr. Hobart Henley didn’t scorn characterization. He made Clo’s father, her mentor of London (I’ve forgotten his name, but he is cleverly etched by Bert Roach), her first lover and her maid as interesting as Clo was herself. The courage to do that (for in the pictures it takes courage to disregard the spotlight) marks Mr. Henley as a man who knows his business. Those characterizations gave atmosphere, and that atmosphere made the picture above average. One more thing about the direction. I think that you’ll receive the impression that Clorinda’s first lover took from her more than a lock of hair. Otherwise, why should she kill him, so calmly, later on? But does Mr. Henley sensationalize the fact and put Miss Valli through a lot of horrid moanings and wriggling? No; he treats the subject almost coldly, thereby making it much more tremendous and clutching than he would have by the familiar method. — By POLLY WOOD in Chicago Herald & Examiner. Gotham Bugle {Concluded from Page 36) the first round. Of the fourth series. “Leather Pushers.” Was showing. And say, A. H. Billy Sullivan, the new star, made SOME hit with the ladies. And the men of course. Ate it up! Wait’ll you see ’em go. Hunger mad. For the “Fast Stepper” series. Coming along. Soon ! ! DAVE SHAEFFER is back from Florida. All rested up. And full of pep again. After that breakdown. Brought about by too much zeal. In his managerial work. Dave. We think you ought to let a couple of weeks. Slide by. To get used to this climate again. Before you take hold of. Another house. THIS IS CARL LAEMMLE MONTH DATES! DATES! One Jewel a Month Until Next Summer {Continued from Page 11) heart appeal. The production is an excellent successor to “The Darling of New York,” and is expected by Universal to be just as popular as Baby Peggy’s first Universal-Jewel release. The Priscilla Dean Jewel, scheduled for May release, is a dramatic adventure story of the sea, with thrills galore and a smashing climax. It offers Miss Dean remarkable opportunities for emotional scenes. It is promised to be more thrilling and powerful than “Conflict,” “Under Two Flags,” and similar melodramatic Dean pictures. The story was written by Leet Rennick Brown. Edwin Montaigne adapted it for the screen, and George Archainbaud directed it. It is one of the few pictures in which practically the entire action takes place on board ship. The story concerns the struggles of a girl, forced by accident aboard a sailing vessel mastered by a hard, brutal skipper. She takes advantage of a mutiny to escape the captain’s whims, but turns again to him when his successor not only proves himself a coward but inefficient as a ship’s commander. Of course there is a wreck. Universal prides itself on its sea stuff. The storm and waves in “The Storm Daughter” are exceptionally good. The wreck sequence is thrilling and has great “punch.” Tom Santschi plays the role of the “hard-boiled” skipper. Others in the cast are William B. Davidson, Pat Hartigan, Cyril Chadwick, Bert Roach, Alfred Fisher, George Kuwa and Harry Mann. There is much comic relief to the serious sequences of the plot. Miss Dean is the only woman in the cast. She is one of the few actresses in pictures who can hold up such a situation and she does it well. Each of these Jewels is getting first rate exploitation, advertising and publicity campaigns. In each case the campaign starts from one to two months in advance of release, and reaches its maximum shortly after release date. Exhibitors are urged to use the press book suggestions on these releases.