Variety (May 1919)

mmm r. • VING P &r. -,;:,;. M i&r: .■•-•ri ■■■>: STRAND. Remarkably fine weather robbed the Strand t Its UBual Jammod-to-the-door Sunday audi- aco, but tEoro wna a fair enough crowd pres- ttt during the aftornoon. At night, la accord* nee with custom, people stood up waltlug (or BfttS. Joe Plunkett had provided an excellent pro-; ram, with Ethel Clayton, In "The Woman rext Door," as the feature offering. Selections rom "The Fortune Taller" made up the over- ire, and there was a program note about Ictor Herbert and his past It appears that, Ir. Herbert Is Samuel Lover's grandson and aco played first 'cello in the Thomas orchestra. A Strand Topical Review, Topics of the Day, n Outing-Chester scenic, "Itasca Makes Her low," a Bray cartoon, a aong by Dorothy outb, a soprano who made a very pleasant npresBlon, and a Universal comedy, "Roaring ilons and Monkey Shines," completed the 111 with the exception of Redferne HoUlnshead, is tenor, who holds over from last week. In icollent voice he Bang "A Farewell" and "Love j Mine." THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR. uth, or Vicky Van .Ethel Clayton hester Calhound. .......... .Emory Johnson. andolph Schuyler Noah Berry lbbetts .Jan* Wolff hoda Schuyler Katherlne Griffith elen. Schuyler Genevieve Blynn unt Eleanor ......Josephine Crowell Here is a picture that is meant to be a dvoI. Such is the thought that comes to ilnd when you see it, and lot a careful study 1 the program •reveals the tact that it la a jvol—that Marion Fairfax has adapted it tun "Vicky Van," by Carolyn Wells. When Miss Fairfax got through turning out workmanlike scenario, Robert Vlgnola took a ind at directing, and the result is this Para- ount offering In which Bthel Clayton is arred. Mostly the photography is of interiors. Who- ■or did. it Is denied credit in print by the oducers, but the fact remains that the pic- rlng la unusually rich and clear and satis- story. The effects, too, are well seconded by Iss Clayton and her clothes. The story suffers from the fact that It la ally the plot of a novel, and while it does all enough for pictures It makes only an dlnary screen tale. For the sako of an heir, indolph Schuyler, an old New Yorker, mar- ts Ruth, a simply brought up .young girl, bile motoring on their wedding tour, Ruth Bets a young man who helps fix her motor r, but her husband puts distance between em and delivers his bride into the hands his two sisters, who teach her the Bohuyler ty of doing things. This way of carrying makes no hit with Ruth. Inheriting some auoy, she buys the house next door, cuts, a cret passage between, and as Misa Victoria in Alen begins to entertain lavishly, mest- g In the course of her adventure the young in who mended her motor. But she la found it Her husband starts to beat her up—he's und dead. The mystery is unraveled, and It ivoiops that Ruth's maid killed him to save ith. Mr. Vlgnola has handled this incident doy- ly, making the most of It la the way of eating Buspense. The acting la adequate, td the play ends on time. It la a marketable oduct RIVOLI. The comedy quality of the bill at the Rlvoll r the current week, .coupled with the follow- g among film fans that delightful Dorothy Bh has built up since she scored so tremen- usly In "Hearts of the World," should attract latness for the house. From a standpoint of tertalnment the show stands up very well dedd, through the medium of the feature and e program which Is surrounding It "Pique Dame," by Franc von Buppe, eerved the overture and was followed by a Prisma, owing views of "Glacier Bark." James Har- d, tenor, had the only vocal selection of the 11, offering "The Old Refrain" effectively. The Rlvoll Pictorial held cuts from the In- [•national and Qaumont and several bite from tucatlorial releases. One of these, showing a by with a Jam pot, was a scream to the use. There was alao a Mutt and Jeff cartoon medy that scored laughs. "Carnival de miss," a ballet, staged by Adolf Bolm, of a Metropolitan, held three principals, but >red especially because .of the very pretty ige setting that was given the Offering. The feature came next in order, and follow- S It was a selection from "The Royal Vaga- ad" by the orchestra. The comedy was the itho release, "Back to the Woods," with Har- 1 Lloyd as the star. Fred. I'LL CETTuM YET. ay Faraday Jones (alias Skinflint Jones) Dorothy Qlsh adord Warrington Jones... .George Fawcett oop McCreedy Richard Barthelmess irold Packard Ralph Graves ibert EL Hamilton Edward Pell llllam R. Craig Porter Strong Hats off, folks, and make way for the Queen Celluloid Comedy 1 That Dorothy Glsh gal some champ when it cornea to putting over innerlsms on the screen and getting all the jghs In the world for the cute little touches d tricks that Bhe possesses. In her current release, "I'll Get Him Yet," e pulls everything In comedy,' even to a tie bit of the Chaplin walk, and each time it she delivers one of these little tricks jre Is a bowl of laughter from the audience. 'I'll Get Him Yet" Is a corking story by irry Carr, built to order for the star. It of a rather farcical nature, and Elmer Gllf- i, who directed the production, certainly adled I t with an eye toward speed In the action. He succeeded admirably, and whoever wrote the titles should receive a Croix de something for putting the laugh punch over In them. And to the photographer—he Is John Leeror—and a full measure should be given for he hao delivered some splendid bits of photography and gotten lightings In his out- door stuff that Is really beautiful. The story tends to show that mere man hasn't a chance in the world whan any woman makoB up her mind to land him as a husband. As Boon as any of the female of the species makes up her mind that she Is going to rope and hog tie a chump he might just as well throw up the sponge, towel or whatever else that there Is handy that will serve as a token of surrender. Miss Glsh has the role of a millionaire's daughter who falls In love with a mere reporter (that Is faulty right off the bat; It never could happen), But the re- Sorter wouldn't have her because he would e called a fortune hunter. So she goes after him, and after about two and a half reels he Is booked and shipped off to the preacher. - It is new up to the wife to keep concealed that she really has 15,000,000 In her own name, and even though she promised hubby she never would touch a penny of her father's dough, she failed to tip him off about her own. However, the general manager, the superintendent and the attorney of the railroad that she owns all show up at the dovecote in the suburbs where the pair are living, and wlfey, in trying to keep the knowledge of the wealth from hubby, only makea him Jealous by meeting the men who are handling her business. Finally the little complications are cleared up, and hubby consents to become general manager of the railroad himself. The production Is a corking one, and a couple of shots of an auto race lend additional thrills here' and there. It Is, however, Miss Glsh'a work that holds from beginning to end, Richard Barthelmess plays the lead opposite the star and scores. He is a clear cut, full of pep American Juvenile who will appeal any- where. George Fawcett, as the father, waa a delight in a corking role that fitted him to a T, even though it waa not particularly lengthy. The trio of business men were Por- ter Strong, Richard Pile and Ralph Graves. "I'll Get Him Yet" Is a blimp of a comedy that will blow out to sea and carry all your troubles with It Fwtf. > theImalto. With Pauline. Frederick, In "One Week of Life" (reviewed In this Issue), as the feature, the Rlalto has an unusually attractive weekly program. The musical numbers are pleasing and were well received. Of the smaller pictures a scenic, "Northern Norway," from the De Luxe Library of Educa- tional Films, besides offering attractive glimpses of the country and its people, shows scenes which are rarely seen by the average tourist There were no lack of laughs when the Sunshine comedy appeared. It was a reg- ular rough and tumble affair, but amusing. Well-written titles helped the ploture along. The Rlalto magaalne included views of the Newfoundland coast and the three N-C boats, also the Blimp. The applause continued for almost a minute after Leonard Van Dyke had finished playing a 'cello solo from Tarantella. The program closed with an organ recital. ONE WEEK OF LIFE. SftiSg S.erwcJ-™ taeFM ^° k Kingsley Sherwood Thomas Holding LeRoy Scott Sydney Alnawbrth Lola Canby Oorlnne Barker Pauline Frederick appears In a dual role In this five-reel Goldwyn feature at the Rlalto. It has been adapted for the screen by WUlard Mack from a story by Cosmo Hamilton. Hobart Henley was the director. With the star and Messrs. Hamilton and Mack working in unison, it Is only natural a photoplay out of the or- dinary would be the result, and such Is the ■MM "One Week of Life" Is an unusual picture in theme and production. There Is but one plot, without the usual smaller chain of. In- cidents. Besides the star there are but three In the cast, with their parts Important. They abare the honors, and have almost as much prom- inence on the screen as Miss Frederick. The latter Is Marlon Roche, a young art student of the Washington square south variety, and Mrs. Kingsley Sherwood, the wife of an aristo- cratic New Yorker who is a habitual drunkard, the sort of souse who drinks alone at home and Is only a few bottles removed from D. T. LeRoy Scott, the society villain (Sydney Alnsworth), and Mrs. Sherwood are In love and carrying on an Intrigue of which her husband has no knowledge. At one of their many clandestine meetings she remarks that for "one week of life" with her lover she waa prepared to sell her soul. They get the week together. This Is cleverly worked out, and Is made possible by the meeting of LeRoy 8cott and Marlon Roche. The latter plays upon Marlon s sympathy, telling her a pitiable story about a woman whose child Is ill in California and her husband refuses to allow her to go and nurse It Marlon says she will take the woman's place in order that the mother pay go. Marlon Roche then becomes Mrs. Sher- wood, The latter Informs her double tbat she need have no fear of her husband, as she has not: seen him for three weeks and their apartments are at opposite ends of the house. From then on the story Is of the following week, with a large calendar thrown on the screen. About Friday LeRoy Scott and Mrs. Sherwood are drowned in Lake Placid, and Sherwood discovers the woman living under his roof is not really his wife. He promptly Jumps on the water wagon. After they have met once or twice both appear to be satisfied with the new arrangement, Sherwood says he will go away for six months, and she promises to marry him at the end of that time If he has not taken a drink. The bargain Is sealed with a hand- ehake—no clinch. That's the end. The work of the cast la unusually good. Thomas Holding (Kingsley Sherwood) looks the gentleman In his few sober moments, and at the same time he has all the appearances of a habitual souse It la a part easily over- Slayed, but Mr. Holding bandies it very well. [|ss Frederick Is better as Marlon Roche than Mrs. Sherwood. Sydney Alnsworth Is an ac- ceptable villain, and Corlane Barker as Lola Canby. Marion's girl companion gives a finished performance. There is an abundance of fine photography, Including neat long ahota and fine country views, rich Interiors and artistic close-ups. Elaborate sets and good lighting distinguish the production throughout "One Week of Lite" is an Intertatnlng fea- ture, and should maks an excellent program feature, besides holding a good title. THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC. At the Academy of Muslo this week Charles H. Wuorz, the house manager, continued his policy of showing two strong features. Bun- days, however, he shows only ons. This week It was Alice Joyce In "The Third Degree." On the first three days of the week Frank Koenan, In "The Master Man," Joined the bill as an extra added feature. The Frisco Jan Band still continues, with the Academy Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Harry W. Meyer, amply seconding Its efforts. A news pictorial, Mutt and Jeff, Harold Lloyd, in "Before Breakfast," and a big "V" comedy completed the bill, whloh gave general satisfaction. Lloyd is a favorite there, and Mutt and Jeff this week were unusually good. During the latter part of the week Gladys Brockwell, In "The Divorce Trap": Ruth Ro- land, in the sixth episode of "The Tiger's Trail"; Sessue Hayakawa, In "His Debt," and a Tom Mix comedy made up the program. THE THIRDDEGREE. In the ways and manners of Alice Joyce there Is a sweetness that asserts Itself despite the best laid plans of scenario writers. In "The Third Degree," an adaptation of Chas. Klein's play, It la the scenario Writer who makes it hard for the star. Hia name Is Phil Lang. He sawed out the continuity for this particular drama, but In making a mess of It he had, according to the program, the assistance of Mr. and Mrs. George Randolph Chester. A guess Is that when It came to giving "assistance" to the scenario writer who devised the screen plot for 'The Third De- gree," Lillian let George do It, and George was asleep at the switch. In offering It Vltagraph puts forward a hodge-podge of incongruities that even, the fickle dears who go to picture theatres on sunny Sundays balked at believing. To begin with, the plot takes a reel before It gathers wind enough really to get started. Secondly, the son of a millionaire would hardly be subjected to the third degree in the merciless fashion pictured here. Out of date stuff, that! Ten years ago It made good. Installing It on the Bcreen Tom Terries, the director, or the scenario writer, made up for errors of omis- sion chiefly by a hypnotism stunt that caught the Interest and held It The story begins with a young college boy's romance with a waitress, and proceeds to the point where tbey marry and are disowned by the millionaire father, whose second w"o Is involved in an affair which ends In a man's suicide. The son Is put to the third degree in the hope that he will confess to murdering the suicide. For this very confession, an earlier hypnotic scene has paved the way. and be is shown confessing only because he is hypnotized by the shining barrel of the re- volver poked under bis nose. This bit Is well conceived. It catches the attention, and we are held till the young man is finally freed and tells his wife that he. knows the story she has told on the stand Isn't true—tbat she only told It to save him. From this point, its natural end, the play pro- ceeds some 700 feet During this extra footage It is only the star's classic features that screen with so rich and full a charm, only her smile that revives dreams of girls unknown, only her competence as an actress that keeps one In his seat What will sell this picture Is not the story, but.the excellently taken pictures of Alice Joyce. LET'SELOPE. Elolee Farrlngton Marguerite Clark Hilary Farrlngton Frank Mills Nora Gall Helen Greene Darrel McKnlgbt Gaston Glean "Let's Elope," a Paramount picture In which Adolph Zukor presents Miss Marguerite Clark, Is difficult to estimate because It Is neither good nor bad to any marked degree.. Certainly without Miss Clark, It would hardly be snapped up. In fact, It Is so mechanical a product that the spectators at the City Theatre this week walked out on it in a body before the last 150 foot were shown. At that they missed a good Insert—the final one In which the heroine- says to her husband, "Let's elope." This was characteristic of the picture It depended for Its story largely on the Inserts. A slight analysis, moreover, re- veals It Is meant for a play, not a picture. No one needs the program to guess on what It Is baBed, but for the sake of being almost as newsy as a dictionary the reviewer noted tbat the picture was taken front Fred Jack- son's farce, "The Naughty Wife," and that the scenario was the work of Katherlne Reed. —5 he K m 2 de i fal J l*AA fl"™** ootb she and the director, John S. Robertson, should be warned that farce, on tho screen as well as the stage, should move at top speed all the time. But If this picture had moved faster perhaps the Impression It left would have been still more blurred. As It stands, Hal Young 5 ! photography is singularly Irritating Inasmuch as It seems most of the time to be ever so slightly out of focus. Neglected by her author husband, Elolee makes the least of a soul mate by arranging an elopement in the course of whloh there is to be no love-making. Finding this out hubby asslBts, much to Elolse's disgust. But his assistance brings to light the fact that he s a pretty good life mate, after all. And Blolse's soul mate finds that the girl he was engaged to to pretty near right for him. too. So It ends—happily. Ordinarily honesty compels the assertion, in concluding .this review, that Mies Clark herself is at her least attraction In straight drawing room work. Something elfin, bliarre. unusual, Is needed to allow her at her best. Her features are of those of the average American school kid, and little suited to "the great lady" stunt In pictures. THE LION'S DEN. The Rev. Sam Webster .Bert Ly toll Dorothy stedman , ,\AUoe Lake BKK?" ••••'•• *• * • • * • -iJowph Kllgour rarvis ...Edward Connelly u SPff •• Augustus Phillips 55- ™ take • Howard Qramptun Mr. Hillings , .Seymour Rosa Smith Sisters , J Alios Nowland _. ,..■-• (Mother Anderson i ,2£if "JW latest Metro release starring Bert HEk \ l Jl In , flve welB ' and wa » adapted and directed by Goorge D. Baker. Tho original story was by Frederick Orln Bartlett and ap- peared In The Saturday-Evening Post "The Lions Den " in atory form, was decidedly mora interesting than it Is on the screen. The latter mode of retailing the tale is draggy In spots and there are several touches that In the story lent speed tbat have been out entirely In the picture. Mr. Lytell makes a very pleasing minister who is willing to go out and huatlo for money with whloh to build a boy's club, Instead of begging It from his parish membership. His attempt to earn the money honestly leads to all sorts of complications, and finally it looks as though he is only going to have the grocery store and a start toward the boys' club on bis hsnds, for the vestrymen have decided. under pressure, to relieve him of his parish and turn him loose In the world. s At the last second, however, he manages to rescue his principal enemy from death by fire and also to win the hand of tho girl that ho loves. What more of a happy ending could any bunch of film fans ask fort "The Lion's Den" is a real pioture built for popular consumption, and as such It will answer its purpose. The scene of the action of the story to a small town whore the young preacher has been battling for weeks to drive home tho seed of a greater understanding. In this he has par- tially failed. Finally, one Bunday he sllpa the entire town a general "panning," and this sours the wealthiest member of hla congrega- •• tlon on htm. The result Is apparent a few days later when the preaoher wants to raise flve thou for a boys' club, to keep the kids of the town out of the local pool parlor where they hear dirty stories and might learn to become Oannefaxes. The nlckeMTqueezer Is asked for $2,600, but only comes through with $28, forgetting to add the little ciphers at the end, and the minister turns the chock right back to him. The nlckol-aqueozor owns the big grocery of the town and has always driven out compe- tition. He also has a daughter who la the belle of the burg.. She la sweet on the preacher and suggests that It might be a good Idea for dad to get a business lacing to teach him that he is not the puddle In town on a rainy afternoon. Therefore, why not start an oppo- sition store? This Is done, and finally father decides that be Is beaten. There are several corking touches In direc- tion by Mr. Baker, who has handled his "kid" stuff particularly well, and several comedy Incidents stand out for laughs. The photog- raphy Is of a superior quality here and there, and while there are slow spots, they were undoubtedly there for a reason. The cast 1b very well selected with Joseph Kllgour playing the role of the tightwad father and putting it over in great shape, although It Is away from his usual ran of characters. Alice Lake, as the leading woman, was par- ticularly delightful. She was natural and scored with the audience, Alice Nowland and Mother Anderson, in comedy character bits, both won laughs. From a production standpoint there Is noth- ing lacking in the picture. The grocery store scenes were very effective, and the interior of the ploture house with the free show for the boys bit home. It Is a small town story that may put a few Ideas Into the heads of some of the members of the ministry who have a hard time trying to get their parlBb. folk to. kick In enough to keep the ice box and coal bin filled in tLoso days of high prices. It is not a whale of a picture, but it will get by as a program offering. Fred. <:■*■ ■ H ■'•' 7 I '■■!..■ l.bi i'i *saj -■";„'"*\i . ...:A m ':•..•♦ m , mm H-m U YOU DONT AD VMtTIU IN VAMsTTY- DON»T ADVMTIBE " li'iJiiivvaj ■ ,..:.■'■■'■ ';. . '■.'(•'■7v ' - a ■'■• SM« '•'■'. <&'&> !■' ;■■-- ::