Variety (November 1919)

<sg*'-'.. '; ■":'••' ■:'.".-"■■ •■:■■':T '*-T-i.'ii. 'W . -. ' 7 VJlRI&TY —"•:■; - ~r -, ■ '■ ■■■.■■■':':■. ■.. ■••■'•: ■f. . r ;.<■ SIM.*.? S9 — ^y%>:} *# SOXDLERS OF FORTUNE. Robert Clay Norman Kerry jfopo Lnnprham Pauline Stark Allco Dangham.. ....Anna Q. Nllsson jlr. Langbam ....Melbourne McDowell •jlendoza...... ....Wallace Beery resident Alvarez,.. WUfred Lucas i'Hadamo Alvarei................Herald Lindsay I lieRlnain King ....Warde Crane V Teddy Langham ..Frank Wally gSoWlIllam* >•■•• 'Fred Kohler ^Captain Stuart ..Phllo McCullough Burke ..............Ogden Crane ! /■.Basing his pbotodrama on the novel by Klch- ■■ird Harding Davis, Alan Dwan has. modernised , ; ;- the setting, spent any amount of money and produced some seven' reels of picturesque and 'romantic action.' His attention to detail is exact and shows painstaking care. 'While blue- I jackets landing from the U. 8. 8.' Minneapolis »re shown advancing under fire In close order, , UuU is the sort of tbing naval officers have been known to do. It will make'the soldiers and marines mad, but it doesn't spoil Realarfa pic- ', lure. There Is 'more to It than that, for the plater reels are chock-a-block with fighting, ■ love 'making and soldiers in magnificent uol- informs. '/Bob Clay Is a civil engineer who hai'Cher- Sihed the thought of marrying the lovely daughter of his employer. She's a nice girl,' E but is more interested la a millionaire- suitor | on whose yacht she cornea South with her father and sister than she la In civil engi- neering, and so slowly Clay's thought turns to the younger sister. ' He is down In a South -American republic, operating a mining conees- rflon. The republic's president, Alvarez, ui on ■the level, but Mendoza, the general of the srmy, plans to usurp him. To prevent' this, ; ' \Clay organises his own miners, swipea the filibustered gune) Intended for Mendom and gets' ready for the fatal day of the review. In the midst of this function trouble starts. We see a long' range' fight, then- a' short one at the hacienda, an aeroplane 'fescue and some close-up love-making. Spirited direction makes this picture exciting' and Interesting through- out. What Is more, the' men and women dress well, know how to behave in a.drawing room and would have pleased Davis himself. While. Mr., Dwan has not yet mastered the art of leading naturally from one scene to soother, superlative photography covers this' and other minor faults. On the whole, it's a great fea- ture. The name alone should coax money. . '.'< d. i ally, by her affectionate and . demonstrative habits, tha child wins over the older woman, who was never bad at heart: She goes on, then, growls' up. to be a beautiful. girl, whom all the boys are crazy about, but she has no more than graduated from high school" than her foster' parents' loso' their money, and the youngster' Is called on {o support' her aunt, the brother having' died from the shock. As the school teacher, she la called upon to whip the small boy whose father and mother never liked her. , - Sneaking out, the boy hops a hay wagon, falls, off and breaks his arm, and blames it all on' Mary. Headed by the boy's father, a crowd, goes to. her house Just as her aunt Is going through a desperate operation and needs quiet. Mary holds them off with a gun. Hho goes with them. A clergyman saw how the accident happened and the whole thing is cleared up, « . As Aunt liarII la, Marcln Harris gave a re- markably adept performance. The rest of the oast was adequate. Miss Mlnter is called on merely to be a sweet young thing. Certainly she revealed nothing approaching the Plckford standard, though some have, declared she was being prepared to supplant that lady. • Jjced. ■ .»» ' '.» 1 1 , ' , • ,. , ... 11 1 ' ' - SEALED HEARTS. THE RIDER OP THE LAW. Harry Carey la the star »f this six-part Unl- : ' versa! feature and is •pictured'' to bis usual ad- vantage in a Western 'melodrama, that hits.' the high spots all the "way. There is action, 'mys- tery, love, excellent photography and capable direction. The last'IS supplied'"by Jack Ford, who overlooks few nets when he". is handling Carey, who Is a' star with something (0 offer besides the ordinary mugging and athletic stunts.' He has dignity, force and Is generally the mas- ter, of the parts he undertakes tb Interpret; ':■' Ih -"The Rider of the Daw" be.has the kind. or role and story that lie eats alive, lie is a rnnpfpT, and his brother sets mljied in with.a gang ef thieves.-- To add to his troubles he falls in love with this younger brother" a girl. But it's up to him to do. bis duty, - leave the-girl- along and arrest' bis brother.. : There.'*; n p01her. girl thrown In'gratis by the author for the, pur- pose of complicating things. She, too, Is in love.with him', but finds'she cannot, win him.. To get even she nets the thieves free and sends - a false telegram accusing the ranger of malfea- . sance. But he rides to get the gang back just the same. In a well shot scene the brother, to expiate his- sins; ts shown riding his horse over t cliff. How thin was Worked' Is due for an explanation. - While, of course, it ie a trick,' It looks convincing Just the same and provided the crowd at Loew'e New,York Sunday with a real'' thrllL '-,..., .... . A good picture and .'-Carey the best thing-in it. heed. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Anne 8hlrley!..!........,...,Mary.Miles Mlnter Gilbert Blythe...'.... George Stewart -Marllla Cuthbert- ,. ...Mnrcia Harriet Matthew Cuthbert.......... ...Frederick Burton' Abdcnego Fie F. T. Ciallleev. Mrs. Pie...I.......................Delia Homer Jumbo Pie.;.;...;.............Lincoln Stedman 'Josle Pie.......;• .,..•• Hazel Sexton- -Anthony Pie .Master Russell Hewitt- ^Robert, Banker's Son Albert Hnckett Dinno Barry.......'.....'... Maurice Loyelle, Mrs. Harry .,.;......Mrs. Caroline Dee Rev. Figtree......,..;.,., Jack B. Hollie 2 .This-is the first: picture made by Mary Miles' Mlnter for Realort.' ■ William Desmond Taylor' ..directed, Frances) Marlon devised the scenario: Tho whole thing" is" based on' the book of the, same mimo by L: M. Montgomery. AH thesei'- authors, so far as the film making-Is concerned, .labored with great'''difficulties and came out on the whole stic'ce'BB.fuliy, The trouble with tho picture is that It la not drama. It Is a narra- tive, ft biography, and bow .to work rome sus- pense Into .It-' must, have .kept Taylor..up nights. While ho does,not .get.'Suspense, ho does, gat- sympathy. ., Tho thing, drags admittedly, hot there's a wholesome charm to it. The-little 1 orphan girl comes to a New England brother and sister to make her home with. them. They »re stiff folks, at least the sister Is, but, gradu- Jack Prentiss Frank Prentiss..,.,,... Kate Gray... ..;,.-....•■,. Mr. Gray.....,....,;.,. Mrs. Gray...;..........,. Fred Gray..........:.,., Helen Gray ...,-.. .'...„ Eugene O'Brien ......Robert Edeson .Ductile Dee Stewart ,,...... ..John Dean ..... ..Ethel Klngsley Frank Murdock .....Helen Relnecke "Sealed Hearts" Is hardly a vehicle which warrants the starring of Eugene O'Brien. It Is rather a strange fact that he is allotted a - part whlob la actually a secondary one to tbe character depicted by Robert Edeson. Even though Edeson plays the .''hypocritical" father, his work, stands out so strong that tbe endeavors of O'Brien are-always snowed under. This picture la a Selznick release and the stpry was supplied by Edmund Goldlng and Eugene Walter, directed by Ralph Ince. - The story is that of the youthful son of a millionaire who becomes the target for' "worldly" women. The father discerns this fact, drives one of these women away and then tells the youth that ha will have to stick to business If he wants to get along. They form a pact to do this. The elder man la' taken. Ill, goes to the home of a frlencd and becomes infatuated with the daughter of the house. In the meantime theso pYople find they am on the financial rocks and feel they have only one salvation and that Is the. mar- riage of the daughter to t lis millionaire. ... Tho daughter when told of this does not want to .fall In line and bays her "love" bar- tered.. However, when tho other children pre- vail she consents. She is brought to the, home of the millionaire and at all times he' persists In reminding her. that the marriage was a commercial proposition. The son displays his sympathy-for the wife of the father and tho latter accuses him'of unconventlonality. This brings along several situations in which the couple are placed' In embarrassing positions, with the climax a denouement at a dinner party. The' aon makes a rush for the father and the latter suffers a heart stroke and' dies. This, of course, leaves the two youthful souls to work out their own salvation along the matrimonial path. i '.-'.i •:*<•■■■■ The consistency of the picture is somewhat weak in a great many instances and the con- tinuity -Is lacking and marked places as well. It Is a matter of-conjecture whether the pres- ent title la Justified by the story or that ono more sensational, such -a* "Bartering In Souls," would be more-fitting. - This picture is truly an "Edeson" vehicle and'1t might be well to feature him in all of the billing and advertising, as he carries the production throughout. ■'• Lucille Dee Stewart gives'a most creditable performance as the wife. ' • ' • >" ■■"■■• ■ WHAT'S YOUR HUSBAND DOING? John P. Wldgast „-.....Douglas MacLeau Beatrice Ridley Doris May. Charley. Pidgcon..........,,.'.'.'.Walter Hiors Robert Ridley William Buckley' Helen Widgast...........«.,. .Norrle Johnson Gwendolyn Pldgeon .Alice Elliott Sylvia Pennywise................Alice Wilson .- it seems a vital point-of. Interest to include hi -this review of Thomas H. inco's plcturlza- tion of the legit farce- called ''What's Tour Husband Doing?" a word of warning to pro- ducers, writers- and others materially inter-. eated In the production of features that the use of liquid Intoxicants; in scenes as an angle or which- to base action will soon be a thing passe. 1 " •!', •- -•'■' -v, _jv.i -• '•While It )s needless hero to point out that we are now a non-alcoholic nation, or. nearly, se, 'the public's Interest •!«• such things is on' tbO" wane..'Reminders' In picture features that stimulants could onco>be abstained only tend to show that- such, a '.feature reverts 'to a condition that once wa's.'lt Is, hound to ap- pear untimely, leaves the Imagination saun- tering Into a proproh/ibttlon :state, -and- in- general assimilates' •• any yroduet-of < recent make in the studios with tbe term ancient. For all that, the feature released under the Paramount-Artcraft abounds In laugh- getting scenes, though under no circum- stances are they side-splitting. It la tbe story based on the one hand of a wife who suspects her ono-year-old married husband la infatuated ..with * woman un- known to her. Her suspicions are, aroused at bis-receiving constant' com muni cat ions from' a road place known as the Honeysuckle Inn. In reality tbe communications are nothing but' instruments prior to foreclosing his "silent'.' Interest In that place. On the other hand, the wives of two lawyers, Specialists tn divorce^ suffer torments of jealousy when they are of the opinion their husbands are being exposed to "fascinating divorcees, vam- pires and co-respondents In this dangerous . branch of tho legaL profession." The wife of the "one-year-old married husband"'engages one of tho lawyer j? a school chum, to trace her husband, while? the other lawyer is en- gaged by the husband to settle the deal dis- engaging him from his Interest In the Inn. Through a series of complications this quar- tette meet there, A .one-horse town police commissioner suspects that-absinthe is being served to the' customers on the sly. A raid follows, with all winding up In Jail. The rest of the action Is based on the reconciliation, with a genuinely funny scene preceding It. This Is rare In screen farce. .'.- The feature has been scenarlolzcd from the play by George V. Hobart. Authorship is credited to R. Cecil Smith. With tho ex- ception of a few scenes that appear awkward in continuity, the picture'runs very, smoothly. This Is due to the skill with whloh Lloyd Ingraham directed tho production. The pho- tography reflects credit upon Charles Stumar. Some of its titles are really outstanding In ' their conception. For example, the -lawyers are described as "experts in converting mat- rimony into alimony."' 'Tho others, howeVer, fall far away from the latter comparison. Doris May is a charming personality and never for an Instant' did she seem to step within tho range of farce of her own voli- tion...-Rather did she-characterize tbo part In a more human mannur than Is ordinarily ex- perienced In farce. Neither MacDean nor Walter Hlera •■ the' lawyers seemed to be true to type., While they showed capabilities as farce artists, the' illusion of being two divorce lawyer*, of obvious experience, Is lost through their helplessness ip appearing youth- ful. .William Hockley teemed a nice husband as long ae ho was allowed on the screen, while .Alice Wilson as Sylvia Penny wise, an actress, and Norrls Johnson and'Alice Elliott,, as the wives, were capable. THE RIGHT TO HE. Carlotta.., .Dolores Casslnelll Curtis Austin ;..... Frank Mills Crosby Dana............... Joseph King J. Wintbrop' Drako..........,' Warren Cook Mrs. Drake..;...!.....'...... ..Grace Reals Blgnor .Riccardo Novelll George Deneubourg •Slgnora Dolores Claire Grenvllle Edith Austin....; Violet Reed Paths seems Intent on reviving for the screen melodrama of the "Bertha, the Sewing Ma- chine Girl" type, and in "The Right to Die," by Jane Murfln, Dolores Casslnelll la once mora revealed as a misunderstood innocent, Pure, you underatand, but misunderstood. So com- pletely misunderstood that everyone thinks she has been a very naughty, girl, and so she is. in constant trouble with her relatives and friends., This. sort of- atory, with virtue al- ways triumphant in the end, has-its purpose, and. exhibitors, must Judge for themselves whether to buy It or not, for Pathe gives It ah elaborate production and Edwin Carcwe directs capably. an able collection, of actors. Here is the story. Winthrop Phelps, archi- tect, marries. By a trick he is sopnmtcd from his wife. .She thinks him dead, He thinks her so. On .her actual deathbed, h« finds her to learn they have a child. He brings this., beau- tiful girl. to.his home, where -his second wife mistreats her, eventually driving her out. Society a,)so. misunderstands her relation with her father, A villain, who Is-crazy about Jier, also .complicates things here and later with her husband)- who shoots him tor his pains. , The husband believes bis wife guilty, any. way, and, when, she tells.the Jury, in-order to save hl'm, tha( «he sinned, he is convinced, The whole affair is in -this miserable tangle when it ..begins swiftly to unravel Itself, It finishes with Dolores dented of. shame and happy In the anna of tbe- husband - she loves, Could exhibitors decently ask more in seven reels?, . • •• . ■-• Lced. FOR A WOMAN'S HONOR. ttsir.cj- haphazard as to continuity, but etlll a. fairly ■ Interesting feature, Is tho latest .H. B. Warner, -production, "For a Woman's Honor." It is s- Robinson-Cole product Ion released through- the Exhibitors-Mutual.. The direction was han- dled, by Parke -Frame,, ' • The story.starts out fairly well but the loose ends ar* such at the-finish -that.an-audience at Loew'e New, York - started to kid' the last 200 feet of • the picture with mook< applause.' The trouble evidently was that so much footage was -used earlier M'was'itnposflibloto bring-the story around to the logical conclusion,' with a clean- ing up Cf the counter plot ends - ; and still keep withm the required length. The scene of the piece Is laid In England anil India. The hero Is a doctor in the British Army. He la engaged to marry a young English girl whose father has Just died. At the reading «i the will the mother, daughter and the hero are present. Another woman shows up. She claims that she was tho wife ef the dead man. The fiance, who/knows how mother and daughter revere the memory of the husband and father, decides to handle the case in bis own manner. He stands for a "hush money" tap,- hut the transaction Is witnessed by the widow, who then: refuses to let him marry the daughter unless be gives an instant explanation. This be can- not do and so he returns to his post In India without the girl who was to bo his wife. How- ever, her brother Is In the government service' In India and Is mixed up in a eouple of shady deals. Later the slst-r comes on the scene and the hem manages to get the boy out of a scrape, saves the girl from the plague, kills the villain and finishes the picture by clutching the heroine In his arms. It Is the convention stuff, right down to-the "atmosphere" touch of a cooch dancer, with which no Far'East picture would be complete.'. Some of the scenes are Interesting as "shoots," but there is nothing in the feature.' ■'•.•- all Hi A 1 COMMON PROPERTY. ; U This Universal special, shown this week for a day at tho Stanley, with Robert Anderson'.-, featured, is an example of the kind of plcturs • of which "Bolshevism on Trial"'was the final.; word. That production, In which the lively' Imagining of tbe Rov. Thomas Dixon had a hand, got into the field first and!did a good .. Job of this typo of special pleading: Universal has done fairly with a simitar S'lbject, though i try they may until th* check book Is written out, tbls company can't do anything that doesn't somehow suggest an underlying 'cheap- ness. ' -•'.. '■■■■.1:'"' :, The direction supplied this picture Is com- petent. Anderson acts one of those holy-holy roles' well, enough, and 'Coloen Moore, -Nell, Craig and Frank Leigh give.him good support, ' but-tbe best of the picture is marred by an- other Inevitable comparison. For in projecting "sex stuff" Universal has to htahd up to Ktix, '.' and Fox comes near being, a genius at that tort of thing. . The Idea la this: Russia is going to ;h* Lrcau'se women are made Common property there. Naturally, no man wajus his wife tak'n from Wm, nor bis .daughter, and Pavel oajocts. - Two mujlks come, with tbo faHitodsd notlOD - that they wi|t cop off tho sweetest girl In Barn- toff, little dreaming that a grtater than. a. rnujik Is nursing the same notion. The mujlkn are frustrated,, but hot so tbo local Lonlnc, CJet-. ting tho girls out of his clutches supplies. th» excitement of the ploture, which Is fair enough second-rate stuff. ., ,. ','' . .- • JieedV , - . «'■ 'IV -,l ', ' ',- " I ' l/,'--' "' J''.}' '; ■■ : __ .. ■ >•'-..' '.w..«' - THE JOYOUS UAH. ;' --- "The Joyous Liar" is a Hodkinson' picture "".'■ released through Pathe,' featuring J, Warren Kerrigan, with Lillian Walker playing oppo- . site. The picture is an amusing comedy drama ■ with a fairly consistent story. '"" Kerrigan portrays .the *»le of a sketch ;! artist who. wanders Into a community seek- ; ; 2$S Ing atmbtphere. During a rainstorm be hunts j refuge in a deserted house and discovers that ' a woman has been taken there by thieves and .;--' Is held captive. The' tblvet come Jn, pounce en him and render him unconscious. Tbe girl makes iter' escape from the house and notifies ia motorcycle policeman. ., Th* latter takes iff, hlnf into custody. He tries to establish bis identltfy, but the police tell him they have the goods on him. The father ef tho girl, who Is interested in criminal research work, beseeches the' chief of poiico to allow the prlnoner to be released, as he desires1 to use ' him as a subject" At first ho does 'sot cdri- ' descend to do this,-hut 'When he sees the girl he., readily consents.- He is taken Into tho ' home of the scientist and there unravels a: . V, moat Startling series of narratives about bis criminal past.. , . • .•;..' ■■■. /-, .■ ■ '<• .■• : -'-fvv''v'':■.,■■' The girl become* infatuated wjth bltn and; the < police -official- who was paying attention to her becomes Jealous'. Ho induces the father to send tbe man away as cured, which he con- sents to do. ihe next day. This ppsets |b» plan of the gin, who is giving a garden pari*, In his honor, and thw plea la made to ollow ,_ .' him to stay. . ...... ,.,." ,. vv,r:t" : 3 ' During] tho party, tho police find .^hit j& ,'■'' "fasembleis a man wahtad for murqer n»d men . are sent to. get him. Through trickery be.' makes his escape and reacb«a the homo of a friend. THore he is a cornered by the p'ollc'e. - -"; He gives battle and again gets away from their clutches.'' lie then persuades his frle'rid ' -. & to get the girl so that they can 'get married at once.''This'la" done': The police ■*&&%)&' '"'■.'■■ father of tho' girl arrive' on tHc scene ana tho ' ' friend explains that' Kefrlgan Is Just 'a "Je*"'' . . ' ens Liar" and that he only carried out''lbs" plans outlined by the old man to he n>ar'thb i ' daughter. '- ■.••.:.,.','-• .»-:.<• The slbry Is c'oheletent tht-ougbourarid 'ilia'" cohtin-jrty iswcn'caTrted. fhe raihitoVrir la' a mosf'remarkable 'scene, as well tjirthe ghr-' den ttart'y layout' The two Battles'•'with''trie- ; pbiice are also realistically depicted; "Karri' ," ■'^.■,!-f)iyt his part In a superb manner ahd"r» Uipably supported Sy miss Walker, who etlll '' possesses tbo wlnaorncnese of iter Vitngraph day* . , ". "•/ : --.■'*."; :■'■:■* i P'Jfr^i ',■ i ■'■z"X