Variety (March 1920)

v ■■■■■'*;■:;-- : < ■-'-■•■ ■ • . * • •• ■' -■ .-. ' ■■/■ MOVING PICTURES . ;t tysji RIALTO. . This Is "Good Spirits*,' week. The pro- grain Is framed up to bear some rela- tion to the liquor question. The over- ture la made up of selections from "The. Prince of Pllsen,"', with stress laid upon the Stein son? from that comic opera. Then there are. the Fox and Klnograru news weeklies, showing several .pro- hibition scenes, etc • :•'. .-<■' ■ ■ -'■■ Emanuel List, a basso prof undo, sings "Down Beep Within the Cellar," and " pretends to quaff from a cup with much gusto. Prisma's subject Is "The Ghost; of John Barleycorn," showing the mix-' log- of a number of drinks heretofore called for over bare. ■ •■_. . ■.. - The feature is "The Six Best Cellars," in keeping with the general layout of the week's entertainment, followed by -Alcoholic Blues," and the show con- cludes with a Christie comedy, "Her Bridal Nightmare," which proceeds so rapidly that It Is difficult to follow the plot. Vofc>.„ RIVOLI. ■•'•.: :-. : The Rlvoll program this week sag** with the weight of the feature offering (Elsie Ferguson in "His House in • Order," reviewed elsewhere), but starts off with a charming rendering by the ..orchestra ot Rossini's ''William Jell. "The Beauty of Nature/-' a- Paramount Post scenic, follows. There are some beautiful views In It, and to an insider some examples of clever technical work that interest. The Pictorial continues to be of less Interest than It should be with so much of news value occurring in the world, and was marred by bad spelling In several Pathe inserts. An amusing experience of a camera man In a girl's swimming school, however, .made up for this. . " , . ' .. > Kdoardo Albano and a chorus did the Barcarole from "La Giocanda" in a pleasing Betting, and after the feature came "Good Night, Nurse." a comedy -produced by George Ovey in Florida at no great expense. I.;., STRAND. Constance Talmadge In the First Na- tional feature, "In" Search Of a Sinner." was far and-away the best thing of the program for the current week at the. Strand. -There wasn't apythlng In the show that'came near touching the fea- - turo, but the latter was so good that tifere wasn't anything elae needed. The Talmadge picture Is a John Emer- Hon-Anltu Loos production, and this pair' can certainly write titles and sub-titles- to hit the Broadway-mind. If their stuff , doesn't hand a laugh to the hlnterlandera it is only Because their education has been neglected, but the Main Stemmers will get many a laugh out of the titles In "In Search of a Sinner." The Strand filled only Its two center sections up to about the half way point on Its 2 o'clock show Sunday, but when the feature was. almost finished there was an overflow Into the side sections. Later the house praotlcally filled up. The ■election from "The Firefly." Served as the overture, and was heartily applauded. The news weekly which followed was also used to slip over a boost for "Look Who's Here" at -the 44th Street. Cecil Lean was shown rehearsing the girls of the show on the Hotel Astor Roof. Esteilo Carey, soprano, sang "Mother of Mine" effectively after the-topical re- view and was forced to deliver an en- core number. The feature followed. Malcolm. McEachern, basso, made- his reappearance on Sunday after 'an ab- sence of several months. He was-wel- comed royally by the regulars..at the house t,o whom the Australian singer is now well known. His offering was "The Bedouin Love Song," a set being utilised' and the singer appearing In Arab cos- tume. A scenlo and a O. Henry comedy com- • pleted the program. Fred. CAPITOL ..:. :.; Dorothy Dalton In "Black Is White," an Ince-Paramount-Artcraf t produc- tion, and a presentation of "Fagllacci." divided attention at the Capitol this week. The feature picture has a cork- ing story, but Miss Dalton Is hardly the happiest selection that could have been made for the role of Margaret -The operatic performance was a little rough Sunday afternoon, but It gave Indic- ations of working into a finished per- formance after the first day. Cesar >Josl, singing the role of Canlo, gave a really remarkable interpretation. Irene Williams sang Nedda feelingly, the bal- ance of the cast being Raymond Hunter, William Robyn and Bertram Bailey. The film portion of the bill, In addi- tion to the feature, Included "Topics of the Day," an adventure scenic, the Capi- tol News and the William Fox comedy, "Money Talks." The latter closed the ■ program and received many laughs. The overture was the Offenbach com- position, "Orpheus In the Underworld," the selection being offered about one- third way in the bill. The business late In the afternoon filled the house to about two-thirds. BROADWAY. Sunday afternoon's business took a flop but was augmented to capacity at night. "Powder Puff Follies,!' ran as i uuual, this making the fifth week of Its engagement. Monday, however, there, was Interpolated in this "burlesque 're- :vue'" some of the material Hugo Jan- sen has been showing in vaudeville with "Oh. Auntie 1" act. d - ■ - ■ The feature of the current week la "Deadline at 11,"' a Vitagraph picture, re- viewed elsewhere in • these columns, which made a valuable addition to the bill. Btep. IN SEARdTof A SINNER. Oeorglabna Chadbourne, '. s -- Constance Talmadge Jack Garrison......... Radcllffe Fellows Jeffry ................. .'...Corliss Giles Sam .. William Roselle Helen Marjorle MUtori Katie '• Evelyn C. Carrlngton. Valeska Lillian Worth Henry ....Arnold Lucy Roue ..Charles Whlttaker Walter \.........Ned Sparks Policeman ,. ..........William Boshell. "In Search of a Sinner," adapted from the play of the same title,'has been de- veloped Into a whale of a picture at the hands of John Emerson and Anita Loos, ■ and is an Ideal starring vehicle for the . winsome and charming Constance Tal- madge. The-feature is a First National release In five reels. The story is .that of a young girl who has been- married to a highbrow a great many years her senior. He was "a good man 1 ' and after his death the widow de- cides that she has had enough of "good" men in her life and comes to New York tc snare a "wild man;" She flirts with a man la Central Park, later meeting , him in the Casino. A "Copper" .who has trailed her there tries to arrest her tor having violated the ordinance against picking flowers, and her ' new found / friend puts up a battle with the officer, allowing her to escape. When she gets home she Is certain that Bhe Is In love and feels certain that .she has met a "wild man," for no one except a wild one would give battle to a copper. The brother of her former husband with whom she is stopping remonstrates with her for the foolhardy escapade, and remarks that she should attach herself . to- some "good, reliable man," mention- ing a friend Of his Trom the West. It happens that the friend from trie"West Is the man with whom she flirted. •It is from this point on that tho story beepmes a broad farce. The brother-in- law and his wife are called out of town and the friend from the West Is to be entertained at dinner. The widow de- cides to put her "wild man" to a final' tost to ascertain whether.or not he quail 2 flea, to be her second husband. She de- cides to inform him on his arrival that she is the wife of his friend, and then If .he flirts with her Bhe Is oertaln that he'll . do. But he wont flirt,, and then a chase ensues, she deciding that she must make him wild and then tame him.- In this she Is finally successful. it Is- not so muoh the action of the •story 'that' gets this picture over as the titling, - The titles are whales and they carry the action. Here Is a sample: the scene shows the hero's apartment, he believing that, he has made love to his beat friend's wife has decided to leave for California with a dams that be has fticked up In the street. The friend walks n on him and he tells his plans, the title reading: "So I am going to California with' the worst woman In New York," to * which the dame returns: "You flatterer." - - Miss Talmadge Is supported by a cast -that Is adequate, especially Rockcliffe Fellows, her leading man. Fellows gives one of the best screen performances that he has shown since "The Regeneration." The dame bit Is played by Lillian Worth, ' - who puts It over with a bang. She Is the typical slangy detained dame to per- fection. ..The production does not show any- thing out of the ordinary in the way of sets or exterior shots, but the photog- raphy Is quite good. There is one fault in the. assembling of the picture, and that is the predominance of close-ups of Miss Talmadge. Fred. f BUdflTwHlTE. Margaret 1 Theresa 1> ■: Dorothy Dalton Yvonne J Lyda Desmond Claire Mesereau Mrs. Desmond Lillian Lawrence Jim Brood Holmes B. Herbert Fred Brood Jack Crosby Ranjab Joseph Granby gaws .-. Patrick Barrett R'ggs .Tom Cameron This George Barr -McCutcheon tale tends Itself wonderfully to the screen. It J 8 a whale of a- story and It Is well told in this Thomas Ince production that was directed by Charles Glblyn. Dorothy Dalton Is starred In the production but she does not seem to have been the hap- piest of selections for the principal role Sk, tne drama. However, as a picture. "Black Is White" will undoubtedly please = "«.,♦♦!: 8 t nd audiences away talking about the story rather than the star. It Is the tale of a young wife whose it has on the lives of a small village, husband believes her to be unfaithful the male members of which are dally and turns her out. A son had been born commuters to the big city. The story to the union: and the man retains the hands you a lot ot laughs and leads no- child even though he believes that its where. It will please audiences every- - father was some one other than he. After whore—while they are looking at It. IE years have passed the man meets a Jolo, woman, in Paris, falls In love with her v and marries her. In truth It Is his . —-:-i _ —- •—.■■-• — &SS Sft' .3 h 2, 1 V" d,rected »! e 5 "«•' - IN WALKED MARY. so that this might be accomplished her j, : .■ _ „„_ • , • *■■■ vengeance having taken that form, be- Some 6,000 feet of June Caprice at her llevlng that she could finally win her sweetest. If exhibitors and their patrons . son's affection and take him from the like that sort of thing, they should snap . father. When the attraction between the this up, as Oliver D. Bailey's story Is all two become noticeable tho father be- right. George Proctor does none too Ueves that his wife'and her, as he sup- clever an adaptation of it, but George poses stepson, are In love with each Archalnbaud makes up for the arrange- other. He hears them planning to go ment by good detail. Thomas Carrigan away together and shoots the boy. as the hero played his part to fine ad- ' Finally he realizes the wrong that he has vantage. done both the wife and the boy and begs - He Is down South when a little or- J forgiveness, which Is granted him. phaned girl takes his offer to help her The roles of father and son are played too literally and arrives unexpectedly by Holmes E. Herbert and Jack Crosby, at his residence In the city. She gets The latter as the son walks away with herself innocently Into plenty ot trouble, all the honors of the picture. He even but finally frees him from the girl who overshadows the star. The role that he • does not love him, but another. Intending portrays contains all the sympathy, there to marry him only for his money. The being even a greater measure for him Photography In this Capellanl produc- than there 1b for the wife and mother, tlon is adequate. Miss Dalton with a blonde wig tries to '■' k " Leed. look the exceedingly youthful wlfo and • ■ ■ ' then the more mature matron of 16 years . nc Annate a*r •« later. One can hardly believe that the DEADLINE. AT 11. best. Thle picture has played all around S"l8*rf2 T^Siii? 6 L'h^vJVmS *» ,m ,l New York in th« suburbs nrlnr tn hAlnir °* Ma UT10e COBtello, who by this time shXn at the cSpltol F P ^J**?" "1"?',^ 22ffl?*"S* by ffiS fanB wIt \ a "_ ■ mtwm certain amount of wondermont aa to - - . what became of him. He returns to this HIS HOUSE IN ORDER foature and, although foatured, handles nw huujd in URUin. only a small role which does not take him Nina Graham... Elsie Ferguson, -into more than 15 Bcencs at the most. Filmer Jesson...... .-Holmes E. Herbert . The explanation of his absonce has been Hilary Jesson. .Vernon Steel vouchsafed In his declaration Bomo years Annabelle Jesson. Margaret Linden ago that he purposed retiring from the Geralfllne Rldgley .Marie Burke screen, However, his change of purposes Derek Jesson Lawrence Johnson is noted, and his return In this feature — gives some assurance of his being lit good This is not a good picture. Its market health. His close-ups show him po*- value rests principally on Miss Ferguson - sessed of tho same remarkable features and her gowns. She wears some gorge- which made him so popular In the days ous ones,.and that gets the women, but when the films were just edgjng their the Ice has already been broken on this way into popularity. • adaptation of Plnero's play. The one When captions flashed -the name of Louis Sherwtn wrote for Pauline Fred- Maurice CoBtello tho audience did not al- erlck uses a plot so similar as to give - together seem aware of that presence on the brunet the advantage over the . tho screen, .but when they saw the man blonde, in that the brunet showed first 'again, exclamations of surprise passed and so got the pickings. " ■ • through the house In a decidedly audible Moreover, In this Paramount offering tone. It was as If there was a unanimous Hugh Ford's limitations as a picture -i greeting of approval. Costello is with director are so marked as to drive a real 1 us again, and he is there! Make no mis- screen boss almost crazy. Mr. Ford take about It still thinks In terms of the legitimate The feature Is one of the best that has stage. His characters never act natur- ever' been shot out of the nose of a ally but always as they would to score camera, It deals with a newspaper ro- a point betore a listening audience, and mance showing further a side of news- hfs pictures suffer accordingly. No paper work unknown to the public It amount of excellent Paramount photog- reveals the Interior of what Is known In raphy oan Conceal this fundamental newspaper parlance' as the "city room." shortcoming, * Moreover, its story is a continuous rove. The story deals with the Induction latlon of sparkling realties drawn by tne Into an aristocratic household of a young nand ot a man who knew his subject as governess. When the first wife Is killed P**"'" 1 knew M» " B " ■trlng. There Ir. an automobile aooldent, the widower < hasn t been shot Into It a rot of flllum falls In love with his son's teacher, but t0 tako UD unnecessary time. In notion atfer they are married he Is constantly . iUW! 1 out t0 tel1 a »*mplo story and comparing her to the advantage of & oe " ahead with it In a straightforward, his late wife. Soon It develops that this' Purposeful manner that makes the audi- ■ wife had an amour and the aon is not t ? r marvel at both its brevity and oon- the husbaiid's after all. He treats his clseness. „„;,,,_, _ ,„.„,. new wife better then, and they are A sweet slip of a girl (Corlnne Griffith., ■ reconciled. Part of this Is told In stilted starring) outrages one of these mamma's tltlings. . suueo wh0 . d ratner navo the i r (daughters wed Among the actors Vernon Steel, a re- titles than eat. The young dame gives crult from "Declasse." seems out of on , e V of wi Bn ? lan 1 d fl 1 I V} ble 5? n " ? f re ' t , J1 tno place for. a picture, but Holmes B. Her- cold ahoulder by telling him she couldn't bert was the asinine husband to the life. ; m ftt. ry a man she couldn't love, and then While Paramount will sell this offer- *"* ntt close-up of a heated argument be- ing, It Is not real picture stuff. " tween mother and daughter resolves to Iee< t . go her. way. She ploks out a newspaper, ____ walks demurely up to the desk of the TUP civ ercT *n?t tine city editor, who tells her to-go out and Int MA BtM LbLLAKS. write a "story" on Autumn and report Haim nn..*.. W...J..1 ™ .. back to the night city editor. The dead- Mrs y c£n«n»££ or ' •'* •' Br ^ n b Wa T5 hbu / n »n e '8 U. In'the-efnce she bumps Into Ed WftmSfnn5 *%£& Hawley the star reporter. There the romance bo- Mrs »£"£?£* C,a ££? e T Bu . r i on ? ,n »- The action later naturally finds Mrs TeST y'^S" £°' ,m Jft these two deep in the mush stuff. Her Mr Teik JoBeph nw.i C tE w iI! wojmyrty. Influence Is enough to make Vlrslna Ja'sne; 3KL XE?,?^ *¥■ g0 p * tne * ater wagon, jvhlle his In- lKgSeta»a Wayne Sj&ftfe** the ** ■<•««■« ^ Tommvn a «r/*" "tt'^^ S aye ' •'The feature winds up with her seduo- Wrrwl 11 • *' - ' tto , ,ward g*?* ing the> murderer of a victim she has TTftrVi. 'r>Lli,*J Z £ m % Ma3 £ been assigned to get a "sob" story. In M a a HnVris Parkor MacConnoll the interval the "star reporter." waiting ffiSLSSii «r«Vi th A S hb S to get a yarn from a fellow newapaper- Mm CRSL^ii"' • • W,11 J3r? B ;? y . d »" an ' a »« '<"■ the booze, and In a drunken w«Aiifl?l5 appe1- ' ;.V 01lt 5 ° t,s condition tries to trace her to the Blum. m™ !?«aiii;;.V -T nan Connop His cap and pocket knife are found tZ r?i^I" ter A 1 "^ 6 kVI 0 ^ ne&r the body of the murdered woman. ^i,?%.*«~"-V;i«bV.i;5'.uF' Qel f a F* He Is arrested, brought to the police * i he hf ^ntJL*! 4 t ^™?J a , lt K. thls . SffiftJ" "ation and accused of the murder. The Sflil ffh m.7-tJ. B i ed ffcS°!?„ e il y -« b,, - t " ndoubt - damsel saves the day by getting the vn , y „ a w B l n ^I t ^f™?lL ?/„ a „ ph ,° t0, i Uy . a l a yer. Just In time enough to make the f«MlSh J A y *^ h l 1 i1.^ l ! W i!. ,> /i t a . nd then t eof deadline and get the story over. i? ii 8h n f0 L» avIn f? ? n, .°^£l y a our ?? ,f .^Jf 6 ,* 1 This briefly Is the, story, but in detail iL ,B » al kv 0V wMiLli' Th .®, S,5C B i Bt TT Cel J of workmanship, the Interior of the fefh'iflr ^.S^^^ii*?". a . nd >.. Hu .* h newspaper office, tho mechanism that k? T&*. B £ e 22i„ l0 by B,mer and directed has boen Bhot Into the feature and the y «?«r a ; w«.iPk„«. , .w . ». .. .■ manner In which it is punctuated with Bryant Washburn Is the star, but Is laugh titles, the photography and the given a close run for stellar honors by east, all goeB to make It for one of the Wanda Hawley and Clarence Burton, due best features on the present market, to the fact that their parts are better Although starring with Miss Griffith, than his, and hence stand out more Dodson Mitchell, as the night city edl- vlyldly. tor, Frank Thomas as the reporter, share The story la founded on the present the honors with her. day prohibition agitation and the effect Btep. ■•:)