Variety (April 1920)

M MOVING PICTURES SEX. i. Adrienne .loulie Olanm !■ Daisy :P«»Ky P«aroo i Dick Wallace I^Sl'M CujnmlnOT f Edward Morsan.. Wllflam ConklTn I Mrs. Morgan Myr.Ua Stedman This much heralded feature prodootlon j by J. Parker Read, Jr., •with L«ulie Glaum featured, Is dlBappolntlnff. It* failure to land aa a heayy ia due to G. Gardner Sullivan's handllnff ofthe •tpry. i He mlBsea point after point. While Fred t: NiWo directed, he was probably held r pretty close to Mr. Sullivan's Idea of things, but he got In excellent touches. ■' the sets and lightings were rich and ade- [ quate, and Charles J. Stumar's oaaera ;.. work was up to a high mark. There were ;= few exteriors and these few were right The fault that will keep tWs feature '. from walloping the market Is Its authors . ■ failure to treat his theme In a romantio manner. It Is too much like a statement ■ , The "story Is of Adrienne. the leading lady of a roof garden show. She^s copped the love of a married man. This . wife comes to claim her husband, put : Adrienne laughs at the wife, Impressing • her young chorus girl pal with her hard- ■ nesa. Then Adrienne falls for a rich . young man, marries him and In tarn : loses him. We have a duplication of tte previous situation with Adrienne mm ■ •- time In the part of the wife. Meanwhile, we see the husband and wife, once sep- arated, reunited. The last shot shows Adrienne, who has lost her husband, sail- ing for Europe and having to watch those -she had parted kissing their way through their second honeymoon- This duplication Is Mr. Sullivan's idea . of clever drama, but It Is Invention. It Is not Imagination, and Imagination roles the world. It la mechanical where great- : nesB iB a fluid and plastic as nature and all the marvellous sets, the anualng ef- fects, the zip and verve of actors pushed ' to the limit of their ability can not hide ■ the defects of this master who has served Ince so long as an alter ego. He Is sooa, but not great As for the actors he has a . hand In choosing, they,Illustrate an- other pecuUarlly of the Ince establish- ; ment Miss Glaum 1b effective and pleas- antly In contrast to the outle type so. charmingly visualized by Peggy Pewce. Most of the men In the cast neither dressed nor looked. the part of New Yorkers, but Irving Cummlnga Is In a class by himself. Absolutely hopeless from the Broadway point of view, he novertholesa brings movement and sin- cerity to the Interpretations he l« cast for and so keeps them from being ridicu- lous. Gradually he Is learning how to dress better. • His dinner coat looks al- most human now and his trouser legs ana coat sleeves are less perilously narrow. Mr. Cummlngs has seen the work of first rate directors and actors and If »• BtlU chooses to dress like a little Bast Side ^ shop girl's Idea of a dude It Is hls^own lookout As things are, his mere pres- ence In a society drama makes that same drama Impossible of serious consideration for a first class house. "««. jackItraw. This Robert Warklok feature, the fea- ture attraction at the Rlalto during the week, Is "great stuff" considered both from exhibitors' and an audience's view- point Like all romatlo comedy, it goes strong with the women and even the males make certain allowances presum- ably BuboonscIouBly kidding themselves Into believing the yarn^ after making certain allowances for fiction values. This l8 a Paramount-Artcraft produc- tion adapted by Olga Printzlau from W. Somerset Maueham's stage play of the - same name. William C. De Mills directed and both he and the continuity scribe are deservant of much credit for the manner In which they have brought out all comedy points for all their possible value. As for the suspense. It Is so well Buatalned at points, that an observer be- gins to doubt his own Intelligence at the spot where the denouement-Is obvious. This la at the supposed unmasking of the bogus Archduke Sebastian of Pom- eranla (nee Jack Straw).; Although a discerning fan might pos- sibly guess the supposedly assumed title of royalty will prove on conclusion to be the alleged maequerader's proper cog- nomen, the average audience does not get "wise" until well after the middle of the footing. And It Is here where the Archlduke, by delaying confession of proper Inheritance to the title, sustains the observers' Interest. The yarn, briefly, shows the star, a phlloBDhlc gentleman with an Inclination to living Iff6 first hand In all types of classes, doing an Iceman role for a Har- lem family. He spies the sole charm of the family of three, Ethel Parker Jen- nings (Carroll McComas), overhears the glad news the family has become sud- denly elevated Into mllllonairedom ^nd having since fallen In love with Ethel, leaves a message he will follow her to California whither the family Is bound - having gleaned that much through harm- less ovesdropplng. In California he as- sumes the guise of a waiter and Is In- volved In a frame-up by an aristrocratto coyple of reduced means, to play a prao-. tloal ]oke on the Parker-Jennings family, the mistress of which has made herself particularly obnoxious through her af- (eotatlons to a position which birth and breeding have not fitted her for. The plan Is to palm oft the waiter as a nobleman, Introduce him to the Jen- nings' as such and let matters Uke their course. Jack Straw Is metamorphosed into an Arohduke. the title being sug- gested by himself so as to further heighten the subterfuge, he explains. He selects the title, stating it belongsno a gentleman who was banished from his state for his very democratic principles, and has since been lost track of. One guesses—or should guess-^ack Straw Is really the Archduke. A reception is staged In the noblo visitor's honor. Seeing the Joke carrying Itself too far. the scheming duo Is de- sirous to call it ott. The conclusion comes In due time. Jack and Ethel, the Jennings family's sole eligible having obeyed Dan Cupid Irrespective of title. Charles Ogle and Sylvia Ashton did masterful conceptions as the heads of the Jennings' family both in their pre- newly rich days in Harlem and as the noveau riohe in their California villa. The latter condition brings to light innumer- able comedy points and Mr. Ogle's stots resignation to his fate as a member of the idle rich, with his primed manner- isms and exaggerated courtliness as be- hooves one of his station, was exceeding- ly rich in his comedy with Sylvia Ashton not one bit the less funny In her per- sonation. All their comedy was whole- some and laugh provoking to a degree. Helene Sullivan In the role of> Mrs. Wanley, a divorcee, and J. M. Dumont as Mr. Holland, her suitor, did the prank playing couple to a nicety with sufficient verve and naievette, and some good little reason, too, tp take away any self blaoie for perpetrating such a practical Joke. The real cause lay in Mrs. Parker Jen- nings' harmlessly offensive reference to BIrs. Wanley at one time from whom the newly rich family leased their villa Robert Brower did Count of Pomerania role in excellent fashion. As for the principals, Mr. Warwick de- ported himself with quiet dignity and sufficient self-restraint to add reallsifi to his personation. Miss McComas Is'an excellent vis a vis, although the star has had better types of "leading ladles" In his time. youthfuTfouy. Olive Thomas continues successful In this latest release by Selznick starring her. It was shown last week at LK>ew's New York. She Is also starred as the. author. Alan Crosland directed for her and Crauford Kent played the lead. The rest of her support were adequate to throwing her undoubted beauty and her growing oharm as a screen actress Into - pleasant and stimulating relief. The re- sult Is an excellent market product, but to those who have been watching her grow there la a peculiar Interest In study^na; the story which Is perfeOtly adapted to her style. She appears first as a young girl of sixteen two old ladles are rearlhg. Right under their noses she raises the dickens, and everything amusing hap- pens except a spanking. A distant ,cous!t|, who lives in New Orleansf has gotten Into a scandal. To save her^ce she rushes to the country and marries off the man in the case to the girl Im- personated by Miss Thomas. The rest of the story deals in a swift and Inter- estingly melodramatic manner with the way this husbaud comes to fall In love with his own wife, who continues to be a cuf-up and a kid. Once when he is entertaining some older men and she IS flirting with his boy ward she hangs out of the window ana appears to the as- tonished men below with her skirts every which way. A less amusing touch Is wnere she rushes between an aveng- ing shot and her husband. This finally brings them together. Miss Thomas knoT^s how to be charm- ing. 8hP photographs beautifully. If well trained by one of the best directors she will certainly develop as an actress and should have a great future. THE ROAD TO DIVORCL This Universal feature makes the best of Mary Maclaren and has besides a fun- damental^ appeal that for general au- diences is well Dlgh Irresistible. The result is a first rate market t>roduct The story Is by J. Orubb Alexander, He tells of a small town marriage and the honeypioon. The.arrival of babies kept the young wife away from her husband to an extent lie resented. Then a young Boston woman (one of those Intellectual women) comes to visit the household. Just as husband and visitor discover they are born soul mates, the wife be- comes III from watching the growth of this romance and dashes out Into a stormy night This wakes the husband up and he searches high and low for her, his soul mate forgotten. ' A simple enough story, and yet, well handled, eternally new. Philip E. Rosen, who directed with considerable distinc- tion, starts his Idea off by showing how dull Is the plumage of female birds. This, It Is explained. Is so they can pro- ect their young. He gets some good comedy In, too, with a monkey, and Harold James makes some exceedingly charming long snoU tor this feature. NEWS OF THE FlUI WORU) Paul Powall'wm 4l*wt BtlM ClaytM in "All la a Mlcht" for tlM V. r.-U Moat* Blue will h» proaivted to itar* dom shortly nndar th* W. P^I» bauar. aevalaad MoSstt irtll writ* Mfonl serials lor VIU. Rex Insran Is dlrMtla* *Veaiti An Trumpib" a Drarjr Xmm BMUtr, nr Metro. Carmel , l|«)rfrat..jtouriajr vICh, .via'tlnivei Maglo ifelody," will retora to piatans naL "The Hnsbanda ot UltH." br Oaocm Barr UeChitoheon, baa bean aoanlrsA fey F. P,-L. tor Wall ace He lffa om. "A Celebrated Case." tba toalMr by D'Ennery ft Cormon will be relMM4 «■ a P. P.-Xi. speolaL Burton Ktnr has startei wvrk oa his second indapanaent prodaetloa. Hidden Path.'' June Caprie* will atar. Marshall Nelllaa has started work oa bis adaptation ot Booth Tarfclagton's "Penrody stories. Jack F. Relriy -has asanmed dutrga of Roberison-Colo's publicity and adTertla* ins department. Ia S: Metcalfe, former Sanday editor of the Chicago Tribune, Is aeanario bead of Bras Pictures. Irviii 8. CobVs "Boya WtUhBa Boy^ has been acquired for sereea use by Goldwyn. Zena Keete'a next Selsnlek ataniac vehicle Is titled "Marooned Hearts." Tom Uytell will liie th e male lead. Hobart kenley has been added to the Selznick directorial' forces. H* Is tlw xtoM who directe d "A G ay Old DOff." John C. Ragland, formerly with Real- art as general sales manager, has Joined the Arthur 8. Kane Pictures Gotporatlon as general manager. -' Mae Murray and David Powell are again co-starrlns In Ctoorgs fHtznaU'- rioe's second Paramonnt-Artoraft pro- duction, "The Man Who KlUed.". Bert Kalmar baa turned aswspaper humorist He Has been runnla* znnajr "colyumsr" In several dallies aat portodl- cal& Jack Barryraore's next Paiamount-' Artoraft production will be aa adapta- tion of Oscar Wilde's .Tloture ot Doriaa Gray." cneaves Kinkaid has eontraetad to do . a number of scenarios tor Ooldwyn. Kinkaid Is author of the stag* success "Common caay." (ieorge Benolt has Joined X<eBter Park and Edward Whltefelde. prodneers ot "Empty Arms" and "The Scarlet Dra- gon.** J V Mary PIckford's second ^Itotted Artists' production will be an adaptation of "'Op o' Me Thumb," In which Maad* was starred la the leg it. _ Ben-Hendricks, Jr., has bees selected to play heavy In Edgar X^ewls produc- tions. They will be a series ot lumber camp pictures up In Maine. ' Sollta Solano, formerly representative of Albert Capellani productions and other picture interests controlled by Harry Cabane, has resigned. The Vivian Martin Co. has taken a lease of the Benedict'studio la College Point and will start work there Imme- diately. Bway 5lV SSBsa CAPITOL Pauline Frederick w "THE WOMAN IN ROOM 11* HANSEL AND QRCTSL imwm. sYmoHvoiKiKsm'fM WE CAN PAT Attractive Prices for Old Movlnf Picture Fihns in.Reels or Scrap PE'TER LEONARDIS ft SONS 1» Nsssas St. New Terk Cttr U te It Rlvw St.Newark. KT, aa H^gl^^^ oCjBanael MarwWfl asfvsl. B. A. Walsh Is dotn* a sersea atfj^ta^ tloa of rths Bf«P ^'P^S'^J^J^l flower. Belen Ware and Bird Mtllmaa ara east la the produoUoa. Arthur Jaokson's first screen produo- Uoa has bees completed. It Is titled •Xaave It to Me," and stars WiUlam RusssL Bllsen Percy appears opposlU jtha atar la tbis William Fox produeUoa. Buster Xsaton Is another slapstlek artist wboTs working successfully la as- oi»ted ''straight" roles. Be Is at work la Metro's production of "The New Hen- rietta," doing the role Douglas Fair- baaka personated on the stage, Thsra aro two "Dr. Jokyll and Mr. Hyde" productions on the market, One la the Paramount-Artcraft release star* ring John Barrymore. The Picueor Film Corp. sponsors the second. Bheldoa X«wla doss tho dual rols in the latter. Bebe Danlela has evidently graduated from alapstlck comedy into regular, roles, fibs Dlays opposite Robert War- wiek In "HunUng Trouble," wbleb baa - besa completed under Joseph Heaa- berry's direetloo. W. O. Burst, supervisor of production of Bon-flctioa subjects tor F. P.-I*. tea* dered his reslgnulon last week to Join Whitman Bennett as studio manager. The resignation ot Bennett as-produc- tion manager for Fanjous Players was •announced tifo w0eiio ago. It has been decided 'Tarlor. Bedroom and Bath." the stage force by Mark Swan aad C. W. Bell, will not be filmed with Tlola Dana la the stellar role. Instead It wUl bavo an all atar cast headed by Rath Stoaehouse'aad Bugene Pallette. aad released aa a speclaL ICy part fa BeatOTed' 'Democracy—The Vlaloo ls~ without exception tho most IntersstlBK I have over portrayed, tor It called for something more than an ex- ternal presentatton," declares Leslie Austen, the Jobaaatnan of this thought drama, produoed by the Domooracy Photoplay-Co. COAST PICTURE NEWS.: Los Angelest March U.. Jack Boxlo beglna new serial April 1.. He will be supported by Lucille Hobey. ~ The Fox Film Corporation has pur- chased rights to "Bar Honor the Mayor." Arllne Tanness HInes, In which Traverse will have title role. Bertram Orassey has tbe character: lead U tho "Soul of Raetel,'' Clara Kim- baU xonn^s aow picture. Bkrry 8. Korthrup arltb tho Blue Moon. Is doing heavys. LOUaa Olsb and Rlobard Barthlemess will appear togotber la "Way Down WbUe la Los Angeles^ J. P. Gtlroy, antbor and acenarist, from Seattle, piofltably disposed ot some ot hli books aad stones ■ Tbomas Molgban will play the soldier hero in the screen version ot "Civilian Clothea'* _ • K0BERTS01M:0LE BUILDIN& Rob«rtion-Cole Corporation, pictore distributors and bankers, now located in the Mectia building, have purchased a plot of ground on the east side of Seventh avenue near 48tb street and will erect a ten-story building. It will be called the Robertson-Cole building and will house the executtve offices and New York-exchange of that concern. BRONX STUDIO. Another big picture studio has been started in New York City, erected by the Jackson Film Studio Corporation of which William H. Wiessager is president and Ed Davidow is treas- urer. The plant will be located at Jackson and Westchester avenues, Bronx, cov- ering a plot 224 feet by 175 feet A clear height of 30 feet will be permitted and sufficient stage space for from six to eight companies to operate at one time will be proTided.