Variety (April 1920)

i MOVING PICTURES 43 «hta Wclra production, starring i* Ivtell. Iff sure fir* entertain- "i to any picture autlleno* Al- Sah this Paul Armmong play o done Sn pictures sever*! years f with Robert Warwick starring ior the world banner (If mefnory i/fl rlchtHl^ere Is no reason why ilbltorB shOflW light shy of heavy- Jnoklngs. A* a noatter of fact. Average picture fan Is not aware ♦he previous version, and if he hal by now forgotten what Ifs Mnia^Foi, in adapting the con- nity has done himself proud, his nioii being replete with action M inch of the footing, the star ^nattne the title role with quiet imtiht and lack of affectaHon or iterated heroics, thanks to log- j adventuresome situations that \l for ever>'day huraan lilstrlonlcs. imund Mortimer, the director, also nes in for his share of approba- n with Sol PoUto, the camera- u)' forming the other membef of ig triumvirate of technicians, Bvcryone is famjliar with the original O. Hennr tale or Mr. Arm- strong's version. The reformation of the crack cracksman with his ensuing employipent as assistant cashier In the I'irst National Bank of. Bpringfleld. |I1„. and the per- sistent trailing o( an over-zealous, vengeful "bull" commands Interest and synipatby for the hero through- outi The final punch Is a k. o. Hav-> Ing convinced Detcctivo Doyle that Jimmy Valentine is dead and that I^ee Bandall, bis real name, is a re- spected citizen of the community and that he (the copper) must be mistaken In assuming our hero to be the much wanted crook, Valen- tine Is once more called upon to crack a vault, this time to save a little girl who has been accidentally imprisoned therein. One wonders whether the censors will O. K. the production which goes contrary to their ruling that any production which creates sympathy for a crook or crooks comes under their dis- approval. The supporting cast is exceedingly worthy. Rose l^ne, the hero's vls- a-vis, portrayed by Vola Vale, makes a handsome and capable leading lady. Wilton Taylor, in the role of Detective'Doyle, was an ex- cellent movie type "bull" froni^ his derby hat and cigar-in-one-corner- of-the-month-exprcssion, down to his proverbial flat feet and width-B shoes, a stereotyped stage giveaway for plain clothes guardians of the law, a make-tjp still persisted in, despite the mooem detective Is usu- ally the least conspicuous personage one runs across. Eugene Pallette and Bill Avery did the two "crook" roles creditably, vrith the balance of the support equally capable. PABISOBE^ "^ T.utlier Green Charles R.ty Nlncn Ruhlnet Ann May Mattaeir Orctn..i...«.....s..Bert Woo<irufr Ranih Gr«en ...' Oertrade Clair Julei B«noit Donald McDonald "Hairpin" J'etrle...Clardon Douglas Mulltn Edith OIea«on Norrle Johnson KaUchl Miller William Conrtrtsht Mrs. Miller ...» Ida Lewia. Andre Robinet..... ...Otto Hoffman This is the latest Ince feature starring Charles Ray. It is a cork- ing comedy drama with a lot of pep and action in its from ;he start. One of these pictures that the Ray fans will be crazy to see and one that will please even those who are not craey about Ray. The general indications are that the author of the story, Julian Jo- sephson, must have received his in- spiration from the popular- song, "How Are You Goln* to Keep 'Em Down on the Farm," for his'hero dashes through Paris in 45 minutes while on leave from bis regiment before returning to America. Then he goes back on the old farm at Quigley Corners. N. J. Of course the girl that promised to wait turns him down and later a little girl from Paris, whom he met during his 45-minute dasl:, follows him to the old homestead- So much for ro- mance and story. Of course. It ends by Ray winning the little Frenchle. Ray is a delight as the boy from the farm In the .^rmy and a whole lot more than llwt when he is back among the old folks. ' Ann May is his leading lady. She plays the lit- tle French girl very Well and put up a fight In a taxlcab with a couple of rough guys who have framed to abduct her. She Is a decidedly pretty little thing and screens well. Bert Woodruff and Gertrude Clair, playing the father and mother respectively, of the hero, are true types. So motherly does Miss Clair appear that one wants to walk right up and sit down to one of her flap- jack breakfasts. Donald McDonald and Gordon Douglas Mu'.lcn played the heavies, getting over. Norris Johnson had an ingenue bit with which she did rather well. Ottff Hoffman a« an excitable old French- man worked his hands to death while talking,'but otherwise looked the part- A couple of character roles were played by William Court- right and Ida Lewis. The production end" is simple, aU though there are some very pretty exteriors that catch the eye. The photography is good at all times. Jerome Storm directed. .Fred. THE TOLL GATE. ^miam 'S. Hart Anna Q. Nllaioh .....Jack Richardson Joseph Singleton Black Deerlng. Mnry Brown •, Thi> Shrritt I Jordan < "The Little ITeller"..... •.•.•••.'. .. Master Richard llcadrick ^"ri^fi Making allowances for a margin of too mucl) supposition, and. incon- sist^ncy at the outset in the action of "The Toll Gate," the latest Wil- liam S. Hart production proved ao] engrossing and absorbing West-j erner. '■Ralncow: "Where a man can do. a killing and get a decent hanging',„ or get a vote of thanks'." Tlllesi-*! «f this vernacular run riot In "The Toll Gate," and the hefo is alleged to speak thus: "Boys, get settin' easy, as I'm flgurin* to make a talk." . Preceding the hero's speech a short prolog, superbly edited, again confronts the auditor as in most of the Hart features. It is Hart and his inimitable man* ncr, characteristics and other qual^ ities that make this feature with its multiplying scenes Interesting and even plausible. The feature is potential in its possibilities because of Hart and Intelligent direction. Potential, indeed, for it is one ot the few flhns (if there are others) minus the love interest until prac- tically near the end. It is a feat in Its way, and must be held up •• an example, tor the picture may have concluded without it, and still proved its -vorthi >" In the ending, however, there Is' more of a grain of truth and logio than in most Hart features. In this case' he does not marry her,- al- though she has protected him and the posse has given bim his free- doiri. The Incident i« onp wher« he' discovers that she is the abandoned • wife of the "stool," and the latter has been disposed of, thus ending the chapter of vengeance. The production has been made Id the great outdoors, with a pic- turesque background sufllcient for the purpose, and few Interiors. The customary bar-room did hot create and derisive laughter, due, perhaps, to the Rivoli's audience romembcr- Ing that the events happened long before the dry era. In photography It Is a consistent accomplishment. Its small cast of principals are skilled, sincere, and convincing, fl-om the beauteous Miss NilsBon to the playful Master Richard. -^ A JJ?® «**V'{'"* ^ released through Artcra.ft. Not tc.) book It would mean- to eliminate a -Wholesome fea- ture despite a captious plot. The story is by Hart and Lambert Hlliyer, the ■ latter the director. Both deserve the thanks of any au. ;::|'^^ ^KJI- T-<, ir^irx fej:-'' ■•?g^■■ ■■;*: ... ■■■^'■v^*^.1r/^,: ■ ,:.i^r VV"^. :.■ ■■■■fi- •■ ■ .- -i-t'S,... J.I dience. THE STEANGE BOAKX&B.'^ !'' That brilliant short story writer. Will Paynd, has provided Ooldwyn with a splendid plot for a picture. They have cast Will Rogers in the' pivotal role, but it is not a stellar one in that the central character Is not a heroic one and, as character-■ l«d by Rogers, is a snivelling, uni attractlvo personage who permits big' things to happen all airound him without taking part In the ac-' tlon. In spite of this the story Is ab- sorbingly mtercatlng, with Ingenlii ouHly concocted suspeiwlve Interest for even an underworld plot. Ad- mirably directed by Clarence Bad- ger and with a cast of character players It Is most entertaining. Rogers plays an Arizona ranch- man, who, on tho death of his wife, promises her ho will take'their little boy "east" to be educated. Ho puts a {10,000 mortgage on his ranch, answers an advertisement for a sclesman in a "prospering" concern, goes to Chicago, meets a bunch of grafters in tho outer room of a bank, is Introduced to the "presi- dent," hands him his roll and is thus left with his little boy practically without funds. How he gets mixed up with a crook, who rescues his child from being run over, forms a friendship tlmt endures, tB arrested for a mur- der that his pal really committed and is Anally freed after the other confesses, escaping to Mexico, wins a young woman who resides in the same boarding bouse, conceiving a lovo for her through her kindness to his. little boy, make for a most ab- sorbing, tense, dramatic, under- world tale. It is all very line, but tho man who plays the pal, "Kittle" Ulnch. Is unquestionably the star. In the absence of any program it Is im- possible to give this screen actor the full orcdit ho so richly merits. Rogers generously permits him- self to be kidded by a title which follows a scene in which the girl he I loves, looking at the pal who com- mitted tho murder, says his face in- dicates his guilt. Says Will: "It you could hang a man on account of his face, look Avhere I'd have been." This takes the curse off tho star's sentimental stuff and dls« counts any prejudice that might exist in the minds of the apectai^ tors. - • There are dozens of cxceUsnt choracterlssatlons in the presenta^ tlon, augmented by a most com* prchcnslve production and moat competent direction. As photoplay entertalnmsat "Th« Strange Boarder" is tig leagti* stuff. . iTOOk , ^'« •' ■ •■* ';:'r»'"*r ^^ ^■^m '■^.^^ntXrti