Variety (April 1920)

42 MOVING PICTURES ATTRACTIONS DISTRIBUTING CORPORATION Is Gratified to Animounce to the Trade the Election of r B. P. Schulberg V Presidttit and General Manager And the Election of B. P. Fineman as Vice-Preddent in Charge of Pro- ^ ductions and Los Angeles Headquarters ^ To Stars: Directors and Other Independent Factors— AT YOUR SERVICE ^ In New YoifR: B. P. SCHULBERG Longacre Building In Los Angeles: . B. P. FINEMAN MacDonald Pictures Corporation Studio Georgia and Girard Streets Specialized and Personal Sales or Exploitation Service and General Representation.' TEEOEFHAS TYie Orphan William Funam Helen Shields Louise I>ovel)r Tex Wlllard Henry J. Hebert nuclmel .....Bart Cratn Bill Howland O. BAymond Nyo Sheriff Jim Shields....rox.Oeorse Nichols Joe Snsed Harry' Do Vcro Martin ••... At Fremont Margaret Shlrtda.. Olive White Aunt Cynthia Carrie Clark Ward Neither cumulative In interest nor contributing tliat needed essential which would rank It with the better class photoplays, "The Orplmn," Fox's latest starring vehicle for William Farnum, at best can be rec- ommended as a poorly assembled flve-reeler with some melodrama thrown in. There are tthousands of followers of Mr. Farniim. At best "The Orphan" may make an impres- sion with the youngster still in knee pants whose heart throbs over the miraculous adventures and in- human feats performed by his hero. But when you begin to hand out film food to a grown-up audience, consisting of a fast-riding horse- man picking off Indian braves after "white squaws" in a stage coach, or else on the warpath, picking them off as an expert would demolish clay pipes in a shooting gallery, the feeding Is poor. In short, much of the five reels is exaggerated and un- convincing. Practically the entire cast, com- petent to the degree of expression commanded by the director, is wasted on poor material. The major part of the credit of all who were concerned in the mak- ing of "The Orphan" must be shared between the location man and the photographer. With the former a background as picturesque as could be bad under the circumstances is furnished, while the photography is unusually clear, and may be due to the weather conditions of the moun- tainous country where It was filmed. Step. LOVE WITHOUT aUESIIOH. A stateright feature produced by Jans Pictures, directed by B. A. Rolfo, Is "Love Without Question," adapted from O. W. Camp's story, "The Abandoned Room." It would seem that the original title fitted the tale more felicitously, which is an intensely absorbing mystery >-am, fairly reeking with suspensive Interest. So cumulative Is the un- folding that when it reaches a cer- tain point the audience breaks with hysterical laughter. The finish, however, is disappointing and com* monplace. The entire picture could stand a considerable amount of cut- ting and achieve even better results. Olive Tell is starred but has rela- tively little to do but look pretty and "emote" occasionally. The scenario, by Violet Clarke, is capi- tally worked out, but the scenes should be cut more closely to make the tale more concisely knitted to- gether, and possibly some o£ the earlier ones entirely deleted. The titles are romantic in their wording, .such as "with the lifting of the black screen of night." "the hours marched across his brain with end- less heavy tread,' 'etc. ^ The cast, production and direction are the work of artisans and the picture could stand for a lot of spe- cial exploitation on the part of a local exhibitor and live up to con- siderable advance promise. ••■ JoJo. SnCE AROUNl). A. J. Van Beuren's presentation of Ernest Truex in the two-reel com- edy, "Stick Around." written by P. G. Wodehouse, is one of the funniest short subjects ever turned out—bar- ring the Chaplin and Sennett slap- stick affairs. Truex Is cast for the part of a private detective who is in love with a touring musical com- edy actress. She refuses hira. say- ing her ■Ister married » traveUn* man and never saw him but ono« for luaoheon. She wUl only marrv a tnan who can tbur with her . When things look*blackest Ernest receives a phone call from his boM to leave at once with the same com! " paiiy to shadow one of the miUa members whose wife suspects him' of inadelity. His disguises are 1^-. dicrous, but he always carries the' same handbag and doesn't fool any' one. ' After geing through a aeries or • "tragic" situations he is seated one evening in the wings of the theatre during the performance when a mouse runs up his trouser leg. Ho rushes on the stage, frightened out ■ of his senses and starts to shake the < rodent out. In doing so he goes through a series of gyrations which the audience mistakes for a shimmy dance, thereby scoring an enormous hit. The manager takes advantage • of the situation and engages him \ for the show, and he gets the girL - The end comes too unexpectedly-' and yet so legitimately that it Is a r" "riot." . Jolo. '. ESNIE YOUNG PRODUCING. : Chicago, April 28. C With Ernie Young this week .' m'oving his quarters to larger ofll- ^* ces in the same building. Masonic ? Temple, Mr. Young announces \he ' opening by him of a production de- ^' partment. WE CAN PAY Attractive Pi-ices for OTa Moving Picture Films io Reels or Scrap Peter LeonardU & Sons IM Na«MB Bt, Sew Torfc Cilr i' SJS t« 0» Blver St., Newark, N. J. Jesse LLasfy'IVesents'W^ TjL ^^" BRYA NT wKb MRS. TEMPLES TELEGRAM* XJE wanted to lell her the truth—but it sounded so impossible that he had to lie to convince her. And even then she didn't believe him. So he determined to find out. That started a triangle that developed into a quadrangle—; and finally into a hexagon. «]yjRS. TEMPLE'S TELEGRAM" has been for years one of the funniest farces in the world. Millions have been convulsed by it^ On the screen it is a hundred times funnier. There's a laugh in every scene. With WANDA HAWLEY Bjr FRANK WTATT Ma WILLLiM MOHRW. 8c<Mrl» Uf EI.MF.U UARKIti PIreciad hr JAMiEB CRllM FAMOUS PIAIfERS-IASKr CORPORATION ^-WKWwaio