Variety (July 1921)

28 PICTURES Friday, Jnly 29, 1921 ) INSIDE STUFF ON PICTURES One-tenth of the |90a.OOO Uftue of boBda ou tlie Capitol, New York, liave been retired, thus iocrcasins ttre teenrky on tite rcmatninfs bonds. The bonde are to be retired at the rate of $90,000 r-er y^^i' lor 10 years and are being offered to inve. iora at a price to yield approxlmatelf nine per rent, per annum. The forthcomins film production ul "Ben Hur" marks tin* ipntrance into plotures of two ftmportaat naiilionaires who have heretofore refrained from participation. They are Vincent Astor and Robert Halton Goelet, respectively, the largest and Becond largest owners of real estate in New York City. They are on the board of (Urertor«i of the corporation formed to film "Ben Ilur.*' In association with A. L. I^rlanger, they acquired all production ri|;h^s to the (ieneral Lew ^\a^ace story. The Wallace Estate was paid $7^0,000 cat>b for the picture rights and an additional $1 SO.000 for the stage rights, which iiidaded the iuiercst held by Harper A BTytVcr rhc !>ibT''hors of the t)ook. Aa against tbi», Famous Players Is to put up a like amount as a guarantee to make a film production costing, it Is estimated, in the neighborhood of 11,500,000. Some speculation Is being iudulgod in regardii.g the actual outcome of the William Fox theatre venture in Denvei. Fox secured or built f<Mir the&trcs i^ that fcewn, totr.ling over 11,009.000 cash investment. The theatres are atilt there, but whnt they are doing or have done Is the catrae of the speculation. Fox. of course, JiuppUed the houses with pictures of bis own make, and that i.s discounted in tite specu- lative tt.lk. which takes the form of deciding bow much of the n.illloa could now he eouoted upon as an asset to the Fox concern. Tucker DONT NEGIiCr YOUR WIFE Muil4rliii(> MRbrI Julcntie Scott I.Anfftlon MaatcrB l.ewia S. Mnne l»r. lioirard Talbot (niarl«5« fl;»ry MrH. HuiK McfJi»c K«t« I^nter Mr llBiil Mrl.ttn* R. '» Vt«rl,oan »«^ Tr»v«-r» Arth*ir Hoyt Mt«. Abbott Joll«^ph^oe C'r-owfrU Helt narrrtl .S»b> I Ct*'Ary Nm-ma UcoTft^ L;e-«ry • • • ItK-hsrd (;.>ldnyB ptita this feature out. niHklng great trutnpetrnB of tli« ^«^J that it in "Certrude Atherton « First (irtgjual Hereeu Story." It xa curreat at the Cspitol. I»05^ Mabel Juhenna Scott, r^wi» ». Stone. Charles ilary. Kate Lester, ft al.. and was directed liy "V ,i)ace Woisfey. _ "l>ou't Neglect Ymir Wife is utter litcrftrv juttk a.* far as its story is concerttetl. nUbough no more paiua- tuking bit of techttical dir«'cti>rHhip has come upon the screen this long hme. It i» ft grievous tin that i*o laiieU effort ^hou^d go into the tibn- iiig of a tale so fhiWli»b, ^ crude, HQ auuitearlsh that witJiout Mrs. Atherton'H name it probably never would have jtot pn^t the .iunior mauu- Hcript bbock absorber in the doUlwyu Hcenario dppartmeot. In her noveU V-r«. Athertou is i>erUap« Americas most tinislii'd dealer ia ^*^ll»t|elic8. She wrili'.s ill a vein of ''vqHisite »n|>er- reliuemenr. IIer fction is delicuto embroidery, tleft nnalyeifc and ♦►xpo»i- tion of HbodcM and tone* ef human raiotion and iHipul>*e. . If -Uon't Neglect Yo«r Wife* i« her mature worl? she h«» soflered a horrifyiug revoraul of form, for the story luiRht have been written by n Mlioolgirl of 18. It is MO moistly ktihfiif with Mtieky. i«vrupy juvemlc .vMMit iiieut It seems unbelievable tliat if cftnid hare been -itten by the Mrtvelisr, (if whom it hag been said sbe can pirmiette on a needle point." SniMlay nijcbt the aiitlience at tlic (jipriol ;:igffled unrestrainedly durinj; tlie p <'Hiio's mo'ir movinjr i>a3Ha.ces. Une Rue.Hs is that '^nmel)ody. wbrther . .ri'i-Mi th.f ''lUiif wjkii; <;: ^f the .nutluir. \infi re.Mii r(^rtr"f"n~very eaffT etfifl'l «>f air>^. Atheiton's nnd g'ven it to the rorhl. rorliaps it was by de.sifjn. perh»p.« by acddMit, that the Cipltol nianage- rin-nr elo( ted to put on the proxr.nm a MjM'k SpunenHen Tnrpiu comedy (•.illel 'I.ove'K Outcast." n nhrieking ■ 1ravc-ty on I lie hyper M'timental «.tory. It iniRlit have hi«en a (\e^- •M-ato hui!csqiic of tb'' .\therton film, if cnine ko pat. if deliberate, it had nil riM' rleniont.s uf a dirty die. •Iiorrr Neglect Your Wife" is s?t in Smm Franc»i!CO (where Mrs. Atber- ton li;iK been Ifving the.<^e many years) in tde early 'GOs. The period rivck it a criiaiu intercut as a costume play, the confumet and settings be inc doiie in n thoroughly pninutakiug and ronvinciuR t\ay. Madeline is neglerled liy ber club-jjoinp liir In-id. Dr. Ilo\\:ud Talbot, and fall.« in love wifli T/ingdon Musters, the e<litor. fJos^il. /roes llie ronnds and b»ads to disi losiii 0. discovered by 1h;* hus- kind in :i .situation innocent luit o;>en fo conjecture, and barred fi-om ' f '»y the narrow-minded ?io."iiiI prejudice of the fa'^binnsble set of the day. Mas* t«'i>i and Madeline ncparate. Ma^^iJtT-i lewes San Franci^sci) and Ih next d'sfovcred in Ibc K«]nMlor and vifc <»f I lie Five Point*;. New York'ji lowest s'K'iul level, where be sef»!c- to flriid; bini.solf to death. Mad««lit)(», hIIII in San Franci.To. decides '-Ur mIso will bunij) h( rnrlf off l)y the fii> I (»il route. Husband trirs (o re.'.f r:iiti b<*r. !)ut slu» tbrratens to tliron hn- self to de.n-triicl-ioii froiu youdf-r win- dow .and lie free.^ her to ko Iwr way. I*res<'ntly Nhf in a frequejifer of *'T»m» fiolden finle." a San Franci.sro dive, jiuttine ibree-.«<tar away at tbe speed limit, but. bless you. still pure. Word comcH that Masfer.<< ks Pall- , 'u\n lower and lower in lit kev .uid doRr.'datioii and she determiiicH Ui **»;i"> fo liiui." as liaiira .lean sayx. eCn IIioiikIi be be in the I'^ve roint-. Tliere .'ire intermittent ♦»bo|s of Mas- ler.s in liiR .nlnin enviroumeiit and he kaH inde;>d fallen low. He c^naerts with the wild wooaeo of an uDHavory dire called •*The liucket of n|>od" and is a veritable cinema wreck, except that he con- tinues tu be a matinee idol for neat- ness, rtealism slips a little 'here. The deitaumenf eome.s when Made- line tracks h:n2 down to lhi« disgrace- ful resort and by her gentle presence rejsetiefafeft him. The record would not be complete without a recital of the ''dramatic tlimax'* which takes place in "The Bucket of Vlood." Upon Madeline's entrance an unwkoleseme drab of the resort in making deK|>erate love to the fallen editjr and reKeot^; tbe appari- tion of tbe lipe lad^ who would iii- liemrpt her vrooinc. Wherewpon tbe twt>. .Ma<leliDe. who previoiry y wa«i described as a "woman of exquJistie delicacy." and tlie belle of "The Kucker of Itlood" literally ico to tbe mat with hair pulling and other vio- lence. At one point in the tale tl/» editor iH otoved to excla'mi. apropos of Madeliae. -What a Woman." Some Woman in right. And bv Gertrude Atl»ert^n: I ! /^„;,ft,. f«-rent Tbe bek»t trick.s in literature they kortw, btit better even than the eminent converts now foH^iiif; around out in Hollywood they kH)w how to apply their kiiuwIedKe. l>«>mbeT. meanwhile. Iia^ etaited a new affair with 'he villare girl wiib whom be Marted the picture. , Tb(> end** in a row and when she is din- posed of and fiady Susan prrfer> an- other, be is left to marry tbe run- away cirl. A different endluc. Nv> sugar senti- ment. How will il ko ia tbe coun- try. P'lS.sibT./, being *r«er than Pollyautka stuff, it may catch on. fiet ns h«j[>e H9. Leed. NOBODY r.lttio Mr». Htiiith Jfwrcl l'»rmPR .rohn rtoajrmon.- WHlUiu D;»vUlaon Tf m Htn»fh Kenn«^lh H;irlMn Arm. Psllf>ii Klorpncs UilHiiKii ""•»?•'*' J. If«rbcrt Frmnk MiH. RoHHiitor* Grace .SH«llf«>rfl Hiram S\ran«ey C.conre rawcelt Norton A l8Worth l.ioncr I'apc ll(i:«.sn\(>rp'K Herretary H*>nry a^dlfy Mr». Van rieek hlu l»*irJinc riyU* I»ttr»mi Churle.i Wf>||«.j(lf.y Rr>»fcnmre'» .HKi|>p«>r. . . Willia>n UeGruMS^ The •CJrouch' .Furor m».»y Hafch Home yearn aao there rrttm pro- dtwed in vaudeville a sketch called '"CireaniHtantial Kvi^letu-e," wherein one oi 12 jurorn held out afcaioat 11 others, refusing to vote "giiilty" on u ^ri.Honer whose life they held in their liandfiL In the end the "stub- born" one cottfeiiscs Uc is the culprit and drops dead in the jury room. Itolaod West has ntlllTseil a aimilar dituaftion. haviag the huuband of the Cttiltj woman as the obdurate jury- man, confessing after 30 hours and tiie ineubers of the jury »u'eaTin?|i: to keep his fieeret. He has made of it 3n intensely" dbaorbvng photoplay for ewel (.Wmen, which ahould arre gen- eral Mutisfttction to FirHt National franchise holdera. What happened before the trial is told in a series of fl«Khbacks that in- (lude geuuiue HcencH at I*alm Beach, a millioniiire'H yacht, etc.. all calcu- lated to innpire open-mmithed awe to the proletariat, giving tbe iifre.idy elongated arm of catncidence an ad- ditional wrench. Thtm. to add still more >>pice and mystery the flashback abuwM tbe crime waM doae by tbe young wife 'prompted by h?r sub- conucieuw mind." She hau been rav- ished by a lecherouif naillionaire. which resulted in an attack of anba- jiia. the following day starts for New York from l*alm Beach, fails to rec- ^Offuixe her home or her husband. Vludes the nurse, goes to the home of tbe villain, ftren half a doxen shots into his midriff, picks up her cloak, foes back home to bed. wakes up tlKU'uughly normal and believes nhe dreuu>ed the whole tbiikg. While the other inmates of the rich in^in'H home attempt to break down the loi'ked door the yoiinK wife calmly walkti out of another door and it never occurs to any of tbe others to go to tbe door through which she aiade ber exit. In spite of tbese in- eonsisteuciea it is a reasonably safe predlctioa that **NolM>dy" will satisfy 0(1 per cent ©f the picture attendance, who do not analyse so closely. A» a program fHin production **No- body" ranks with the be»t of the drawing room melodramaii. The pbotograidjy in brilliant at times and the cast wholly satwfactory tliroitgh- out. Miss Carmen has tbe difficult rob* of the aphasia victim and handles it intelligently. J. Herbert Frank stands out strongly as the butler ac- cused of the crime; Kenneth Harlan is excellent as the young husband and William Davidson Is natnral an<l non- theatric aa tbe defiling millionaire. Huch sterling 6lm artists as ICilcy Ha tell. George Fawcett and etbers are <atit for iDfdgitilicaiit relea. I.IJRING LIPS A Fox release with Fdith Roberta, the story of a wrongly accuHcd bun'.( clerk, c^mvifled and sent to prison (or one year. His wife (M.i88 Roberts* during his imprisonment. vaiopH along (he presideiM: or cashier of the bank, to (he point where Hhe a{{rees to Hope with him to South America OQ the day her husband is releasvd from jail. At (he »li*Mmk»hlp d4#ck tS»ey all meet, with the president hauled in carrying a bag contaioiuK the $50X>0(k the clerk was sent away for Htealine. with the (inish the clerk securing (he cashier's job. About the one novelty bit In the film is the repro<liicttoii of a pictiire show in tlie prison, wherein tbe bus- band-convict sees bis wife nae.H the banker in Trinity churchyard. New York. That entails mental KtrcHs throu|H> jealousy and is the only im- aginative point of the picture. In ita scope, the entire direction may be inilcHy commended. Otherwise except- ing for a little different twist to tie story here and there« the thing has been done threadbare in picturen. Tliere is nothing attractive about it or the playing. "louring lips" was one-half of a double feature bill at tbe New York. fiime. Herman Phillipp, formerly a Keith manager !n Greater New York, U now connected with the Famont Players Albany. N. Y.. headquarters, in charge of tbe exploitation depart- ment. MYSTERY ROAD CieraUl Doml»«.y itaviti PoweU J-lyrtlle Sargent Nadja C)«l rov.ka C hrtHloplK-r UVnt fardo** Woodman l..-<(ly .Suaan Pnrrtngt<»n Marv Olynne Vera UypaHht. I'««SJ Jrj*n .Sar^ot , Widow r>uincjinrl. . Pierre Navul , Karl of {'arrinirton, The VuKi*l*uiid Kuby M I!rr IVrcy Standing . . . lif Trt3 C'lllberl . . . . Irene Tripod fiionel O'Ar.ienn . . . Artlittr CuUfft R. .luvld (I'reeii riKrter The Prreat Ral|>li Famous l*layers-La*«ky British Fro- ducer.s. Ltd.. made this feature from a story by K. Fbillifw Oppenheim and I'aul Fowcll directed it admirably. Faiamount is preK<*ntiug if this week ■ t (be Itiullo with l>avi<l Powell and an exceptional cast interpretius it alouK lines laid d »wn in tbe scenario by iM.iiRuiel Turnbnll. The <ontinu i(y'> fault i.x in allowing too mucli l»ic»(»rial footage to explain the run- away fjirl.. An insert saying she ran o^\ViY.bec*:»nKe she didn't want to marry would hay*^ sufficed. As if sfau<j.s (he wliofe flow of the story is interriipfed for "(10 feet or m) to establish this incideu*. liut this is f»erbai>:< rarfiint;. Any- (biiiK .Miss Ttirnliull o;- her brother foucli flraiu ill force :iiid disf iucfion from tb.: coiitait ami ,\lr. F uvell':- direct 'u ben« btvirs otit every firoui isc. Me li.'«odIe; iiis (dnrer.") with ecoiioniy. That is. their nbili*^ies ure pres.'nted in condensed form and .«-(» n»ui»t for consid(Mabte. Also be h.sd an unu.-unl caj-t t.» work with. Miny Glynn*' in particular standing out. In ♦bi?- iiicture .^ibe is suppose to be an Fnglish .irisl wr.il. She looks .>us( that. Anrtbinc but a doll, she b.i.s bro;iq;b( to (be s<reeU a Uew type, cbarinin}^. interestinc:. fntriiruinij and ye^ di.Mfinsiiisbed ij'l the way. .\s a matter of fd*-t. .ms we under ^t:ind (he term in this e(»untry an*' fiarticularly in the picture world, tliere isn't a predv •;ir! in ♦lil,. f,.|. tore, but it '\<* doublv interesfinir for 4bat lack, .\ad.ia O.troyskn nnd llubv .MiU"" botb u»ve pi>rf<»r<iianccs (hat 'Uiijili^ Jind ('idd your Httenfifm 'vli'-« I'ercy Standitii; made bis bit of black- jroard'sm s(;irid <mi(. .\f».iin in Far d e \Vo(Miiiian we have anytbinK but n batidsome man and \et (be siuiplieity and sinceritv of bis performance stood (tu(. David I'owell play.x an unpleasant role. .Ml to'retljer an unusual firodiic- '^on based on a plot atiydiin;; but the •icei'pfed (liiijf^ in piettires. It starts (»ff witii a -fductioii bit n« perfect in its scr.MMiiin* as (Jrittitb's birtli scene in 'Wav l»»wn Mast." Dombey is 'oinetbiuR of n liberHne and so when lie cofnes to marry L;idv Susan she has ber doubts. On tiic way to Nice to visit her, b«> nicks up a runaway ;jirl, takes ber wi|b biui (<» Nice, dolls Iier UP aiMl pieseiUs ber to bis fam- dv Wert's interest in I,n«ly Susan w;;:- pi .'vioiislv sufnjes'ed by a mere "Will I.adv .Susan be (bereV and this counted for volumes. That is what fieiple like (he Turnbiills have brought to pictures—Hoiitethtiig dif- Gloria Swansan's First Starring Vehicle Elinor Glyn'8 Firtft Screen Story 44 n O ■"-«iii>' ir, ";vhue-4t will d^ for tbL*„l\{>Xr.Oitiil^Mlf. any^tht^atre that books it!"— New York Tribune. Few stars Itavo such opportunities hh (Gloria Swaiison has iti this story. A plot filled to the brim with piinpfont original it i(»si. Lliss Swaiisoii may wait for yoars for another snch role."— New York Amencan. "' >l ■ '•* . *'Thf» picture has tiot only one. but many * threat moments.' liuvishly staged; the profligate party reaches the apex of achievement. Remarkable costumes/'— AVm» York Telerfvoph, JESSE L. LASKY Presents IN a Elinor GlynV The Great Moment' Directed by Sam Wood. • Scenario by Monte M. Katterjohn. d C^ammount Q>icture liif^r*^.'^ ^ i:**^*; :;-^-^^««Hs H«-;i» vdurs'-lf on Motion Picture !>»>• «n«l )' Mil (. 11 t IfflP' lul.T .'»»' ^, AU«IIHt «".»t». l»->