Variety (October 1921)

44 PICTURES Friday, October 7, ];»21 AFTER THE SHOW ^.■\:\y Taylor \\r\t o'MuJicy NumidI Sli)Ui>!i Mr. Mi(3uiro . liUl \- V.i;i l>an ll.ulv . . . . . .I:\(U Holt . . . . Mia loo ri\arlt*a ()k\<^ Kvi Soulhorn I'iirltiin Kiiit^ Sliain.tii Day Sti'Mu ScairtM Ktliol WaloM Tiic i»Mtm'o system of diHtiibution i"i;s| Ii;iv(> M l)iu hole in it sonu'>vlMM-e ii till' Ki;ilt(). Now York, lii'ds it lie ('>•:>!> to p'ay f«)r n week a Tara- j . . ,! li'ulmc lik(» "After the Sli;>\v," :ii;il tlic r;u;unouiit limls it Tiorcssarv to nlr;isi' 111*' IiImi on its r<';;Ml:iv i>ro- >:,;..MS to i>liiv wi'ok-staiuls Ikuisos lil;r lie Ki:.lto. '-Allcr ll>o Show" 1 « ■ sil)ly (M)iiUl Im'coiiu' a part <;i a «!>:iMe feature bill at one of I.oi'w's !»Mi.-.fS for one <lay. |]v«'n lli<;n it \\oi;l<l he lan;;Iie(l at in its seii(»us- i. s, nil,I walked out on as at the Ki- alio SniMhi> ni^hl- Call.'d Jill 'all star cast" and a Wil- ]i;iiii n.Mill*' |)i(».liiction. with story hy liita Weiman; scenario by llazcl MrDoiiald and Viai»na Knowlton. the Ims! iliat may he said of this waste r.f fihn is tkit direction mit;ht have iiiad<' a theatrienl back staj:o picture of -t. or possibly it was the fault of the sceinirio writers, or more liko- l.\ the tronblo is the mushy scrcen- r.l'l 1:»'«'. of a chorus girl beinp lead to rt flat instead of inarriaRo; that, or i!'c <!aiiucr of (hat. An old st.iirc door tender (Charles C>»\r is lh(> self appointed K»nrdian of III" vor.nu chorus chicken (Lila L*»e) th:it Larry Taylor (Jack Holt) starts in to make a play for. The thing triis to p«Mnt n moral as between the love of Inst and the love of piirity, witli the love of several other things inl nniiiRled. while for the love of al- most anything else, every one has SIMM the snme old stuff put over in lhi« sune old way or nearly so since !!m' picture business got going. \o nov<>ltv. no action, no acting, i.oiliin;; in fact but a foolishly in- vjiircd st<»ry that n)ust be chuckling to think it's on Uroadway, If the K';ilti> had to play this picture, that may be an excuse and if the Para- inonnt had t(» rele.ise it. that's an- other, but the Uialto should have thrown it in the alley before ])utting it on the screen, provided that I*ara- I'.o lit <lid not have common sense c!;f iirh to throw away the picture be- fo'|. sfMidinc it out. ''After the Show" shoiild be a rec- oiij tealcer for both Paramount and tlic IJi.ilto: «:4ving Paramount a big- prer dent in its rep than two "Para- inoinif weeks*' could erase, and for the It^t'to. liK-e1v make this the nonrest \\(ck's hu?»n)oss it has ever had. Sinie. nient, for whi<'h he spends seven yars in prison. ICuierging he faints, ih carried into the home of an artist, gets on his feet again,, falls in love with the sister of the artist's wife, becomes a genius at <'tching. liuds the wife talking to the man who double- crossed him. asks her what it means: •'He (old me he would niarry me and I believed him." and the villian black- mails her on threat of telling her hnn- baml. When Walthall is caught wrestling with the yil aiu who is robbing tiro house. In^sjives the wife by denounc- ing himself :iml saying the man is a detective. Artist doesn't press the char;:e, wife tonfcsses (o her sister, >\alfha'l rescues (he child from kid- napping, (he villain is killed and the poor wif(»'s secret is safe. The rolo suits Walt hall's sensitive face which is so ra|>ab]e of expressing suffering and the role of tJie wife is played by Mary Ahlen. who scored so stronjfly as the mother in 'The Old est. Feature is well directed and acted throughout. Jolo. THE INNER CHAMBER (Malro Robson Alice .Toyce Mia. Ilobson Jane Jennlng* Dr. (j^orgo Ptinllo. . . .Vodro tie Cordoba I'Mw-urd .1. WcWnian. .Ifulines K: Herbert Sawyer l-'lint John Webb IJIllon MfH. Sawyer Tllnt Crai l' Uarton Mrs. Finch-Urown I<ta Waterman Nillie McUuire Josephine Whlttcll Alra. Candor Mrs. Ue Wolf Hopper THE RAGE OF PARIS J I < 'i)m1 iilire .... • .'!• linn T.i Uxit . . . M 1 .•-•. < '"hiIiiIk'^ . • . Mi>- t inn I' 11 Jiiilliv . . . yWrnn du Pont . . . . Ja( k Terrin I'ilinor Haueock KuiiiKoy Wallafo T'nlversftl has a new star debut- tins iti ''INie [tap«» of Paris." She is a Miss (hi Pont. For some reason or other. ])erhaps (o nuike it more u (rl- c.iir for the exhibitors, she is jtist M'^s dn Pont. .Inst how far thi^< .\ i;ii;: lady is going to -jet along (he ^^t:,^ry i^ath will remain to be seen, hut it cainiot 1k> s.iid that her lirst l^'-ture ino\es her beyond the bejjin- >a'":: of I lie roa<l. 'I'Ik' ; (ory is not one that seems to fit hi r very well. Tiieic are moment** ^^ i en slie L'ets ;iway with the Wwpk ;! ^"ird to licr like a veteran trouper, h^'t M olliei- luoiiK'uts she seems (o l.'i'k I", ri \-i ir.tii:. even to looks, that a 1 ecn Mar slionld possess. l.h 'Ml iiiiiiiitid. im'.mI oi* ihe T' s. I t :m '.» (|ej,:'rt meiit on (he Coast. liro>, .ilrd tlie •■H;iu(> of P;iris'' for Miss (1m Poiit. and .l.i k Conway directed the |ii iiiii". r.rth li;ive done better W'lik in the p:ivt. The same might ev Wtdlaci* Mtid s du pout's al> 11 ' • - imI of llam .T,i( 1; I *ii! Ml w lio a i-e y\ ]s<'<<<■'• i-.il viim)oriiiv^ lead-<. ■'I'i'.e K i;e of Pal i "' is nothin? V 1,1 11 ( oil p I ii'd to the ra^e of oi>f» r .IM fo'iti'l wlio ti'lin'tled he hrid paj'l ."51 to <-ie till- ]((i:iic it (he ("entral T'i"mI\';«\'. \\'ie'i> ilii> 1' playe«l it, al- tlioji'.Ii ii ••Iso vejc.isi'd the oro<lnctio?i to till' T.oew houses and Vi idav Inst \' cek It p'avi'd in ooposition to the C.-ipiial .at Loew's \ew York ;it -^ ( < M ♦ S I'Ih' '^tnr\- is f!i:tt of a .\oiniu 'rirl 'o' ;iii 'M:liM|>i)y ina'Ti.ii'r< h\- i!' The jMi'I «'..f:ipi's fri;',i I'll] ■•\ )i"n he firoves n lo-ci i- '< li'T wav to P;iris w'lei-e. This is a Vitagraph six-reeler that would have made a much better t>ic- ture had it been a two-rceler. The story was originally entitled "The P.lood Red Dawn." written by Charles Caldwell Dobic. Th« direction was by Edward Jose. In brief, the picture is one of those affairs permitted to wend its way through interminable footage all to no purpose to put over a slight kick at the finish. The result is that It is exceedingly draggy and drawn out. The yarn drags through a series of episodes of the poor working girl with a sick mother whose boss tries to win her. The audience is far ahead of the story during this section for they have seen the selfsame things so many times on the scrcctj. As the develop- ments get down to the last two reels, there is really something stirring. The z\r\ n^irries an Kalian doctor, tlie best friend of (he man she is in love with. After the c«'remony tlie doctor jliscovers his wif(* and best friend have been ncquainted in (he past; his Latin f)loo<l runs riot, with the result he takes a shot jit what he supposes is his wife but it is only her reflec- tion in a mirror. A^op of that he shoots himself. In lh<» end he dies and the lovers are reunited. Alice .Toy* e jjives a fairly interest- ing iierformance at ( ertain iu>ints btit the honors must be coTif'rred (»n Jose- phine Whittell ns a hii k steno. She is titere as far as the screen is con- cerned and invests her role with a quality of naturalness that should take her far in screen work. Pedro do (^ordoba and Holmes E. Herbert divide the male honors while J«din Webb Pillon iS an a'ceptab'e c(»nvcntional heavy. Just what the title of "The Inner Cliand)er*' means is a guess; surely there is nothing about the picture that s\igiiests it. The nrofhu'tion is nothing o»it of the «>rdinary and is (piite in keeprn? with the usual Vitagiar.lv. standard of oM fjishionedness. Frccl. FOOTLIGHTS Kl."*!-' l-'iTRUSon V f,.I llM 1 I, r 1 ' ii'r '■:i<i he '(•I 1 '1 ■) ■ "I ( T' -■ ;^ ii-f '^•lil.ih' 'lie iiri .h.i;' ;i I •• ■ il,, i<i| I OC'-oMies t lO';il 1,-; l..iTid •y.:'.]^ Iris <•(« • iIim) (o • lit V li.. i . iw'id '11 A' .ili'a. I- II :iM< r ;i .' i.r I III- I l',.,l O) ■! h M - ( I' 1 ■,■ to ^ ' , I ' , t ( I I ■ i M . ' I ,1 !>' \ ■ I •! |l' ■ I •>, I If >ih' •! ' • • •■. • ; i; 1-,, i) I \- le .1 l.i.:7,ie r.i;.miii.s l.!»j,i Parsiniiv.i r.i'tt I'aKc Uo^clnald I>onny (».s\v.ii(| k.iiK.- Mart .Mar I >f^rTnot t Ert;i t)i ta\ :.i Jian<lwortli "Footlights" (Paramrnint) starrini; l-'lsie Ferguson ami current at the Ki\oii, makes an amusing comedy. 'I'll* dirt'ct'on i> in the expert hands ] of .lohn S. '{oliert.^oi!. who handled tlte ! filiii;i!i; of ■■SeiiliiiMiilal T')n;i';\" and j sexeial otlie- no'ahle jirodn'tions and I IS evtreiiieiy well done. Tiie sloi \ I needed careful, ind lliirent :nana;(e- ii:eii(. for it has certain inouicnts whei collide direction might have em phasi/cd its artificial character. Cider its present (n.at aieiit, how- e\er. its iiisinceiil ies are masked by ts aefrea'iie hiyii c«iinedy airiio>- phei'e. .'"''eiioiis 11 e.itnient would hav* ^ItoiJr'.l (he whole thin;;. 1mi( this eiior has been :ivoi(|ed The* hare pi. it lia> a cj>rt:i;:i effective huii'.or. i! •riiliii'.,' wit'l llic rv|iei-i''!li'es of m p'aiii. snail lown .\ew FniiiaiKl u'rl i: ■-i|i'< '•.•i(!;:i;,' rn the st i;,'.' :is a tein- •'■r.iiiii'It;il Kw^^ian actres> with This sev- siich ■ ;■. .1, I ,.,. , M,,l ■I'l at l»<i ■ -;i'M I'r^.l relison Octav'a Ilandworth in the inconsequential role of a colored maid is identified on the program, but no mention is made of Mrs. Lelty Ford, who does an exquisite bit as ih« grandmother in the (««rl^ part of the pictirtr. Mrh. Ford mukcu one of the must lovable old ladies of the screen and in this instance gives the production n charming fragrance us of htVt'hJai and old lace. The i)icture. in spite of certain implMusibilities of detail, is done in a fine spirit of elegance, both as to acting and production settings. Prob- ably Mr. Hobertson is responsible for this touch. The story is by Rita Weiman and the scenario by Joseph- ine !.,ovett. It deals with Klizabcth Parsons, daughter of a Puritanical Massachu- setts mother, who is aided and abetted in her ambitions for a stage career by her grandmother. She goes the familiar way of stage as- pirants, and i.s found in the depths of discouragement, doing an act of impersonations on a small, cheap cir- cuit, where she is discovered by a noted producer, one Oswald Kane (Marc MacDermott). Kane plans to pretend she is a noted Russian art- ist and trains her for two years to play that role before he springs her upon the metropolitan audiencci*; She is a great hit, of course. Rrett Page (Reginald Denny), a rich young man-about-town, falls in love with her and she with him. It at length breaks in upon Lizzie's mind that Hrett loves her for her counter^- fcit personality as the Russian' artist and not for her real self as Lizzie Parsons. So she goes rowing in a foif as Parsinova and »r^>«nn'^«r«>. «.. that her coat shall be found in the drifting: boot. As Lizisie Parsons she gains the shore and by one of tboae feorecu roiiicidcncrs inimctliately falls in with Itrett. this time in hei real character. Hrett decides he loves her as much as li.zssic as he thought he did as Lisa and the way is paved for the happy ending with wedding bells in prospect. The tale has stronger romantic and sentimental elements than this baid recital would indicate and ought to gain favor with the women film fans. Apparently the producing company thinks so. for the picture is set for a double week at the Rivoli. The following of Miss Ferguson probably in itself would carry it through, but the story will help to this end. Rush. DANGEROUS CURVE AHEAD Phoebe Maboe llelone Chi^ilwick Hurley Jones Richiirtl Dtx Ans(tn Neiyton M. U. (F.iefty) Flynn Mr. Mabee Janien Nelll Mrs. Mab*?c Edythe CUaptnan Mrs. Npxin Kate I.«cater Ooldwyn has. two people in this production worthy of stellar honors. They arc Ilelene Chadwiek and Rich- ard Dix. Their screen performance here entitle their names t6 lights. The picture is by Rupert Hughes as author and E. Mason Hopper as di- rector. The story begips as a do- .mestic comedy and ends as heavy drama, interesting at ull times, with sufficient comedy relief to please any type of audience. the young suiaH town couple wh« come tt> the big city. The Uusbind is Kiie<-essft:l as time creeps on and the wife might be construed as lik«. wise, inasmuch as she be<omes the mother of three youngsters and still lookg like a chicken. Eventually the .social bug stings her and to be a success in (hat par- ticular f»ut« uccj-i»i,.v the iijviiaiiou lo dinner at a social leader's home, the nephew of whom was a former ad- mirer of the girl and who is tleter- ' mined to "get her" sooner or later. 1 On that particular evening o..^,' of the children is stricken with an illnesD and in the midst of the dinntr the mother instinct overcomes that of social climbing and she creates a scene and leaves f.>r home aud her baby's bedside. That is all that there is to the yarn, but the manner of telling and the capable characterizations sup plied by the cast of players make tin picture, a delight. Mras « h.olwielj gives a really worth-while i»erform- ance as the mother and Mr. Dix at the husband was most ivineing,, M. B. ("Lefty") Flynn, former srid irouthero, plays the heavy iu a cod vontionnl nmuner with an ever-ready cigaret case. Prcd. The Jupiter Film Co. has com-' menced operations on "Margot,** adapted from Alfred de Musset by Guy de Fresnay, author of 'Les Ailes s'Ouvrent," just terminated by ^mKan deMOIe B^IOTA.V7EZMA?^ W/^K^ The kind of pictnre the public runs to with open arms." —New York H'srald. "Ihe magical atmosphere of back-stage faithfully fiustained.'' —New York Globe. Innumerable charming touches and splendid insight into human nature. Acting is aU that should be, and the whole picture is one of unusual charm and sin- cerity. —New York Telegraph. ULALtE J06LE. p\frn'i) r,i;nTAi\s "r.:iH'(] ('ii-|ains" i«; pi-e-i -ii cl Ii- ^^■■ • .•!• I'.mIIm'IS. will) IlclMV \\. Wil f):.M ;i!:'' M IV .\M.'n ^'aiiT.I. 'I'l 'l'>\' i- !iv 'I'm'!) .!. FIm|i! in<. If <■ ' r , • •' ' 'iM"i;;! ;i I, • k'imI • i -i I'- I.r 'i\' I' ,(, wit !i •;l ;;r .'■ "•'•'!'!.,'\' -int ''re--1 ii.'. NN.ihlial!. ••I)m;-i..-.v-" hi^ efniili»\ (>r*s till lo :i •rih I' 1 i^ :i 'n . 1. Il>e III ^Ci'lnUs art. ^ |||;iti (11 irivev; iippult iini t \ f(»r I i-.(| iapital cuniedy nutaient:;. ;i- ill. M ejie ill wlii(h '"Lisa I'arsi Iff, a" (\\li(» iv re.aliy l,i/xie Parsons I I I ••.'•- .-I ft of t;intn;:n^ foi* the hene- ' ' <''' ;i voonifnl of ]iMit eved h<M'<) | .-,,.••■!:; ,.'t ■;. " i \I ... 1"->«:m .oil is ideal- f<»r the role. ^' • :;;i~ :i fine n.itnral inetluxl of ' ,!'!v sliaihd eiirnr.ly api'cal ami a \ ■■ • iiarlv e\]i: .'-<i\ <• face for the -''I'D. I/l-,«»\ !-<• slie has the art rare .•^jiioiiu fr:",';i!:i' ,vt;.rs of \ve;iriTin j;or- LT.« • (\ii!':' t!;iii«;-; in a n:iinr;il way ," > lliii:!-'!i Hh'V \viie hrr own ''(.(!f^ ;i'(| |imI ((i-;ii;Me'. '-Ilpplieil (o 'I'll'-- pi. lure is ;i lri-;i( >P (;U 9^-2i)m frdin hei ■ 1 . :iit I'r \''<r 111.' ' |.i,'l\ *if I p oii( a "fricn'i."' v, ho rurr- away anr] !eavev him to bear the charge of embezzle- i 'I'<M> SI 11 in:r ers in k '■ '•'! ill i' -- siiTMp! iioii> (lis - i.;|.e.. Iviv'l; has a queer idea of forth the t'-mucs of the play- the ci'.sf. For some htr.'in<;e i\w St:iuc Door," by Rita Weiman—Photoplay by Hazel McDonald and Vianna Knowltojl {Three-Column Pre^s Ad 3A Above^Mats or Electros) ^I^^W-^hw. r^: FAMOUS PIAYF.RS-LASKYCORPORATION A£)OlMl luKOn I jisu k i>J(v «•>>*. I fell • or Milt f