Variety (July 1922)

mmmmmr mmw fjlay. Ju ly as. 1»M PICTURES 88 THE KICK-BACK O releatfi starrinK Harry weatern type. Bto.y by aeor«« Kdwarda-HaJI, i'aul. Presented by P. A. New York. Harry Carey Walthall tt the Ciipitol, Kit->.r"'^'^v;;;. Henry'i: rnon Price charlta J. ^??, wifrla \'1J. HaVry Carey as a star i bonclJJt* J'ii.«i.u-....." jg^^j^l Q^py Yerry ntU^ Ul ^r^n^ \* may be flattering to While, it .'nay ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ be released — u thw 14 £>. v^. vRobertson- J^i^f ahiwn at the Capitol. New S^^v iJ do^s not look like good bus- ^''^^'in the P^^irt of the distributors *"/!!!« Dlcturc^to place it there. It is '' riiL Carey, who has always been P"iinWstent money maker In a cer- fJn"ype of houses, into .competition .♦h the best in Alms, and even ihi^e fhat bcpt is none too good at ''I.Ant Carey in this present pro- Suction does "ot profit by the com- **^u«n He has made better pic- ffrel than the current offering, in the past with Universal. *The Kick Back" is one of those nicturlNi that undoubUdly make S with the Carey fans in the SoDular priced houses where they havfe a daily change of program, but it liaiAt -the* .?hMC- <h^ - f i>o«d • ^*m-, Proadway and the week run houses. That was reflected in the Capitols Juslness the first day of the week when the picture was shewn. The story is a western with Carey as the cowboy hero. He is about to marry one of the waitresses in the only restaurant in a lit.tle cow town ¥e owns a ranch and the only'water hole for. miles around. Others have their eye on the girl the ranch and they frame him. weeks, to aid him in seeking some- thing new in revenges. The m».st suitable choice is the burying of thi; wife alive, hence sending for the third member of the triumvirute who is to build a niJts.sive tomb as his donation towards upholding the pledge. The "catch" comes with th'^ de- signer ali-o being tied with a tinnncee who traces his mysterious departure from Switzerland to Kshnapur, wher« the I'rince grabs her as but the trick was and trouble with BO that he'll get into the Mexican authorities when he goeg out to perform a job for the Bchemers, bringing horses across the border for them. The papers that they supply him are forged and the Mexicans are tipped oft in advance. The result is that he is captured after he has killed one of the Mexes and sentenced to be shot. He escapes and returns to his home, to discover, meantime his ranch has been locjj^ed on by others and his girl's mind poisoned against him. He goes out after one of the schemers and beats him up, with a feud declared which results in a Bhooting affray a few hours later. Harry gets his man but the law, gets Harry and there is going to be a lynching in the town >^en the Ringers arrive and save him. The next shot shows the happy ending. A man who has committed murder on two sides of the border evidently goes free because he gets married. It's a thin story at the best and while the direction is fairly good at times it cannot save the tale or the contlniinity. There is one thing the picture dis- eases, a girl who looks as though she is going to make her mark in pictures. Programed simply as Mignonne, she looks like a find in the role of a little Mexican girl. Fred. hostage when the boy friend refu.vc.s to build and carry out the pre- scribed happy burial thought. At the same time, members of the palace are chasing the odd angle of the threesome with orders to briJig him in alive so that he won't miss any of the festivities to come. The Yogi evidently sees no per- centage in continuing under eon- tract to a guy with such intention.s He switches his Connn Doyle in- fluence to the opposition, and has surtlcient to ])rotect the engaged couple from harm, but makcfi no effort to save Allen when the! ^ shown the way out through t)ie tiger emporium. AVhieh also takes both characters out of the picture and allows for not a bad brief bit of camera work in the attack of the animal upon the man. The flnitle arrives when the ai'cHlivet iiiid mjf •iVniivt' •ft*.trrte- yo save the wife and get away over the mountains, w^ere the in<jvit- able pass-and-only-way-out is en- countered. This scene has the m.an carrying the wife of the Prince over a rope bridge, with the other woman cutting the strjinds after they cross and just as the pursuers arrive. Whereupon the Princess casts one look at her master, decides there's been enough excitement on her ac- count find takes a dive over the olifT. The linal dimming out had the Prince reduced to a beggar, either because of the incident or the price hil» former i^al (juoted on the tomb, which is finally built. The engaged couple coming down the steps stop to look the bedraggled figure that was once ti Prince, shirking their heads while registering ap "it's tough" expres.sion. Mayhaps a fitting climax. / Whatever chance the picture will have is not enhanced by the title, which suggests a travelog or some- thing on that order. Watching it will certainly not improve the im- pression. With the scarcity of features this summer and the mid-season's heat, it may have been thought feasible just at this time, to insert this foreigner into the Uialto, on the presumption that the smaller towns which in a way stood for "The Mis- tress of the World" in its several dull parts, will take this one, whole, in five reels and pay for it, on the further presumption it didn't cost much in the first place to bring over. for the purpose nicely turned ). Lola ejscapes and takes refuge In her San P^rancisro gambling place, another leg.icy from the late Hurri- <ane. there to plot vengeance against the traitorous Steele, who, it transpires, is engaged to a so- ciety queen. Lying in port is the "Samoa Pelle." sister ship to the "Taluti Pelle," and the property of I-ola. She schemes to kidnap the society rjuecn and take her to the South Seas in revenge. Here's where the picture goes into high. The "Samoa Belle" gets to .sea with Steele's tlancee before the revenue man learns of the plot. He puts a real navy destroyer on the trail, while he gives a chase in a navy hydr(M'lane. Just out of port the sam«' biutal mate (vividly played by Wallace Beery) decides to seize the two women and sail away to a desert isle in the China Sea, there to est.'iMish a kingdom. The women are trussed up .and locked In striate cabins, and the mate gois below to attack lj©la Just us the b!acl^-«nioit« of the destroyer and the roap^of the aeroplane get into the picture. - '- The crew gives battle to the plane with anti-.aircraft guns. yV seeker of screen thrills will get an eyeful when til" plane turns over half a e t kicK ancj appareniiy as far as the plane i)lunge is con- cerned. The <r>nv concentrates its fire on Steele in the water, but is distracted by the arrival of the de- stroyer, unquestionably a sure- enough government craft. The destroyer comes alongside the "Samoa." with gobs arjd lawk: s smugglers lighiing hand to hand in a highly realistic conbat. The war- craft edges in until the gobs can leap aboard the schooner. Rough and tumble all over the decks, an exceedingly spectacular screen bat- tle. These are the high lights, and they make a whale of a finish to an exciting picture. The swift chain of event.s starts with a storm at sea after the "Samoa Belle" has i)ut to sea. This is perhaps the first time a deep-sea storm has been ade- quately screened. It may have been studio tank tricitery, but the illu- sion of a terrifying storm at sea was complete and it delivered one of the biggest thrills of the thrillsome picture. The production, particularly in its second half, stands out like a light- house among the summer releases. . • Hush. years before under similar circum- j stances. This has the effect of awakening the woman to a realiza- tion of her duty toward her son. and she starts to the school wheie he is. arriving just In time to save him from a fall that would have meant his death. The father also, lone- some for the boy. arrives at the school, and a reconcihatlon follows. It's A lot of improbable hoak, but dressed up in a way that a certain class of picture house pati-onage will like, but it is hardly a knock- out picture for full-week runs. Fred. DEUCE OF SPADES <'h«rU» Ray rrodu-tion (Fir«t National). Scenario mudf by Ridiaul AiKlrrn from th«' Htory "Wf-iKht of th<- l.a.'^t Straw" by the late Charles K. Van Loan. Htky director. Five Roeler. Amox Charles Rny i^nlly Marjoric Jdauru-e JenkiriH IJncoln riunur HoUMcer Dirk Sutherlainl CJieaHy Jo© J. l\ Lockney t The picture |§ ah. amusing comedy the farr4il4l|[ Cliarlea Hay style ith wild western settings, except that the usual rough riding is absent and the emphasis ia put on the comedy role of the star. It's a good ing on the buugling of a boob youth from the east surrounded by mining camp card sharps. Amos sells out his Boston restau- rant and goes to Montana seeking adventure and business opportunity. He stops in a hash house in Little Butte for a meal and is held up and robbed by the discouraged pro- prietor, who at gun's point makes him sign a bill of sale "to make it legal." Amos makes the best of it and with the aid of Sally the wait- ress reforms the hash house along Boston lines. There are pas.sagetj In several very amusing whicl^k Amos tries to marry off S.iUy to sundry tough characters. un< onsi ious that he loves her himself, in a year Amos has saved enough to make a visit to Boston, but at his first »t»)pping place he is fleeced by a coui>le of card sharps on the .simph" "deuce <"f sp.ides ' g.inie —wher* in the ih'aU>r*H CiMjfederate pursuades him to bet that the d»'aler cannot pick the tleuce out of the cut and shuffled deck. I'roke. he munt g(> back to lattlo Butte, but the news ot his tail has jtreceded him. When he j;etH to his restaurant the local .joktis have plastered and festooned the place with deuces of spades and the whole town is laughing at hiin. He visits the Butte dance hall and is solemnly greeted although the jokesters are bursting with haw haws. Accom- panied by suppl-essed laughter, Amos buys himself the wickedest looking 4r)s he can get and goes to practicing shooting at a deuce of spades. He can't hit the can! from ten yards, but he sticks his finger through tlu' pasteboard and the locals are impressed by the evidence of his marksmanship. Thus encouraged by an at- mosphere of respect that results from his trick, Amos is reatly when the same two sharpers who robbed tifni * avr<*^r^ • »'''^ his !»•»«♦!<'.■.♦*«»t.. . •M<* . holds them up at the point of his new five-shooters, makes them eat sandwiches made out of slices of bread with a deuce of spades between them and forces the return of his bankroll. Thus having estab- lished himself in the rommunity as a person not to be trifled with. Amos takes courage and wins the beautiful Sally. Arthur S. Kane sponsors the pro- duction. It is full of the small touches that help. There are numerous amusing character bits and atmospheric angles that con- tribute gieatly to the total effect. Besides which the story is rich in capital comedy material, which haa been preserved. Rnah. MYSTERIES OF INDIA Parnmount feature F>re8inted by the Hamilton Theatre Corporation; distnliut«'<l through Fanious-I'layers. Directed by J. May. PrlncesB Savltrl Erna Morena Prince Ayan .....$•■.•' .Conr.irt Vei<it The Yogi Bernhard tJotzkc Myrra L-la d«' I'utty Carl Sargland Olaf Fonss Laura Valmy T Mia May Robert Allen Patrt-Kichter HURRICANE'S GAL Allen Holubar feature, with Dorothy PhilllpH starred. Adapted from Harvey (;atoB' Hfory by Ttolubar, who dirtctcd. At the New York Strand. July ll-'J. j^la Dorothy Phillips Steele 'o'Contior Robert »'>IIi!» Chris Horp Wallac.' H. ery Cap-n Danny Jame.s O. Harn.wfl rhyllis Fairfield Gertrude Afltor Siag \V.lliam l-oiij,' Liput C.rant J'»^»< Donovan Mrs. Fairlleld Frances lUymond BORDERLAND A Faranioutit live-reel feature with AKrx'S AyroH starred. Story by Biuloh Ma.ie T>l\; direct*.! by Paul Powell I'le- sented by Adoli'h Zukor at the Uivoli, New York. Spirit "I I>ora Beeket Agnea Ayres Edith Wayne J James Wayne Milton Sills William Meck^'t Fred Huntley Francis Viment Hertram (JrnFPby <lydc Meredith CaFson FerKuson Kileen Kut>y Lafayette Mr.s. Conlon SyUia Ashton Jimty Frankie Le»' Totty Mary Jane Irving s Claire Windsor MARK TR AN Broadway at 47th Stre«t Beginniilg lunday, July 30 1^ D Claude Giilingwater jaymond Griffith Richard Dix HeUn Lynch The "Mistress of the World" series was generally supposed to have ended delving into foreign mystery melo-dramatic films. But with the release of this one it seems somebody is a bear for punishment and wants the film fans in on it. This picture, imderstood to have been made in Germany, holds many a similarity to its named predeces- Bor, Including lavish settings, im- probable escapee from situation after situation, mediocre direction stirmounted by a scenario emphatic in placing the leading cast members under perilous difficulties and ex- tricating them through the means of a religious fanatic embodied with supernatural power. Photography predominates as the most worthy asset. There are nu- merou.s callings for trick stuff (none of which ha.sn' been seen before) with the camera and showing occa- sional scenic exteriors of note with the best of the mag: "shots" hap- pening when the girl walks through a den of tigers, supposedly protected oy him of the highpowered eyes. The eats are within a yard or two and then back away. lieyond that, tlie "Im simi)ly grinds along to its hnish "^»nus any qualities making an audience . are much just what hap- I^ns. It incidentally cha.sed a f»'W I patrons out of the initial afternoon show at the Hialto. The story revolves around a piedgr of triendship entered into l-y two Englishmen and the rriiur of fcjshnapur. while attending college. A he pi(t lire's start has the Triiuo «tR a jealous husband of a wif<'. in- jatuaKd with one of th*- Ix.nded trio. Hohert All* F in rom San to- the ]-)4,op-sea melodrama with a whirlwind finish after a rather quiet start. Allen Hdlubar has packed an amazing anii»unt of screen thrills into the second half of the picture, which promises to be a notable summer release on the First Na- tional list. Its only defect is that one common to adapted novels—it has two stories. From the opening to the fight with the revenue cutter is a pretty comj)lcte story, the beginning of the action Francisco to the end is another. But things move so swiftly ward the end that one forgets story in absorption in the incidents. Some are rathef-ixard to swallow, .such as the swift conquest of the hanl-boiled girl .sailor, by the stow- away and her sudden transrtion later to the ownership of a San Francisco gambling palace, but one hasn't time to object to these liber- ties with i)lausibilities. There's too much that's interesting happening on the screen. The story opens on the three- masted schooner "Tahiti Helle." from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Capt. Damiv in command, under the owner l^ola. daughter of tlie de- crased Hurricane, one-time smiig- cler and hero of a thousand erimes on the high seas. Sterh- OCnnnor. who later turns out to be a sf-net service man tracking .smugglers, is a .stowawav. rind is .tlmost drown«'d in a hakv comj»'irtm«nt of the ship. f)n his release he is turned over to the hriJl.tl mate and well battrre« about until iu- titht.s back and knocks a few of th.'*»oui,'li crew, in- th<- mate, for a goal. At the Lol.j grows to love the All tills d»e|) .stuff is in- nd includes a Ki'fat 'leal beautV. in addition to the roijLjli-aiul-vead.v fi^'htuig eluding same time stranger, teresting a of SCfllK t'a miliar n* •n, now stationed in rem.aining member is an archil,Tt Uving in Switzerland Action st.irts when the head of the realm discovers the affair b»tween h>s \\-\(v an<l forth the Yogi who (le s ft iend. wheren|)fin h< .. u:. -'ury hi.s wife alive, mean- while railing If befoi-e a temple and in a religious trance for *vater (probably burled hmise has beei, g ship''. with a the "T.thiti I'.elle' tiirtMi^;)!. but i.s ch'^cked revenue cutter. A associated with screen sailiti Keaehiiig Saa Francis, o (•(tntiaband cargo t lies to slip l,y a waitiii}^ ^'orgeoiis Steele lines side and • t't'fft sei flight ensues, in which i up on the revenue rn. ns discloses himself as a VI f man. Somebody thro-ws a :ir« bratul int" <»>i«' "f ''"' lintches. and 'he shi|» burns to the a model was • used A more or less imaginative story that professes to wander into the spirit realms, smacks somewhat of miracle stuff and preaches a ser- mon. Even with all of its touches of "the other world" there is enough of the materialistic in it to hold attention. But. as with all pictures where the author and director try to carrv on three different themes at one time, the action is draggy and this i)roduction is no exception to the rule. It is a picture the.ex- hibitor can put over with freaky exploitation, but not in hot weather. It makes an audience think, and the majoritv of picture house audiences don't want.to think; they are more apt to want to forget, especially on the nights when the mercury i^ headed for the top. Some money was expended, and the picture is done flashily, but still without heav y sets. iieulah Marie Dix provided the story, which ofttns with a peek into the region supposed to separate this world sphere from the I'early Gates. The region where those that have tran.sgres.sed the laws of God are punished, and here a fioor lost soul is shown wandering in a search, the fulfillment of which is to mark atonement for w(»rl<lly sins. Hack on earth the great-gr<at-grand- daughter of the wraith is passing through an experience that about parallels a tragedy occurnng 70 vears earlier. The spirit is per- mitted to return to the world to prevent a recurrence, and her suc- cess in this purges her of her sins .and she is permitted to pass on to the higher sphere. The modern touch is fuirnshed by a (juartet of players. Naturally, Miss Ayres. as she play.« three roles, is one;* Miiton Sills plays op|»osite, and the others are the young son of the couple and thr- heavy, played hv Casson Fergus<»n. The star t-ikes tlie role of a silly young wife who craves outside a<lmiration, which leads her into an affair with her hush.'iinl's crui.'-in'; Tiny plan to elope and she sends the youn^' s(»n to boarding school. On the nijrhi the runawa.\ is set ff»r she makes a reiide/.vous at family home. \\ iiile spirit is shown rftiiriu: and in an effort to mc'ssage of warning' .i perfoinieil. An ol'l !i;;:: •K"".'f! made to • rring wif« An amazing drama, swift in action with punch and pep, and the biggest surprise of your life—a picture to make the hearts of FRANCHISE holders glad. A Powerful Cast Headed by Claire Windsor, Richard Dix and Claude Giilingwater Stijjj^'c^ted by tlic story in the Satur- day Evening Post, by ITtigb Mac- Naif Kabler. Marshall Neilan Presents His Latest First National Attraction her form* r there the ,g to earth. deliver the mir.'icle is servant who .. paralytic for years is w.'iik and r«'lie to the the details that oci'urred *0 m'm^