Variety (October 1923)

^'U».1^'T'-«#T''/ Thursday. S«ptMa1>«r SO, IMS PICTURES VARIETV 25 "fv FOREP FILM REVIEWS LIGHTS OF LONDON Ijondoii, Oct 10. c- Bttrting with th» atatement this ffc • fllJn version of the Drury Lane Snma whereas the play was pro- duced hy Wilson Barrett at the PrlncesB', this latest aaOmont flltn, nrodnced by O. C. Calvert, la a dis- inpolntment throughout. Georire It- Sims, the author of the nlar ^nv° abundant material in his original for any picture which Is purely melodramatic without the producer's elaboration, over elabor- ation, which does much to kill the humanity of the well known story. His introiiuctlon of the Oxford- CambrUKO boat -Mce Is forgivable, jtut In most a^iproved modern style e(<:eim ilnuna he can hardly pro- duce all fxterlor scene without mak- ing much use of motor cars, motor ^Mts aiiJ Iho other approvi-J raetboils of using up footaee. while tiv oC )>>^ interiors are without the Jll'-necPfsaiy telephone. ' Uor do his characters ring true, lliijr possi .-'.-■ none of the human ee- »enti:ils of the originals. i,The l,i>ui« Stevcn.s-C. C. Culvert vacsioii "f GM>rgc U. Siras story Jt^rtf witli the Oxford and Cam- ^^dt>v> bo.it race. Oxford la th" favorUe :tiid Harold Armyta^f is ' "Stroko. ' His crook counin, Clirti)rd. has liiii\y bets on Canvbridge, .ind drug.'i li!" Oxford "POX." Oifford. howevi i-, uii's and Harold knocks QJiffni-.l lUiwii. having learneil of the doping \tliil« the race was actually In pr('i;:'>'-- He returns liomi' to flhd thii Clifford has been before hlhl u itli stories as to his, llurolil'a. fty I'll'- These, coui4e<l wirli Hwrold'.-" fli'lfrmlnation to w<"<l Itess Marks, th" (ItughtiT of ii:s f.itlier's •leward. c'liisi? the hero to l)v dis- Oljrneit. Ili' :tnd iie*(a inarr.v and nre sopn liji ;\g:iinst the 'lights of I.on- dhfl.' ■ tTii.if'- CMffonl daVRlittr ll <» promise of jn.irriiiee. li .< setlueeel Hitty, the of Setli Pretnc. i>nt he tlw:i\-• piii^ olT the promiMtil wod- dlnif. .\i;ri n, your of London willi nothing bitter apparently th.tn a woii'brfiil motor engine to KUbsist on, H.u'iiM iiikQ^ Bess homo to .isk fbr(r;v( nrs.-. Scenir.illy there is nothing rc- markulilc in the production, al- thou.^li tU.ic .ire somw L«autiiul shol.s of I,(in(loii by day and nlpht. The producer utterly fails In his lir^ Bcene.s. This, however, is not Ms fault So much as the authorities who vetoed his plans at the last moment. The motor bo.Tt chase Is nothing and has been much better done a dozen times. Tliero .nre so^'cral excellent per- form.*ncc.«. Xigel Barrle gives an 'ordinary straight forward show in the Wilson Riirrett part of H.irold Armytago; Cecil Morton York is really good as l-'^ father, and War- burton G.imble fs l)y turns debonair and bl.Tckguardly as cousin Clifford. Harding Steermnn gives a beautl- ftiUy proBprtloned performance as Marks. wTille H. R Higuett and John ir.irris are capital as old Jar- Tia and his son, Shakespeare. The latter will probably make a And for aone producer •of eccentric com- edies. Wanda Hawley Is good as Bees ns is Mary Clare ns Hetty. Mary Itrough gives one of her cus- tomary sound perfontiances as Mrs Jarris. Several other parts are Well played. The fame of the old Til«7 will doubMesa help to get it aver. apaVt from that It is very ordinary ard mediocre drama. » Gore. GUY FAWKES London, Sept. 17. The second of what might be called the Stoll "Great Scoundrels Canonized" series. Maurice Klvey has put ome of nla best work into this feature which should prove a fine business proposition. All the children will Want to see It on account of the gunpowder plot story and all the Women will want to see Matheso.. jAng once more consumed by a hopefess love. The story h.is been deftly handled, fact-min«l<>d-nctlon cleverly, and th* result is an entertainment of •xceptlonal v.xlue. .Anything sordid or wilfully blood- thirsty h.a.<i been Ignored and the interpolation of a pretty love story ■Ives tha right touch of pathos to • character whose Infamy has lived Pm" *^° "Res and whose cfflgy Is still burned on Nov. 6 to com- memorate the frustration of his dastardly plot. In the opening scenes l.^ an in- quiring child who asks Lang to tell ""» the story of Guy Fawkcs. He «o«s so. slicking to the historical ■'Ofy as wo know it. n, "^ ♦^'ct of King James ngninst 'na Catiiollcs; their plotting and the nirlng „f a soldier of ■ fortune. P« 11 ''^ '" '^"'"' ^^ "'<* iK'iiscs or rar i.inunt on their rcopenii.g. iii(5 b.tr.nyal of the plot bv one of |ne conspir.itors and the c.ni ti.re of rawi<r.<,, ),:.< torture, and sut cquent excciii!,,,, ,\g n pijj i„^,je run.i the 'V'l-''"'.v f'f Vlvlana. the dauphtcr ot j.,n,ie[iff,.^ 'or an exile, Cateshy, ;t _r '"«" '1 «he piece, who wlehes i-J JTflike S i> r.iia hi-, tries to force har Into a marriage, from which she Is MTed by Fawkea, who marriaa her himself. In the end. whU« on the rack, he obtains a pardon for the lovers. The production Is rery fine and one has nover seen better seta than thosr of the House* of Parliament, the vaults, and the singularly dlg- nifled and t>eautiful Interiors. There are some fine exteriors. Care has been paid to detail and the few anachronisms which do occur will pass unnoticed In the scneral In- terest of the story. It Is however 8omewh.at of a bad faux pas to Introduce a XPry modern and vnudevlllian Spanish d=ncer Into a Dutch tavern of the period. Throughout the film the acting Is exceptionally good. As Guy Fawkes, protector of virtue, swashbuckler, hero, and martyr, Lang does the best he haa> done on *he %cr>. n. Hla conception of the part ia a. cross between Raresby the Rat and D'Artagnan and the mixture Is very effective. Lionel D'Aragon gi es a fino performance as the Karl of Salisbury, tfugh buckler Is excellent as Catesby and all the other male parts are well played. Aa, Vivlana. Ninna Vanna is merely a foil to show off the gallantry of Fawkes and the blackguardism of Cate«by. In this cajutcity slxe is excellent. A more mature and "actressy" player would have dam.iged the sympathy Centreing In the main character. The feature would l>e Improved by the deletion of the nnrsery episodes and the kick oft right on the story of the would-be whole- sale murderers but if :■ e nur.sery must be kept in. the story would finish artistically on the gradually closing of the nursery door on Matheson Lniig's exit, a natural finale. The ".-■bot" of the Houses of Par- lismenl ns they are now together with the Information, which every English school-boy knows, that the vaults are always searched before the opening of I'arliament. and the Brock's nonetil which cli- ;s the picture, constitute an auti-climux and are unnecessary. florc. THE WOMAN WHO OBEYED r.oiidon, Sept. I'd. A British picture given a trade show at the Xew Tivoli. The con- ditions of tbis house will not make It popular nitli producers and rent- ers, who realixc the people present for business purposes like to do their work In comparative comfort. There is no comfort or very little at this kinnma. Seating space la reduced to the minimum per seat, and when the picture starts It Is only by contortion one can see the whole screen. The rake from the circle is vile. "The Woman Who Obeyed" is tri- angle drama, strong and gripping, but handled with much more deli- cacy than generally characterizes auch features. Roughly the story Is the hackneyed one of the aelf-made wealthy man who runs hia house- bold and his wife by a time table^ His money forces her Into society where she meets an artist who is also a roue. Constant trouble with her husband over petty details throws her into this man's way. He attempts to seduce her but fialla. The husband, who is an arrant snob, believes the story of the artlat'a cast off mistress, and turns her out. Attempts at reconciliation fall, and It la not until their little son runs away to her and Is knocked down by the huslmnd's car that "the proud man is humbled" and happl- nesa returns to the houaphold. On the whole the production work Is admirable. There are many fine seta, and exteriors form beautiful rural pictures. The big dance at the aristocratic Wessex House was •inythlng but aristocratic, most of the elite dancing with the Jazx vigor of a "sixpenny hop." These scenes were not helped by being hand- painted, although the colored searchlight effects were good. The character of the woman's son, aged five or six, was not true to life.. No child of that age consumes "David Copperfield" and under- stands the tragedy of Little Emily, yet this abnormal, feminine-looking child made much In sub-titles of Peggoty putting a light in the win- dow to guide the erring Emily homo. When running away from home he leaves a beautifully writ- ten note couched In langOnge no child would use. This InsulTcrable little prig, although true son of his narrow.-mlnded snobbish father, is the only real error In the produc- tion. The .acting Is exceptional. Stewart Rome makes the man altve. hut Is nt his best In the I itter scenes whore h© rfltern-itPS botween rnco and grief. He ha.V ne\-or done better work than in this picture. Hilda IJayley givi-s nn e.vceilent pIkiw ns the wife, and touches real dep'hs of emotion. Henri de Vrles gives a particularly fine ^tudy of tho lov- able olil R'a r.iptain. find GeraM Ames is enay nH the scoundrelly artist, slthnugh the villains Is chiefly portrayed b" sub-title.'*, Thn picture. ^iU pi ovc a winner, Oorr, CHU CHIN CHOW London, Sept. 2t. I* this screen adaptation o€ Os- car Aaohe'a eoonnooalr ■ueoeaafnl Plajr Herbert Wllooz haa made tha flnett apectacular ptctura yet pro- duced by a British firm. There la very little etory. the whole thing l>eing a dramatic rendering of the pantomime theme "All Baba and the Shorty Thieves." but what there is haa \rina Uvftly haiidled and pro- vides the producer with every ex- cuse for gorgeous settings and Ori- ental scenery. The exterlori*, which were made In Algeria, are excellent and the in- teriors give stlU further proof of the vastncss of the Ccrnuin studios and the competency of their organi- zation. In producing the piciuve Wilcox has throughout used a re- markable restraint and has de- terminedly kept clear of anything appertaining to the sensual or un- wholesome. The first half of the story tells little beyond the fact that Zahrat is beloved by Omar and Is seized on her wedding day and conveyed to hi.>« f;islnea« by Ahou H.issaii, the roliber chief. Her lover is also cap- tive. They escape. The second half Is the story of All Baba and th^ Forty Tiiievee. and la very well done working up to the killing gt the wicked Abou by Zahrat. Apart from the settings and pho- tography one of the finest thing's in this feature is the management of Inige crowd*. lietty Blythe as Zahrat m.akes the most of her physical charms and alHO Infuses the character with a good deal of sincere drama. Kva Mooro gives a finely finished per- formance as Alcolom. • .The men are more than excella.nt. Every character even to the smal- -leat is a cleanly cut cameo, chief acting honors going to .Tudd Green as AH Baba and Jeff Itarlow as Mustnf.a. Herbert Langley la. If anything, too Western looking as Alxiu. but gets over well In many aisRuise.i, notably as the character from wbicli the story takes its name. Olaff Hytten gives a clever study as the auctioneer, Mucbill. Tlie minor parts of which there are many, .are well played. Gore. CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST London. Sept. 24. This latest tr.avel snd interest l>ioturo to be .«;hown here is one of the best. The pietoriai record of the expedition headed by General IJruco with tho object of cro-ising Tibet and conquering the world's highest mountain. The approach was through the forbidden lands of Nepal and Tibet and permission had to he obtained from the Dalai T<ama before the attempt could be made. The picture takes the audience from Darjeeling to the Jelep i'aSs where prayer flags mark the Tibe- tian mysteries and reUglous cere- monies. The highest altitude at which "shots" were taken was 23.00U feet above sea level and at that height the cameramen, Capt. J. B. L. No«l, P. H, G. 8., stayed for four days and nights to Bet the desh-ed re- sult it: The picture is beinr released iTi weekly instalments. Oore. DARK ALLEYS (OUNKLE GASSEN) BerUn. Sept. IT. This fllm In which Battling Sikl, the negro boxer. Is featured Is one of the most extraordinary hod^e- podges ever seen. The scenery Is designed by a Ger- man, Robert Neppaoh, but many of the exteriors were taken In Parts. The direction la by Jack Wortllng, who sounde like an Englishman; the scenario by C. Lyn, probably a Frenclunan. Most of the actom are German, although some of them are undoubt- edly French, and the photography by Stefan Lorrant whose first name is German and whose second -is quite evidently Gallic. And It Is lust ae bad as It sounds. It seems that the director had been looking at American films and tried to find out what mad? them suc- cessful. He evidently thought tempo and suspense were the chief points, but he forgot that If the whole thing appeara ludicrous you don't get any suspense, and that mere speed means nothing. The story is really too ridiculous to recount, but it seems to have been something about a rich girl whose cousin tried to have her mur- dered by a Chinese because he wanted to Inherit her money. How- ever, she was only knocked cuckoo and Is found by a Chinese dock worker who worships her as a goddess. Then there Ij her faithful servant, .Ilmmlo Low (played by .Slkl), who rescues her and becomcA a famous boxer. \VhlIo he l.i In llie rinj^ tho wicked cou.sln comes to kidnap her ntviln and we h.ave out-hacks to the n^ne end back «galB tu tha house with the Chlne.'ie breaking In. Heforo anything can happen to her sini Is. of rour.-", rescued, and mar- rlPs tho poor hoy who loveo her. Tlie only gor.d thing In tho film Is a real .- :ap between SllU and anr.t'i'-r nej;ro hox'r n'^med Baker, e'\-Mently new stuff .«anj- wich. d In. Slkl's personality Is Im- P0.vjH)1<v The only people In tho cast whj il'lsMr.?'.iUti'nren^s#lV(« art l» ,, f<l.'ri.->*<e. T<r>* ', inr^'V'ilTl 1 IM'^^r'tV Neppach, who haa designed some ozoaBeat acensry wbloh la well lighted ami often brilUantlr photo- graphed. Tmsk. THE LOVE TRAP A B»n ■Wllsoa prodvetlon; «rTtttea by Kvalyn Cunnlnctxm: prwrntcd by llsrrr Aahor tMturlna Br)-ant Wasfibum anii M«h«l Porrpit. RelMwd thrnuirh Urand- Aflher l»l.^trtbutina Co. DlructtMl hy Jatin Ince. Haa 6j rifnni*,^ at I>ie* a New York Sept. 21. A crude production. Inconsistent, non-gripping, wandering and maud- lin at times In its admixture u( p.athos .and bathos. It Is surprising that a house like the New York should have recourse to stuff like this. A brief recital of the yarn will point out its inconsistency. A daughter of a Judge Is announced m.arrled to a young blood. Grunt Garrison (Wheeler Oakman). tiie heavy, Joyce Lyndon (Mabel iNar- rest> Is lured to a roadhouse by Garrison, where the latter meets his death at the hands of an attnn- doiied wife. The girl accidentally tiecbmes acquainted with Martin D*xtcr (Bryant Washburn), who announces himself impecunious despite his coxy apartment. One blatant discrepancy in this scene, where the heroine is put up for the night In Martin's apart ent. be- comes evident. The place looks roomy and Martin is shown ascend- ing the stiiirs, yet the .irl Is made to repose on a couch anJ the hero makeshift* on the sink or wash- tub in the kitchen. S-^emlngly there wasn't a real bed in the place! The heroine feara Implication In the murder. The roadhouse owner attempts blackmail; the hero saves tho day and the girl recovers the incriminating handbag left in the place through a ruae of a cheap melodramatic order. To make It perfect, that old 8tandl.)y of mystery and detective atories—the dicto- graph—la introduced to frame the real murderess. Ai^ for good measure the guilty one admits she was a former show girl. The story wanders, there is no direct purpose, the society stuff Is literal]- dragged In by the tcoth. the direction never convinces, and the net<>r» deport themselves a* if they feel they are gully of some- thing. There is absolutely no con- viction to the whole production which rings false from the very first title. It starts off with a k>ng leader setting forth some high- sounding premise that Is immedi- ately loat sight of and completely forgotten. Then, too, ,tho roadhouse keeper Is made up for an Hebraic part of the unaympathetic, gesticniating school, and then, at the last moment for fear (t might offend the exhib- itors and the ciMtomara, tb* 8eniiti<- appearing Individual la labaiUtl with an ftaliaa name a* an affort to take tl.* curse off It. Waehburn at one tim* had som.* standing. If ha luui been appearing in pictures lil<e tliesa (or any Icngtii of time, It is surprising he haa sur- vived oblivion thus f.ar. An economical buy for the nickel- odeons. Abul. FRENCH FILM NOTES Paris. Oct. 10. Hugo Ballln has producad a screen version of W. M. Thacke- ray's "Vanity Fair," with Mabel Ballln in the lead. "L'lllumine'' ia to he the title of' a picture being executed by Plorr* Caron at present. A reel devoted to -the art of dancing has been^ recently released here, tlie exponents being Avellno and Mile. Z.ambelll. of the Parts Opera corps de b.allet. A screen Is to be again fixed in the large hall of the Trocadeto for picture ehi s during the winter un- der the official control of M. Kour- tler. govei;iiment administrator of the Palahi du Trocadero. The first reel In October will be "'L'HmpIro du Soleil," a French propaganda productleo. The CJourrler Clhemntograpbiqoa states the jerench Paramount ofTle* has Increased Its renting tariff by 75 per oent. A corporation with the recistfroA name of Soclete Anonyme dea Ktablissementa Ch. Rancarel, witk a capital at 3,000,000 francs. Is belnc formed for the purchase of the motion picture business of Charles Bancaret at Angouleme, Levallols and Paris. A large packet of pre terred stock Is attributed to tho vendor, in addition to the value of the good<4 to be taken over by the company being paid in cash. Germuine Dulac and Louis Nalpn* are producing a( iiresent a serial tn be entitled "Gossette." in whicli Mario Nasthasio ia seen. Edwin O. Weinberg, branch roan'- ager of the Renown Pictures, sailed S.aturday for I^ondon, where he will become manager of the West Ki\il Theatre, under Tease by Universa,!. Charles Doherty. the fllm comliv has been commissioned to make :\. number of two reel comedle* for Verity Films. IXjherty will dl.-*ct lii« own plctnrea. EXCLUSIVE! The Great Iniernational Race ._ at Belmont Park, Oct, 20th; PAPYRUS . -vs. ZEV. ■" A Two-Reel Special Pathe has acquired tha exclunv* motion '■ picture rights to the big international horse race which is now filling the newspapers of the land. Seats to the event are selling ta big prices. Every man, woman and child would Ukm to be there. To all but a few the onfy oppor- tunity for witnessing the race wUl be in the Pathe motion picture. PRINTS WILL BE SHIPPED ON THE NIGHT OF THE RACE All Eastern Cities Will Be Able to Show the Picture on — SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 A Great Big Attraction for You! Book Now! PATHEPICTURE