Variety (January 1925)

84 VARIETY PICTURES Wednesday, January 28. 1925 FILM REVIEWS (Continued from page 82) ■ave Lady Alice from marrying Churlton. Naturally, much skullduggery (that's what they called dirty work in ttiose days), 1* unearthed and the interest part of the plot concerns Turpln's escapes and fights with the authorities and of his Idolized posi- tion with the common people. Mix Is Turpln and as an actor he's on a par with a thousand others, but as a rider, fighter and general all around stunt man, he makes the otbem in the same business look foolish. His horse, too, is a tre- mendous asset to the film and the settings, of which there are many, are solid in spots and canvas cur- tains In others, albeit the curtain ■tuff is well handled and hardly no- ticeable. ^ ,. The action in this picture should assure it of instantaneous success and. If the enjoyment of Its premier Piccadilly audience is any criterion, both William Fox and the exhibitors will get plenty Iwick when the re- turns are in. "Dick Turpin" is one of the real •ntertalning films of the year. It's iust Clme novel hoke realistically treated, but the dime novel craze ■till has plenty of followers. 8iak. \ ■ EXCUSE ME Vstro-Goldaryn picture pre»entd by I^uia H. Uajer from Rupert Hu*h«'*' play of the MUIM name. Directed by Alf Oouldlnc. Stowing at the Cteltol, New Tork. week ot Jan. 25. Runnlns time, 57 mlna. itkriOT\a Newton Norma Sheerer Harry Mallory.. Conrad Nagel Franclne ,,.• .Renee Adoree muter .T....Walter Hler» Uant. Shaw John B<jU-s JImmv Welllnrton Bert Roach Bev. tor. Temple "William V. Mong lbs. Temple Edith Torke lilent. Hndon Eugene Camrron Ovors* Ketcbem Fred Kriaej ' Her. Job Wales Paul Welicel Mrs. Job Wales Mae Wells Probably the first picture adapted from one of his own works that Ru- pwt Htighes hasn't personally di- rected. However, and undoubtedly under his supervision, Alf Gouldlng has turned out a rollicking farce that would have scaled the heights were it not for the insertion of a dime novel thrill passage. Vor three-quarters of the way the picture is actually overboard with blOghs with muciL of the credit due Conrad Kac^l and B^^t Roach. For theee who doubt Nacel can play fitfce release Is going to be a revela- tion. The comedy !■ localed, principally. upon a train wherein a young naval officer and his would-be brlile con- tinuoualy try to find a mliilj^ter to make the elopement according to Hoyle. They fall and the resultant situations pile up. The thrill Is the chasing of tlie train by Nagel In an .'leroplane to save the rail demon from plunging over a cliff wliero the br'dge has burned away. The leap to the train and the dive of the engine Is all pictured, but the fakes are obvious enough to offset any Imaginative angle a well-wisher might care to imply. Besides which It deducts, drastically, from the farce Ingredient. Norma Shearer and Mr. Nagel are both featured in the billing with Roach gaining equal prominence, as regards comedy, through offering a whale of a "stew." Running but 6T minutes, the pic- ture teems with action, and it's a sure laugh-getter on any screen. Skiff. THIEF IN PARADISE Qoldwyn prescntatloo of Qeorve Fltsmau- rlce proilurtlon, adapted by Frances Marlon from Leonard Marrtck'a norel. "The World- lings." K«:ea«ed by First National. Shown at Strand. New York, week of Jan. 83. Running lime, 71 mlns. Helen Saville..... Doris Kenyon Maurice DIake. Ronald Coleman Rosa Carralna Atlcen Prlngle Noel Jardine Claude UUllngwater Biflhop SavUle Alec Francis Ned Whalen John Patrick Phil Jardine.. Charles Yourse Maid Blta Lee Secretary Lon PoB Strictly box-ofnce stuff and should hit that way. The standard ingre- dients, some of them palpably dragged In, but nevertheless valu- able, make of this rather tall, and ofttimes Inconsistent, tale an enter- taining and thrilling, film drama. Starting In the hectic atmosphere of a derelicts' island off the China coast, with somewhat of a ''Rain" and "White Cargo" flavor. It drifts to California, where the "hero," hav- ing stolen the papers ot a missing prodigal, comes to claim the fortune as an impostor, accompanied by a sultry half-breed lady of no virtue, former mistress of the dead heir. The thief falls Iii love with the daughter of the crusty father's crony, tries to shake off the .varapy viUainess for a long time without avail, marries, is threatened, con- fesses, shoots himself, Is forgiven. Some o^ this portion Is pretty sloppy, but it is great fare for the senti- mentaL JM,r\s Kenyon aa the aweet Inge- nue Is sweeter even than usual, and clicks. Alleen Prlngle as the Oriental baby is never plausible and gives nothing to the product except hard work and gestures of the sort sup- posedly obsolete these many years In first-rate films. Hut Claude OllUngwater as the grouchy but lovable old father hands forth a character portrayal such as has perhaps not t>een seen twice since Menjou In "A Woman of Paris." Tragedy, comedy, story- punch, Oo^i from his gifted work. Ronald Coleman as the impostor does well enough, but falls to reach the helgbta With bathing girls and polo scenes and mansions and no end of sure- fire stuff ladled in, a wild, barbaric dance that is magnificently staged, and shifts from comedy to the depths and from drama to hokum, "A Thief in Paradise," running with its snappy title, should get the money. Jjoit. MISS BLUEBEARD A Paramount pietar« starring Bebe Daniels and adapted , from the Hopwood-Drogley farce, "Mttle Miss Blneboud.^' Adapted to the screen by Townseod Karlln and directed by Frank Tutlle. At ths Rlroll. Nsw York, week of Jan. 2&. Banning time. 63 mlns. Colletts Olrard Hebe Daniels Lnny Charters Robert Fraser Bob Hawlsy .....Kenneth McKeona Hon. Bertls Bird Raymond Qrifflth Luln Martha Madison Qlorin Harding Diana Knne Colsnel Harding Lawrence- D'Orsay Eva Florence Billings Bounds Ivan Simpson On the atage "Uttle Miss Blue- beard" was a made-to-order vehicle for Irene Bordonl. In view of the fact, therefore, that the stage ver- sion was all Bordonl, it was apparent that, to suit this play to the screen, great alteratlQiui were necessary. These alterations, let it be said, have been performed with much skill. Townsend Martin, a young Princeton man, has them to his credit. But the <OTbole thing Is hin- dered for no other reason than that It Is a starring vehfcle and that the star, Bel>e Daniels, never suggests the flaring temperament associated with the Collette Qirard role in the piece. Miss Glrard. so the sub-titles tell us, is the temperamental French actress, a woman of fire and fury when cross; biit the sub-titles alone suggest this. Miss Daniels contents herself with wearing feakish-Iooking clothes and becoming a veritable manikin. With Miss Daniels out of the rim- ing only. It is natm-al that the boh- ors go to someone else—Raymond GrUnth. GriflSth plays the sap- headed Bertie Bird, which was also the comedy hit role of the play, and with all the hoke in the world he carries it so far that the audience screams for 15 minutes solid In the mid-section of the film. That a star is present Is remembered through .MIks l.>anlols returning for more weary stretches of footage, but near the end a bedroom mlxup brings a few more hiUgha. The theme concerns the mistaken ilentlty of a good-looking young man who is, by the error of a drunken French village mayor, married to the aforementioned Collette. But he had told her he was Larry Charters, a famous song writer, whereas Larry was his best friend and quite unwilling to get married. But Larry, seeing Collette, fulls hard. The mlx- up comes when Larry's other lady friends, ail of whom he has been playing strong, fast and heavy, get ■ore and when they all start troop- ing into his apartment with Bertie Bird trying to sleep. Here OrlflSth wallops himself home many a com- edy homerun, and if ever a member of the cast stole a picture from the star, he does it. Robert Fraser and Kenneth Mc- Kenna do corking work, while a capable supporting cast, including the blonde little Martha Madison and the be-mustachioed Lawrence D'Orsay, Is to be seen to advantage. The settings are very fine and the direction good, although too many closeups are evidenced. Much care has been taken with all technical work, and grood photography is apparent. Had "Miss Bluebeard" held in its cast a competent comedienne It would urido^ubtedly have been a com- edy wallop of the highest type. But as it stands "Miss Bluebeard" is an average program picture of the better type, and for nine-tenths ^ of its entertal^nment thi^ boy Griflflth is responsible' 8i»k, A MAN MUST LIVE Paramount plctn^ and Famous Players- I.asky presentation directed by I'aul 91oane. Stars Richard Dix, Based on I. A. R. "Wylle's story, "Jungle Law." At* the Rlalto. New York, week of Jan. 23. Osoffrey Farnell Richard pix Marguerite (Mops) Collins.Jacqueline Logan Job Hardcaatle George Nash Eleanor Roes-Fayns Edna Murphy Cllve Ross-Fayne Ctaarlea Bysr Mrs. Jaynes Dorothy Walters OitMret Owner 'William Rlcclardl Tod CMtgg Arthur Housman Ross-Fayne Loclus Henderson Mrs. Ross-Fayne Jane Jennings Richard Dlx Is now a star in his own right. However, in "A Man Must Live" Dix wortcs hard, but naturally thwre are comparisons and the procedure gives "Manhutmn" the (hade. This vehicle is a combination of war, newspaper and good Samari- tan theme, with Dlx playing the "regular guy" who befriends a young dancer who should have Iteen feod for a sob story for his (Dix) newspaper. Dlx, after returning from the war a captftln, finds himself penniless and forced to work on a paper for sustenance. Just before he went abroad with a buddy, who was thought to have been killed but later turns up shell-shocked and selling " dope, Dlx was fighting a court case which meant $100,000 to him. This blew up when he rushed away to war. Dlx, as young Farnell, gets fired when he fails to handle a story as- signed ()y the managing editor (George Nash), but recognizes a court prisoner as his buddy, Captain Clive Ross-Fayne. Here's a story. He finally sells it and then dis- covers that the young girl of his romance is none other than the beautiful sister of Captain Ross- Fayne. Farnell tries to stop the story but sees It carried in the New York "Chronicle." "The dancer that Far- nell helps dies, and Clive's sister comes to upbraid him for being a cad. However. Just before the cli- max, Farnell receives word his steel case has been settled and be is the victor with a check for $100,000. ' There's forgiveness by the girl and the big love embrace. Much importance Is attached to the newspaper climax, something that has been done before. Perhaps too much detail, mechanically, pre- vents grinding presses from telling the real story of their apparently ceaseless grind. Things almost un- fold themselves without little effort on the part of the camera to tell the story In action. Dlx and Edna Murphy go in for considerable love making, there be- ing several closeups. This gl^l ap- pears to be doing the best work ot her screen career. Dix adds to his laurels bi^t does not get his usual quick response. George Nash was superb as the managing editor as far as "acting" was concerned. Credit must be given for the work of Jacqueline Logan as "Mops" Col- lins, the dancer. Charles Byer was acceptable and the minor roles were passable. It is not a big story despite ef- forts of scenarist and director and cameraman to make it so. It is quite preaohy and there are some (Continued on page 43) FOX NEWS FIRST AS USUAL / ■ yri^ ■■. V "V ACTUAL PICTURES SUN'S EaiPSE Fox News served every one of its first-run exhibitors throughout America with SL 600-foot special subject covering every scientific and popular phase of this sensational event immediately after it took place. Fox News issued only real, actual motion pictures of the sun's eclipse—made during the eclipse, not in advance! , FOX NEWS IS ALWAYS FIRST WITH NEWS WHEN IT IS NEWS ."t c: Is