Variety (March 1925)

Hndi 4, 1»2< PICTURES VARIETY 39 ^ frooi b*' iB«tb«r's. Th« nutkl S^M •!>• MW • gboat walk np fJ^Ljrt, Dora's footprint la found ZTalaU* in th« room of WakeHeld 2. fcjg wife racalla ahe overheard w MV to Wakefleld, "You 9utht to **jj—n la arreated and tried for the ^t^fr Farrell defenda her, but gT*^]nl geema a perfect circumatan- Q one, when Farrell learns of Sa*a early sleep walking affliction. ^rBourget is placed on the atand j^M allowed to place Dora under In- £|Bce. Bbe describes the murder, Sy^ was committed by Jose Sar- ^aatO (Bertram Orassby), a rich flootli American, whose wife was Snlng an amour wllh Wakefleld Men the husband entered. ' Sarmento and wife are In court And following the testimony, he con- Miss Miller is girlishly ap yaealing and convincing throughout. V lilies Welch was splendid as her flance and Freeman Wood was the Msband who likes to play to the life. Arllne Pretty had a negative fele as his wife, but handled it sat- tofactorily. A corking good feature for the second run houses. Con, SIGN OF THE CACTUS Cnlrenal production, (tarrlnc Jack Hoxl«. Aimftti by iMulorc B«mateln from the dory by Norma Wilde. Photoirraphed by ■■iir Neamann. DireotPd by Cllffoni Amltb. At Loew's New York, Feb. 20, as Jialf tbe M)!. Rnns abont an bottr. Wblte Horse Cactaa Jack Hoxle «lle Helen Holmes Dderton J. Oordon Kunel thndle Ocorae Francis Fbrd ., yea '.'Joseph Swickard ■arl of Cbldo Frank Newberc Meriir Jack Pratt ^ck (boy) Bobby Oordon lie (sfrl) Muriel France* Dana ? ' Except' for some exquisitely beau- ^tlful shots of Jack Hoxie riding through moonlit western valleys on a magnificent white horse there is little to "The Sign of the Cactus" that cannot be found in a thousaj»d •tber program pictures of the same category The story, dealing with a Tfeud between western ranchers and U-M water company that attempts to ;'take their land is totally trite and is unrelieved by severer clumsy at- tempts to provide novel situations. Hoxie is White Horse Cactus, ao called because of his unlawful activi- ties against the water company and ifor the benefit of the ranchers who are having their livelihood taken \\Jttom them. His father had been jtUUed defending his property years f Before, and White Horse is out on '• rampage of revenge. Ttf« intro- duction of a gang of eastern gunmen. Imported to do tbe water concern's ':4irty work. I« a slight innovation ■irom the usual western hcAvlea, lik^nie love Interest Is taken care of by tbe daughter of jUie general manager of the water flUtm, recognized by the kero throupb a scar dating from yeA's before, when they had played together. Hoxle saves her from drowning in ;• mildly staged bit. and finally gives lip his revengeful pursuits to please her. The former rodeo rider has Im- Ikroved his general acting, but In the .love scenes his work is unconvinc- ing. Helen Holmes, veteran of many aerial pictures, is not very prepos- aeaalnt as the girl, but Francis Ford, another old-timer, takes the konors as an old shyster lawyer. ; The photography is.up to the usual •tandard, and some of the gunplay and chase bits hold a good share of action and excitement. But.on tbe Vhole it's Just one more western, and as such should satisfy the many i-lovera of thia school of film. ilS LOVE EVERYTHING Murray Qarason production dislrlbutrd »y Associated Kxhibltors. Directed by W. Christy Cabanne, ;ir»lnla Carter Alma Rubens Robert Whitney Frank Mayo Jordan Soulhwlck H. B. 'Wamer »oya Carter. Walter MoGrall ■dyihp Ktanley...... Lllyan Ta^hman Mrs. Carter. Marie Rchaeffer Mrs. Rowland.•...•...; Irene Howley ' "Is Love Everything" screens a oomblnatlon of Just plain apple- sauce. At first the film givps promise •f developing Into a worthwhile Study of the favorite old theme "two fellers and a go|l." But once Vir- ginia Carter (Aimo Mayo) has made her choice .ind picked tbe man of Wealth rather than the one she loves. It becomes a pitifully stereotyped atory with the husband putting bin Wife to the test to see if she still cares fo^ his rival. A wreck at sea gives the script opportunity to palm the husband off as drowned. The Enoch Arden stuff culminates With the voluntary disappearance of the husband after he learns his wife can be happy only with her lover. That's a so-called twist that has been seen countless times. In this picture the handling does not lift It from the ordinary. The wreck of the yacht show the heroine and her sweetie (not the C OSTUMESS r' O R HI PRODUCTIONS EXPLOITATIONS PRBSBNTATIONB lawful one) picked up by a rum runner. Hope run* high that the picture turoa fo. the better. But action that follows, telling of mutiny, is alovenly and unconvincing. The director has done little here but turn on a terrific rain atorm in which the asserted group of villains are hurled overboard. It is about the dullest collection of sea Incidents seen in months. In thla stupid picture the dis- tinguished legitimate actor, H. B. Warner, provides a spark of relief as the husband and overshadows by far the other principals. Miss Rul>ens and Frank Mayo. Walter McGrall contributes a fair bit as a comic heavy. The scenes In handsome country estates and on the yacht bespeak costliness. Miss Rubens wears some beautiful gowns. BATTLING MASON A Hercules Film Production distributed by Bud Barsky. Frank Merrill starred with Billy Klmer. Dick Sutherland, Wilbur Morante and Eva Novak in the supporting cast. Written for tbe acreen by W. B. Wlnr and directed by Jack Nelson and Wil- liam James Cratt. At Loew'a, New Tork, Feb. 1». This release, made by a minor In- dependent company, Is one of the best of Its kind ever thrown on the market. Had It been written with a sense of humor It would o« equal to the old Fairl>anks Triangle brand, Insofar as story goee, but as it stands, with its fights, thrills, stunts and love Interest, it la fit to go on any second-run screen of the aver- age caliber, and as a epUt feature with a vaudeville show "Battling Mason" la exactly the sort of stuff those patrons devou- with r^llah. The atory concerns a young gentleman of the eaat who la hard with tbe flsts. Out west he has a rich uncle who holds the money- bags and he doesn't want unk to know that he and the dukes get along well In a fight But along comes a political press agent who runs him for office under a contract that he mustn't fight during the pre- election period. Uncle comes east during thla time. There's also a girl, a bljnde with a prlze-flKhting brother, so when the boy takes a!: kinds of Insul'e without raisin-^ a band the cry of "yellow" Is ralse.l. But down In the m^ house district the ruffians set upon talm during a political speech. He has to run, due to the contract, but when they steal hla girl l.e tuma and ahows them what bitting the floor feela like. And he wlna tbe girl and the election and ticklea ncle with his pugilistic ability. Frank Merrill, who plays this role, isn't much of an actor. Probably experience Is what he needs, but he has an arm on him like a telephone pole. He'r- good looking, too, and this film, contrary to most of the cheap thrillers. Indicates some care of production and some expertnesa In the handling of the scenario. For entertainment it backs the sex dramas olT the boards. Eva Novak is the girl and good, while Billy Elmer, as her tough brother, ia enough like a pug to get by with the role. The others in the -ast don't mean a whole lot, but suffice. It can be safely said that of all the minor lindependent releases of recent date this stands near the top of 'he list. And lest that "minor" be misleading, thia one will enter- tain most audience which doesn't demand a star arid a million dollars worth of scenery. And it beats some of those that are Included in the blocks Issued by the big pro- ducers. Siak. ^^. HAPPY ENDING London, Feb. 13. Founded on the Buccemiful play by Ian Hay. "The Happy Ending" pro- videa eiv^ertalnment which Is typi- cally British both In sentiment and setting. P. L>. Mannock, responaible for tbe aeenarlo. has handled his subject well and. despite the length (elghi jels). has provided a storF whlrh Id gripping. Thia portion of the work is ex< cellent, und once more George A. Cooper proves his right to stand at the head of British producers. Hla work Is consistently good and, in using Ihe Thames, old country gar- dens and few Interiors, he baa achieved a picture of artistic beauty, Mrs. Craddock has brought her three children up to believe their father the whitest of men, who died a hero's death while rescuing a child from drowning. As a matter of fact Craddock was a eur of the first water, and soon proves it by turning up and blackmailing his unhappy wife. He seeks to lead the eldest hoy astray, and almost succeeds. In the end, finding his course nearly sped, i.'i-addock decides to go away, hut before he c.in do so he loses his life In saving a child In almost Iden- tically the s.-tme way Mrs. Craddock has so often described to her chil- dren. Fay Compton Is excellent as Mra. Craddock, and Jack Buchanan, de- parting momentarily from light com- edy, shows he ran do fine work by his performance of the blackguardly husband. Donald Searle gives a good performance as a boy friend of the family, and Jack Hobbs Is well up aa the eldest Craddock boy. 0<ire. here .'-■-•, -. . _ , what the entire < w about MetrO' r - :■! ^»- •:? , -,. ..... I METRO Wi By DANNY Hollywootl , Sure moving along. * That Mtotr6itK>ldwyn-Mayer "^firq Have ^oa 'noticed how, tbey:^ _ hitting? How they have been? Rirfitsalong. This seaioftt' ; ■ Tli« '*hlef topic of H6ll>wbbd/ Where they watch pj<tnre tnftWng. Like hpwh«-e elae. And Wbtre; Ui« jKtitym.mhgV* happeimj ftjiheliitfe ^old box-office. D«|)ite 'ifiat* they ptwijrfoot aoout the 'Writers ,Cluh. AntJ.other place*. And::^^di»cuM Art-i^^ With a.iargc and emphatic Ai*j.K " Within a year, M»tro hdn piM^A way ah«dd.-\ Until it oeeupiet a tremendously for^e- ful p«ntitm. In the 6u«4n«««. - Dwi to what? Picture. Sojh- _ ^ ing but. And beiAffofffn^'i^: K exhibitors at attraetive IfWp- ''^ •': Some keenly pOited>(et>g.% Metro lias been "givinfir %Wii%1^ tnres. perhaps.' Th<t'« a n^w^phiie, of thingk. * In thie picture ..biiiineiji^ Never heald of anyone pS/^uff- thing away.' In this buslnesa pwore. (Still, we're yoang and are ]pi^m lonethlng daily:) > iMM .However, Ms that as it raay.tWel, not interested in,«ales figures.) Thfj cw la %ntt'. tb«yhave been turning iwit a i^ lot of ifliifl^ty good boxSoftcej^bett. iS'«Aad it'i.tbe why and hoviTof this I?; Which intereaM.n* a IflW*-^ **' ^ CBack of the sceuery.aSu Jcam a lot.JAbotit this You find'^Loipa/B. VUme^J/lKbchiDg > production. '•* i -bltpMHT^man. NO]t-;'intcfested, „ f ^^itti/OtAy intereitfjl itiiVhiit. ^- b&c^lMice wants. And;.docin't,he ta^ 46 »ay so. He ^si8 .box .offi ., iWord charts. Before him-^aiUthc tiiWe. And.keeps theih ^Jiefc ;.The artiUfie-acenarios and .♦doWabs;'^ "* lejives to hii^ides. Gives "Han itnd Irving Thalbeirg.fu!l aWW latter. »ays:'."SometiwieA I tn ' . is-working for me; rioU, ^ bettSV*¥tbdnhe»%f*i work Ay and nightf? fit did all da// Previtr«v at _ „ _. thing like 17 directors to :|>rd»ide terlal with. Conaidennf.^**-^' Neilan and von Str<*cim r Coitpt these as a few more neetf lott,of attention. • • , But they are turnhitf 'attracthe pictm**.'' And has in»pited the enthe Even tne h»g chiefa. Vbrk. Eych Marcns-l<oe . »6w_jrM t^«v are Dt«aHn|^ . . . ,, fc. .coimmg''Jea«on. With such vitn; such •^•><ittti«i«hi.i^Tha^ a word of nfrarfting intght be offered. To:'ofber"cohc^« _Kpep an eye on MefVor'B'ttJ-f ■Keep two eyes oil Metro.**^ " - I ■■■: 'irt ; ;*r . .. «*■ .'i .\ \ ; I, i> \ \ * *■' : 'i uiiayyrt Metian PWtare •»rod«c«rs asd DUtrlbutorn of Anicrlra, lae—Will H. ir»y». I'rfMl-l'-nt ' ... .. : . . . -Vfc Vt // M**U*«flklfiHntMt<l«»ltff|||IMtfMltflllllltftatfMIIII