Variety (March 1925)

Wednesday, March 11,1925 PICTURES VARIETY v;.. } m ^Si\ 1 assert themselves and wlfh the aid of a loyal cook start the ship under full sail tor Honolulu. Smith, the leader, poisons the old ci^pt&in, leav- ing the girl an orphan. The crew, jn a drunken orgy, overpower Harry and Manning and draw Iota for the girl. Smith loses and ia chagrined. He tries to doublecross the winner, which precipitates a fight between be and his followers. The events which follow before the three make their eeoape and the schooner, -without direction, floundera upon the rocks with all hands aboard lost, completes a highly interesting (eature, iptelligently directed and well cast The story lends itself admirably to transition to a motion picture, and despite its dramatic pyrotech- nics is convincing and will appeal to lovers of a good marine yarn. After hearing the story the in- mates of Mariners Harbor vote to allow the "Swallow" a permanent anchorage. In gratitude for the saving of his son Rollins presents the schooner to Manning. Bowers, in tha dual role, was an up.standing figure. Con. BLOOD AND STEEL Renown production by Jesse J. Qoldbenc. Distributed by Independent Pictures Corp. Directed by J. P. McOowsn, Written' by aeorge Plympton. rainier Mack WrlRht Jwrgen Albert J. Smith Vent Ruth Stonehouse Grimshaw Robert Edeson Helen Grimehaw Helen Holmen 'Oordon Steele ..;.. .William Desmond Bla Father Louis Fltzroy A thrilling railroad insertion at the finish and a cast of considerable capability almost succeed in making up for this picture's deflciencies. There Is lack of pictorial beauty, fiomething even the cheapest of the westerns usually provides in great quantity. In "Blood and Steel," while it Is a railroad story rather than a straight western, almost all opportunities to shoot the natural grandeur of the west have been .neglected. It is a film bringing little to the sense of beauty and sight save In the latter case the runaway loco- motive near the finish. In plot the usual story has been utilized, that of the earnest young construction manager who completes the exten- sion line on time despite all op- position. The hero wins the general man- ager's daughter, who for Various reasons had been led to believe him cruel, philandering and deceitful. The Infrequent attempts at humor- ous relief fall to amuse very much, but some of the atmosphere around the railroad gang's hangout ia well put on and the fight scenes are moderately exciting. Robert Edeaon and Ruth Stone- house a€fiist William Desmond in raising the acting average to re- spectable heights. Helen Holmes, playing opposite him, was dis- Jippointing. Albert Smith, as^one of the heavies, gave a somewhat different characterimtion. v -';^ ._ r- Man Who Played Square William' Vox proiadUtn atarrlns Buck .JoiMSL at aty^Ay wnna^e. Cook. Direction Al Sanlall. .lUinnlnc time, 63 nlna, Matt Blkck. Btidk Xotics Spoftord v..<•;..•.Ben Hendricks. Jr. Plwy ».,.'... David ••Red" Klrby Th« Cook....;.';,' Hank Mann SpaBg1er..,.«v<» Howard Foster St«T*........»y..,, ■William Scott Bertie. Wanda Hawley It looks rapre and more as thoUgh the Fox bad thp makings of another westerfi "find" in Buck Jones. Jones' physiognomy would give rise to the suspicion he was at one time active as a boxer. He has the nose of a professional "puge." Otherwise he is a clean cut youth and a whale , of an athlete. His latest picture gives him ample • scope for action and includes plenty ;.of lading, also a couple of good > fights, one strung out beyond cred- ulity due to the contestants who start battling In a house and wind up a mile or so distant after fight- ing their way across the approach 'to a mine and then down onto and i off a roof. In the fight both con- ' testants tAe enough punches on the -button to knock out all the pugs at , McLevy's gym but it doesn't stop either of the boys from getting up f and covering more territory. The story has to do with Maft Blake (Buck Jones) who, in order to avenge hie pal Steve (William Scott), takes c Job in a mine run by Bertie SpofTord, (Wanda ♦law- «ley). Steve's father had a halt in- terest in the mine for grut> fitaking SpofTord but when Steve presented his claim he was horse whipped. He afterward is shot by Spofford "but jjets him too. Dying he sends for Matt and extracts a promise of vengeance. Matt flnd.s tlie Mexirnns arr.-iltrnod behind Spangler (Howard Foster). He lines up the loynl faction who . stlclTwith Bertie. Things come to a head when the Mexicans attack the office trying to get the gold • .stored there. A pitched battle <n- .sue.s. Matt In shut In a cabin aft-r his light with Spangler but oscnpos by li.'ioklnp un to n wall and Mow- I'lg to bits n. rope tied to his wri.wts l>y firing the rifle with his toe, ,Ho then o\'erpower8 the guard and -re- turns to Bertie's house. Her suspicions, aroused against him by Spangler, are lulled when she discovers he has torn up Steve's claim and another document he found, proving the truth of Steve's father's claim of a half interest in the Gar Kagle mine. Hank Mann, as the cool^ holds up a comedy role and is splendid. His relating of an Imaginary tale ex- plaining how he won the Croix de Guerre is a comedy wow. Jones is convincing at all times and can act in addiUon to his athletic talents and superb horsemanship. Wanda Hawley is pretty, twit light, and the rest of the cast is worthy. The picture is a good program addition for the neighborhood film houses and averages up with the best of the westerns seen hereabouts this season. Con. THE WHEEL London, Feb. 20. There Is an idea deeply rooted in the minds of all producers, renters and exhibitors that to be a popular success, or a success of any sort, a picture must have a happy ending. This Idea has all but ruined the new Abel Gance picture, "The Wheel," which has been made with a French cast supporting an English female "star." Throughout his long reelage Gance never loses his grip on his audience; all his tricks of sugges- tion are present, all the horror or Joy he can get out of trivial things, then in his last few hundred feet he deliberately damns all he has done, ruins the quality of the characters he has created, and turns great art Into mediocrity for the sake of a happy ending, which rings superbly false and ia utterly futile. After a terrible railway accldeQt Sisif, the engine driver, adopts Nor- ma, whose mother has been killed. He brings the child up as his own, side by side with his motherless boy, Eli. As the years roll on Eli becomes a violin maker, bat the once Jovial workman, Sisif, becomes a drunkard. He is, however, allowed to drive ex- press trains, which perhaps provides a little "inside" stuff on the number of serious French railway accidents. The truth is he has fallen in love with Norma, but, having brought her up as his child, does not dare tell the truth. Ell also loves her, but thinks it merely brotherly. The superin- tendent of the line, Hersan, wins Norma's hand by a trick. Shortly after her marriage Sisif is the victim of a bad accident and, his sight be- ing impaired, is sent to drive an Alpine train. Norma follows, and Eli, having discovered the truth, sends her a declaration of love bid- den in a violin. This Harsan finds. A furious quarrel l)etween the two ends In Ell being hurled over a preclpio* and the shooting of Her- san. Norma is seen in a superb Alpine setting silhouetted against a cross erected where Eli met his death. Here the picture should finish, but the "happy ending" has to be con- sidered. Therefore we have Sisif, now totally blind and looking a cen- tenarian, and Norma not a day older. It ia a feast day, and all Is rejoicing among the simple Swiss people. Norma drags Sisif around in an ele- phantine Jig, denoting happiness, and we see the ruin of a fine picture. Most of Gance's work is excellent, and his working out mt the ever- turning wheels Idea is very fine and in;aglnatlve. All his settings, mostly among locomotives and rest sheds, are very good, and his Alpine loca- tions are remarkably beautiful. This picture Is being handled by Spring- ers, and, with the "heppy ending" deleted ruthlessly, the firm will have one of the best pictures seen In many a day. Ivy Close as the girl does her best wbrk, and Severin Mars gives a fine character performance as Sisif. Tbe support throughout is capital. Gort, TEETH A Tom Ulx production msde by Fox sad directed by J. O. Blystone. Running ttnw> es mlna. This picture of the Fox-Mix series la below the general par of the others, for the reason that the supporting cast Is ever and always't>retty medi- ocre. Mix himself is aa okeh as ever and gives the thrilling moments. Notable, however, ia the presence of a new dog actor, not of the police dog type, who co-operates with tbe horse, "Tony," for some great stufL At times the subtitles make the In- telligence of the dog ridiculous and they tend to stick in a few unintend- ed laughs. So far the Mix popular- ity has been founded on the fact that most of his stories were straightaway Westerns, but this one makes even he look foolish as he talks to th« dog, who obeys bis every word. It. MUk. mBNERBBCK ' Classics of the Scaeen^ "Good news for you today. The movie at the Piccadilly is a peach. 'On Thin Ice* has a farcy sounc! about it, but it is really a red hot crook melo- drama wid) as fine a cast as you'd care to meet in your movie-going.**— Mil- drci Spain, N. Y. DAILY NEWS. •■' ..';i,*.««« v,«4.!rw.» •li.-.J:'' y 1 "It has mystery and pace and read Irish humor. It has as fine a fi^ as you could. ask for, with hero and villain grappling in the semi-darkness imtil one of them goes dowti, shot by a ydlow- streaked crook in hiding—and' you dpn't kao^^hich one falls."—^. Y. '-. I ^ s& V? By Darryl Francis Zanuck* Adapted from'THEDCARPRETENDEKU With Tom Moore IheodorelfaDEbz MifhRoberts Wilfred North ;VmiainRusseIl Texas Kid MAL ST. CLAIR AT THE PICCADILLY NE.V YORK WeeVi, of Saturday .March Z v^'V