Variety (August 1925)

I Wean^«3ay» Si^fdlt 3,1925 PICTURES VARIETY 81 i.«r»eW and Btick to Bteho If b« wUl ift«rth« boy. Ho finally eonsenU. Uter the mJdret and the otron^ man loae their Uvea In a battle with a Vorllla, and here U a« pretty a piece it buslneas a« haa been puUed yet «'• "O good that It Bhould not be LMecloeed, but It taJiea place In the EMiual conventional court room Bcene luai makea even that worth while in Ittie picture, «nd that'a (oinK acme. I Of course. In the finish the regen- i«ntlon of Echo ia brought about. ftmd he releasea the fllrl from her promise ao that ahe can go to the ^[nna of the man ahe lovea. The taming looae of Bcho by iha courta la about the only inconaiatent fact . in the whole darn yarn, for he cer- tainly waa an acceasory before the fact m the murder If there ever waa one, and the courts don't turn tfaoae koya out, eapeclally after the two nurderera are dead and oot of the ^ny without the courta having had ft ^ance at them. But, boya, It'a a picture—and what ft picture! Fred. STUDIOS' HEW STAGE Lea Angelea,. Aug. 4. William Blstrom, general man- ager of the Hollywood SMbdloa, an- '^nouncea that $125,000 will be apent for the erection of a new atage 450 feet In length, 125 feet In width, and to feet m height. THE GOOSE WOMAN TTBlr«rMU prodiKiUon of Res BMtch's •tory. IV»tur«a Louise I>r«ai*r with Jack Ptokfonl and Conatance Bennett nnderllneil. tXractad by CUrenc* Brown. At Cotony, New Tork, week Auf. 2, RunnlOK time, 75 mlna. Mary HclmM m...v.>..LouIm Dreaeer Gerald Holmes ........Jack FickforJ Ilaxel Wood* ...Constance Bennett Jacob lUmV James O. Barrows Reporter jOeorge Coop»r Mr. Voxel Qnstave von Seyfffrtlta Detective lA>pei Qeonte Nichols Ames KthrtdO MafDeraifctt A aweet picture which will prin- cipally become known for'the per- formance of lx)ul8»-Dreaaer. It'a a murder myatery yam capably pieced tocether, with the aupport of Jack Pickford and Constance Bennett enhancing the general value. After viewing the film there la no doubt concerning the why of Miaa Dreaaer's preaence being em- pbaalced in the billing. Her de- graded opera star becomea a gln- drlnking old hag who isolates her- self in a dilapidated cottage on the outaklrta of a town. It la nothing ]esa than brilliant and unqueatlon- ably the peak of Miaa Dreaaer'a acreen career to date. In Ita latter ata»;ea the story per- mits Ml.ss Dresser to emerge from the depths, whence ahe done mod- ern regalia to panic a group of newapaper reporters. A break for her on appearance and a contrast to her earlier depiction which ahe handlea equally well. Pickford la the wecond choice for prominence only because of the outstanding merit of Miss Dresser's character- isation. A sympathetic role ia the foundation of Pickford's advantage, upon which he Immediately begins to conFlruct a convincing piece of acting, mayhapa aa aurprlsing aa It is convincing. The film Is under way with Mary Holmes (Miaa Dresser) existing in aquajor following 20 yeara of aim- lessly dreaming of the past when she was a star among footllght celebrities, all of which ahe loat when the birth of an illegitimate son deatroyed a marvelous voice. Resentiiur aard Ignoring her off- aprlng, Berald (Mr. Pickford), for that reason she provides for herself by (ronducting a flock of geese, Ignoring the pleas of her aon (who has the State agency of nccesaorles for a lesser-priced automobile) to live with him. She seea !a a n<»arby murder the chance to 2gain 4;et her name in the preaa, and, refuaini; admittance to reportera, onlv tells what she «nowa to the Btate'a attorney after ro%lng to him *no she really la and upon hia prom.ae that he will secure her the desired publicity. The attorney makea good by brlng- incr her to a hotel where a nollce matron, manlcurlat and facial mas- seur do their bit previous to aprlng- Ing the t>ombshell upon the news- paper boys. The former atage luminary basks In her regained prominence until nu*ddenly her son ta leveaicd a«i tli"' man her manuiactartd evidence h,.< compromised. The situation then straightens Itself out when the real murderer gives himself up. Under- lying this sequence Is the love af- fair of Gerald with Hazel Woods (Miss Bennett), a local stock ac- tress, to whom the murdered man has been atteallvc. Inasmuch aa he owns the company, and for which attentions hio ia killed by the atage door keeper. Clarence Brown haa directed without resorting to dramatic hero- ica. Bealdes which he ha« termi- nated the picture with a laugh, a corking twist In lieu of the pre- ceding tension. Recognition should also be tendered the department of continuity, for the picture flows by smoothly and does not loat ita sense of proportion. Universal in this picture has a release capable of playing any reg- ular program houae In the coun- try. It can certainly stand up for a week In the major theatres, and they'll like It where the box ofllce tariff Isn't ao heavy. Between the story and Miaa Dreaser It can't miaa, and It marks a great aend-off for the Colony oa the Greater Movie Season propa,>i .nda, although the houae aeem* inf,-ly la not paying any attention to that buslnesR-making idea. Skiff. KISS ME AGAIN Bnial I.ubli«ch i>rodij<-tiuD iM-esented bT thf Warner Bros, starrlnf Marie Prevost and Muiitn Klnn. Hanr-d on Rn nrtirinnl >tory by liana Kraely. 8bown at the Plcca- 'Mly, New York, week Auc. 1. Kunnlns tinte, 87 minutes. I.i.ulou Kleury Murie Prevoat Gaston Kleury,,,.. Monle Blue Maurice Fcrriere John Roche Grlzetle Clara Bow Ur. Dubois WlIUr<) U>ni* Another tribute to the art of farcN cal direction by EIrnat lAibltach. Ho has turned out a production that will delight all picture fans. It la Just auggestlve enough at timea to make the flappers rave about It and contains sufficient comedy In apots to have them in roara of '.aughter. It la a picture that Is deslRnpd prin- cipally for the sophlaticated. but still broad enough in Its humur to b« appreciatbd almost by anyone. In the bigger towns It should be sure- fire at the box office. One of its virtues Is that It Is enacted by a short cast with tBe principal trio of players always in the foreground. They are Marie Prevost, Monte Blue and John Roche. Clara Bow ab.solutely tri- umphs In the role of a lawyer's steno, and WtUard Louis manages to exact ,piuch from the role of at- torney. The story Is decidedly raiishin fri Its flavor. The Fleurys are married, the husband is a business man, the wife i^omewhat fond of music, and Matirice, the musician, ia fond of the wife. This brings about a flirta- tion, and finally the husband de- cldea that he will not stard in the way of hIa wife'a happinesa, so he arranges for a divorce with his wife to receive his home and half his fortune. This naturally dellghta the musician, who will then n-arry her and have a made-to-ordcr home and income at his disposal. But the wife In reality loves her husband and wants him back. It la the tonch of arranging for the divorce evl-* dence that createa much laughter. The crias-croaeing of the huaband- who-ls-to-be-free and the huaband- that-la-to-be at the home of ths wife ia decidedly laughable. Alao is the moment after the reconciliation., is effected between the man and his wife and the pair repair to the chamber of the wife. . There is • touclk that will cause audiences to gasp when they get the suggeatloa of the two disrobing. It da cleverly, done, and at the finish there la a touch that takeSv^away all the aug* gestlvencsa. It is well acted, delightfully di- rected and edited without a wasted foQ^ of flhn, and on the whole la a pWture that ahould get box ofllc* returns. Fred. WIISD, WILD SUSAN Paramount feature starrins Bebe Dan- iel* and featurlns Ro4 La Rocque. Adapted \>r Tom J. Oenwhty from the story, "The Wild, Wild Child," by Bteoart M. Emery. Directed by Bdward Bnth^rland. I'nxluced by Adolph Zukor and Jesse L,. L*itLj. At the Rlalto, New Tork, week Aug. «. Run- ning time, 60 minute*. r\.„i.i. Susan Van Duson. *•»>• Daniels Tad Waterlniry R«x> ^a Bocquo ?Mer^vinDuiii.... Henry Bt.phen^n ^; button ■::::::::::" ■:«^r^^^ JJSS:^ wa,eri;i;.v:.:.:. • •"•^"ij^j'ssJi Chauncey Ame. ^>^^-j^J^^^:^^ 'AV-.-^iiiii ^:'.'.'''-- .... Mliared Ryea This latest vehicle of Bebe Daniels is a trifle Ughtwelght for the big' feature hotiara ''«'"'"'smtv''to' 'kbI psrb role and her ability to get everything poaafble out of it. U jiuffera mainly throuijh lack of ac- niop ki the early reelsand a aeemlng premeditation to crowd them into the final apln-offa and never onco taking It beyond the realm of a more or less conventional story. Miss Daniels is cast as a harum- scarum .debutante "> ,^»«a''<=^, °' thrills. Her quest haa the fashion- able household upset. Dad ajid brother promote a trip abroad for her with aome frienda. Brother has built up the aon as ft real shocK absorber, but when Susan lanopa him ahe doea a leap from the de- parting Leviathan and practically. Into the arms of Tod Waterburyv the more virile brother of the de- parting Eustace. Tod has a literary complex and la driving a brown and white for local color. For want of ft better adventure Sunan hires out aa a sleuth with & detective agency and receives her nrst thrill by tracking a shoplifter. She la later piven a touphor asslKn- mont to Invade a rendezvous oC tjanpstorfl and recover a precious bond. She enters and is subjcctd to all sorts of spooky devlcox, Includ- ing an audience with the hooded lenders, which winds up with them removing their hoods and being KiiHtn'-p, her brother and her pseudo- <'.ofertlve chief. It is plain that the .'Series of events h.id been stana m.in.urcd to pive Susan the de.slicd thrills. TJirt preclotirt pnpor also iiirns "lit to ho nothlntr more thiin in f>cc!'1er)t P"II''y "n S'isnn. taken out by the Inivthir with the fixed idea th:it it would he a Bood Invest-* nietit at Hie price 8i:! WUH golntf. Tlip film li iM siiMprnHo in sectiona, U'n eonf-lf''"-'' le actlnn. and in thai latt^^r part borders upon travMtjT