Variety (February 1926)

W«dncada7> February t, 19M FILM REVIEWS _-F VHJIfWp.: mm I *^ti j.^ jy^i*; VARIETY 4S little child JB a dominating flsure. ind sure enough. A husband who absentn hlraeelf much from bis house starts on a JrlD saylnK goodbye to his daugh- ter and wife. He urges his boon male pa' ^ •***!* Agnes company. The friend does. go much so that when the hus- v-nd returnB unexpectedly and linds wtfey being dose-embraced by the friend, he slams him. Pushing his Wife aside, he rushes upstairs, gets the child and speeds from the houee In an auto. And the dog goes, too. Bome excellent shots of the out- doors- Several good dramatic scenes. Some play for comedy; some good and some Ineffective. One of the best cliraaxes was where the little girl was saved from going over the rapids by the dog> The picture should do well in the neighborhoods where It Is certain to have Us biggest appeal. Mark. BIG PAL Royal production, ■tarring Wltllam Ru»- ■*ll DirecteO by John U. AAoJphl. From •torv by Jules Furthraaii. Dl»lribute«l by Apttlto rum KzcbaBg*. Ronnlns Ume, «t, SiS"wim.in WllUua nuwell Heten Tni«:ott J»U«n» J«hiuton Mun Wllllanui Mary Carr ?0b7n7willUu«. • • •*l'«»'y B'"r" Tim WUltama H«yden 8t«»-«Beoii For the want of a story the serv- ices of aome players knowii in fllm circles just about go to waste. Wil- liam Russell, the star of this pic- ture, holding close to econoniic line, at times fades, while Micky Ben- nett, the freckle-faced kid, steps in and holds. Number of things about the story loosely strung together. Russell as Dan Williams, who aspires to bo a ring champ, Is notified that his lit- tle pal, Johnny, his brother Tim's offspring, is held captive and that If he (Williams) doesn't stand for a knockout In the fifth that he will never see his stolen kin again. To pl«ase Dan's mother who loves Jlttle Johnny, about the slangiest article that has hit the screen In moons, Dan, always a square mit- ter, decides to take a kay-o. Kor once in many pictures the girl's father does not regard a lighter as too common. Much play given to the ring fight. This Is quite well done and one place where the most money was •pent on the film for "extras." Through the work of young Ben- nett and hie cronies the picture will get the most attention In the neighborhoods, where the kids will root long and laud for them. Jiforfe. mous sportsman's name, would be almost valueless. The production is In the hands of Walter West who, first as a member of the firm of Bioad-West and later for himself, has become popular here as a direc- tor of pictures in which story and acting mattered little, providing they led up to a race. His old stories were always of the penny novelette order, and he shows no sign of breaking away from the custom In these new i4otures featuring Dono- ghue. The first of the new series, en- titled "Riding for a King." was Hliown at the TivoU to an audience in which raciiig men and race course hangerB-on took the place of the cu.stomary trade show, "dead- heads." The crude story tells how a famous jockey loves a girl who, however, has given her heart to an- other man. The other man has his all on a horse which, by one means and another, is left riderless. The THE DESERT'S PRICE Fox prodDctton aUrrlnK Cliarlea (Buck) <on«« raaila from tha atorr by WlUUm Mc- VmJ Raine. Diractad by W. B. Van Dyke. Hal/ of double WU at UoeWa H«w York M:« McCann Buclt Jonee Julia Starke Florence Gllbort Her Younger Slater Pauline Garon iamea Martin Mpntarue L«*e A pretty good western, which has It* star. Buck Jones, la civilian clothes most of the time, the sole western touch being a broad- brimmed hat. The plot concerns Nils .McCann, whose father for years carried on a feud with the Starkes of the next ranch. Young MrCann, home from college and ready to take over eontrol of the ranch, finds the father of the Starkes has died and that a beautiful daughter, Julia, is the girl he'd givo a couple of right aj-ms for If he could be successful In the pursuit of his love for her. It so happened the McCann outfit had been blamed for a lot of dirty work which Jim Martin's gang of rene- gades had perpetrated, so obivoualy. McCann gets heroic and helps the girl out. eventually proving to them the ill-will th.'y felt for his family should have been directed at the Martins. The outdoor shots are excellent, some particularly well photopraphed. Jones gives a good performance and covers quite a lot of ground with his horseback riding and punchos In a few faces with his fists. Florence Gilbert .is the .Starke girl Is new to this reviewer and, if new to pictures, looks like a pietty miss who'll go a long way before long. Pauline Oaron does her stock flai)pcr act, this time different only in that the atmos- phere is western. Montague Love as the meanest of the Martins is rough looking and convincing. Okeh as one of the Jones series and an Improvement aver several of his recent releases. BUk. jofrkey lorer has departed for the continent to ride (or a kkig. but on the girl getting In touch and calling him to the rescue he Immediately leaves royalty In the lurch and re- turns to "England by aeroplane In tinte to spring Into the saddle, win the big event and put a guarantee on his true love's happiness wltii the other fellow. Any story would be just as popu- lar with Donoghue who, hoa-ever, ohowB a greater ease and histrionic ability than many of the vaunted young film heroes. Walter West's work is good, his production of the racing scenes being especially so. A good supporting cast Includes Oar- lyle Blackwell, Cecil Morton York and Miles Mander. The leading lady is June of revue and musical com- edy, who makes little mark on the screen. As a local shawman's proposition, this series should be first class. Gore. RED HEELS Iiondon. Jan. 19. Films of stories connected with the stage, no matter what the coun- try of their origin, are invariably mlraclea of imagination and ignor- ance. However, this Sasha-StoU film's characters ere vry human. A gamin of a girl who rises from cheap cabaret to revue, a worried but human manager, a backer who Is merely a kind-hearted man-about- town, a jcaloufl er.stwhlle star and a youth who marries the little actress. The old characters, perhaps, but cleaned and clad in the mental rai- ment of ordinary men and women. There is nothing exceptionally origi- nal In the story, whlrh could easily lose some of its eight reels to great advantage. The production of Michael Cour- tice Is excellent. He doesn't mince matters nor does be go out to And (Continued on page (5) IT'S STARS' FILMS Laura LATlunte's next for UnLver» ■al will be Alfred Bouter's novel. "Butterflies In the Rain." It goe* into production this Bi)rlng. For Mary I'hilbin. another U. star. Dana Burnetts story, "Technic," baa been bought Lois Weber, the only woman di- rector in pictures, will direct It. Francis X. Hushman has been signed for one of tho leading arts. NOT BARKER, BUT BADGER lx)s Aivgclos, Feb. 2. Variety last week stated that Reginald Barker was taken off "Zander the Great," released aoma time aco, after the picture waa started. Instead of Barker tha story should have named Clareno* Badger. Steve Donoghue Series London, Jan. 10. The name of England's leading Jockey is one to juggle with throughout the length and breadth of Great Britain and Ireland. He also has a host of admirers, both on the .Continent and in America. This personal popularity Is tho only eyf cuse for tho making of these short J two-reelers whlc}). without the fa-' .Filra Vc>y^ (Jdrwiaiy 1^ NABbbm rorfkt y^ 1 fehnuaiy coMnws ive sid/ied irf? ' 'Hii^^ y\ / Mm- thst fo V mm alsd 0 t >" ^ oifen, ^ brother' \ / ;| V Thaik J a- / Ks f^ A/1 ^^~ / '<? 7 DAVE APni LON Assisted by EMILY FITZGERALD and MARJORIE LANE and His MANILA ORCHB!?««" FEATURED nr» ^r\% '^NY, NElMjCQBli A- r.t. i \> -•aa»«*>a»«i