Visual Education (Jan 1923-Dec 1924)

December, 1924 PICTURED LIFE FOR HOME, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY 455 Noah Beery, as Dismukes, is worthy of special mention, and the others in the cast are to be commended for the faithful support given. Whether or not one cares for a story of this kind, "THE WANDERER OF THE WASTELAND" is worth seeing because of the fine scenic effects and because of the use of natural colors in the production. Released bv Paramount. HER NIGHT OF ROMANCE In this dainty little production, Constance Talmadge pleases the optience as Dorothy Adams, the heroine. Ronald Colman, who plays the part of Paul Menford, also shares the honor of making this an attractive play. With some optiences he attracts the most attention. While this picture is a comedy depending more for its interest upon the situations developed than upon the acting of the stars and their support, the optience does not grow tired of the people in the cast. The story is built about the romance and the misunderstandings of a young Englishman and an American girl. This modern girl happens to be of a wealthy family, but does not want to be loved on that account alone. The Englishman is of a poor but noble family and is not interested in Dorothy's money. In order to attract Dorothy to himself instead of to his title and in order to see her when there seems to be no other way, the young lord poses as a Doctor. When his deception is discovered, he goes away leaving the heart-broken girl to hide her sorrow in the country, where her father has bought a home. Now, oddly, this country seat was the home of the love-stricken lord, having been sold through an agent. In a moment of distracted absentmindedness, the lord gives that same address to the taxi driver before he remembers that he has sold the place. This makes it necessary for the pseudo-doctor to spend an embarrassing night on the old home farm. After a number of clever situations and further pathetic misunderstandings, the romance is relieved of its difficulties and the story ends happily. This picture will be considered long drawn out by some observers, but altogether is clean and pleasing enough for any critical optience. Released bv First National. K— THE UNKNOWN Most adults remember the very entertaining novel from the pen (or typewriter) of Mary Roberts Rinehart that came out a few years ago under the title "K". In this novel a famous surgeon is discovered living quietly under an assumed name in a very unpretentious neighborhood, working with his hands and keeping his own counsel as to his identity. Because of his fine personality, he becomes a favorite with his neighbors and incidentally is helpful in getting a lovely young lady placed as a student nurse in the hospital. It happens that in this hospital, one of the leading surgeons is quite a "ladykiller." The lovely new nurse attracts his attention, arousing the jealousy not only of an older and experienced nurse who has been on special cases with the surgeon for a number of years, but of a young man of the town who himself is in love with the young nurse. A situation develops, in which it is necessary to do a famous surgical operation known as the "Edwardes" operation. The great hospital surgeon is unable in the emergency to carry it through and the patient is saved from death by the almost unknown "K", who it turns out is the famous Dr. Edwardes himself, who had previously disappeared from his former haunts. In due course, Dr. Edwardes comes into his own again, and the little heroine discovers that she has loved him all the time. All villains are foiled, and the two about whom the story is written are married and live happily ever after. In the motion picture version, the story is followed with some fidelity, but the director has shown poor judgment in picking the scenes to be emphasized. He has spent a lot of footage on the little events and the minor actions, and has not sufficiently played up the big points of the story. Those who have read the book probably will not appreciate the picture as much as will those who have not read the book. Virginia Valli plays well the part of the heroine, Sidney Page. Percy Marmont as "K" is a good actor and really makes more out of his part than could reasonably be expected. Margarita Fischer, playing the part of the experienced nurse, Carlotta Harrison; Francis Feeney, as the jealous "Slim" Benson; and the other members of the cast are acceptable, although not arousing a great deal of enthusiasm. Released by Universal. DAUGHTERS OF THE NIGHT Here is a telephone girl story with all sorts of action and not a little heart interest. The story, by Willard Robertson, puts a courageous telephone operator through a night of adventure in the line of duty, which might possibly be paralleled in real life, but which is sufficiently improbable to thrill any lover of adventurous stories without depressing him with an ever present sense of the actuality of the story. Betty Blair, played by Alyce Mills, is trained in a telephone operators' school and then becomes a night telephone operator in her home town. Billy Roberts, played by Orville Caldwell, comes to town and begins to earn his living at any respectable jr b hi can get. Billy becomes a lineman for the telephone company, wins the love of Betty, but falls into her disfavor when a local lawyer spreads rumors that Billy is a dangerous character. The lawyer does this because a detective is looking for Billy and the lawyer jumps to the wrong conclusions. It happens that Billy and a brother Jirqmy were sons of a wealthy family and had been disowned because of their wild habits. Billy reformed and went to work, but Jimmy refused to reform and joined a gang of thieves. Their father, relenting because of the ill health of the mother, had sent detectives to find his sons and ask them to come home. Meanwhile the gang of thieves with which Jimmy is associated comes to town, and after cutting the telephone wires, robs the bank. Billy goes out to repair the wires, discovers which way the robbers have fled, cuts in on the line and notifies Betty and then pursues the robbers. Jimmy, becoming separated from the gang, had crawled into one of the rooms of the telephone exchange, which was set on fire by a lamp broken by a bullet during the exchange of shots when the bank was robbed. The fire gains such headway that Betty and Jimmy are trapped in separate rooms. Jimmy gets his mother on long distance phone and gives her a message of cheer before the wall collapses upon him. When Billy calls the central office to tell Betty that the bandits have been trapped in the next town, she tells him of the fire and that she cannot hold out much longer. Billy returns at high speed on his motorcycle and rescues the unconscious Betty, using the method taught in the linemen's school. Of course Billy's identity is discovered.