Wid's Filmdom (1920)

known works written with the picture crowds. Sunday, June 6, 1920 ; e a é ATL 5 Latest Tarzan Picture Is Melodramatic Diamond in the Rough “THE RETURN OF TARZAN” Numa Pictures Corp.-Goldwyn MERE Bare «EMS con's ws cncigieenranite Harry Revier eR Ee ens 3 ae See Edgar Rice Burroughs emer nee SY . Sear. a's so, ses a Not credited Peet MAN ..020' 6 ok... irimne ees Not credited AS A WHOLE...... Lots of thrills and novelties in long melodrama that lacks polish. ek) Boy ee. Is one adventure and thrill after an other—could have been much better handled in scenario. DIRECTION... .~: Has gained some good effects and thrills register but details don’t convince. RepterGPUsrOsE el Y yee okt. . oS nis Pease Oe Very good LIGHTINGS...... Commendable, especially in jungle stuff. Sms lonnIW ORK Si ridirilib. us ov ebigenb acd. Good LEADING PLAYERS...... Gene Pollar moderately ; successful as Tarzan—others average. Me OMG. s.r Os. Some fine jungle stuff TAPTTCLCVIC ISM, ee so. sss cpt gS aes = Average DETAIL...... Details of story fail to convince—action stuff good. CHARACTER OF STORY...... Further adventures of Tarzan beset in civilization. Peet OL PRODUCTIN.:.2.2..2.. 6,800 feet “The Return of Tarzan” is a melodramatic diamond in the rough. Like its two predecessors in the Tarzan picture series it has small amount of polish from the standpoint of production. And even less convincing stories have been better shaped in the continuity than the present Tarzan work. : But when it comes to melodramatic thrills, of these “The Return of Tarzan” has a plenty. Two notable moments are when Tarzan does battle with two dif-. ferent lions, in each case a lady’s life being at stake on the outcome. These fights have been very well put on-and are inclined to send thrills and chills chasing down the spine. Of course the outcome of these fights is never in doubt. A villain may win over a hero, but not a lion. But the realism is there. The story of this is propelled forward mainly through one character’s ability to lie to another. They open up with Tarzan returning to France on an ocean liner. He incurs the enmity of a wretch, Rokoff, when he catches him attempting to cheat in a card game. In Paris Rokoff ties up with Clayton, pretender to Tarzan’s rightful domains, and the fight is on. Through a lie they force Tarzan into a lady’s bed chamber anc subsequently into a duel with her husband. But the bullets have no effect on Tarzan, as he is unjustly accused. Before he leaves Paris for the French possession in northern Africa he engages in a whirlwind fight with ~ six or eight hirelings of Rokoff and Clayton, beating them into a collective pulp. Later he is again on a boat trailing Rokoff’s villainous companion for the French government. jRokoff finally succeeds in knocking him overboard. Through an extreme case of luck, very extreme, Tarzan is cast up from the sea on the edge of his jungle. Then a fire on board a passing yacht, and Jane Porter, who loves Tarzan, is also cast up from the sea. He saves her from the lion for the happy ending. There is much that is thrilling and novel in ‘“Tarzan.” There are some good scenes back in the jungle when Tarzan is shown renewing old acquaintances with the animals. These scenes present the choicest illusion of the picture. They make you feel them. For the rest it is a succession of thrills, big ones and little ones, but there’s always something doing and while a much better production could have been their background, the present effect of the picture is satisfying to the melodramatic lovers. Gene Pollar fairs well as Tarzan. Armand Cortez plots as Rokoff. Karla Schramm is pretty Jane. Others are Walter Miller, George Romain, Louis Stearns and Estelle Taylor. Great Opportunities in This for the Real Showman Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor “The Return of Tarzan’ lacks a high class polish, but withal it is a stirring melodrama in the rough and » as the first of this series went well this one certainly ought to go better with the same audiences, for if any thing, and despite its lack of distinction, it is a better produced picture than the first. You can cash in on a lot of publicity on this. Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan stories are among the best They are still running in newspapers and magazines, Cut outs can be used effectively as lobby displays along with stills from the production. The book store tie-up is also an excellent and logical means of exploitation in this instance. Something suggesting the jungle in the theater lobby or in the way of stage setting will also prove effective. In fact here is a picture that offers many opportunities to the real showman. It can be made a big box office attraction.