Wid's Filmdom (1920)

EE ee | WA es : Sunday, June 6, 1920 iff DAILW 19 Se nea TIER TE NET RI ca Average Production Championing the Truth At Any Price Gladys Brockwell in “WHITE LIES” Fox AD AD 61061 oe ees Edward J. LeSaint PEASE CDESC! . Mme Ms = ok en eek Charles Reade PO LOVES Yi Same 4 5c oot Charles Wilson RPAVLIGICAS VLAN (egies s/s..0 ove s ctoeieistet Harry Harris AS A WHOLE........ Averagely interesting picture with rather negative effect. STORY.c.45.. Characters aren’t very sympathetic and little drama is caused by their severe scrambling. eS Eto COIN ~ |. Sees, «2504 on mee ee Average Pt CrLOGRA PH Vee. nl bade Ce. Same ZLGH PINGS. ; ce: t Nothing out of the ordinary attempted. CAME TRARY O REG E. 1)... 000 7 pean ee All right DS ,LAR Saas Displays good emotional power in trying role. SUSUN APT O EG Boos ti 3 ae RRA ae OES ca per Very good EXTERIORS...... Plain rural stuff used to represent Southern France. ODN BOA SS 6 0 500 Be Fe a 2S A Satisfactory Bes ede see eee sce te tee eee ae All right CHARACTER OF STORY...... Predicament young woman enters when she marries again believ ing first husband dead. ? RENGTH-OF PRODUCTION .4.<. About 5,000 feet “White Lies” aims to prove that even those little fibs that one uses to avoid working pain and hardship to’ others should be done away with. The proving process is certainly convincing to the spectator, for never did a family get into more trouble with various husbands, babies and honor than does the Beaurepaire family of Southern France. Lies, aided and abetted by misinformation in the newspapers, are the sole forces that motivate the story. Josephine, senior daughter of the family, loves Lieutenant Camille Du Jordin, but is shocked by the report that he has deserted his regiment on the battlefield. Josephine and her sister, Rose, have successfully lied to their mother about the condition of the family exchequer, so when Colonel Raynal, having purchased the estate, comes to take possession it shocks her considerably. The colonel, being a fine man, offers to marry one of the daughters (which one is altogether immaterial with him) so that the Beaurepaire family need not be ousted. Josephine accepts him. He leaves for the front on his wedding night and that same hour Camille returns, proving himself a hero and giving the lie to the newspapers. The newspapers come in handy again when they announce the colonel’s death. Josephine and Camille are married secretly. A year passes and a baby comes, still secretly. Then the colonel reappears and surprises Josephine and Rose, who are playing with the infant. Josephine faints and Rose claims the child as her own. This sends Riviere, Rose’s fiance, up in the air, as well it should, and he and the colonel decide that Camille is the guilty party. Explanations then follow and the colonel sees the light. He offers Josephine a quiet separation, which she accepts, but he still remains as the “son” of Mother Beaurepaire. Such is the story of “White Lies,” and on the whole it is rather negative in effect. Some audiences will doubtless feel inclined to laugh at the disappearing fiance and husband act because it is employed twice during the story. On the other hand the picture is staged nicely and the emotional work of Gladys Brockwell and the character performance of Charles K. French as the colonel helps the piece considerably. Others who appear are William Scott, Josephine Crowell, Evans Kirk, Violet Schramm, Howard Scott and Lule Warrenton. This Interests and Should Please Star’s Following Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor This ought to give average satisfaction particularly before those who know and admire Gladys Brockwell’s work. The story is not very dramatic, but its many intricacies succeed fairly well in retaining the interest over its full running time. The title and the moral preached .in the story furnish the clue for catch lines and teasers a bit out of the ordinary. Some on this order could be used: “Do you believe in the use of White Lies? Or do you practice frankness no matter what the hurt will cause,” “She told a white lie to shield her mother’s feelings. But this lie led to another, the second led to a third, and soon. What was the outcome?” Give the star prominence and also mention the fact that William Scott again appears as her leading man. He has appeared with Miss Brockwell so often that he certainly must boast of quite a following.