Wid's Filmdom (1920)

® Sunday, June 135, 1920 é WA ow DAILY 17 Story Lost In Mass Of Scenes That Mean Little “LOVE'S FLAME” Fidelity Pictures Corp.—State Rights Be re are) We eRe ees SUPERVISED AND WRITTEN BY Louis Reeves Harrison Not credited ASEAN ILO) BYorrie rcs 5 0%. Louis Reeves Harrison Der VTA NLA Negiietetertes oss ocyd. Carl Louis Gregory Asn eW lO LBeme : sees. Entirely incomprehensive; a jumble of scenes that mean nothing to the spectator. I NOI 2 an So vague that it would have to be done over to be understood. DIRECTION -Asiiaeec.. A terrible lack of it displayed throughout the picture. PEO GRA PH Vea es Ree REIS Gs Poor POUCA INT Oe Pen ied i 7. Fic te sido) tows, eat Fair Rae WEE VVC) seat ot toic aysy tes te ota sw « Ordinary PLAYERS 234.56 Amateurish for the most part; principals fair. BE eS) INS 2 Aes So inde emis og Only one or two BO PASC AG) FOS Pete Bee as BF Sov ernisar ome See in. 6 Adequate POA oe, el need is er oi Shows little or no thought SHABACTER OF STORY. 14.5. American soldier wants to marry French girl. DPENGEH, OFSRRODUCTION: -... About 4,800 feet This is about the most amateurish production seen in some time. In fact it is what one would expect to see if one of the old time productions—one made when the picture business was in its infancy—were to be taken down from the shelf and run off to show the difference between “now and then.” Certainly there is nothing in “Love’s Flame” to indicate that it has been made in recent years. It may be that the telling of the story consumed a reel or two more than the producers saw fit to use and that the elimination of various parts has resulted in Per haps if some very clever title writer could be secured the hardly understandable reels that remain. to supply titles that would fill up the gaps in the story and explain the actions of the different characters, the picture could at least be made intelligible. As it stands now there is a conglomerate mass of ideas, a hint here and a title there with absolutely no The opening scene showing a French field nurse helping a fallen aviator from his wrecked machine and the connection as far as the spectator can discern. scenes immediately following promise a romance, but complications indicated by titles, that might as well have been written in a foreign language for all they meant, a mix-up with some French soldiers and flashes of an infant in a crib, follow one after another without logic or meaning. Owing to the vague development of the story, it is hard to tell just what the author is driving at except that the American soldier marries the French maid who saved his life, despite the energetic disapproval of her father. It’s a hunch that there was considerable war element in the product ion that has been cut thereby resulting in the remaining choppy and incoherent mass that makes up “Love’s Flame.” With the exception of Thomas J. Carrigan and Vivienne Osborne, its principals, the cast was ridiculously amateurish and acted like mechanical toys. Mr. Carrigan and Miss Osborne seemed to try hard enough under severe handicap. Adele, the French nurse, is in love with Captain Clay. Various bits indicate that Adele is not free to marry and then too she has the strenuous objection of a very clownish looking parent to contend with. The majority of the scenes showing Adele pleading with her father, the introduction of a vampish cousin who threatens to steal the American from Adele, the appearance of a couple of French soldiers who have a private argument, all add to the complications confronting Adele and the bewilderment of the audience. However, even though you're in the dark as to most of what's going on, the two are united. Hardly A Chance To Reclaim Its Faults Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor It seems hardly possible that “Love’s Flame” can be made into anything worth while. In its present state it means practically nothing as a picture and could never be classed as entertainment. It may be possible that someone could retitle and recut it so that it would at least be coherent. At present it is hard to tell whether or not the story material contains any thing worth while. At any rate there are no indica tions of anything unusual about it. Toward the close where the lovers marry despite the parental objection, they make a point of “love will have its way,” or something to that effect. The re mainder of the film is without point or coherence.