Wid's Filmdom (1920)

Sunday, January 11, 1920 é f DAILW 7 SAI CE TERIA, UMN WRIT FOYE SIO A A Very Stagey Production But Comedy and Star’s Fight Will Register With Some James J. Corbett in “THE PRINCE OF AVENUE A” : Universal Drm RECLINE c Waehe 5. So Bleks 3 eos os Jack Ford ARTO RS <a aas: Charles T. and Frank M. Dazey eC See. ss... Se Charles J. Wilson, Jr. CP VLE Mies oe oda... 5S ihe hee oe John Brown ASs A WHOLE. ..5.... Very stagey production but star’s fight and comedy touches will get it by with transient audiences. Re enaiend Plot is extremely elemental and fails to generate any great suspense. STORY Me eG Gord ON Bite, eg as S se ais Never very realistic ee Eee UALTRH Pe EE LAY sae i. ss EE ease. s Average DaL SRL LINAT SW Oe oy eRe’... . 5 2 ctele Nothing’ unusual Reeve eR VV. CECI Steir. ..s. slits Ga vs ees Good Paes ca ats ts aad oa. Satisfactory EXTERIORS...... “Avenue A” setting not at all modern. SAR se caer Is interesting; beats up a dozen men single-handed in the climax. Bs a Leet ee rps o. . a sate Ne eee ae Average SEAL IS ae Generally poor; all atmosphere striven for is terribly obvious; star not mussed up at all after his fight; night scenes brilliantly lighted and not tinted. CHARACTER OF STORY...... More or less uncouth Irishman wins hand of mayoralty candidate’s daughter. Bric. HOF PRODUCTION. ooo... 6s 4,500 feet Jack Ford produced “The Prince of Avenue A” out in California and from the looks of the east side New York scenes he had never been nearer the metropolis than the Hollywood studios when he staged it. The Avenue A setting is the stagiest one could imagine and what with its horse cars, a remnant of other days, and the modern clothes the leads wear, the spectator encounters a bad case of incongruity. This may not stand out before audiences outside the city but certainly most people are going to catch the terrible stagey atmosphere that shrouds the whole production. When there are more than two or three players on the screen at one time, the action immediately becomes stilted, obvious and very plainly “directed.” There’s little that is natural about the running of the entire picture. However it is quite possible that the low-brow humor introduced at various places during the action and the fight staged by the star at the climax will appeal to those audiences who just want to be amused for a while before they catch their train or make another sale. There’s nothing new about this comedy. Most of it occurs when Corbett as Barry O’C€onnor attends the society dance given by the heroine. Barry is a model of sartorial splendor in his evening clothes but he asks for dances without introductions, tells one female her dress is too high, chats with the butler and invites the maid to dance with him. After all this the heroine orders him from her home! A most polite thing for a society girl to do under the circumSstances—not: But it happens that Barry’s father is a power in politics and that the heroine’s father wants to be mayor of the city. So the senior O’Connor insists that the candidate bring his daughter to an Avenue A racket so that she may lead the grand march with Barry, thus wiping out the young man’s humiliation. Then there’s a riot when Barry’s enemy insults the girl and Barry proceeds to clean up the place, felling at least a dozen of his opponents with his bare fists. After it’s over his shirt front is still a spotless white and Barry has a scratch on his chin although his knuckles are unharmed. At this show of heroics heroine gives the air to the society fop who has been tagging around after her and goes to Barry’s arms. Supporting Corbett are Richard Cummings, Cora Drew, Harry Northrup, Frederick Vroom, Mark [enton, George Fischer, Johnnie Cook and Lydia Yea mans Titus. Not the Picture for a High-Class House With a Reputation Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor Certainly this picture has no place on the screen of a high-class theater that has a reputation to uphold. Its many faults quite overbalance its few merits when such a theater is considered. . On the other hand there is no denying that “The Prince of Avenue A” will have its appeal. And this appeal is directed largely to the low-brows and to a certain extent the transients. Of course, no exhibitor really likes to admit that his theater houses low-brows but many theaters do and before such audiences the picture will likely score and score with bettér effect than would a more expensive release with a better story and more expertly staged. Transient audiences will also find something to their liking in this, mainly the comedy put over by the star during his initiation into society and the fight he stages during the climax which is also rather funny inasmuch as it is so impossible.