Wid's Filmdom (1920)

Sunday, January 4, 1920 iff DAILY “0 acre ETE EEE E50 A ET, Comedy Dialogue Missed in Screen Version Taylor Holmes in “NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH” Metro Ree COIN. a Mee es ss ss aes David Kirkland Pe DLR vaigh ie bh des Frederic S. Isham and James Montgomery. OS8 1 ANUP Sa 9 OU SES SS he Wa Not credited SPAMS TCS WVEPAIN MPL Es Fhatn's ys + aicnere Jake Badaracco Awa WHOLE. & Jo... Amusing: comedy situations; runs along in light humorous vein but isn’t uproarious at any time. Sckeu Yt... Adapted from the stage play but spoken dialogue is missed in screen version. DRC LIGIN S. . ace Worked in some good bits of wit and managed to keep things going most of the time. PHOTOGRAPHY LIGHTINGS CAMERA WORK BE ci ee SOEs ons ve c's Good Satisfactory RE, 2s ee arent Quite pleasing Suet SHOT s) cle) SLian ests 6) 6 6 («6:6 Ses ¢ 0 6 SDAR. 2.26% Good natured but gets into a whole lot of — trouble by telling the truth. See ORT i... Ned Sparks good as English Lord; entire cast well selected. EXTERIORS...... Pretty shots of Long Island country estate. INTERIORS The real thing MC DAL les... Too many titles and about two reels too long. EHMARACTER OF STORY...... Embarrassing moments grow out of a seemingly harmless bet. LENGTH OF PRODUCTION...... About 6,000 feet Like many adaptations of successful stage plays, more especially comedies, the screen presentation of “Nothing But the Truth” lacks the pep and the snap of the spoken dialogue. However, what the screen version misses in this way it gains in another for there is greater opportunity for realism and detail. mile @arelielie @) a Neue) wie 6 6 6 @ 6 e%e 0 fe Complications developing out of hero’s bet that he can answer truthfully every question put to him for a period of one week, afford ample opportunity for comedy situations. And his troubles are many. For instance, a couple of suspicious wives ask some very compromising questions about their husbands, truth ful answers to which pave the way for divorces. The director has handled the story effectively and made the most of the better spots, even working up a degree of excitement toward the end, but as a whole the interest isn’t sufficient to hold at the same tension all through the six reels. As a result the production slumps badly in places and a good deal of footage is used up with chases and “in and out” stuff. The scene opens up at the Country Club where Bob (Taylor Holmes), a wealthy society idler and three of his friends are holding a truth telling discussion which ends in a wager between Bob and his friends, each of them betting $10,000 that hero cannot go a whole week answering every question that’s put to him, with the truth and nothing but the truth. When a female member of the smart set appears on the scene Bob’s friends start the ordeal going without delay by treading on delicate ground—a lady’s age. They remark that she of the “fair and forty” variety, does not look her age and puts the embarrassing question to Bob but he overcomes the difficulty very nicely by answering in French that she looks as old as she is. The remainder of the picture deals with the hardships that Bob goes through during the week that he is on his truth-telling rampage. Things sure happen at a house party on Long Island. There is the usual assemblage—the society crook, the English Lord, etc., but in this case the Lord turns out to be a detective. Ned Sparks played the part very amusingly. In the end Bob wins the bet and, of course, a heart. Clean and Wholesome Offering Suitable to Family Trade Especially Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor The idea in “Nothing But the Truth” is comparatively new to the screen and although it isn’t quite strong enough to pull through six reels, you shouldn’t have any trouble putting it over. There are many good comedy bits and some truly funny moments even if the humor never reaches the riot stage. You have plenty of exploitation ideas in the paper put out by the producer and the fact that the play ran for more than a season on Broadway is always a big asset in getting over the screen version. Recall to your folks that Willie Collier was the star in the stage production and if any of the road companies played your town, make a bid for the patronage of those who saw the play. It is safe to promise clean, wholesome comedy. It is the sort of picture that you need not worry about if you are catering to a family trade. Use catchlines along the following lines: “Could you manage to tell ‘Nothing But the Truth’ for one week if there was $10,000 dependent upon it? See how Taylor Holmes does it in his latest production at the blank theater.”