Wid's Filmdom (1920)

@ a Sunday, January 11, 1920 to) df. DAILW 19 SO SA AE CS Average Crook Melodrama With Good Concluding Mystery Touch Corinne Griffith in “THE TOWER OF JEWELS” Vitagraph Seemeteer aD We, UD. Bes eo... se Bes gos Tom Terriss MESES Shey a we. a. ke Lucien Hubbard IRON ce esG spas se. wo oe Lucien Hubbard URE RR MVR IN GR tes oars ss ss oats Tom Molloy AS A WHOLE...... Crook melodrama of average type; rather slight but well managed and interesting throughout. SAE ks cin Interest is well maintained throughout and touch of mystery in the final sequence nicely handled. DIRECTION. 2... .Shows a keen appreciation of values of this type of story. , PeGLORAPIVY 2 7..-./.'5.. Good except for opening safe-breaking sequence. TSN Ss a a ives cee sle cede aes Average CAMERA WORK...... Some nice angles that help the realistic running of the story. STAs.) ae: Plays sincerely and will attract because of her prettiness. S Cg aR er sd Good; includes a number of. fine types. INTERIORS...... Those in Barton’s home particularly nice. PipR Ac NOE SSS xg a Appropriate DEAVAIIRN? on. Subtitles contain considerable crook lingo. CHARACTER OF STORY ...... Reformation of girl crook due kindly treatment of captor and his son. LENGE OFS RODUCTION.....0...°.. 4,051 feet “The Tower of Jewels” is a nicely done crook melodrama with a mystery ,twist at the end and may well be relied upon to furnish satisfactory entertainment to most audiences. It fails to get into the class of some of Tom Terriss’ other Vitagraph subjects inasmuch as the plot is rather slight and required a good lot of building to extend it out over five reels. Again it contains nothing of a spectacular nature or anything startlingly dramatic. On the whole it’s one of those many pictures that may be classed as average. It hits this level all the way through. Corinne Griffith appears as Emily, known among her associates as the Princess of the Diamonds. Emily is one of the most respected of a large gang of crooks whose leader is Grimstead. She is caught while robbing the home of David Barton, a wealthy dealer, who has in his possession a famous diamond collar, known as the Tower of Jewels. Barton offers her a home and a chance to go straight and, touched by his kindliness, Emily decides to break away from her old associates. Grimstead, however, is not willing and insists that she help him steal the diamond collar. She refuses, whereat he threatens to expose her past to Wayne Barton, her benefactor’s son, who is unaware of her career of crime and with whom she is in love. On a certain night Grimstead and others of the gang surround the house and wait their chance to enter. Wayne’s cousin, who is in love with him and jealous of Emily, removes the jewel case from the safe to throw suspicion on the girl. The crooks enter but are frightened away by the ringing of the bell. It is the messenger from Barton’s client for the jewels. He goes to the safe and they are not there. Then the cousin confesses to having removed the case and Wayne confesses to having removed the collar itself as he felt sure the crooks would make another attempt at the safe. Grimstead is shot.and mortally wounded when fleeing the police and with his dying breath relates of the gentle birth of Emily and says that. she is just as good as the Bartons and fit to marry Wayne. The whole story is cut of somewhat familiar cloth but the mysterious disappearance of the diamond col lar in the final sequence will have many guessing and the clearing up of the situation leaves everyone satisfied. Miss Griffith receives commendable support from such popular members of the Vitagraph stock as Webster Campbell, Maurice Costello, Henry Stephenson, Charles Craig and Charles Holton. Play Up the Mystery of Final Sequence and This Will Draw Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor This picture ought to give average satisfaction though it is by no means anything out of the ordinary. However there won’t be any kicks on it and all you need to worry about is to get ’em in. A good advertising scheme would be to shape newspaper notices and any special advertisements about the mystery in the final reel. Relate of the disappear ance of the jewels, the various parties suspected and the ruin that will befall Emily if they are not found. Corinne Griffith has a certain popularity in Vitagraph pictures and her stardom is deserved. Maurice Costello, an old favorite is in the cast, and the mention of his name in the billing will doubtless attract the real picture fans.