Wid's Filmdom (1920)

er LEM Ie « &@ i een Sunday, March 21, 1920 Wi DAILW 5 ‘ CIR as SCIELO NDE SGA as OL LI EY Typical Charles Ray Picture That Should Score Big Charles Ray in “ALARM CLOCK ANDY” Ince—Paramount—Artcraft UPC EeLCD T Ben ee oe gh eof de eeu Jerome Storm PER MIDEL OD Bsc i. Meas. osc, acs Agnes Christine Johnston Mig MA tLOe BY. os)... Agnes Christine Johnston COUN USS GENIN 0 a ee Chester Lyons AS ASWHOLE, :.... Typical Charles Ray production that should go as big as all the others. BURG Y Sikes ar} Has splendid comedy touches and plenty of human interest. DLRECTION:. 22 Has brought out all points with fine appreciation. Pen? Oy RP vate gs ches sieko ae nd Y Very good WeEGEL CIN GS tegen. Io oes s Most straight stuff RCL IVERG IR AMVC REISE, 2s Soe direc. bce e suns fed Good OL Ree ees Gets all his stuff over in role of bashful city boy. UP OR Ee Mena a ns sit ee kos ws Typical types SP SUMO SRR ES AI NG rrr Same PPR ALI Oe, Metis foe cote s'o. 6 is 2% Everything O. K. CHARACTERSOFR STORY..:..... Bashful fellow throws bluff at being important and lands big business order and the girl. LENGTH OF PRODUCTION...... About 4,938 feet Of course the story of “Alarm Clock Andy” is incidental to Charles Ray’s characterization and the usual bashful business that he puts in, but at the same time the picture presents a very good story idea and although, on the surface, it is a typical Charles Ray picture it has a certain amount of originality and a great share of human interest back of it. One thing, however, is certain and the statement of it is really a complete review of the picture, that “Alarm Clock leading lady. Andy” will go over just as big as all the other Ray pictures of this general type. It’s audience meat. Here they introduce him as Andy, an alarm clock slave, a bashful youth who has the added handicap of a stuttering tongue. He has worked in the office of the Wells motor truck company for five years and has gotten nowhere beyond a clerk’s high stool, though he knows the business from A to Z. presumed upon from morning till night. upon at the boarding house where he lives and at the office where William Blinker, the bluffing sales manager regards him as his pet aversion. This certainly is a very human premise on which to start a Ray picture and the star makes the character real flesh, and blood by his very fitness for the role and his appreciation of it. They get in a lot of good comedy at the boarding house and more at the office, all of which builds up the characterization besides. They get into the plot through having Andy mistaken for Blinker. Realizing full well his shortcomings Andy decides to go through with the mistake on a big bluff and during his two weeks vacation he courts and wins his employer’s daughter and lands the prize order of the season to boot. Even though the actual plot is way without the bounds of probability it gets hold of you because the central character is so real. The comedy is never neglected nor are the human interest touches forgotten. They keep right on building with these elements until at the end you get a warm glow about the heart as well as a big laugh when Andy receives public recognition for his success. Supporting the star appear Milicent Fisher as his George Webb as Blinker, Thomas Guise as Wells, and Andrew Robson. All render satisfactory Andy is Presumed characterizations. They Hand You a Good Title Here as Well as a Name Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor fo put the stamp of approval on this is easy. It’s right up to Ray’s standard and your audience will eat it up from title to tail piece. In the matter of advertising you know from past experience that about all you need to do with Ray is to display his name and the big business comes. This time, however, they have fastened an unusually good advertising title on the picture and one which can be worked up in various attractive ways, always Catch lines could “A comedy of an alarm clock slave bringing out the alarm clock idea. read as follows: that rings the bell from first to last,” “He stuttered and hesitated and they told him he couldn’t sell a beefsteak to a starving millionaire but—!” “Opportunity didn’t knock—it smashed the door down and after he had recovered he grabbed the chance and 1”? made good