Wid's Filmdom (1920)

Sunday, March 21, 1920 Muchly Muddled Picture Based on Short Story by Balzac J. Warren Kerrigan in “THE DREAM CHEATER” Brunton Prod.—Hodkinson PRC a ©) Rewer ae. ew rene. Ernets C. Warde ATUL O Renee: Based on Honore de Balzac’s “The Wild Ass’ Skin.” By eet ts COD EMY cere tog, eter terse act Jack Cunningham AMVETS RA MAING cece cates fount ee cus Arthur L. Todd AS A WHOLE...... Peculiar combination of unusual characterization with a lot of totally irrelevant scenes concerning “parlor Bolshevists.”’ SE Weavers Is really a character study but plot is muddled and shows little force. DtRECLIONGee es. Gets points over well in the few dramatic scenes. BiG LO GRAPE Yerwrern mics. tit. t.ho ake o sits Good TE LG EUCLUN GSoee ener ee cesar taus Suitable GAIMIETUARWY ©) lx Kener: titeere Me ier hastee 6c Average STAR....Has much characterization to render but not much action to help him out. SW © Rl gaernpeenmecmdeis ee ed toe 8 ee hayes Good Pye ICL OO) Wo amerei aie or echan . Se rh tues Very few INDE RIORS2. 2: Show the usual stolidity of Brunton settings. BARN Se 5, Oe ten aan ao All right CHARACTER TORSO LORY 2 si.. Remolding of superstitious man by means of serious theme LENGTH OF PRODUCTION....... About 5,100 feet The tail end of this picture reveals the substance of a short story by Balzac. McShane, the central char acter, comes into possession of the skin of a wild ass, which is supposed to have some mystic power of granting its holder’s wishes. Every time a wish is made the skin shrinks. And the legend is that when -coming. McShane wishes himself wealth and his enemies unhappiness it shrinks to nothing its owner will die. and then lives in mortal terror lest he wish the skin out of existence and himself along with it. Eventually the heroine tells him that superstition is nothing but fear and that the skin is nothing to bother about and so he takes courage and throws it away. This fanciful tale makes good reading when told by The how foolish is superstition that it teaches is lessened Balzac but it isn’t picture material. lesson of in effect by the old skin which is shown shrinking every time a wish is made. The natural question will be, “Why does it shrink?” and no explanation is forthIn other words they try to palm off a pure fairy tale theme asa drama. They might at least have utilized the old dream trick. The beginning of the story is quite apart from the final episode and totally irrelevant with its scenes showing a lot of bewhiskered “parlor Bolshevists.” They have absolutely nothing to do with the plot. They through the early reels but get hardly anywhere as endeavor to build up McShane’s character there is no definite action to back up the characteriza tion and the love element and its counterplot are muddled. The final sequence gives J. Warren Kerrigan a number of fine acting opportunities which he realizes on well enough, but here the famous skin comes into the plot so often that you can’t help wishing they had decided to make a comedy of it. Kerrigan is supported by a good cast which includes such skilful players as Sam Sothern, Wedgewood Nowell, Alice Wilson, Joseph J. Dowling, Thomas Guise, Fritzi Brunette and Aggie Herring. Some People May Be Interested in Seeing a Balzac Story Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor Neighborhood houses catering to intelligent audiences may be able to get safely by with this one owing to the fact that it is based on a Balzac story, and many people will be interested in seeing the picture because of this alone. However, the effect that the picture leaves is not one of complete satisfaction. The peculiarly muddled surface that the first half of the picture presents is very poor and the interest really only begins when McShane comes into posession of the magic skin. Catch lines on the following order will suffice, “A picture based on a fascinating short story by Balzac— distinctly extraordinary,” “Superstition drove him almost mad—he thought his footsteps stalked by Death! See the screen version of a Balzac work.” This sort of advertising together with the name of the star should bring them in if you want to take a chance on the author’s name discounting the peculiarities of the picture.