Wid's Filmdom (1921)

Sunday, January 1, 1922 Latter Reels Amusing But Gets Off To Slow Start Wallace Reid in “RENTZERED. Paramount DIRECTOR: 5.2...4 ce eee ee Howard Higgin AUAHORS sich Izola Forrester and Mann Page SCENARIO ‘BY’ 222.0 ae eee: Elmer Rice CAMERAMAN George Schoenbaum AS A WHOLE....Rather a weak entertainment with star poorly cast; last reels fairly amusing SEO RY «ica A long time before you know there is any plot at all; idea poorly developed DIRECTION. = Ordinary; spends altogether too much time getting started; permits too much repetition in scenes PHOTOGRAPH Yipee eet omg. fret le Satisfactory EIGHTIN GS ae ieee ne ane ieee oe ea Average iA Roh aoe Plays in his usual style but story doesn’t suit his personality SUPPORT) 3 Lila Lee leading lady; suitable cast for the most part EXTERIORS ae cae Not the real thing INTERLO RS 3) Soe cee ee Adequate DETVAIV 5. 0 Soe aerate aera ican cca tet, eee Fair GHARACTER [OHgs1 @ORYee Struggling young artist and disowned heiress camp on roof and start a romance that ends happily LENGTH, OF PRODUCTIONS ees aa 4,661 feet If it had not been for’ a few laughs distributed through the latter reels and a general though slight tendency of improvement in every direction, “Rent Free” would have to be voted an out and out dull bit of entertainment. And at best the story is a poor selection for Wallace Reid. It does provide him with a hero role, to be sure, but not the sort of part that is best suited to his personality. For the most part he parades around with an artist’s paraphernalia, climbing from roof to roof in an effort to escape an unpaid landlady. The early reels are very slow and the director seems almost to have forgotten that the story had a plot at all, because the incidents are not permitted to shape themselves in a way that would establish a form of premise. When finally they get into the story, things pick up and a rather belated interest in hero Wallie and his roof-romance is acquired. The star himself is pleasing and Lila Lee is a suitable heroine. The atmosphere of “Rent Free” recalls a Thomas Meighan picture, “The Frontier of the Stars,” in which roof tops formed the background, and the same fault which was found with the Meighan production goes here. The roof tops are not at all real looking and one or two shots of New York’s skyline are poor substitutes for the real thing. Once the plot is made clear and the romance gets under way, “Rent Free” holds the attention and the happy ending gives it an appropriate finish. Buell Arnister’s father, a lawyer, resents his artistic ambitions, so Buell boards until his money is gone and then he camps on the roof. On a neighboring roof are two more campers, Barbara Teller and her friend Justine, also unable to pay their board bill. Barbara is the daughter of the late wealthy Mr. Teller, who left all his money to his second wife, who put Barbara out of her house, which happens to be in the neighborhood. In his rooftop rovings Buell gains entrance to the Teller home -and invites Barbara and her pal to join him. Barbara doesn’t tell Buell it is her former home. ‘Mrs. Teller, now Countess de Mourney, returns from abroad to find her home inhabited by the young artist and her step-daughter. Complications pile on, but then Buell produces a note, which indicates a hidden will of the late Teller, which is found and leaves all his wealth to his daughter. Exit Countess and enter romance for Buell and Barbara. May Please a Fair Majority Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor hose who admire Wallace Reid will likely be satised with his latest picture even though it presents him ina role rather a good deal different from those with which he is usually associated. Perhaps they will be beginning to get discouraged because the early reels are slow, but the ending makes up in a fair way with some amusing situations and some laughs that appeared to be well received at the Rialto. [he star’s name will attract and probably the title is one that will get the attention if exploited with advertising of the stunt variety and catchlines such as: “If your landlady puts you out and you cannot pay the rent, there is always one thing left to do. See how Wallace Reid solves the problem in'“Rent Frée’.”” Or, “Are you troubled with the rent problem? Wallace Reid doesn’t let it worry him. See how he does it in “Rent Free’,