Wid's Filmdom (1920)

‘ 5 ¥ G a : wy Sunday, September 5, 1920 4 apn ENURESIS OS Aa RRR men pi ce sat 9 DAILW 11 Late Daredevil Star in Attractively Produced Stunt Picture Ormer Locklear in “THE SKYWAYMAN” Fox RIMES TORS CER a Pre xcs «0a eke James Patrick Hogan fo HOW S08 e000 Julius G. Furthman DW eS CBE Nah wef eas ces ss Julius G. Furthman Sore Re tee ING See! 0s Js cha fece banat he Not credited AS A WHOLE ...... Well produced stunt picture written as vehicle for late lieutenant pel) buyers. .s Rather plain and elemental but production helps and it serves it’s purpose well Dita LON. Has some class and distinction; about the best seen in recent Fox pictures PHOLOGRARHY .....: Usually very good; one or two unrealistic effects CAMERA WORK ...... Camera shakes badly during execution of one of the stunts STARR. 3 a0 Was never much of an actor but he seems at home in the fast sequences BREE eo CPL et ara csase . «aed Louise Lovely is heroine Pe POLL Stewart ite. 6 hn os be se ce Well chosen ee IEE PCLICN Seen T «.5-6,5 sty css se ee 3d Satisfactory Reet Pee Ree rege co cise «0 soo 05 2 .aie Then dws All right CHARACTER OF STORY Returned war hero, suffering from loss of memory, is cured through villain’s trick that was meant to take his life LENGTH OF PRODUCTION .... About 4,700 feet “The Skywayman” is a well preduced stunt picture prepared as a vehicle for the late Ormer Locklear, the well known daredevil of the air, who lost his life while executing one of the thrills. While the story seems to have been written hurriedly and on close inspection bears all the earmarks of a palpable “vehicle” without any of the polish of inspiration or study, the production tendered it is very good and stamps it with a cer tain class and distinction that have been lacking in a number of Fox pictures. In fact’ the direction and photographic and lighting effects are about the best that have appeared from the Fox west coast studio in some time. Locklear appears as Captain Locke, a returned war hero. He gets a good introduction in scenes show: ing him circling around the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, leaping, taking nose dives and performing kindered stunts. He eventually lands on the hotel roof, Locke is suffering from the loss of memory sustained in an accident at the front. They flash back to this action and it is very realistic, what with one flash showing a plane descending to the earth in flames. Locke does not recognize his father, mother or sweetheart and so these three eagerly accept the plan of Leveridge, a scientist, who tells them he has conceived a way of restoring Locke’s memory. In reality Leveridge plans to do away with the war hero as he is his rival for the hand of the fair Virginia. But during the course of Leveridge’s frameup Locke, after receiving several blows on the head finds his mind restored to its normal state. Leveridge, re{uted in his plans, takes his life. There are three good flying stunts introduced. One shows the star jumping from the ‘plane to a train. This is familiar by this time but it still provides a thrill. Another shows Locke fighting an auto full of the villain’s hirelings from his ‘plane. This stunt was partially marred by the bad shaking of the camera. The best stunt is the one in which Locke’s machine wrecks a church steeple and sends the villains scooting from this hiding place. Subsequently they get in some good comedy with Locke and Virginia kidnapping the minister and taking him for a stunt ride. When the good man again regains firm footing and speaks the marriage ceremony over hero and heroine, there are some funny scenes showing the effects of the ride on his equilibrium. Louise Lovely appears as Virginia. Billy Elmer has a comedy-human interest role as the sargeant, while Sam De Grasse as Leveridge, Edwin B. Tilten as the father and Jack Brammall in a deputy villain role complete the cast. Should Prove a Profitable Attraction in Some Houses Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor On the whole this should be a good card for the houses where stunt pictures are considered of the best entertainment value. It doesn’t show anything startling but nevertheless, the stunts are there and thrills are not lacking. In billing this, feature the late star and use the title prominently. “The Skywayman” is a neat play on a well known word and should prove attractive. It might also help you to announce the fact that ten percent. of the producer’s profits of this are to be turned over to the families of Locklear and his pilot who were killed in doing one of the stunts.