Wid's Filmdom (1921)

Sunday, August 21, 1921 Wid DAILW " 15 Capable Star and Good Production Make It Attractive Betty Compson in “AT THE END OF THE WORLD” Paramount PIERCE O Raya eb wee ele Penrhyn Stanlaws PERT ere Or free tea 6 ace oe Ernst Klein SCENARLOU BY (i= f0: 2 a0. Edfrid A. Bingham GANIC AM BIN Gn ee eos as Oe a Paul Perry AS A WHOLE...... Good production and the kind of story that pleases a good many picture goers S LG wees Moves along first rate in early reels but lags considerably in last half DIRECTION «se. a. Very good especially with regard to production values; allows action to drag at times Pine POGERARTW Meiers. foe ve se Excellent TGS EGE INC ete: Pee ere ojo oo e's ois wl oe oh oe Good GAME RAGW.O RK beat. sic, s cod oe ee Average SDA RI« 23h,: Beautiful and splendidly photographed; suited to variety of sequences Sir POR Teas. tas Milton Sills does his usual good work; Mitchell Lewis overacts in close-ups; others satisfactory PCE IR LO) mv ter ee tre tei e Halse ole én ele Good TN DERIOR Stations: sis Some lavish; always artistic PSIG DAL Dee Pie eee a ie =o All that is required CHARACTER OF STORY..:...Daughter of Shang hai resort proprietor toys with various suitors finally winning the one she loves LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 5,729 feet Betty Compson’s first production since “Prisoners of Love” is the feature attraction at the Rialto this week, and, generally speaking, it offers a sort of entertainment that proves quite popular with a good majority of film patrons. The opening reels contain splendid Oriental atmosphere and the story is given a good introduction, moves along at a good pace and holds the interest very well until it reaches a point hate ee Soe Mae where the principals, the girl and three different suitors are the sole inhabitants of an isolated lighthouse island. From here on it drags rather badly in spots, and even though the ending isn’t distinctly obvious, still the spectator is quite sure that it is due for a happy ending and it is just a matter of getting rid of two of the men, leaving the girl and the man she loves together. A splendid production has been provided by Penrhyn Stanlaws, artist-director, who has previously directed some of the Wanda Hawley pictures for Realart. There are numerous attractive sets, and some fine shots of the lighthouse and the light in operation. He has handled the climax effectively and it furnishes a genuine thrill. Miss Compson appears to advantage in the role of “Cherry,” the daughter of an Englishman who runs a Chinese gambling house and a cafe in Shanghai, China. The star is beautifully photographed and displays ability in a variety of emotions. She is capably supported by Milton Sills, Mitchell Lewis, Casson Ferguson, Joseph Kilgour and others. Cherry, daughter of Terence O’Day, proprietor of the Paper Lantern cafe in Shanghai, has always practised her father’s creed “to play with men to her heart’s content but always keep them at arm’s length’—or something to that effect. And so “Cherry” promises to marry MacGregor, a sailor. He rettirns to find that her father has died and she has married a rich man. Later a bank clerk tries to win her favor but is caught stealing bonds. And again Gordon Dean, a traveller and novelist, meets Cherry but is the least interested of her suitors. The three men, through coincidence, go to live on a lonely lighthouse reef, with the one, Dean, followed by Cherry after her divorce, and the fight which ends the lives of MacGregor and the clerk, comprises the rest of the story. Mention Star’s Name and Talk About the Atmosphere Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor This is likely to prove a fairly good box office attraction despite a slackening of the interest in the latter reels. There is a certain quality of audience appeal in the story, regardless of what some may call deliberate coincidence—the situation in which the three suitors take up life together on the lonely reef. However, it does provide material for a strong climax which Director Stanlaws presents in splendid fashion. Use the star’s name and be sure to recall her most prominent success, “The Miracle Man.” Some stills of Miss Compson in the large variety of costumes which she wears will be sure to attract attention in the lobby. Properly exploited you ought to do good business with the picture. It would be well to mention Milton Sills’ name. He appears to have a large “fan” following. Paramount exchanges will supply you with posters.