Wid's Filmdom (1921)

Bal : 8 ei Sunday, November 13, 1921 Wiel DAILY : Mae Murray Does Her Best Work in Lavish “Peacock Alley” Mae Murray in “PEACOCK ALLEY” Tiffany Productions PERG SS) IR). io eeets <a te RO ites. c Robert Z, Leonard Pee OR 2 Gaur 2 sre sco eae ae Edmund Goulding lero ea ie) CO) 0 Viste tant eget, <7 oe Edmund Goulding Gavi A MANE oe hai cearhiets oss es Oliver T. Marsh AS A WHOLE...... Looks like good box office bet and undoubtedly Mae Murray’s best; gorgeous photography py) IN Nem. Beautifully produced and highly artistic though occasionally unconvincing; really without originality Dre CLION Sse Splendid; lends delightful tone and color -to story; anti-climatic tendency toward end might be remedied PEE Gye A PPR ae re ge hy Excellent Ber Fala NC acs een er a at SHA Re ees Does the best work of her career in role that demands varied emotions SUPPORT....Monte Blue does his usual good work; others satisfactory EXTERIORS....Both real and studio sets very good Tad tae LO he Smee ere es ke ee es ee Good Ce ALS. gees ee Adequate; misspelling in titles GHARACTERION S@ORY....--. French dancer mar ries small town business man whose Uncle finally separates them PeENGEH OFF PRODUCTION... .. About 7,500 feet Regardless of whatever else may be said about “Peacock Alley,” its main attraction is Mae Murray, who does the best work of her film career in the role of the French dancer who marries a business man from Harmantown, Pa. The star is a definite box office appeal all by herself in a role that tests her ability to portray and distinguish a variety of emotions, and she successfully demands your sympathy no matter how unconvincing the situation may be. And there are such instances. “Peacock Alley,” Edmund Goulding has written basing it on a story by Ouida Bergere—so the program reads—but for that matter Goulding might have based it on any number of previous stories, including one that Eve Unsell wrote called “His Parisian Wife,” which served as a vehicle for Elsie Ferguson in 1919. That is to say that the story is not at all original, and Goulding gives the theme no new twists as “Peacock Alley.” But if production values, artistic atmosphere and gorgeous photography can improve upon hack. neyed material, they have certainly been intelligently applied in Robert Z. Leonard’s production. There is an opening shot, exquisitely colored, that looks like a painting until the figure on the pathway moves and All of the exteriors are beautiful and even the studio affairs Mae Murray comes down close to the camera. are realistic. . The direction. is smooth and of good order except that in probably adhering’ closely to the continuity too much detail causes it to become anti-climatic. An instance of this in particular, is that in which the dancer and her husband separate because he misunderstands and she returns to her home in Normandy. As long as they were destined to be reunited it brings The small town sequence is slightly overdrawn and might up the slogan—“eventually, why not now?” readily be toned down. Cleo of Paris, famed as a beauty and a dancer, would let her admirers come so far and no farther, and so it is a “good” Cleo who falls in love and marries Elmer Harmon and returns with him to his home in a small town in Pennsylvania. Cleo’s Parisian air and gowns startle the townsfolks, and Elmer is forced to take his bride to New York. Cleo is an understanding little somebody and offers to pawn her jewels when Elmer is unable to pay the bills). Then Elmer forges his Uncle’s name, and Cleo breaks her promise to him (she dances again) to secure money to free him. Elmer misunderstands, denounces his wife and returns to Harmantown. Years later he the truth and goes back to Normandy for the sorrowing Cleo. learns The Atmosphere and Display That Brings Them In Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor Everything points toward a successful box office career for “Peacock Alley,” for it certainly registers definite box office appeal. As yet no distributing medium has been announced, but the picture will certainly need to bring home “some bacon” to compensate its promoters for it looks like it cost no small bit of “cash.” It has been done in costly fashion and it obviously displays large expenditure in every direc tion. The star’s wardrobe alone represents no small amount. In offering it to your patrons, you are quite safe in making promises, and you needn't be afraid to give Miss Murray the prominence that she deserves.; Exploitation should be an easy matter since you \have the atmosphere that appeals to a great many picture patrons.