Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-10
JACK BARRYMORE
HAS NARROW ESCAPE
Is Nearly a King in New Fa-
nous Player Film of That
Name at Stanley

Jack" Merrlwell .,.,...} Sonn sorrymore I,l,'
ReFaSc%ntt OF oKa.in Russell Bassst,
Grant Mason ...,.,....,.,.... Harry jay Smith
Daisy The Stage FavorIte o.. beatrice Prentice
Not so long ago the World Film Cor
| poration released very clever picture
called "The Flash Of an Emerald" in
which Robert warwick came into the
directors office and was given a scenario
to read The play was the scenario and
warwick played the lead. At the end,
| the picture again showed the star still
reading the scenario. lie flung 1t down
and said he wouldn't play the role for
any amount. It was a clever piece of
work.
| Now the Paramount people use a
| similar idea i'm Nearly King" by show
| ing Barrymore as an actor who is given
| d scenario to read by his valet. He starts
to read IL and the scene changes to the
valet's story.
One is led to believe as the story un-
folds that the valet in his youth was
bitten by that most contagious of all
germs to boy, the Frank Merriwell
bug. He calls his hero Jack Merriwell'
and sends him into adventures which
quite equal those Of the mythical Frank
land and America. with this literary
valet. one feels that the gentleman had
also read those classics. THE Prisoner of
zenda.' Rupert of Hentzau," to say
nothing of "Graustark' and the other
companion stories This talented valet
is Burt L. Standish, Anthony Hope and
George Barr McCutcheon rolled into one.
Any one with that imagination must
make an interesting story and this valet
was no exception. lie did a bully piece Of
impossible romantic nonsense eXcellently
suited to John Barrymore's peculiar
talents.
AS regards the principals it is a case of
"Mr. John Barrymore is good, John
Barrymore Is fine, Jack Barrymore is
screaming" The first of this three in
one combination might be described as the
gentleman who reads the scenario, the
second portion is the same gentleman as
the Prince. far too dignited for mere
Jack while the last, and the most at
tractive. Is the same clever. subtle come
dian of THE Dictator and The Man
from Mexico" happy-go-lucky, jolly
Jack"
There is plenty of merry comedy in this
film. The scene where Barrymore, clad
in pajamas. coasts into a young lady's
room on his steamer trunk during a
terrible storm at sea gets many laughs
The photograph is good throughout, as
production. Double exposure again plays
an important part and the scenes showing
Jack talking to his double, the Prince !
of Bulwana are extraordinarily good |
The picture is interesting and amusing, If
not over original. II will play the last !
three days OF this week at the Stanley !
Theatre.
A dollar bill with her autograph on 1t |
has been the source of much amusement |
to pretty VIOLA Smith for more than a |
year. The fun began when, in an idle |
moment, Miss Smith autographed the bill |
and spent 1t. Next day a Los Angeles |
admirer sent it to Miss Smith. with a
request for her photograph. Regularly |
since then the dollar has been coming |
back Up to date Miss Smith has spent |
it more than hundred times. only to |
have il returned to her by admirers in |
every part of the country. It's getting |
little frayed now. but is still good for |
its face value-or, as most people seem
to prefer an autographed picture of Miss
Smith. Watch out for it in your change
The number is Rs3l22SS4R.
More than half a score of artists and
experts were employed in the making of
a Babylonian scene which will be one of
the features in the forthcoming Metro
feature. THE Soul Market" Nine. Pc
trova is starred in this production, and
others in the cast include Wilmuth
Merkyl, Arthur Hoops Gypsy OBrien,
Evelyn Brent, Fritz de Lint 1t is be-
Players
The first days work which Nat c. Good
win has done in a studio for some time
was this week at the Mirror studio at
Long Island when the Mirror
Films, Inc, of which Clifford b. Har-
mon Is president, began work on the
first feature turned out by that new film
organization. A body of very prominent
men in the business and professional life
OF New York was present among them
the directorate of the company, which
includes such men as A. A. Anderson,
William j. Hoggson, Joseph Rowland
Hunt, Andres de Segurola, James King
Duffy, Frank s. Hastings, Rich G. HolIa-
man, Harry Rowe Shelley. Irving Bach
eller, John w. Houston, Rufus b. Cow
Ing, Jr., Mr.. Harmon and William c.
foomey, vice president and general man
ager of the Mirror. The studio, re-
modelled and complete in every detail
was turned over to the company last
week by Hector ]. Streyckmans.
Marguerite Clark is all tangled up in
The deluge of mixed identities required
TOT lhe uual tue role IN the Famous |
adaptation of Mark
rwain's The Prince and the Pauper,"
which comes to the Apollo on Friday.
Despite traditional quotations there is
everything in name when II comes
Town to theatrical availability. The title
5 all-important and many good plays
lave failed TO reap their deserved harvest
II success because they have been i'm
properly named. There will be an eX-
ample Of appropriate play-naming when
he forthcoming attraction at the Blue
bird Theatre. on Friday, is shown in
3luebird Photoplays. ''Secret Love" is
he title adopted for the screen version
II THAT Lass o. Lowrie's." and, as an
example OF cleverly adapting a title to
story, Secret Love" would be hard 10
match. Those who have read Mrs.
srannaa HndPann RmrnAftla sInr, ruiIl