Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-12
FARNUM, GILLETTE, GISH
AND YOUNG ON SCREEN
Downtown Picture Houses Made
Monday an All-Star
Day

Monday was all-star day In the hrst-run
nlm houses downtown. And yet not In
every case was the star the hist thing
about each particular new him.
Certainly not at the Stanley. Dustin
Farnum always delivers the goods In his
own peculiar packing case. Some like II
and some don't Nobody can say that he
hinders the story Of The Parson OF Pana-
mint" and nobody can say that he does n
very great deal for the now Pailas-Para-
mount flm. The real credit goes TO the
director and his continuity man" They
have made an interesting. lngratiating hlm
out Of a not very novel plot.
In nve-part features, II Is all too apt 70
be matter OF half an hours boring ex-
position in preparation for a little over
half an hour OF punch. In THE Parson of
Panamint" II is half an hour-even an
hour-of simple. human. always absorbing
exposition in preparation for ten minutes
OF punch which doesn't depend very much
on what has gone before and isn't any more
novel than an accidental fire I'm which the
hero loses his life saving enemy. But
strewn along the rest OF the way are in
Vulnerable interesting. believable and SYM
pathetic bits OF western anecdotage. which
have been handled In anything but the
conventional western manner. Further. the
atmosphere of the story is set quickly and
effectively by prologue. wherein one OF
the characters Of the story looks back from
the ruins OF the town OF Panamint on the
memories Of what once was
The Franklin brothers, who have Just
left Griffith for Fox. are among the clever
eet artists OF the lens Witness their Let
Katy Do IT. and The Children In the
House" Witness also Gretchen the Green
horn" at the Arcadia the first half of this
week. Here Is a melodrama OF convG.n-
tional groundwork touched to human issues
through intimate treatment. a valuable
sense OF character types and gracefully real
istc leaders" While Dorothy Gish and
the Fine Arts kids are playing foil TO
| crowd OF counterfelters, with an exciting
finish on the criminals ship. the specta-
tors eve is being delighted with some brill
liant long shots" OF sea and coast the
vision" Of quaint Holland village. deft
use of animal actors and technical stunts
| adroitly done. One of these is a contract
ing and expanding vignette. giving depth
and richness to facial play. The story,
by Bernard McConVille, owes much to the
| Franklns.
James Vincent, n producer for Fox who
| isn't especially famous. is likely to be II he
directs other photopays as good as and
better than THE Unwelcome Mother" the
| Ruby's feature yesterday. Plainly adapted
| from THE Lady from the Sea" (though nc
credit was given Ibsen on the film) this
| five-part drama showed all the vigorous
| sweeping treatment which has distinguished
Fox subjects hitherto. But there was ar
| added something. curious, wild, ocean
| like impetuosity TO the expository scenes oil
| shore Despite some rough photography
atmosphere has rarely been so perfectly
| caught by a camera. Capital histrionisn
| by Mile Valkyren and the Lee children
| kept the play from collapsing later on
| when Mary Murillo's adapting displaced tn,
| original situations. But the first part, will
| its salty winds and strange emotions, wa
really fascinating.
A good many weeks after IT'S release date