Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-12
NEW FARCICAL ROLE
FOR MADGE KENNEDY
Winsome Comedienne Scores
Hit in Another Avery Hop
wood Film Play
HUCK AND TOM SEEN

sTANIEY.--''our Little Wife," with Madee
Kennedy, Scenario from the play by Avery
iIopwood Direction Re-: o. Edwarn n Dil,on ,uid and
Abel Goldwyn production.
Goldwyn's best products have been
the farces and comedies. II seems that
they excel in these fields, fact which
might be attributed to the success Sell
wyns have attained on the speaking
stage with these same sort of frothy
things. "Our Little Wife" Is rather an
exception. however, for It's career upon
tho spoken stage was not long lived. In
the films. happily. 1t attalns the success
which was due the play.
Avery Hopwood knows how to write n
farce and Edward Dillon has extracted
every spark of comedy from his script.
The piece is an ytistic companion to
that other delightful comedy, Nearly
Married" In which Madge Kennedy
scored hit. Many incidents have been
introduced into the movie that were not
suitable to the stage. and these things
aid in the development OF the tale.
The difficulty OF taking three rejected
sultors on n honeymoon trip is the motive
OF this story To tell how the tangle Is
unraveled would spoil the film.
Madge Kennedy again shows eS-
ccptional ability portraying upon the
| screen tho reserved and quiet lass who
won for her popularity upon the spoken
stage. As her husband, George Forth
gets lot OF intelligent acting across the
screen In fine style. while the jovial Wal
| ter Hers makes Il comical Bobo. Kemp
ton Greene, OF this city, has the part Of
Tommy and acQuits himself well. while
William Davidson IS the Doctor Elliott.
I A Garrirre rith
| Kitty Gordon. Story by Alma Speer BEN
Siny. Direction by George 9s, hrchainsnmd
World production.
! Emotionalism and Kitty Gordon seem
inseparable. There is plenty OF good old
| fashioned drama throughout this story
| of n mother who denies her right to that
title when her child's welfare Ia at stake
| OF the other Incidents which lead up ia
this big climax many seem to have been
arranged with an eye to the censor's
| scissors.
Miss Benzns's characters are offer
vividly drawn, and the director has ca
pably brought out this merit.
Miss Gordon knows how 10 sound emo
tional stops. and her ability TO veal
stunning gowns on occasion Is another
factor in her favor. Vera Beresford
who In reality is Miss Gordons owr
|
Angelo has the part OF physician ant
acts It with fidelity. while the othe,
players also do creditablc work. Cclen'
johnson. Ethel Burner. Mildred Beck
with, Franl; Goldsmith, Charles DungaI
and Harry Fraser complete the cast.
ARCAD1A-'IIuci; and Tom. with Jack
picl,fOrd. SCENARIO by julia ,craawf0rt
Directed hy William II, TAylOn, Para.
mount
The "Injun" Joe motive In the advcn
turous career of Tom Sawyer Is de
veloped in this second of the film plays
to be derived from Mark Twain's classi,
tale OF boyhood. The first picture. will
its schoolroom and playing pirates
episode. continually accented the comic
note. The sequel enters tho domain o.
melodrama. as did the great humoris
} himself in the latter portion Of his book
Brander Matthews has called Tom.
startling encounter with "Injun" Joe IL
the cave az the most dramatic thing II
literature since Crusoe first beheld Tho
human footprints on the sands of JuaI
Fernandez. Admirers of the nineteenth
century story will probably indorse thu
accuracy OF that verdict. But there Is &
plenitude OF other thrilling events In thu
entire narrative of the midnight tragedy
in the graveyard and the romantic role'
played in the revelation by immorta
Tom and Huck Tile discovery of thu
robbers treasure is also deftly inter
woven in the flctional fabric. 1lluminat
ing all this vivid yard spinning are, o.
course. the matchless humor and thu
inspired authority of naturalistic char
acterization.
The transfer Of all these artistic Gle
ments to the movies was not easy. ant
It is therefore agreeable to record tha