The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-12

Isis
! "A Man in the Open is a western heavily
saturated with melodrama. There is a lot
of gun play, a heavy villain, the virtuous
wife and the INSCRIPTIONS wild woman"
| of the usual western dance hall variety.
| They have taken these very old characters,
/ with which every screen fan is familiar
| and welded them into a fairly interesting
! photoplay. No fault can be found with the
| picture owing to lack of action. One is
kept in breathless suspense waiting to see
| down next, as the hero is as handy with
his dukes" as he is with his ~. Far
mum is surrounded by small but capable
cast Irene Rich plays opposite him. Miss
Rich has a pleasing screen appearance.
She might have put a little more earnest
ness into the one or two dramatic scenes in
which she appeared without over playing
them. Lamar Johnson is an unusual villain,
inasmuch as he refrains from smoking
which are usually associated with the
heavy. But he is yust as villainous
nevertheless and does all in his power to
wreck the happiness of the hero and the
girl he loves. Farnum is first a sailor,
then cowboy and last a ranger. He is
seen at his best in the last two, to which
he brings a naturalness which is convine-
ing. It is a strenuous virile part, and the
screen star makes the most of It, He has
riding and handles himself like a typical
westerner, but not Of the usual picture
Open" is attractive by reason of its divers
,, ity of scenery, clearness and fine photos-
raphy.
Nobody Home featuring Dorothy Gish,
is the last half attraction az the Orpheum.
| This is one small peach Of comedy. New
! inal direction. All these things in it
and combine to make an hour and a half
! at Garfieldlemhoopers theatorium very
to the Paramount standard and the act
ing adequate The plot. briefly, Dorothy
Gish is seen as superstitious girl. She
thing
the result is a series of complications that
keep everybody but the people on the
Not by long shot. Just wait till you
It. You are going to thoroly enjoy every
| inch of the film.
Somebody. ought to speak real roughly
! to this booker in Chicago about the way
he is arranging the bills at the Novelty.
very good acts but he insists on putting
too many of the same kind on the same
Collins and Dunbar and Mcintyre and Rob
bins conflicted with each other. So much
Robbins found the going rather hard. l
understand this booker is a new man
the job. He probably was an office boy
the game soon. But let's get to the show.
Collins andd Dunbar opened. Here is
wild, eyed. curly-headed youth and a
peachy little personality" miss and this
pair CAN dance, and they CAN dance pref
ty. Rather not the proper act to open
Young and Wheeler came along second.
These two wonder performers are certainly
above the average. The tall skinnish
blonde boy with the fiddle has a wonder
full stage presence, the other skinnish
youth with the slicked back hair can Ger
tainly sit a piano. There Is absolutely no
argument over this act. it is corker.
They hand you everything from the classic
! to jazz, and they hand it to you in a man
ner that you are duty bound to like. Nc
Intyre and Robbins, dashed on third. This
is novel little act but didn't get all it
deserved last night, owing to the boy
| booker" in Chicago. On another bill it
would have been a stop" Kennedy and
Francis were on fourth. This pair of black
facers are dong act which is rather
old. as Bert LaFrance and Joe Kennedy
have been doing this idea for several years.
Many gags used smack of Neil Abers
routine. The last act, Fox Benson & Co.
Is an exceptional high class novel acrobatic
offering. Getting entirely away from the
old routine. this pair of much strength"
boys have wonderful little offering. And
the best recommendation is that it held
them in till the curtain dropped. It's n
nice show every act going for a hit and
I