New-York tribune., 1919-04-29
On the Screen
Cecil de Mile Again Proves
His Artistry in Handling of
For Better. for Worse"

For Better, for Worse" is the name
OF the feature picture at the Rialto this
week, though it might we'll be called
The Man Who Stayed at Home"
IL Is another one of the perfectly
human dramas which Cecil de Mile
makes dealing with big problems which
arise IN the lives of all. And never
once does Mr.: de Mile disappoint;
never once is his solution orthodox.
In For Better, for Worse" the d.
rector faces the situation of a woman
VINO, believing her husband dead, loves
ana Is betrothed to another man The
husband returns joyousiy and the wife
tries to believe that it is her duty to
live with him because he has been a
nero in the Great War
we are all out of sympathy with peo-
PIE VINO immediate themselves on the
altar of duty, thereby offending every
law of nature. SO we we're very much
relieved when Sylvia said at the last
moment; II cannot live with you, be-
cause | love another man" 1t was such
SIMPLE solution and spared everybody
lot OF pain. Yet, who BUT Cecil de
Ml!le would have seen it in that light e?
sylvia herself sounded the Keynote
when she said: cit isnt question of
war nor of bravery; 1t is just Il ques-
She loves Dr.. Edward Meade. but be-
cause she believes him TO be lacking in
courage. she marries Richard Burton
just before he goes away to war
Later she is convinced that DR.. Meade
- really needed at home, Just as he
had so firmly believed. and when word
comes that Richard has been killed she
gives her hand where she has already
given her heart.
There are some wonderful scenes of
the war showing Richard high I'D in a
tower, when the tower is shelled. It is
the most realistic glimpse of the war
we have had
Richard, with one arm gone and q
badly SCARED face, arrives home lust
as Sylvia is announcing her coming
marriage to DR.. Meade. The problem
IS a vexing one, but it is settled in q
perfectly natural way, and the fact that
another girl is terribly in love with
RICHARD char made it little less difficult.
great dignity and charm Tom For
man, who has recently returned from
the war, is Richard Burton. Gloria
Swanson is the girl and Wanda Haw-
ley the other girl. Both are excellent
in their parts and it is the first time
we have seen Miss Hawley do any-
thing so serious. Raymond Hatton and
AHeouoFe RoDertS are seen in small
parts. That is another ENJOYABLE
feature Of Cecil de Miles pictures. He
never has incompetent people even in
minor roles.
The titles occur frequently and thev
are long, but we find no fault, because
they, are so we'll done. For instance.
we loved the one which said. "And
when the sun shone again the big girl
and the little girl learned that there
are really blue brds-one found them
IN nest in the old apple tree and the
other in her heart"
There is a very clever child who
plays the little girl" She will surely
grow up to be q star if she isn't care
ful. Jeanie Macpherson did the
scenario from play by Edgar Selwyn.
The overture is Massenets "Phadre."
The Rialto Male Quartet sang
Sally King" and "The Sand Man.
Greig's "Daybreak" is played by Arthur
Depew as an organ solo.
On the picture programme are
Mutt and jeff" comedy, the Ralto
Magazine and q Norway scenic.
II. u.