New-York tribune., 1919-01-26

whatever By EN- motional we mean merry
as we'll as serious emotion, any kind Of
freely flowing feeling, for this is the
lifeblood of any picture, without which
it is merely a kaleidoscope. There is
no surer way of destroying all interest
than to have no developed scenes, but
only a pell-mell of whisking flashes
that react on the audience much like
the springing on and off Of the lights
when a trolley car is going over an
intricate junction of switches.
But then we scarcely think of Fair
banks as helplessly obedient In the
hands of his scenarioist, and moreover,
in the scenes of young love, often cas-
lily and gayly titled, the scenariost has
made a distinct attempt to provide the
star with opportunities for exactly his
own gifts. Fresh and natural little
scenes they smilingly await the spon-
taneous, engaging drollery, the quaint
ness and perceptiveness, the funny,
tender, human charm which would once
have led us through them, happy cap,
tves. His way of treating them now
IS to whoop past them on the run, and
the only thing that ever arrests his
flight is some opportunity to Jump over
something. Every significant moment
is deliberately shirked One title tells
us. as if we were reading a story, that
"all through the night conflicting emo
tions surged within him, but nothing
could break his indomitable spirit"
After this do we see the conflicting
surges or the indomitable spirit re-
fusing to break? Fear not, tender
hearted-we see a bugler blowing the
warning that it is time to get up. Now,
the loss Of a heroic conflict is far
from troubling us, for many are the
heroes who can indomitably surge, but
is it possible that this one has lost
his ability to naturally ripple? That
his sensibilities, his lively and respon-
slve comment on young gentlemen in
awkward situations, have taken their
revenge and deserted their dcscrter?
Unthinkable calamity! Yet if not, hav-
such situation, why cut out playing
it?
We should be extremely interested
to know if any human being witnessing
this version Of "Arzona" ever feels
the least sympathy with Denton's sac
rlhce or any spark Of interest in his
fate. And if Fairbanks is not human
comedian, but an athletic farceur,
above engaging sympathy or interest,
why Denton and his indomitable spirit?
Why "AriZona"?
sort of callous clatter in comedy,
a sort OF callous leadenness in Ari-
zona's graver moments, we think that
these have come upon him through
too conscientious absorption in the
idea of what people expect from him
! am Douglas Fairbanks, the stuntist;
I must be up and doing on the job.
And, Of course, people do desire stunts.
At any rate, we do. Only we also de-
sire something else. Our prayer is:
Don't let him stop doing lots Of jump
ing! But, oh, let there be minutes
when he does something besides
jump Is "Arizona" an indication
that the great public, too, is beginning
TO ask for something else, or does sue
cess refuse to be wooed by anything
but stunts? Did it refuse "The Lamb? 7?
Those of US who look back even more
longingly to "His Picture in the Papers"
and "Passin' Through" aren't there
enough of us, in this day of small ma
tions, to pay for, say, one picture
year? Suppose the peace conference
establishes the rights of minorities--
could you come back to us, Douglas
Douglas7