New-York tribune., 1919-08-10


his neck. But Mr.. Hughes is allowed to
behave like young creature terrified
at being caught in trap, and the ef-
fect-well, after all, there is no de-
nying that the effect is uncomfortable
and that 1T rouses at least the nervous
and lmpressionable nature of woman
to an impulse to take the law by the
neck and drop it out the window. New
ertheless, we recommend producers to
glance at it and see whether the next
time an arrest for murder comes
along even a hardened old hero Of
twenty-five or so might not be allowed
a slight nervousness-wc don't pre-
sumo to ask for as much self-pity as
he treats himself to at home when he
is, for instance, driving tacks.
Platitudes the Fibre OF Better Wife"
On the others hand, people who do
not wish to be disturbed might find
their pleasure in "The Better Wife"
where, at least in the adult part Of
the cast, there is no acting of any
sort to disturb anybody. There is
plenty of posing and there is a certain
deliberate and mechanical registering
OF limited assortment of expressions
which are put on and off like changes
OF costume with an emptiness and
staginess so open as to seem quite in
nocent if yon like that sort Of thing
tor your money. Where whole cast.
is thus affected it would be impossible
not to suspect tht hand of the director.
out that Clara Kimball Young, who is
so much the worst offender as to an
pear to strike the keynote which the
others follow, is in no position to sub
NIT to uncongenial directing. Irving
Cummings does better with a char
acterization Of a Frenchman than we
have any right to expect in part that
Is called French but that has no char
acter. For the scenario is as superficial
and perfunctory as the acting.
This story Of girl who adores and
pursues and marrics a widowcr who
himself adores the memory Of his first
wife until the second, after a terrific
OBSTACLE race, wins his alteration for
herself was called in book form "The
Love Chase" For the picture "The
better Wife" was substituted; appar-
emily in order to convey the subtle and
original idea that the woman who
brings her husband a fortune, loves
nm passionately, is devoted to his
child, his home and his career is a
better wife than she who dislkes and
desplses him, wastes his fortune, neg
lects their child and is openly unfaith-
iul. The whole scenario is like that.
There is no reason why the actual
! story should not make a good picture.
but from the time of the second mar
rage no touch tiper than that OF
whltewash brush has been laid UPON
1t. The caddshness Of the hero is
of the knock-her down and jun on her
type, which excites not Indignation but
lncredulity. Frankly, we do not believe
that even third or Fourth wife. sug-
gesting kiss on her marriage night.
would be asked, as it really neces-
sary?" Far be it from us to question
the cold hearts of husbands But there
are some expressions that ride easilv
upon the human lip and some that
don't; when we encounter one that can
keep its seat no better than this we
simply turn elsewhere for something
interesting. This is easily found in the
quite extraordinarily lovely production
and photography, and then there arc
the scenes with Ben Alexander and the
dog.
THE Way of a Woman" Leads Nowhere
We are aware that our approach to
"The Way Of Woman" is desultory.
that we have been hanging back. We
owe something better to Norma Tai
madge than to pounce with any sort
OF zest upon the first pretty poor pict-
ure she has offered in many a day.
We owe her the heartening spectacle
OF young star always unflaggingly
Jealous to give us the best of every
thing she can lay her hands on: for
whom no picture Is too difficult, no
actors too good, no opportunity for
those actors too great to be built IN
and set before us as if it were her
own; indeed, to be played up or down
to by her, anyway it comes for the
picture, with all that restless intelli
gence and quick feeling, that smart
and spirited execution which make her
every movement and her every pause
brim over with eloquence. It is
stirring sight, all tiat outrush of ar
tlstlc integrity and pride; nor, even in
The Way Of a Woman" are we pre-
pared to deny that there is an awfullv
human story wandering about and try
ing to find itself through the mass of
material from which it has evidently
been cut without ever becoming entire
~ detached. But it's texture is so
lumpy that even the dazzlingly all-star
cast which Miss Talmadge has Law
ished on it cannot smooth it out, and.
moreover, the way Of the heroine re-
mains rather a worthless way. But
there are many separate scenes OF real
interest and emotion; in these Miss
Talmadge and Conway Tearle play to
each other with such dexterity of
stroke and such depth and richness
and variety of suggestion that thew
set your own brains tinglirp with the