New-York tribune., 1920-10-18
On the Screen
Something to Think About" at
Criterion, a Triumph for
Gloria Swanson

Granting that the story of "Some-
thing to Think About" the latest Cecil
B. De Mile photoplay at the Criterion
Theatcr, is in itself much above the or
dinary. one is inclined to believe when
he sees the picture that there really is
IS much to think about in connection
with the mechanical detail and artistic
| method of production of the piece. Mr..
De Mile presents in this Gloria Swan
son feature film something artistic be-
yond what one expects to find in mo-
ton picture presentation these days.
1t might even be called triumph.
And there are no spectacular leaps in
midair, plunges into the briny deep or
last minute saving of the heroine's
che-i-ld in it, either.
AS last fve-minute punch to bear
out its name, smattering of Christian
Science is woven into the love affair of
the unhappy girl in the play. This
touch alone, dealing as it does with so
serious and much discussed a question.
will add greatly to its success. With
we'll written story by Jeanie MacPher-
son, acted by Miss Swanson, Theodore
x 1oberts, Elliott Dexter. Monte Blue and
others, and with electrical coloring eff
fects and plain, homespun atmosphere,
Something to Think About" is a great
artistic success.
A blacksmith's daughter, following
her fathers wish, becomes engaged to
a wealthy crippled man out of graft
tude for the financial assistance he has
given her. While attending a country
fair they are told by clown that "the
strong man always wins" and she falls
in love with a young farmer after he
has shown his prowess over a village
tough who attempted to flirt with her.
She elopes with the farmer, unable to
confess her love for him to the crippled
benefactor, and later she becomes q
widow in large city.
Finding she is soon to become a
mother she returns to her old home,
there to find her father has been made
blind by sparks from his anvil and to
be rejected by him. At the moment
when she has decided to end her life
by hanging the cripple comes upon her
and invites her to share the home with
him which he once prepared for her.
1t is after she has lived there for some
time that the thread of Divine philos-
ophy is woven into the piece and the
two are married and all is we'll.
So much for the story.
Mr.. DeMille has colored the hot iron
from which sparks flew and blinded the
old blacksmith a realistic red, and he
planatory notes are mechanically we'll
executed. 1t must be said some of
these titles and lines of sentiment and
philosophy are at times absurd. The
scene in the subway construction,
where the water of the river breaks
through and browns the young hus-
band, is done in great detail, and Miss
Swanson's facial makeup in the char
acter of the ditressed widow was es-
pecially fine. All these things go to
make the picture one of unusual grade.
A particularly pleasing musical offer
ing by Vera Myers and Paul Oscard,
preceded the feature film, and pictures
Of Versailles, comedy, and orchestra
music rounded the bill.
There is a 1o-minute Scene in "The
North Winds Malice" vigorous story
Of the frozen lands by Rex Beach, at
the Capitol Theater this week, that
probably never has been outdone for
honest realism in reproducing the
effects of an arctic storm. One fairly
chills as he watches a struggling hero
plough his way behind a dog team
through the biting wind (you can al
most see the wind) and finally fall,
PROSTATE, in the drifts of white.
IhOSe VINO nave seen way Down
East" will remember the splendid di-
rection and production of a snowstorm
in which the hero searches for the
heroine That bit is intensely real.
The like scene in "The North Winds
Malice" probably surpasses it. That
may be matter of opinion, of course.
One fine scene is enough to make"
a motion picture feature. Give an au-
dience one big moment, in which
thrills come and the eyes are forced
to photograph upon the memory the
vividness of a tense situation. and it
matters little whether there are other
scenes unusually weak, the picture Is
winner. 1t is so with this latest
feature by the Goldwyns, directed by
Carl Harbaugh and Paul Bern.
The story Mr.. Beach wrote and
called "The North Winds Malice" can
well be imagined. The plunglng into
of an Anne erican, who is unhappy in
love. the following of him there by the
man whom he suspects, who, as a
matter of fact, is his best friend, their
fist fight in the snow when they meet
of course, they had to meev; Alaska
or Siberia, or wherever the great ex-
panse of snow was supposed to be is
sN small that they would have to come
upon one another sooner or later!
Well, the fight, the return home and
reconciliation, etc.
But Rex Beach's stories have always
been better reading than watching.