New-York tribune., 1920-02-24
On the Screen
Mark Twain's Immortal 'Huck
Finn Comes to Broadway
in Films
By Edwin II. Blanchard


'Hncklc berry Finn" which is at the
Rivoli this week, does justice to the i'm
mortal work of Mark Twain as nearly
as justice can be done on the screen.
No film presentation of this story could
be adequate, and there are only few
minor flaws and but one large one in
the picture at the Rivoli.
We had not expected to sec the whole
story, for we understood the limita-
tlons of the screen, but the mere act
OF condensation has compelled the use
of shortcuts which have taken away
from the story part of it's lasting
charm. The director of this picture
mad as monumental a task Of fitting
the story to screen possibilities as had
that ancient sage, who, according to
press the history of the human race
to single sentence FOR the informa-
tlon of his dying but inquisitive mon
arch. In view of the directors task,
we did not vince overmuch at the
Shortcuts
A great part of the spell of the book
is lost on the screen, however, from
the mere fact that night on the Mis-
slssippi doesn't photograph we'll The
readers of uckleberry Finn" catch
some of the spell of that journey down
the river through the nights, through
storm and with stars overhead, but on
thc screen all has to give way to day
light.
Only one or two more reproving
words and we are ready for the large
amount of praise that the film deserves.
Lewis Sargent does an excellent bit
OF acting as iluckleberry Finn, and we
nope that he was not responsible for
inc undue emphasis at the last on the
appeal of Mary Jane to falsely SEN
tlmentalized Huck. The titles are the
words Of Mark Twain, and mainly the
words of Huck Finn himself, accord
ing TO those who gave us the film; if
mat IS literally true, then Mark is
at tault for the final sentimentality.
When we read the book. there were
our thumb, and wished with all our
soul that it had been given to us to
have known Mark Twain One was the
point at which Huck Finn decided to go
10 hell IN order to save old jim. his
companion ON the raft. There the short
cuts have got in particularly deadly
work. and have succeeded IN cutting out
the best from the emotional peak Of the
book.
he other point 10 which we referred
was the evasion the most glorious
dialogue that we ever have read, where
In ON Sawyer cducatcs iuci as to the
authoritative method OF freeing pris-
oner. Here the book has suffered badly
although it is fair to say that the charm
OF the evasion" never could have been
carried over III bulk to the screen.
Enough OF our complaints in a minor
Key, lOt, all III all, we arc as roadv TO
praise this picture as we are to praise
a deep dish pie; il is not a whole ban
quet, but 1t is good as far as it goes.
II Is true to the spirit of the book al
most entirely, and departs from the let
ter only where it Was forced to bv
physical reasons.
The settings oliow as closely. and
the Interpretation of the actors can be
said to be adequate in every Important
instance. Those immortal rogues. the
Dolphin and Bllgewater, arc there. lust
as nine-tenths of us have pictured
them in our minds eve The raciness
and proVinciality of tho Mississippi
have been we'll brought back to us.
1t is probably as good a film as can
be made Of amy great book. If it is not
art as the book was great art, we
cannot COMPLAIN, but must be thankful
for the gilt of even an imperfect re-
fection OF The great American prose
epic.
The rest of the bin at The Rivoli is
made up of c. T.. Chester Comedy, /
Pour Times Fooled" which is a
comedy in name only; of pleasing Sc
lcctlons from LA Gioconda" and
Liszts "Love's Dream as an organ
solo, and Of the usual pictorial.
AT the Riato the slight plot of easy
to Get brings Marguerite Clark to her
presumably large clientele in suit
ably playful role AS Mily Morehouse.
the fourhour bride OF Bob Morehouse.
she overhears her husband telling Dick
Elliott, an old college friend, in the
smoker of the Pullman that is Carving
the newleyweds on their honeymoon
that women are easy to get" These
words fire Milly to action, and at the
next station she leaves the train to
teach her husband the true value of
women.
This particular station happens to be
an out Of the way spot, and the sole |
shelter that Milly can find is with Tai /
bot Chase, professor of IA geological
turn of mind. To him she tells
story Of escape from one who
had bigamous designs. Bob, who has
started in pursuit Of his wife, draws
up in front of the professors home in
the meantime, and the dispute between
ln two mar, .rivas RIi11,,