The New York herald., 1920-12-06
Fdvershana Makes
Priest of Gambler
in His Neu Mopie
Provides Highly Dramatic
Climax i'm THE Sin That
Was His.'

Clothes not only make the man, hut
according to "The sin That Was His
they also make the convert. William
Faversham in his latest production for
SelzniclS Pictures at the Strand this
week portrays an atheistlc gambler who
n,asquerades as priest to save his life
and does II so well he saves his soul
OF course. before he became cynic
and a card sharp Ttco Ace Raymond
had been educated for the priesthood.
SO that when he changes clothes with
cleric in Quebec to escape the sus-
picion that he has killed man In n
struggle over n bag of gold he has n
trouble fitting into the part--no more
trouble, that Is. than Faversham's
austere. strongly modelled features have
In fitting into the role and the at
mosphere OF uplift.
This story. by Frank L. Packard. IL
cast along lines reminiscent Of his tale
The Miracle Man." having for its theme
the way that pretence csn hypnotic it
self into piety. 1t arrests the attention
without always justifying 1t. and one
wonders how the gambler, represented
to have such high principles as to fulfil
his promise TO dying pal to take
bag of gold to his mother. could pos
sibly be indicted for committing a real
'sin" except for the sake of catch
penny title.
Nightly Dramatic Climax.
With a highly dramatic climax. how
ever. this picture OF Canadian life atones
for all It's own sins. Faversham gives
the finished performance that might be
expected of him, and Lucy Cotton and
Pedro de Cordoba assist ably in making
this a film that for many Will take the
place OF church or the "Wednesday
prayer meeting.
A comedy, a scenic. an overture from
"Thais" selections from Lucia df Lam
mermoor" and soloists are also par. Of
the weekly budget.
Another outlaw is to be seen also this
week at the Rivoli in "The Testing
Block" and as il is William s. Hart's
own. this. you may be sure, is real
bloodcurdling outlaw. born with six
shooter in his mouth In his own con-
ception Of the gold rush in the Cali
fornia Sierras, Hart portrays a bandit
leader who falls In love with the poster
Of Nelnv Gray. a violinist.
Sierra BilL fights his band for her
one by one which is even more whole
some than The Great Divide as re-
quired by the movies. After he marries
her, without her consent, one of the old
gang two years later is about to lure
her away when a fight follows and Bill
Is saved unexpectedly by Pinto, the
famous Hart pony. who has come to be
the underlying motif of Hart's Para
mount pictures.
Keeps OnIookers Worried.
Lots of exciting things happen to keep
the onlooker in state of pleasurable
worry. and Hart, after trying to keep
away from the West In some Of his pre-
vious pictures. seems thoroughly recon
ciled again TO eating dust Eva Novak.
making her debut as Paramount
player. leads the capable supporting
cast.
In "Ficlle Fancy Mack Sennett has
love run amuck. while In Mutt and
Jeff cartoon. Sound Your A." music
does the same to inspire noises by Max
Name, the drummer
In Billions" at the Capitol Nazimova
has q chance TO wear all the lavish
costumes which a movie star might
revel in. in setting that just oozes
wealth. She Is Russian princess
absolutely who comes into great
wealth, though that Is the real mystery
Of the story nowadays She has fallen
In love with a similarly rich poet
through his verses, and upon meeting
In California they actually fall In love
with each other. This romance, adapted
from the French by Charles Bryant,
gives her q chance to save the poet
from blaclSmailers and to exhibit n saw
Ing sense OF humor. so that this time
Billions" does not refer to the number
of tears the spectators are supposed TO
shed.
Hy Mayors latest travelaugh. "such
Is Life at the County Fair; an impress
sive Prizma, Niagara. the Mighty
Thunderer"; Tschaikowsky's "Marche
Slav." out OF compliment to Nazimova
the debut here of Erike Bye. Norwegian
barytone. and vivid Russian village
ballet are offerings that stand by the
feature.
As the De Mile brothers both seem
highly concerned over the state OF the
American family. II is no surprise to
find that williams latest production for
Paramount. Midsummer Madness"
which began an engagement at the
Criterion yesterday, deals with matri-
mony In state of deshabitle This
adaptation of Cosmo Hamilton's story,
His Friend and His Wife," illustrates
how two married couples In which one
wife isn't appreciated by her own hus-
band but Is admired by the other. can
become mixed up when midsummer or
the heat or something gives them an
erotic sunstroke. Lois Wilson. Jack
Holt. Conrad Nagel and Lila Lee do the
intriguing work
"Heliotrope" Is transplanted from the
Rivoli to the Rlalto this week.