New-York tribune., 1920-12-07
On the Screen
''Billions,''. at the Capitol, an
Enhancing Picture; Bill
Hart at the Rivoli
By Harriette Underhill

They say that prosperity spoils
folks, and if you don't believe it 20
to the Capitol this week and see
"Billions.' Tho heroine, Nazimova,
has billions of money The hero,
Charles Bryant, has only millions, so
he is not so spoiled as the heroine.
But then, he never was very good
screen actor anyway, and he is Just
about the same as usual. AS mat
ter Of fact, he never changes. But
the heroine, the Princess Trloff, is
~. that ever lived on this earth, even
~ Russia.
And the picture itself has long. dull
stretches where it stands still as
stubbornly as a Ford car in vaude-
vile skit, and then suddenly with a
Jerk takes on incredible speed and
almost jars itself to pieces. In some
OF the more agitated moments the pic
ture assumes the speed of keystone
comedy, with people running about and
jumping in REVOLVING doors and motor
cars, though we do assure You on our
word Of honor that there was notn-
ing in the first part Of the picture to
indicate that one was about to be
amused. Suddenly, without any warn
ing, you see the princess in the hero's
bed and she solemnly winks at him.
But she evidently regretted her in
dlscretlon and promised never to GO
IL again. AS matter of fact, we do
not know what it is all about. 1t IS
terri Die picture, lacking continuity,
plauslbility construction and good
taste. Note the scenes where the
guests in the hotel learn that the
kussian woman is Princess TriloN.
Do people act like that when neay
royalty is discovered? And, if so,
where ! The program says adapted
from a ce.ebrated French play by
Charles Bryant Now, is the cele-
brated play by Charles Bryant or was
it adapted by Charles Bryant. Well,
anyhow, Erik Bye, the celebrated Nor
Weglan barytone, is heard in "Song
OF the Viking" by Grieg; the Russian
Cathedral Choir and ballet are intro
duced in a sketch called "In a Rus
ian Gypsy Camp there is Prizma
picture OF Niagara and the overture
Is the wonderful "Marche Slav." so
you need not count that day lost
whose low descending sun" sees you
coming out of the Capitol. There is
plenty o1 entertainment, and YOU may
IKE the feature picture As Bernard
Clark says in The Young Visiters,'
Some do"
The Testing Block" which is the
feature picture at the Rivoli, differs
from the usual William Hart picture
In most of his pictures he is bad, then
he reforms, then has lot of trouble
undeservedly, than marries the girl
and IN this new picture he marries the
girl and has all Of the trouble after
ward. 1t IS picture in which there
is never dull moment, and while there
n q or nj Of l.
is nothing new under the sun left for
Hart to do, it is thrilling from start
to hnlsh. There is nothing to say Of
Hart's performance; it is perfect-it
always has been. He looks sad, unut-
terable things as Of yorc he still
makes his upper lip tremble; and he
stitl makes every man in the audience
wish that he could jump from the roof
OF the jail and land on the back of
pinto pony as Hart can; he also makes
every woman wish she could be CON
cert hall girl and have Hart storm her
IN her castle and carry her away on
the pinto pony,
Hart is Sierra Bill bandit-the
usual bad man gone right after he
looks into the eyes of the girl he loves
here are few new twists to the story
and the fact that the hero and heroine
were married in the second reel makes
it possible to introduce most attrac-
tive child, called Sonny. There is one
thing about Bill Hart's pictures. You
know just what they are going to be
like, and if you don't like them you
can stay away. But "Ihe Testing
Block" is one of the best. We should
say it has been weighed in the bal
ance and not found wanting. 1t was
adapted and directed by Lambert Hill
ger. The overture is Dvorak's "Carne-
val.' Carl Rollins and the male chorus
from the new school Of opera rendered
AT the Roadside" Grace Eastman
and Martha Shelby are seen in "Piz-
zicatto.' The comedy is Mack SEN
nett, called "Fickle Fancy"
At Moss's Broadway Theater the
feature picture is Dead Men Tell No
Tales" This viii be reviewed to-
morrow.