New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-06
On the Screen
''The Branded Woman at the
Strand Bears the Brand
of Mediocrity
BY Harriette Underhill

How fortunate it was that 1.-THE
Branded Woman" which is the feature
at the Strand this week. Tell into the
hands Of Joseph Schenck and that he
set Norma Talmadge and Percy Mar
mont the task Of redeeming her. A
share Of the credit should go to Anita
Loos, also, for her very facile titles.
Titles are so prone to step out of the
picture and sort of slap one in the face.
But, as we were saying. Miss Tai
madge, gracefully assisted by Mr.. Mar
mont, saved the day, for "The Branded
Woman" is Of the brand we'll known
to all theatergoers. and the story
never once wandered off the beaten
path.
If the fisst reel had been shown and
a prize offered for the best written
solution, it is probable the first prize
would have to be divided into 1000
parts. For after the first few hun
dred feet of film there could not be
movie fan who would not have guessed
the rest.
Beautiful and innocent girl at
fashionable boarding school; mother
who runs a gambling house; grand
father who keeps beautiful and inno-
cent girl ignorant of her maternal an
cestor's transgressions; mother also
kidnaps daughter; daughter who mar
ries fine, outstanding man without tell
ing him Of her mothers peccadllos;
Matchmaking gambler; pearl necklace
pawned to supply his demand; substtu
ton of fake pearls discovered; denoue-
ments: denouncing of wife by husband;
renouncing Of husband by wife; expla
nations; clasp; fadeaway.
But if you enjoy good acting with
out the suspense of watching tale
unfold then assuredly you will enjoy
"The Branded Woman" Miss Tai
madge is such an artist, she does things
50 completely, that you feel no lack in
the story. Her work as the very young
rirl who receives her first beau in the
drawing room at the boarding school
is particularly effective, perhaps be-
cause she appears in such parts less
ofteH than in stronger roles.
And Percy Marmont has a way Of
winning sympathy for stupid, worthy
young husbands who are always ready
to believe the worst of their wives. For
absolute intolerance and pig-headed-
ness show us q very good young man,
preferably an Englishman. That was
Douglas Courtenay, the man whom
Ruth married. But whether you like
Douglas Courtenay or not, you've got
to like Percy Marmont.
George Fawcett departs little from
tradition in his portrayal of the grand
father, Judge Whitlock He was more
rough and ready than one would ex-
pect, and very refreshing. Vincent
Serrano does not carry the charm which
is his to the screen; but then no one
expects "Velvet" Croft to be anyth ing
but disagreeable. CASTOR Glass hasn't
much to do as the youthful admirer
whose hopes are nipped in the bud, but
he does it we'll. Grace Studdiford and
Jean Armour are the two mothers.
If we ever own motion picture
theater we shall conduct to the door
all persons who read titles aloud Be-
hind us were two rank offenders,
women, who not only read all the
titles, but informed every one that
Miss Talmadge was getting stouter,
that Mr.. Marmont had a profile like a
cameo. that the star gave all her
clothes to the extra girls, etc, all the
time the picture was running. 1t was
terrible. And we thought when we got
back to New York it was going to be
perfect.
On the bill besides the feature was
the Strand Topical Review, a comedy
called "The Kick in High Life" which
really had very little kick, song
tableau, "Moonbeams," from "The
Red Mill" sung by Betty Gray and
the overture 81 Pagliacci."
At the Rivoli Thomas Meghan is
appearing, in "Civlian Clothes"
though they are not such terrible
civilian clothes as Thurston Hall wore
last season in the stage play of the
same name. And all through the pic
ture that difference is noticeable
nothing about the hero is quite as bad
as It was in the original production.
Perhaps this was done Intentionally,
for 1t Is we'll known fact that mo-
ton picture audiences are never as
tolerant as those Of the spoken drama
They demand more virtue in their
herones and more refinement in their
heroes. And. of course, that makes it
rather difficult for lady and gentle
man when they cannot speak and de-
fend themselves.
Although it is always a joy to watch
Tommy Meighan work. we experienced