Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-26
.PINERO CHANNEL
SCREENED AT STANLEY
Hopkinson Smith Novel Is Pal.
ace FiIm--Bedroom Farce
at Capitol

Stanley - 'Mid-Channel." as con-
ceived by Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, Is
that part OF the matrimonial crossing IN
which wife and husband are confronted
with rocks of wretchedness, likely to
sink their craft Of love. Such was the
bitter and yet sympathetic theme or the
original play, and thus was It played by
that superb Frohman company at the
Broad ten or eleven years ago, wnen
Ethel Barrymore. II. Reeves Smith, MIL
ton Sills and Charles Dalton showed
us that perfect acting was not dead.
Now Equity has taken the Pinero
drama and turned 1t into a motion pic
ture with the lustrous Clara Ktmoail
She does very we'll with this exactins
role. but, alas where she succeeds the
scenario writer has failed quite de-
plorably. In the first place. he has
been unwilling to concede the unhappy,
postlude proving that the play proper
was a dream. Nothing could be more
hackneyed and nothing less in concord
with Sir Arthurs original design.
However, the central portion Of the
story has been .passably visuaiiLed,
though the vulgarity OF Zoe and Theo
seems much more in the Hollywood vein
than that Of bourgeoic London. Theo
also is entirely miscast, while Leonard
Ferris. the tame robin" looks about
twenty years too old. Director General
vincing. though not greatly aided by
the cIInera or laboratory work.
Palace - Deep Waters" would have
been a much more appreciated picture II
II had been exhibited before Below the
Surface" another subject in which there
is a thrilling rescue In the waters OF the
ocean. There IL another and probably
far more important side to this story
which F. Hopkinson Smith wrote under
= ~ 80 lnk
II Is the inequality of age between hus-
band and wife.
AS evidenced in this plot, an elderly
man marries n very young girl. Add
to this mismating a third party in the
person Of young man. and the triangle
fcations. Maurice Tourneur has pro-
vided an adequate setting, although he
has elsewhere done much better work In
an artistic way. This production Is q
truly faithful portrayal of conditions as
might exist In seaside town where the
Inhabitants are OF the seafaring folk
The audience will not find this a dul
story. although 1t does not move with
the rapidIty Of other vehicles Of the same
sort
Boerken Christians is the elderly hus
| band. while in Barbara Bedford there Il
| disclosed a charming and beautiful lead
ing lady. Jack Mcdonald gives fin'
portrayal OF the husband OF the woman
WHO "hilNS " NAopt Will ln- cHSlIStl
Jack Gilbert, who prepared the scenario
is also in the piece, as are Lydia Yea
mans Titus and Florence Deshon.
Capitalization, Bedroom and Bath
was very funny on the spoken stage. Ir
! the movie, however there Is no sucl
attempt at being funny and the fare,
seems TO lack the speed with which tn,
stage version was propelled In Flor
ence Moore, who had the role Of the cir
reporter who goes to a hotel in searcl
of thrilling material and finds II, wa
revealed a comedienne of ability. bu
Ruth Stonehouse in the silent part doe
not make 80 much OF the role.
Edward Dillon directed the piece, an
he had much difficulty with the ma
terial His former farcical plays hav
been better handled. There seems t
be too much OF the story disclosed Il
the printed titles. and the action whic'
follows loses thereby. The settings ar
effectively introduced and the bedroom
episode Is delicately handled.
A wife wants to have her staid hus
! band somewhat more romantic" Il
! fact, she wishes he was more of I
"rounder' and that women would b
! crazy after him" Well old hubb
! hears OF this and also tires of 1t an,
80 he engages a girl to help him carr,
out the romantic whimsies OF the wife
but at times the deception come
perilously near the edge OF propriety
In the cast are Kathleen Kirkhan
and Henry Miller, Jr,, the latter maxim
fine appearance,