New-York tribune., 1920-03-09
On the Screen
s'Pagliacci," Given in English,
Features Bill at the
Capitol
BY Edwin II. Blanchard


-Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci." given in
condensed version and In English, Is
easily the outstanding feature Of this
weeks bill at the Capitol. OF the
principals in the cast Miss Irene WILL
ians, who took the part Of Media. the
faithless wife, and Cesar Nesi. who was
Canio. the Pagliscoo Of the travelling
troupe, arc especially good.
1t Is an awkward position for re-
viewer Of motion pictures to be in,
to be under the necessity Of criticizing
grand opera, and we would rest content
with giving the production Of "Pag-
liacci" the praise it truly merits II it
were not for tho fact that its presenta-
tion in English seems Of doubtful value.
Given principal such as Cesar Nest,
whose knowledge Of English Is so linn
tied as to- give misguiding pronuncia-
tion, and given Irene Williams as the
only other of the principals whose
enunciation Is at all times good, and
the virtue Of an English version Of
such we'll known opera seems doubt
full. 1t Is not the fault of the manage
Aions VI .He CdPiloA, "Hoso PIeSoHto~
tion is pleasing to the ear and eye
alike, but rather the weakness Of our
mother tongue, whose most beautiful
words are Cellar door" and "pneu-
monia."
The present opera, whatever the
harshness 90 the book, should please,
for It is wAu sung in the main, and
there Is abundance Of dramallc sus-
pense.
The feature Aim at the Capitol pre-
sents Dorothy Dalton in "Black Is
White" from novel by George Barr
McCutcheon. 1t is the story of "Othel-
TO-" without the lethal pillow. story
Of the poison Of jealousy working on
the character of Jim Brood, played by
Holmes Herbert. 1t presents the
BILE, idea Of Jim Brood marrying his
own wife after fifteen years estrange-
ment. That Is explained in the film by
the fact that Margaret, driven from her
husband by his mad jealousy, an
nounces her death, with the purpose Of
later revenging herself upon him.
The fifteen years that elapse are de-
voted by her to the process Of wipine
out her personality (however one ac-
complishes that interesting result) to
such good purpose that when Jim meets
ner IN farlS as relgnlng beauty no
falls in love with her and they are
married. She is unable to conceal her
love for her son, however, and the old
jealousy comes back to the home, for
Jim Brood thinks that Fred Brood has
fallc in love with his stepmother
As we have said, Margaret is saved
from the pillow; but safety comes only
at the end of threatening complications
wherein father and son are estranged.
1t is only in the movies, it seems, that
one can equip man with such a
thoroughly detestable character as that
Of Jim Brood, and yet wash him as
white as snow In the last few feet.
"Black Is White" is not characterized
by good acting, restraint being beyond
the powers of any Of the principals.
Dorothy Dalton retrieves her lack OF
art to some degree by certain Ian
gushing beauty, but her latest film is
not immensely to her credit as an
actress.
The Sunshine Comedy, "Money Talks"
is slapstick, but has some exceptionally
good titles for this type of comedy,
for which credit is not properly given
to Joe Miller Offenbach's "Orpheus in
the Underworld" is, next to "Pag-
liacci," the most ambitious number on
the program. and is presumably well