The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-18
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
SHOWS COUNTRY FOLK ON SCREEN
Realistic Scene of q Fair
Among PARTNERSHIPS
Stewart in New Film.


title OF Cecil b. de Miles latest screen
conception for Paramount. which be-
gan an extended engagement at the
Criterion. yesterday. and II Is we'll
worthy of occupying space in ones
Uranium. In fact 1t is as interesting as
Freudian complex
This photoplay by Jeanne Macpherson
Is tale Of country folk. centring about
blacksmith's daughter, who, at the
suggestion of her father. is betrothed
to wealthy man TO whom they are
indebted for kindnesses-though he Is
unkind enough to think she can care to
become the bride of cripple Later
she falls in love with q farmer at
country fair and elopes with him. only
to become a widow with a big city
elbowing her out of the way. When
she returns 10 her blinded father and
is refused a home it is the cripple who
saves her and reveals that love need not
always be tine sort of pretty thing de-
picted on magazine posters.
Despite Mr.. De Miles occasional ten
dency toward sophistication there are
moments of poignancy. such as the at
tempt of the dying farmer to save fellow
worknen in tunnel, that are worthy
of Galsworthy at his best. and the pro-
duction shows flashes as though William
]. Locke had turned his humanity fam
tastic pince nez upon 1t.
Realistic Scenes.
graphed scenes of the fair and night
in a city park. the picture moves with
clarity and terseness deserving of
being decorated with the celluloid Dis
tinguished Service Medal. Miss Gloria
Swanson as blacksmith's daughter, too
lovely to be credible as O. product of
the smithy; Elliott Dexter as the Grip
pie, Theodore Roberts and Monte Blue
are In the splendidly directed cast, who
make one go away from the Criterion
with a discontented sense that ones own
life ought to go along just as wildly.
Versailles" a colored cinema of the
fairyland that helped to get one of the
Looeys of France beheaded; I'm the
Trianon," a minuet danced by Paul Os-
card and Vera Myers, to show what
stately high jinks went on at Versailles,
and cartoon comedy are other num-
bers designed for a place in everyone's
heart.
Greenwich Village and its supposed
come easy. easy go philosophy about
marriage receives some awful jolts in
Miss Anita Stewards latest picture,
Harriet and the Piper" at the Strand,
and one should not be surprised IL at
the end of the week the National Board
of Review suppressed the village, AS In
Kathleen Norris's novel, Harriet goes
through a mock wedding ceremony, but
is saved in time to blossom like
blooming flower in another environment
and to realize that Washington Square
isn't on the square. This First National
Exhibitors product is all very interest
ing and Miss Stewart looks very charm
ing. but hasn't New York's bohemian
quarter been exposed enough even to
crafty some of its publicity seekers?
Maybe it'll go to work and become re-
spectacle if 1t isn't advertised and in
terfered with so much.
A comedy scenic and orchestral and
solo selections also do their bit to con-
vince the patron life Is one grand. sweet
song.
Picture by Rex Beach.
THE North Winds Malice" at the
Capitol manages 20 break through the
snowdrifts of ALASKA, the domain where
Rex Beach appears never to go astray,
though he may sometimes wander when
his pen is forced to the city for living.
This Goldwyn film version OF his mover,
produced under the authors supervision.
is an effective symphony of wind. II
depicts the manner in which the stark
monotony of a northland winter eats
into the soul of men and women penned
in the cabins, so that man comes TO
hate another merely for being his friend.
However. one is glad to note that they
can spare little energy from hating
to laugh occasionally. The storm region
is shown In notably excellent photo8-
raphy to bo as tempestuous as the
gusts of passion let loose among rom
Santschi, Miss Vera Gordon, Miss EDNA
Murphy, Joe King and Henry West.
After the feature a Hy Mayer trave-
laugh. Life In and on the Water d.
vertingly displaying some reminiscent
scenes of the seashore. Gains one down
considerably. For the Capitors musical
bill the poet and Peasant overture
orchestral selections from Victor Her
bert's ut Happened in Nordland." a
novel ballet to Waldteufel's skaters
Waltz" led by Mile Gambarelli. and
solo by Bertram Peacock from Henley's
'Tnvictus" agitate the ears.
Miss Marion Davies in THE Restless
Sex" with the supplementary programme
that dallied at the Criterion for five
weeks, has been moved TO the Rivoi' ana
"Behold. MY Wife" calls attention to
itself for second week at the Rialto'
with "Hypnotic Hootch" q Rumhauser
cartoon, to ease the strain OF looking AT
an Indian maiden laboring with culture.