New-York tribune., 1920-08-23
On the Screen
"The Right to Love" at the
Criterion; Other Motion
Picture Openings

"The Right to Love- followed the
! record breaking "Humoresque" yester-
DAY at the Criterion Thcater with Mae
Murray and David Powell IN the lead
ing roles. The George Fitzmaurice
production is the third super motion
picture to be presented since Hugo
Riescnfeid took over the theater and
transformed it into long-run picture
house. 1t is worthy of the standards
! set at the Criterion, but it will hardly
have as long or as Auccessful run as
its predecessor.
1t is engrossng, the story that Ouida
Bergere has written for the screen
from the play by Pierre Frondaie and
Claude Farrere, but it is overshadowed
by the superb photography and by the
excellent acting, not only of the two
featured players, but Of the other mem
bers of the cast as we'll. Seldom have
locations been better chosen and sell
dom has tale been more gracefully
unfoldcd than in "Thc Right to Love"
Never is there false note in the pro-
duction and never does the spectator
lose interest III the story of the young
American woman, married against her
will to a powerful but cruel English
man, who installs q mistress in his of
fetal residence at Constantinople
Mae Murray Once a Dancer
Mae Murray, few years ago, was n
dancer in the Follies. Her work in
"The Right to Love" is indicative Of
the advance she has made since her ad-
vent as motion picture actresss when
her ability as dancer was mainly cap
italizcd. No one would hesitate now
to call her a dramatic actress of the
first rank. She knows the value of re-
c NJ and ShO1v kor lyro,r1o1ro Az
in addition to her acting ability she
screens beautifullv. David Powell,
Alma Tell, Holmes E. Herbert. Macy
Harlan, Frank Losee and the others in
the excellent cast are splendid in their
respective roles.
Starting with pageantry in which the
King Of Wealth, unmindful of his
daughters desires, separates her from
her knight from the Land of Hearts
Desire" and marries her off to the rep
resentative of powerful country,
marriage which would bring him more
wealth, the story shifts to the real
characters and shows the results or
the arrangement The American girl
has become Lady Falkland, wife of Sir
Archibald Falkland, Director of the
Debt in Constantinople, and a stranger
in her own household. Sir Archibald
has installed Lady Edith his mistress,
have his wife obtain divorce The
only thing that keeps Lady Falkland
in Constantinople. facing the insuffer
able situation, is her love for Little
Archie her son.
Colonel Richard Lorng, her knight
from the Land Of Hearts Desire" ar
rives at Constantinople to take up his
post as military attach6 to the Amer
lean Embassy, and secures house di-
rantl 70 or ~, Ill
with the Bosporus Intervening He
renews his acquaintance with his for
smer sweetheart, and one night he dis
covers a conspiracy which has been
arranged by Sir Archibald to dishonor
his wife and take her son away from
her
Colonel Kills Sir Archibald
The colonel kills Sir Archibald and
is cleared of the crime by his frienu,
the Marshal to the Sultan. Again is
the Princess, the daughter OF the King
of Wealth, united, this time forever
to her knight from the Land of
Hearts Desire" and, with Little
Archie, the trio SCI sail for America
Hardly has more perfect example
Of blended program been seen than
that which is being presented at the
Criterion. The overture, "Orientale,"
by Cui, strikes the keynote of the en-
tertainmcnt, and is followed by q
scenic picture Of Constantinople. Then
comes the prologue for the feature
picture, called "ln a Seraglio," with
dancing girl, singing girl, dervish
and guard Don't Weaken" a
PaYamount-Ma Sennett Comedy.
completes the program.
One misses the art of Robert Louis
Stevenson as teller Of stories in "The
White Circle" presented by Maurice
Tourneur on the screen of the Rialto
Theater yesterday as an adaptation Of
the authors "The Pavilion on the
Links" Stevcnson's powers of descrip-
tive writing easily match and even sur
pass the possibilities of the screen.
The latter, Of course, can present
faithfully the exact picture, physically,
that the author conceives in his mind
but the shadings and nuances of a
master craftsman are out of the ques-
tion with the camera. Therefore "The
White Circle" disappoints those who
arc familiar with the work of Robert
Louis Stevenson. but this does not mean
that Maurice Tourncur has not pre-
sented an interesting picture.
"The White Circle" is a tale of ven
geancc-the vengeance of the Carbo-
mari, the powerful secret society which
fought so valantly for the liberation
Of Italy in the COS. The MARI Of
death is the white circle. Huddlestone,
entrusted with the funds of the Car
bonari, has speculated, and when the
time for their use in buying guns and
ammunition comes they are not avail
able. Accordingly he is marked for
death. Northmour, an adventurer,
agrees to carry him off to his pavilion
on the links provided he is given his
daughters hand in marriage. Fearful
of death, the old banker, who has mis-
handled the funds of the Carbonari,
agrees.
Farreaching, however, is the ven
geance OF the Italian society, and Hud-
dlestone dies a thousand deaths of
fear before the messengers of death ar
rive. Clara, his daughter. has not
consented to the agreement to marry
NorthmOur, but has fallen in love with
Cassilis, a rival of the Adventures
Huddlestone is killed, and Northmour
renounces his clai mon Clara, leaving
her for Casilis, and goes off to seek
further adventure on the field of battle.
The Rlalto magazine and Sun
shine comedy, "Slipping Feet" are the
other lin offerings. "Sicilian Yes
pers," by Verdi is the overture and
Lorenzo Grimaldi, baritone, sings "Ie
Cor" by Flegier. John Priest plays
Sullivan's The Yeomcn Of the, Guard
on the organ.
IAo.~