New-York tribune., 1920-09-27
On the Screen
''The Jailbird" at Rialto Thea.
ter; ''Madame X'' at Capitols
Other Openings

play by Julien Josephson the smiling
Douglas does not enfold winsome
Doris May in his manly young arms
and press her lips TO his, slow fade
out marking the end Of the Aim. Oh,
no, not Douglas. He goes back to Jail
to finish his bit, not, it must be re-
marked hastily, because he does not
feel that way toward Doris. The en-
brace will come later.
Who ever heard Of motion picture
scenario, enlisting the services of
handsome couple like Douglas MacLean
and Doris May. without the traditional
closeup? Such o scenario Is rare
specimen indeed in the motion picture
industry and 1.-THE Jailbird," therefore,
is refreshing in its novelty.
Excellent entertainment Is this
not help feeling refreshed in the smil-
ing and clean-cut presence of Douglas
MacLean. He gains his effects easily
and naturally. He is a screen actor
worth seeing. "The Jailbird" is we'll
written story involving real charac
ters-country pumpkins and slick
crooks-and the contrast Is we'll sus-
tanned.
Kid Dugan, or, better, Shakespeare
Clancy, is safe-cracker with will
power and conscience. He makes an
easy getaway from confinement and
goes to sleepy Dodson with his pal,
Skeeter Burns, to claim his uncle's
estate. 1t amounts to about eighty
newspaper shop and parcel of rock
strewn land. Shakespeare tries to 60
straight, but fails in his efforts. So
a gold brick is planned for Dodson
which has been hostile to him. A fake
oil company is formed and q shaft
driven on Shakespeare's property. All
the townspeople subscribe. Just as
Shakespeare and Skeeter are ready to
run off with the money real oil is dis
covered on the property and the for
mer Kid Dugan is hailed as the towns
greatest benefactor. Success Is his,
but in the midst of it he departs and
goes back to the penitentiary to finish
his bit.
Doris May and William Courtright
giMthe sta r excellent support.
TMe Rialto Magazine and "The
Cure" Chaplin revival, complete the
motion picture program. The orches-
ira plays I'll Guarany," by Gomez, Rus
sian Isba singers sing group Of Rus
sian songs, Arthur Cerino renders
saint-Sasns's "The Swan" on the
Wagner's "Waldweben" on the organ
II one ie Of a precise turn Of mind
and at all familiar with the writings
Of James Oliver Curwood, it is not at
all difficult to set down the ingredients
which go into a motion picture fash
ioned from any Of his novels. "No-
mads Of the North" ct the Strand The
ater this week, is no exception. There
are always long shots Of dense forest,
storms, the cruel Hudson Bay factor,
the tracking of q murderer by the in
fallible Royal Northwest Mounted Po-
lice, and animals which are almost hu-
man. These are some of the necessi-
ties Of Curwood picture which come
readily to mind. But it is not to be
inferred that "Nomads of the North"
is not an absorbing screen melodrama,
although somewhat lengthy.
The work of bear cub and puppy
and the. photography, especially in the
forest fire and waterfall scenes, are
eommendable features of the First Ma
tional picture. David M. Hartford, the
director, has produced some excellent
effects.
'"Nomads Of the North" is the IA
miliar triangle story of a primitive
setting. This triangle involves two
men and a girl. The vengeful, tricky
villain. Buck McDougall, son of the
Hudson Bay factor, seems to have all
the odds in his favor, but Raoul Chal-
loner, sim pie and honest French Cana
dian woodsman, triumphs after many
and seemingly insurm ountable Difficult
ties, and wins Nanette Roland, who hae
loved him all along bnt who was almost
forced to marry McDougall.
The work Of four characters, the
three mentioned, which were played bv
Francis Mcdonald, Lon Chaney and
Betty Blythe, and Lewis S. Stone, who
played Corporal O'Connor, Of the Royal
Northwest Mounted Police, is splendid.
Lon CLANCY especially makes a pictur-
eesque and winning figure, aided great
ly by the bear cub Neewa and the
puppy, Birthstone.
Other screen offerings are the Srtand
Topical Review and Dynamite"
Mermaid comedy Mary Mitchell, so.
prano, sings, the orchestra plays the
prelude and selections from Puccini's
The Girl From the Golden West" the
Strand Male Quartet renders "Dream
ing Alone in the Twilight" by Moore
and Shubert's March Militaire" is
played on the organ.
Pauline Frederick, starring In "Mad-
anne x" the new Goldwyn production,
had her first showing in this Aim yes
terday afternoon at the Capitol Thea
ter. It is By far the finest singls BIZ.
Of work she has done for months, and
the collaboration OF her acting In this
highly emotional French masterpiece
and the stage direction and production
BY Samuel L. RothapYel, form what may
be called the acme in motion picture
presentation in New York City.
The highest peak Of artistic attain
ment in the weeks bill, from the d.
rector's standpoint, no doubt, is in the
rendition by the great orchestra and
Sudworth Frasier and Lillian Ellison
of Miserere from I'll Trovatore," used
as prologue to Madame X" AS the
orchestra plays, the characters of the
opera make their appearance on a dim
ly lighted stage, the scales Of justice
rising high above their heads, spark
ling in the hidden lights, and almost
before the music is ended the curtains
part from in front Of the screen and
the drama is begun. There is charm
in this excellently directed bit, and
the value Of the picture itself is ens
hanced, if we may say it, at least SO
per cent by the opening touches.
Miss Frederick, as all those familiar
with her work will know, is intensely
real in the acting of the part Of the
outeast French wife, driven from her
home because her husband has found
her in the arms Of another man. Her
appeals that she be allowed to see her
III child just once more. and her char
acter work as the woman who has trav-
eled the road TO God knows where" as
she Ia found siY yeara lafer IN ropor%