New-York tribune., 1920-11-08
On the Screen
Capitol and Rialto Theaters
Offer Great Variety Of Mo-
ton Picture Features
BY Harriette Underhill

By Harriette Underhill
Wives who own impressionable hus-
bands should keep them away from
the Capitol this week, or if they allow
them to visit the theater, they should
if they value their peace Of mind, in
sist on their leaving before the feature
picture is shown. 1t Is called "The
Branding Iron,' ano the moral seema
to be that if you want your wife really
to love you. you must burn bar and
an o on her shoulder.
We wonder if any one ever really
branded his wife or sweetheart. Some
one is always doing it on the stage
or screen, or else is just being pre-
vented, from doing it by the voice of
her baby crying "Mommy"
Barbara Castleton is the daughter Of
q drunkard, who broods over the fact
was untrue to him. One day he tries
it on Joan CHATS her name in the
picture), and although women enjoy
suffering at the hands Of man who
is lover, they do not seem to care
for it when it is inflicted by q mere
father; so Joan runs away!
Then she has all sorts Of strange
adventures. She is married and
branded and eloped with and betrayed
and finally runs away again and goes
as cook on q ranch. Here she meets
New York playwright and his wife.
and the wife says to the cook: "You
have been so good to Jasper and me.
Joan, come back to New York and live
with o,Lilo ,vn ,yopAornI - !
the use Of her husbands Christian
name. still, any one will go to any
lengths now to get good cook. But
did she want Joan as n cook? She did
not.
Three months later we find Joan
calling them both by their first names
and going to the theater with them and
wearing gorgeous raiment. And, of
course, Joan far outshines oil the other
women. But aside from the absurd
story, the picture is filled with little
things which annoy one and make one
say "Oh, why didn't somebody notice
that p And it is apparent, too, that
somebody has done his hest in an effort
to make the picture what it Is not.
The snow scenes are splendid and some
OF the night scenes are exceptionally
good.
Whenever wc find fault with a picture
somebody says But you've got to re-
member that pictures aren't made for
New York. They're made for the small
towns SO maybe the small towns will
like "The Branding Iron" 1T is pre-
sented by Goldvyn and directed by Reg
maid Barker.
But it doesn't really matter so much
about the feature picture, for it isn't
the feature OF the program, which is u
special armistice bill. The overture is
"Over There by Joseph Carl Breil.
This was composed especially for the
Capitol program. Then comes review
Of the armstice. Rheims and where
popples bloom, done by Prizma, and a
wonderful rendition Of Verdi's RE
quiem," done by BetrAm Peacock and
q large chorus, with setting by John
Winger.
~ Part II has the Capitol News, Greig's
"Norweg gian Dancs,' done by Mile
Gambarell and Alexander Oumsnsky.
and Prizma comedy review, 1t is an
exceptionally fine program and Is staged
by Samuel Rothapfel.
Conrad in Quest Of His Youth is one
OF the things we did not read. but We
doubt II it could have been any moro
Gellghrful than il is in its celluloid
form at the Rialto. In the first place,
tnhey might hsvc called it something
like Man and Woman" or "Mr. War
lener's ir, Dilemma" and they didn't.
lhen they chose Thomas Meighan to
play Conrad and they surrounded h n.
greatest, somebody wrote the most
amusing lot Of sub-titles that it has
been our good fortune to encounter in
long time.
The whole thing is deftly and lightly
done, and one is dragged into no bops
of honey. There are times when ona
fears, for long association with the
pictures teaches one how dificult it
~ Tor q director to steer clear of the
dovecot and the daisy-feld Mr..
Melghen is lovable Conrad who finds
his youth when he falls in love. Mabel
Van Buren,, Maym Kelso, Bertram
Loomis. and Sylvia Ashton all help to
make the picture memorable one.
1t is q William dc Mile production
and is far better than anything we ever
saw him do, and those sub titles! Are
they part OF Leonard Merrick's story,
we wonder, or did Olga Printzlau do
them when she made the scenario +?
They sound like Merrick.
The overture is "Sakuntala." Then
comes the NlaItO magazine and Il Clyde
Cook comedy. The Huntsman." Sascha
FIdelman, violinist. plays Chopin's
"Nocturne" and Edoardo Albano sings
Maria, Mari"
Al the Strand Geraldine Farrar is
appearing in THE Riddle Woman"
Wallace Reid is at the Rvoli in al
ways Audacious." There is also re-
vival of Charlie Chaplin in "Easy
Street" These will 30 reviewed to-
morrow.
III a NsrYHG