The New York herald., 1921-07-25
Scenes
in EHnor GIyn's
First Screen Story
Romantic Tale of the West
Also Shows Flashes of
Dramatic Power.

Inviting scenery forms the background
of the movies at the principal cinema
palaces this week. suggesting the peril
that audiences. having seen the cool
sreenery OF one picture. won't want to
see others. but Immediately will rush off
to the woods. Elinor Glyn, who came
to this country in order to fabricate
her first original screen story. ''The
Great Moment" at the Rivoli this week,
appears to have gone over in body
to the party of professional Western
scenery boosters.
I'm return for the nice way these
Western people have treated me- she
seems to have said to herself. 'I'll GER
tainly give their landscapes a free ad
in my first picture"
And she has, for she has brought her
heroine, an English girl with a half
portion of Russian gypsy blood. all the
way to the West for no particular pur-
pose except to admire the vistas. which
are certainly handsome enough to bring
out all the romanticism which Is always
latent in Glyn heroine, not to mention
her gypsy blood. The latter. however,
does not come to the surface until she
is bitten by a rattlesnake. Trust Mrs.
Glyn to get her hero and heroine into
compromising situation alone in
desert shack, even If she has to use a
snake bite to do it,
The poison Is drawn from the wound
by the owner of the shack. a young
American mining engineer, who has been
standing with her, ogling the view until
II almost drives him to taking her in
= lie 81. L. rod 70 n
young Englishman. Then the snake
comes into their garden of Eden. Part
of his method of curing the girl. Of
course. is to use quart bottle Of raw
whiskey, always to be found in every
well equipped desert shack. Prohibition
has no terrors for Glyn hero-nor has
anything else.
Forced Into Marriage.
The whiskey arouses all the Russian
gypsy in her, and he finally does take
her in his arms. after she gives to him
what must have been very alcoholic
kiss At this moment her aristicratic
father comes upon them, and even
though the situation is really the pink
of propriety-quite the rosiest, in tact.
that Mrs. Glyn has ever devised-her
parent Immediately jumps to conclusion
on the strength of the whiskey aroma
and a couple of hairpins On the cabin
pillow.
So he forces them into a marriage
a marriage that Is later broken off by
the chivalrous husband. though eventu-
ally he wins her back again is a series
of incidents that are too interesting to
disclouse for less than the price of ad-
mission. Mrs Glyn's romantic tale
shows flashes of genuine dramatic
/ thA 81,
freely and often, and displays original
ity In making truly dramatic use OF
the telephoe at the finish. There are
some very supmtuous scenes, particu-
larly of an aquatic ball with dinner
laden canoes and mermaids, among
whom Miss Swanson must feel at home,
for was she not once n bathing beauty
herself?
She dives into the water. in fact, in
one of the dazzling gowns she wears.
though all her attire is not happily
chosen. and one suit described as IA
fetching frock." would fetch nothing but
a scowl from most men. Her acting is
generally alive with swift feeling and a
facile ability to change her mood.
though one can hardly fathom the press
agents ground for calling her a raving
beauty. particularly with her hair
skewered to her head like grapes. Mil
| ton Sills. Alec b. Francis and Arthur
Hull are others in n cast so well picked
they actually wear dress clothes with an
air of case.
The Amplco reproducing piano. In
Tschaikowskys Concerto" duet by
Ella Simpson and Carlo Enciso, and
orchestral selections from Lehar's "The
Count of Luxembourg are other offer
ings. while there is "A Pathe comedy.
Teaching the Teacher that is easily
disposed OF at the end by being blown up.
Miss Atherton's Screen Play.
IL was to be expected that Mrs. Ger
trude Atherton in her first story writ
ten directly for the screen. Don't
Neglect Your Wife," would deal with
San Francisco OF half a centudy ago.
since she knows that subject so well but
II was beyond anticipation that in this
Goldwyn production supervised by her
she would contribute TO the class Of
Never Mind Your Husband pictures
immortalzed by the De Miles.
However. IL Is less of domestic
preachment than one might suppose,
though the familiar three sided situation
of the husband. the neglected wife and
the other man is there, for even though
the story has much TO do with the old
Five Points district OF New York II Is,
nevertheless. triangular. Mrs. Atherton
concerns herself with her favorite theme
of the decay and eventual rgneration OF
human character acd In this case the
redemption of Californian writer who
Is forced Ivy her husband to leave the
woman he loves and drifts to the New
York slums is effected by the wife. who
has herself started TO go TO the dogs
procedure she seems able TO accom-
plish on only oee bottle OF hard stuff.
The outstanding conclusion generated
by this picture is that n woman can al
ways save n man from the drogs pro-
vlded she has n large independent for
tune--which is morality made easy. The
picturesque side of this film is upper
most. for IL has charming woodland
vistas. realistic glmpses of the Five
Prints and 's'rhn Bucket OF Rinod" rroR-