The New York herald., 1921-08-08
Charles Ray Shows
Skill as Director in
"Midnight Bell"
Movie Actor Makes Thrilling
Adaptation of Famous
Old Hoyt Play.

1t would hardly seem likely that ever
modern robbers. used to employing
highly involved and laborious methods
in order to give the police brain fever
would spend SO much time and trouble
in burrowlng and cutting and shadowins
girl stenographer In order TO get al
a country safe as they do in "A Mid
night Bell" at the Strand this week, es-
pecially when Charles Ray comes along
later and merely smashes the door &c
get in the bank. while whole crowd
looks on passvely.
But then the ways or criminals are
dark-to such virtuous folk as film re-
viewers anyhow If the thieves hsdn't
resorted to this dime novel method one
couldn't have seen them wriggling like
cells through their underground tunEal
nor would it have given Ray an oppor-
tunity TO do some Of the best playing
Of his career in a capital production
under his ow direction, in which young
Ray shows he is such a sincere and
painstaking director that he actually
directs himself TO fall off chair ard
bump his head
ri is on the whole an adept
adaptation OF Charles Hoyt's IA
nous play, which IS so old as
plays go that 1t is as new and
thrilling to the present generation as the
toddle top When Ray. as discharged
travelling salesman, appropriates 70 him
self a position az clerk in a general
store in a tank town, merely by walking
in and selling goods, JUS. because the
proprietor's pretty daughter has caught
his eye. the resultant situations are quite
amusing, though the bargain counter
rush that follows IS too obviously com
posed OF a horde Of unemployed film
extras.
Puts In Natural Touches.
Inside the haunted church the feeling
- suspense, with occasional breaks fol
laughter, Is so consummately developed
BY Ray with many Of his celebrated
natural touches that 1t suggests the
whole thing was figured out with mathe-
matical eXactitude. Moreover, his strug'
gle to warn the town against the rob.
bers by ringing the church bell is an,
ether achievement for this pleasing
young star, in which he does not stoI
short at tearing his shirt and mussine
his hair. Many of the futile close-ups
that made Scrap Iron" such trial ol
strength for the audience have beer
wisely eliminated so that It is far su
perior to that piece-and besides, it has
been passed by the State Motion Pictur,
Commission. 1t can now be considered
100 per cent pure, at least.
Doris Pawn, as the storekeepcr's
d1Itpbfar YohhnI - ~
her fascination by bobbing her hair, but
shows the spirit Of courage in the story
which such an act would require. The
rest of the cast are generally satisfac-
tory, except that the villain was toe
patiently in the business OF rascality
from the start. The audience was wise
to him in a minute.
A sport Pictorial" and Snub Pollard
In What Whopper'' are other film Of.
ferings, while Catarina Guerreri, hailed
by the press agent as new Jenny Lind
sang in n fashion that would require
considerable revision of the estimate
OF Nine. Liuds place in lyric history.
.sExpericncco ut RivolI.
1t gives ono quite q thrill to see Sc
many movie players-over 500 Of them
in fact-upholding morality in Expert.
ence" at the Rivoli this week. Ger.
tainly this ought to change some cur.
rent opinions Of Los Angeles. This Par.
amount picture is based on George "
Hobarts stage play OF the same name
produced about the time that Every.
woman" was holding forth promise OF
making Broadway lead a new life.
1t Is virtually a photo dramatizatior
Of that noted bon mot, 'he was a goot
guy while he had it." Adhering closely
to the allegor,cal original II relates how
Youth left his mother in the country
to win his way In tho city, and meet:
at the Primrose Path cabaret variou.
young women carefully labelled EEcite.
ment, Temptation, TntoTicatior, and 81
on, to distinguish them, though they al
use the same optical wireless code
When his money and his false friends
are simultaneously gone, he drifts 10 tn,
House OF Last Resort, where after sa.
tiating the audiences suppressed desir,
for an underworld fling. he goes bacl
to the arms of his sweetheart. Love
and concentrates on life among the new
mowp hay. a pretty story
absolutely nothing.
1T has been most elaborately anc
strikingly staged, and such scenes al
those In the gambling resort will prob.
ably have immense interest for those
who would like to take rubbernecl
tour through dens OF iniquity.
Barthelmess gives a finished perform
ance Of Youth, surrounded by an attrac.
tive cast that includes such players a:
Marjorie Daw. Nita Naldi. Lilyan Tash
man and Edna Wheaton, and the picture
will in all likelihood draw those who
like allegory well buttered with the oh.
vious-readers OF Dr. Frank Crane, say
Little Miriam Battista recites Fancy
and Truth" literary composition which
George " Hobart calls poem. and
there Is a Mack Sennett comedy. Hare
Knocks and Love Taps" which brings
one back to earth with a thud.
"A Connecticut Yankee In King Ar.
thurs Court" the William Fox adapta-
tion OF Mark Twain's satire, Is at the
Capitol this week at popular prices
after having had an outing on Broad.
way earlier Gloria Swanson In Elinoi
Glyn's picture THE Great Moment" Il
at the Rialto this week. following the
Riesenfeld system OF rotating the crops