The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-10
'Ls st AS It Wuz
Attic heayter''
ByKi.

AT THE GRAND, several hundred de-
termined first nighters viewed Griffith s
| masterpiece, Drawing one of the heaviest
rain storm of the spring to DO so. Ihey
were repaid for their effort. Way Down
East is nearly all 1t mas 3eeh toute es ar
ranking as the biggest American film Of
the year but any who aaxe Seel PG D that #
| is second to Passion" tho the two are III
distinctly different classes.
There is nothing stupendous ABOUT Way
Down East" 1t is tale of American life
simple homely American life-that touches
evesy heart and is distinctly understand,
able in every American city; Fasslon
was a historical drama stupendous in every
particular and beautiful beyond description
but whole lot of its stuff went clear over
the heads of many who saw it. There IS
scarce doubt that the popular verdict VIII
be that the Griffith production is the best
shown here this year.
There are some things the average film
fan cannot understand ana one OF these
is why. if practically every person VINO
had any connection with The Miracle
Man. is now being starred, that Lillian
| Gish, who outdoes herself and practically
every screen actress in Way Down East
has been practically unheard of since the
film finished. She puts on one OF the
best exhibitions shown on the screen. Ihere
1t is all true, to herself, the story and the
characters she carries. 1t is seldom any
actress so completely buries herself in a
part as Miss Gish has done in this case.
The support is almost on par and even the
bits" are done with an eye to the general
effect rather than to the possible chance OF
exploiting the actor actress him or her
| self.
1t is not in mob scenes, done with thou
sands of people present, it is not in pre-
senting the story amid wonderful settings
that really confuse the eye, it is not in a
that Griffith has made Way Down East"
| the big thing it is, but in his absolute at
| tention to the most minute detail lie,
with the mind of the true artist has con-
trasted dark with light, comedy with
pathos and villainy with virtue, ever in
creasing his bold strokes until at the climax
| he has made even the most blase of To
peka movie fans come out of their seats
| ON two occasions last night this was done
! and done in way it had not been thought
possible by the steady stage followers heSe.
oh yes, there are some things that one
can criticise about the film. One can men
ton the attempt to color bits of it. One
| can protest against the too thick layer or
"Hokum' spread in the rural stuff. And
again one can even get captious and objecS
| to the way Griffith ventured thin ice
| with one two delicate subjects. One can
always find something that. is not JUST
only thing that really clashed with me was
! the music. Never have been known for
having asthetic musical ear this bit
may be overlooked. However, the use
| of the brass in that aggregation or
the strains, if strains they. were, resembled
some of that stuff l heard when Toscanni
was here and which 1 could not get at all
all of it sounding like discOrd to
| WAS it worth the price?'' that is the
question most of you want to know. Wei,
| folks, if l had paid the price l could tell
better, but having laid down only the war
tax, don't feel in a competent position TO
advise: The wife, declares, however. that
from going over the falls on floating
cake of ice was worth more than the price,
/ all by itself. Must admit that L Joined the
applause which followed the safe arrival
| of the two on the river bank. 1t has been
| years since l have clapped my hands at
AT THE NOVELTY rather mediocre
| bill opens the weeks offerings. For the
| life of me could not figure out why the
pair that opens, should be billed as Aus
| bathing suits The man has two thriller
stunts that got away good yesterday after
noon. Dan Ahern, who can whistle, fills
/ the interval between first and third base.
The feature of the first half of the week
as it is billed. The toe dancer ranks best
of the quartette of entertainers who make
| up the program for this numbsr, but the
| second honOrs. IF it were not for the
| Front of the House Close that finishes
| this number it would be a mighty good
The best applause of yesterday afternoon
came in response to the efforts of Waiman
] musicians and know how to get across
| the footlights with their stuff. The
| Westons models, which close the bill, may
or may not have been short one member
| of the cast but it looked mighty queer to
see a woman-physically perfect tho she
might be, trying to pose as a Roman
AT THE ORPHEUM, there's a whole lot
Of good solid entertainment in The Love
| Special which is supposed to star Wallie
Reid in the role of a railroader, but which
| in reality makes Wallie the background for
a superb bit of acting on the part of
| Theodore Roberts, the "Grand Old Man
Of the films. One can hardly wait for
Roberts to make his next appearance SO
good is his stuff in the role of the rail-
| road president and father of the girl Wallic
/ is after-or is it the girl who is after
| Wallie? A mighty good musical program
| and an unusually interesting Pathe News
reel helps make this one of the best pro-
grams offered the first of the week.
| AT THE ISIS, Lon CLANCY make his ap-
pearance in a new role that is almost az
| fame with Topekans. Outside the Law
is not enthralling a story as 1.-THE
Penalty" nor is BLACK Mike" Silva sucn
a fiend rs we saw in Blizzard" but he is
for the whole picture 1t is more realistic
| it could have happened. That "Outside
the Law is great crook play goes with
out saying. Whether or not it will become
Jimmy Valentine became remains to be
seen: 1t should be the kind of thriller
| AT THE CRYSTAL THE Stealers" now
showing is William Christy Cabanne's
| powerful human document. 1t is
drama SO tense powerful and realistic
that it is impossible to erase its story
from your memory. The lesson of Faith
and its dynamic virility is wonderfully
illustrated in this masterpiece of the silver
sheet; Man loses Faith and suffers thru
| his own crimes.
| Faith is restored and he lives again
i This picture tells a story in a most in
teresting and gripping manner. Every
man, woman, and child who lives and
| story of good, bad men and bad, good men,
4