New-York tribune., 1921-05-31
ON the Screen
Charles Ray i'm 'Scrap Iron"
and Meighan In ''Whiac and
Unmarried'' Are ExceiIers
By Harriette Underhill

"And he never knew what struck
him." remarked one of the characters
in "Scrap Iron" the Charles Ray pic
ture at the Strand. And "neither did
any of u.s." we retorted, for the censorg,
we think 1t was, got busy on "Scrap
Iron" and cut out the decisive round
| In the battle between the hero and the
villain, and the first thing you know
the villain, Battling Burke, is lying
dead to the world In the middle Of tho
ring and the hero is carried out on the
shoulders Of the admiring throng.
Scrap Iron" is mighty interesting
picture, and the boxing contest, where
Charlie Ray stands to lose everything
or to win life for his invalid mother,
is the best thing Of the Kind we ever
saw on the screen. IL he stands up
through three rounds he will get $500,
the losers share, or course, he only
goes in to get the money to take his
mother to Florida, and he hasn't the
slightest idea that he can win. Then
the fight begins, and every punch Is
registered on the screen. In the third
round, just as Scrap Iron is about to be
counted out, the gong rings and his
$500 is safe. Some Of the people in
the theater applauded when they heard
in our seats and prepared to see the
fourth brutal episode" Nothing hap
pened, however. The boxers entered
the ring, and then tho people in the
theater had to get an idea of what
was going on by watching the faces Of
the spectators at the match. Without
having any idea how it happened you
suddenly see Burke retched out in
the ring and the people shouting
Scrap Ironl" And then the promoter
comes and hands Scrap Iron the win
ner's purse.
He had promised his mother never to
box again, but she forgives him and he
takes her to Florida, where she gets
we'll. Thank goodness, he did not for
give Midge Flanagan, the girl who
lived next door and who threw him
over for man who had more money
to spend. She was all for a peace
parley after he won the fight, but he
would have none OF her, We are 80
straw hat and cheesecloth frock to
the picnic and says, Rags are royal
raiment when worn for virtues sake"
that this little street gamin, with her
plaid tam and her sweater, was a re- |
freshing sort Of heroine. The part was
played by Vera Stedman, and she was
good, even il Midge Flanagan wasn't.
Charles Ray continues to be the best
actor on the screen, and he has chosen
a fine supporting cast. Lydia Knott is
the mother, and Tom Wilson, Tom
lock and Claude Berkeley all do excel
lent character work. The scenario was
adapted from Charles Van Loans story +
and the picture was directed by Mr..
Ray himself.
The Strand quartet was heard in a
prologue, which introduces "Sally in
Our Alley" The comedy is "The
Guide" a William Fox picture, with
Clyde Cook. "Rienzi" was played as an
overture.
Thomas Meighan is at the Criterion
in "White and Unmarried" and having
Just given Charlie Ray the blue ribbon
nothing remains for US but to give
Meighan the red, though it wrings our
heart to have to place him second, and
we hope he will forgive us.
white and Unmarried" shows
Meighan as a second-story artist, who
suddenly inherits $1,000,OO0 and de-
cdes to travel path not too straight
and narrow, but little less tortuous
than his old route. The story is pleas
ant, and no attempt is made to con-
vince any one Of anything, to educate
y '-AA 'eA w 6RAi1t AAIl' Ou ScU your
fun out of watching the good d~natured
hero, so delightfully."- portrayed by Mr..
Meighan, the cunning antics of JAG
queline Logan as the little French
heroine and the cold beauty of Grace
Darmond as a bored society person.
Miss Darmond looks lovely ali the time
and wears some stunning gowns and
hats. That seems to be her mission in
life. 1t certainly was the mission of
Dorothea Welter, who nearly married
the hero
The titles are excellent, and we es-
pecially liked the direction, which is
by Tom Forman.
But how dear to our heart is The
almanac of Tony Sarg, The second
is called "The Tooth Car
penter," and it shows how dentists used
TO work in the Stone Age. 1t ia a
classic and even more amusing than
Mr.. Sarg's "Prehistorc Circus"
The program opens with Prizma
scenic called "Dawning" and is followed
BY a Kineto Review, Combating the
Elements.' ''Ae
There is prologue to to the feature
picture called "A i'Apache," where
singers and dancers do things in the
we'll known Apache style