The New York herald., 1921-08-04
Pearl White Shows
Fighting Ability in
"A Virgin Paradise
Film Conceived by H. P. Maxim
Moves With Mel0dramatic
FervOr.

Miss Pearl White engaged in a fight
in "A Virgin Paradise at the Park
Theatre yesterday which revealed she
still possessed the punch. not to mention
a kick. 1t was as 1t should be that tl-is
latest William Fox melodrama should
was conceived by Hiram Percy Maxim.
who invented the Maxim silencer.
1t would have taken more than u
Maxim silencer to muffie Miss White.
Once she started on the rampage she
spat fire like a machine gun and put up
an exhibition that now leaves her open
to challenges from Miss Geraldine Far
rar for the woman's championship OIL
the world. The mistake of Alan Ed
wards, who had the role of the young
man who tried to force her into mar
riage with him for the sake of her
money, was that, like Carpenter, re
tried to beat her at infighting.
He should have been content to box
with her, jabbing in a love tap occa-
sionally and then trusting to clever foot
work. But no. he would insist on swap
ping punches with Miss White, ana she
tore his championship aspirations 10 flp-
bons. She not only leaped on him from
various heights. but she bit him whole
heartedly and several times kicked MN
right out of the picture. Possibly she
executed ia savate'' on his midriir, put
there was no referee present IN the
locked room to see that the Marquis oi
Oueensberry rules were upheld ana aWar,i
her to the man as a prldc on 49,
Rut in view of her wildcat tactics Ed
wards would appear entitled to return
match. sotir.
This apparently was part OF tne sa'n.e a.,
on civilized society advertised as
tended by the photoplay, but u - 70 pe
hoped that civilized society is not reaily
tending II have such bouts at home.
Else what will become of the interest IN
mere professional prize fights, wnere
the furniture isn't wrecked! MISS
White looking handsomer than ever
first appeared on a South sea lslana
dressed in a fashion that was paIpapiy
a copy of the style set by Eve.
IT is a question how this picture
escaped the eye of the censors, for whlie
there is nothing suggestive about II
Miss Whites costpme consisted chleiiS
of a beautiful Macelle wave. But per-
haps they thought it was all right. be-
cause, being the daughter of white
before by savages. she read the scrip
lures in that garb. She even taught
Sunday school to the resident lions,
none of whom, by the way. fell asleep,
as lions have habit of doing at such
affairs.
Adam entered her Eden in the form
of one of the sailors of a ship chartered
to find her father by the executors of
the estate of her uncle. who died run
of riches. She proceeds to throw the
sailor off a cliff and then. after the
manner os women in the movies, finds
ii easy to fall in love with him. She
follows him to the ship and permits him
to abduct her from her uncle's secre-
tary. whose days are sp.nt largely in
trying to force the heiress into mar
riage while she burns UP match. OBJ
viously with some symbolic significance.
Following some fun over putting on a
dress upside down and slapping guests in
her girlish way at formal dinner party
in civilization represented by New
York-GrGtid Latham damages the Sec
retary almost beyond repair in that
scrap and then decides to burn down
her own expensive home because the
world has been treating her so roughly
Naturally after that she becomes a good
woman and lets her sailor lover kiss her
without scratching out his eyes.
The satire on society Is negligible. but
the outdoor scenes and the finely toned
Photography are beautiful. and the ac-
ton moves with such melodramatic fer
vor that IL restores ones youthful be-
lief in desert island romances. Miss
White is highly attractive as the hall
Venus of the wilds. and while her face
Il never likely to become strained from
emotion she shows good comedy talent
I..A.
j. Thornton Baston and Alan Edwards
are others who stand out in a cast that
j Searle Dawley has directed well, even
10 the lions