New-York tribune., 1921-11-14
On the Screen
Revival of s'Ceisha" Melodies q
Foil for. Copious Gloom in
Perjury at the Capitol
By Harriette Underhill

gram which pleased me the most was
S. L. Rothafel's presentation Of Sidney
Jones's light opera "The Geisha." I
had been wishing that some one would
revive it, and here it is in tabloid form
it not in its entirety. When we made
our debut as theatergoer it was at
later when we made our debut in comic
opera it WIS in a revival of that same
"Geisha." So it's melodies are bound to
live forever in our memory, and when
some one says again "Why don't they
put on some more stuff like Gilbert and
Sullivan used to write ?" / shall say
Yes, or like Jones used to write"
The music is quite as fascinating as
we had always believed it to be. The
operctta is given with Elizabeth Ayres
as 0 Mimosa San and with Louise
Scheerer, Peter Narrower and Alva
Bamberger in the other important
roles. The mixed quartet and the ball
let corps also are represented in the
cast. Alexander Ounansky plays the
Chinaman and Mile. Gambarelli is
Nomi. 1t is a charming presentation.
The feature picture is very har-
rowing melodrama full of tears, expia-
tion and white-faced men with hollow
eyes, and when William Farnum draws
down his nose and the corners of his
mouth like that and wrinkles up his
brows just can't help crying. There
is moral to the story, and if you don t
get it it surely is not the fault of the
title writer. Again and again are you
warned that bad temper is the great
est sin of all-nearly. That because of
it you may lose your life and make
your wife unhappy.
Mr.. Farnum is seen as Robert Moore,
man who, the title writer again stops
the story to remark, would be perfect
were it not for his exceedingly quick
temper. Because Sally Crute, his wife,
is supposed to be beauty, the other
men in the office say that that is why
his old employer is so fond of calling
at Roberts home. Robert hears their
whispers and falls into rage. He
grabs his hat and coat and rushes to
the old mans home. SO when at mid
night old John Gibson is found muir
dered and Robert is standing over him
with a pistol in his hand it is only
natural that every one should suppose
he had committed the crime in fit of
anger. The fact that he is known to
and he spends twenty years in prison
before the real murderer confesses.
In the mean time his wife has mar
ried again, and we never had any idea
that any one excepting Mary Carr
could suffer SO much. The two chill
dren grow up, and when Robert is
freed and returns to his family he is
in much the same position as Enoch
Arden. Having been left out of the
picture for so long the hero seems de-
termined to have his innings, and he
has long and narrowing scenes with
each member of the family, during
which copious tears are shed. Finally
he shoots the husband no mistake
this time-but that, you see, was self
defense, which made it all right, and
was trying to sell liquor without a
license. Farnum is excellent, and SO
is Frank Joyner as the real murderer
The story is by Ruth Comfort Miller
and the direction by, Harry Millarde
The program opens with q colored
picture called "The Morning Of the
World" and Elizabeth Ayres sings
"Just Like a Violin," assisted by Dells
Rosa.
Quite different in theme is the pic
ture at the Rivoli, "A Prince There
Was" with Thomas Meighan as the
Prince. 1t is quite different from the
George M. Cohan play, too, for, Of
course, no one could find any similar.
ity in a role interpreted by George
Cohan and that same role as Mr.
Meighan conceives it. In the first place
they arc not built for It, and in the
second place it would be hard to fnc
two men who differed SO greatly in per
sonality as these two. Mr.. Cohan is
always described as whimsical and Mr.
Meighan's favorite adjective is "whole
some"
When Charles Edward Martin de
clares that he cannot stop drinking ane
that he rever is happy you just cam
believe him; and Immediately he goes
ahead and proves that you were righ
and he was wrong. 1t seemed the easi
est thing in the world for him to sto}
drinking after he saw Mildred Harri:
/ and bought magazine. Fancy here
who is rich enough to buy magazine
SO that your rejected stories might bs
printed! Mildred Harris is much nice
when she plays opposite a star like Mr.
Meighan than4she is when she has th'
burden on her own shoulders. Tn,
star performance, however. is given b,
Charlotte Jackson, aged seven years
W AO SOCS altci oOiilC Oiio W IibCICSut
for her fairy princess and brings bacl
a prince.
In the supporting cast are Nige
Barrie, Guy Oliver, Arthur Hull, Sylvi,
Ashton, who gives one of her enjoy
able performances as the boarding
house keeper, and Fred Huntly, who L
excellent as the old Mr.. Cricket, VIII,
writes book, international Law" ant
suddenly discovers that he is about t,
become internationally famous.
Tom Forman directed the picture.
The overture is "Phedre"; Betty An
dersen and Carlo Enciso are heard il
Bartlett's "A Dream Drigo's "Th'
Lark" is used by Olga Forova for hel
dance. The comedy is Century called
Brownies Baby DOLL"
At the Strand the feature is Mary
Pickford's Little Lord Fauntleroy,
which ran for several weeks at tn,
Apollo Theater. "The Sheikn remain.
at the Rialto and Priscilla Dean re
mains at the Central in Conflict" A
the Lyric Lois Weber's "What Do Me,
.Want?" is the feature. This will bs
reviewed tomorrow.