The New York herald., 1921-02-28

This Is surely Barrie's most delicious
and finely finished product, yet at the
Rivoli yesterday II aroused scarcely
more of ripple than the weekly news
digest This Paramount picture may be
interesting enough as mere movie, but
as shedowing forth OF n piece that
many remember as spoken delight IL
seems little more than a voice from the
tomb. That is largely matter of cast
Ing for while Miss Adams probably had
the ideal company for this play, the
present producers seem to have mis-
takeniy picked types rather than good
actors. and the result Is Scotch mist
rather han Scotland
Follows Miss Adams's Poses.
Miss Wilson looks suppressed enough
as the woman without charm. and fol-
lows many of Miss Adams's poses and
mannerisms, but her chief method for
expressing emotion seems TO be popping
wide her eyes as though some one had
spoken out OF his turn. She never for
one moment suggests an underlying
sense Of glee in the character as the
Frohman star did, so that It is nothing
less than miraculous at the end that she
should suddenly convert the stony Shnnd
to laughter. and turn his character
skill of Madge Kennedy should have
been allowed out with this role.
Conrad Nagel, featured in the cast
as Shond, does perhars the best work of
any one. even though he doesn't follow
Richard Benefits characterization Of
the self-confident young man who broke
into house to study, but works his own
will with the role. The other players
seem just whislers and Burnsides stuck
here and there in the picture Olga
Printzlau has kept closely to Barric's
dialogue and stage directions for the
titles. but some OF the best parts seem
to have been dropped out, and--well
anyhow, the "Phedre" overture attrac-
tive scenes from Faust" sung by trio
an an "Out of the InlSwell' cartoon give
the programme big lift
Seeing this picture, ard then viewing
Charles Ray In "The Old Swimmin'
Hole" at the Strand. calls TO mind tho
story that Bernard Shaw said to Barrie
that the ideal movies would be those
without any titles. and Barrie. who had
Just seen one of his own, replied that
the best would be all titles and no pic
lures. Rays adaptation for First Ma
tional OF James Whitcomb Riley's poem
has essayed the innovation of pract-
cally dispensing with formal subtitles,
constituting not only new departure.
but picture that manages. with en-
trancing Photographic establishment, TO
be bit of literature.
story Is Easy to Follow.
The only written clues for the audi
ence are the entries In EsTd's diary, and
even the cast is introduced as though
Ezra scrawied them on his school slate
between raps on his knuckles. Yet be-
cause OF Rays remarkably youthful ex-
pressiveness the audience was able yes
terday TO follow every turn in the rustic
comedy, and laughed themselves back
into summertime. II IS a masterpic 20
of unalloyed and cleaniy rtalnmCat
with funny boyhood scraps and anus
Ing scenes at the swimming hole, in
school and at a picnic. and Ray proves
himself screen Tom SntCUcr. Another
Booth Harrington comedy. Edgar, the
Explorer" keeps up the gay spirit OF
youth pervading the Strand. and a
charming prologue. selections from THE
Mlkado" and q solo by Estelle Carey
aren't in their dotage either.
Likewise winsome and humanity hui
morous Is the performance at the Capitol
OF Will Rogers in ''tiuiie OF Women" In
which h9 portrays a trusting Swedish
sailor whose sweetheart fails to make
port here. although he has ballasted her
Win SlsVHV fent nome. he SWeurB' nc
Is through with women, but after an
American miss Jolts his pocketbook
again he discovers that his first love has
really been faithful 10 him as we'll as
the thousand This Goldwyn version OF
Peter Clark MacFarlane's story shouldn't
be missed even for rainstorm. Harold
II Horizons unusual scenic pictures Of
Ball the Unknown in tho South Seas
presents enthralling mystery in Prizma
colors Dances by Mile. Gambarelli
Leon Leonidow and Doris Niles, the
Dance of the Hours overture and
selections by the Capitol Mixed Quartet
arc other revels.
',The Wltching Hour" the Paramount
screen version OF Augustus Thomas's
stage success. preserves the thrills OF
the originals IN spite OF a maze OF COM
pllcatlons. william ID. Taylor has kept
the story running clearly and strongly
through the various turns OF mesmerism
and mind reading, so that II requires
no mind reader to grasp the plot
adapted by Julia Crawford Ivers. FL
lott Dexter plays acceptably the gam
bier who has such hypnotic power that
he can read the thoughts OF others.
unravel murders. incite them and have
a nice nervous time generally. a Mutt
and Jeff cartoon and Weber's Fret
schuetz" overture are condiments TO the
fare.