New-York tribune., 1921-05-09
On, the Screen
Gypsy Blood" a Foreign
Film, at Strand. Should In
spire American Producers
by tiarriette Underhill

Reviewing Gypsy Blood" at the
strand Theater will prove to be q CON
hict twiNt love and duty. How we wish
That it had been made right hero "
America, SO that we might exhaust on,
list OF adjectives with a clear con.
science, for it is one of the best pictures
we ever saw. and American directors
and actors would do we'll to 90 and
study the methods Of these foreipners
VINO produced this picture. To our wav
OF tninSing 1t Us even better than either
OF its predecessors done by the same
director, Ernest Lubitsch.
Never have we seen such realism m
the screen and Pola Negris is a power
iui actress, who is fascinating, beauti-
iul IN way that has character for it's
foundation, and intelligent. AS Car
meneita in Gypsy Blood" she gives a
gorgeous performance. Not in the five
years that we have been seeing pic-
tures have we been so delighted with
the performance OF an actress on the
screen and she is the first one we ever
feit that we wanted to write to and
say: 81 think you are grand actress.
viii you kindly send yo9r photoeraph
70 above address" But Pola Megri can
be interviewed by US any time she
wishes.
The thing which distinguishes her
work is noticeable in the performance
OF every one in the cast. We doubt
very much If any of the scenes have
been rehearsed, for there is not the
slightest trace of q directors hand,
and yet undoubtedly the picture owes
its excellence to Mr.. Lubitsch. We
had been feeling strongly on the sub
lect of this Importation Of German
hlms, but Gypsy Blood" has convinced
US. We wouldn't have missed it for
the world, and if American producers
are wise it will set new standard for
pictures. The story unfolds so natur-
ally on the screen. There are no close
ups to interrupt the continuity. The
star is not brought into the fore
ground all the time. She does not
make q spectacular entrance; she is
simply introduced watching a parade
with a lot of other cigarette girls. The
play is a slice of life; the camera dis
covers the characters doing ordinary,
homely things and records their ac-
tions ON the film. You can't imagine
the director saying: "Now, all ready!
Camerai" The actors talk and laugh
and turn their backs to the camera
and the picture goes on, beginning at
the beginning and without any cut
backs ending with Garments death at
the hands of Don Jose.
The presentation is full Of fire and
dash, and this version of Carmen we
like much better than Bizet's version.
Also there never could be another Car
men like Pola Negri. When Geraldine
Farrar and Theda Bara appeared ST.
multaneously as Bizet's heroine we
missed both pictures, but we are quite
sure, from what we read of them. that
both interpretations were quite differ
ent from this one. They said that Miss
Farrar was an alluring Spanish beauty
and that Miss Bara was vampire who
expressed passion by winking her eye
lashes very fast But Nine Negri is
just a. hot-blooded peasant girl, SLOW
emily in her manner and her walk; she
never tries to be beautiful nor vampir-
ish; she IS bold and vulgar and bad
and Carmen the gypsy girl, every
moment.
Others in the cast were good, too.
There was Don Jose, who gave a per-
formanceSwhich ranked almost equally
with Nine. Negri's; Escamillo, Dolores
(the Michaela of the opera) and Rod
rlquez all gave noteworthy perform
ances. When we go to see the picture
again we shall leave before Garments
death. 1t is too realistic to be wholly
enjoyable. Now, if Pola Negri would
only como over here and become an
F1kitOAASoiA SAblDch OuI JOy WOulQ DC
without alloy. The story has been
adapted from the original French story
by Prosper Merrime.
Joseph Plunkett has arranged a
Spanish prologue to put one in the
proper frame of mind. 1t shows a
street scene in Seville and has singers
and dancers and castanets.
Music from Carmen" suiting the ac-
tion on the screen. is played during the
picture. After the feature there is a
comedy called "The Rent Collector"
Larry Semon plays the title role.
We should have chosen most any
other time to see "The Wild Goose"
than right after viewing "Gypsy Blood"
If this picture is not what makes the
wild goose wild, at least it is what
makes US wild. 1t is just about as bad
a picture as can be and live. 1t is from
q story by Gouverneur Morris, directed
by Albert Capellani for Cosmopolitan,
but even SO a set of good titles, written
by some one with sense of humor,