The New York herald., 1921-11-14

RIvOLf--Thomas Meighan In "a Prince
There Was" adapted from the comedy
of the same nnme by George NJ. Cohisn
and directed by Tom Forman. See.
mario by Darragh Aldrich and Wade.
mar Young.
1t was George NJ. Conan's electric per-
sonality that burst in and saved this
light piece Just when It was in danger
Of being amputated from Broadway.
Thomas Meighan Is no more electric
than jolly oil lamp. An agreeable
smile and an affable. nonchalant man
ner are the limits of his candlepower.
So under his handling. fairly pleasant
though 1t is. the quality OF fairy story
sticks through the piece, just at a time
when the public seems inclined to shy
away from fairy stories on the screen
and prefer nature studies about bugs as
more real. An attempt has been made
to strengthen the fable In the only way
that seems likely to occur to some movie
makers-by the addition of an out and
out villain. so Enthusiastically blackguard-
y to the audience that you feel he must
nave Villain" inscribed on his calling
cards. But scarcely any one on the
screen seems to divine his Witness.
Those who saw the play will remem-
Der that a wealthy young man, SEEM
ingly disillusioned about everything, has
his interest in life suddenly reawakened
by little drudge in a boarding house.
who tells of struggling girl authoresS.
that the young man moves to the cheap
boarding house under the name of
Prince, falls in love with the writer,
buys a magazine so It will publish her
stortes-and the play goes up In the air
at this point in sort of grand halle
lujah. Nothing truly dramatic marks
1t. and In the effort to inject that vio-
lent clash Of action which the movies
demand the adapters have turned the
broker who is mutually acquainted with
Prince and the girl into the bad man
OF the piece by the simple process Of
having him trv tn crowd into the young
wonan's affections also.
But. of course. his vaccinations are
overturned by little bright eyes. the
boarding house drudge. The entrance
OF this variety OF mad masculine fairy
serves to accentuate the artlficiality Of
the story. and even Maiphan's r-..,ile
seems to become hard and fixed after a
time-though. as the Christmas sea son
Is approaching, every one may decide
to fall to and like the story ALL over
again on the screen. And II has it's mo-
ments. Miss Mildred Harris hardly
seems to fit the ideal of young women
intelligent enough to become n short
story writer Little Charlotte jackson
does engagirgly the part Of the small
slavev--a type. however, that never ex-
listed off stage or screen. There stih
seems to be room IN the movies for
child actors. though thev are getting a
bit overripe.
Brownies Baby Doli" tie flm COM
edy, makes this indeed rather a pro-
cramre OF infan prodiries. and this
captivating bit OF childhood hunor. one
of the most genuinely appealing shown
on Boo dwav 70 al "le .vrrth seeing on
ne bill. regardless Of whether your
taste for fairy stories has zone back
on you. The picture contains BNby
Peggy. said to be years old and the
Youngest star on he screen, and her
remarkably spor'a aneous expressions
have the range of ar oparatic diva. The
suh titles are inclined &c b" of the
little Tweetums" order. BIT Peggy
md the dog Rrownle mako the picture
me long chuciSle tat can AID d'ees-
tion. The Overture from. Massenett's
"Phedre." duet by Mrs. T'.ttv Ander-
IN and Fred Jag'l AMI dance by
Forova are add!tio1ai courses In the
weeks curriculum.