New-York tribune., 1921-01-18
On the Screen
Making Man Handlers" at Cap.
itol and George Arliss in
ssThc Devil'' at Strand
By Harriette Underhill

OH tne Capltol program this week Is
a picture called making Man Han.
dlers." 1t isn't the feature, it is only
a sport pictorial done by Town anc
Country Films and edited by Grantland
Rice and Jack Eaton, but to US it was
as interesting as anything on the bill
1t shows the West Pointers and how
they become soldiers, and. although ii
is educational. it is handled humor-
ously, so that you don't mind learning
something. Part Of it is done with the
slow motion camera.
The feature picture is called "Pris-
oners of Love-" in which Betty Comp
son is the star. Because we first saw
Miss Compson in "The Miracle Man
we expected great deal of her and
tions: Probably it was not her fault
as Blanche Davis, the prisoner of love
whom Miss Compson is called upon to
impersonate, is not especially attract
! i've. However, we believe that a screen
! player should have sufficient person
ality to hold the attention even when
she is called upon to play hackneyed
part.
/ Blanche Davis is a girl who is, ac-
cording to the title, blessed or cursed
with one of those natures which draw
an men toward her. 1t says that she
is consumed by an Internal fire which
! to the others gives but pleasant
warmth. Because her father is un-
faithful to her mother she leaves the
parental roof and goes out in the world
to seek her fortune. When she falls
IN love she promises not to marry so
long as the mother Of her tiance is
alive and then begins relationship
which is far from satisfactory to either
says that he and Blanche are prisoners
OF love. sense of humor, which OBJ
viously neither of them possessed,
would have helped the situation won
derfully and probably Jimmie would
not have fallen in love with her
younger sister then, either
But fine outstanding man comes
along in the person Of Roy St -wart and
the final fadeaway suggests that
Blanche will find happiness after all,
The title says something about "time
the great physician" laying a healing
hand on saddened souls. The titles are
all strictly literature. Why must peo-
pie write literature when they write
titles !? Some one told Us that they like it
"on the road" but do they? About
the incest title we have seen this sea-
son said :, "There stood handsome
stranger; tall, broad d-shouldered--eye
-gosh!" This title might we'll refer
to Martin Blair, the second lover in
Blanche's life. But would they so de-.
scribe him? They would not!
Ralph Lewis is good as the father
and Emory Johnson is quite satisfac-
tory as the renegade lover. Clara Hor-
ton should go to see the picture,
watch her own performance carefully
as the frivolous sister, and then
promise never TO do it again. The
story is by Catherine Henry and The
direction by Arthur Rosson.
The overture is civilian Tell"
Mile. Gambarelli is seen in Drigo's
Valse Bluette. Excerpts from "Lohen-
grin" are given by the orchestra and
Capitol ensemble. There, is a pro
logue to the picture called Ca
to receive from "The Devil" we do
not believe that he will receive it via
the screen. This seems pity, as
George Arliss gives remarkable per-
formance as the devil with German
name. The picture is the feature at
the Strand. This is, we believe, Arliss's
first appearance in the films, but one
would never guess it. He is quite as
polished and as suave as he was N
the stage version. But he is working
against heavy odds. James Young, the !
director, evidently has said: Here is
an idea that I've got to get over, and
Everything is carefully explained ID
the titles, and finally when the sweet
and innocent Marie says "Heaven will |
protect me; do your darndcstl" large
yellow cross is thrown on her to prove |
the nature Of the protection. Then the
devil gets terrible angry and lot of
red flames come up and devour him.
This is another one of the things that
we were told would go great on the /
road.
The opening title suggests that per-
theater with you is leading a double |
life! But this dastardly reflection did
rot seem to worry the women very
much. They all chatted merrily of cx-
traneous things during the entire
showing of the picture. How we
wished the prophecy Of the first title
would come true and that their escorts
would slay them.
Edmund Lowe is altogether too hand
hero artist got in all sorts of trouble
with Mimi and Marie. Only how could
he look at Marie when Mini was to be
had for the accepting? Lucy Cotton
made Marie a more simperingly sweet
nonentity surely than any one. even
the director, intended her to be.
But through it all the splendid work
Of George Arliss retrieved the picture
from dullness. 1t is well worth seeing
for that alone.
The overture is. very appropriately,
"Nefistofelc." The prologue is "Mefs-
tofelc Aria" interpreted by Serge
stchinko ballet.
The comedy is ''Hall Room BOYS"
augmented by "a Dog Gone Mix-Up."
''Manon Lescaut" Repeated
Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" was re-
peated at the Metropolitan Opera
House last evening. 1t was the second
performance of the opera this season.