New-York tribune., 1921-12-26
On the Screen
Jackie Coogan in "My Boy" at
Strand; "Thc Little Min
ister." Rivoli Feature
BY Harrictte IInderhill

There seems TO be very little which
needs to be said about the picture
"My Boy" which is the feature at the
Strand this week. Ii you arc only
lukewarm over it people who can
stand any amount of nonsense so long
as it is done by pretty children will
say. "You didn't get it at all. 1t was
wonderful picture" and if you feel
that way about it yourself and say
on every hand who do not think that
all child actors are irresistible will
rise up and say, at is n silly picture"
Personally do not think any child
ever lived who is clever enough to be
constantly in front of the camera for
six reels without making one feel that
childs place is in the home. If any
one could do it Jackie Coogan could.
for he is a remarkable child. The
trouble is that when a little boy is
delightful, as Jackie was in "The Kid"
people are not content to have him
play a child's part in good picture
older Thespians. They must immcdi-
ately star the child and have him do
the whole thing. Therefore, while
Jackie Coogan is most remsrkn Bile
child, great deal Of him in one pic
ture is not so amusing as little of
him. When one undertakes to write
story to star six-year-old boy
think one should concoct fairy story,
and do it the way those delightful
stories of "Jack and the Beanstalk"
and Aladdin" were done with child
actors q few seasons ago by Sidney
Franklin.
"My Boy" presents Jackie Coogan as
an immigrant, whose mother is so
poor she has to travel steerage, al
though her mother-in-law is the rich
Mrs. Blair. Now, we cannot possibly
believe that any woman of gentle birth
could fall so low that she would be re-
duced to dressing her baby in old
worn-out man size trousers with one
suspender and mans woolen shirt
and tattered cap. Why make Jackie
such a grotesque figure unless he is
playing in Charlie Chaplin comedy ?
to present him in an interesting pic
ture as the nice, sweet. clean little
boy that he is and not make juvenile
tramp of him. The picture gives
Jackie chance to show just how
clever he is in initiating his elders,
when it comes to dancing, etc. He
also does number of the amusing
things, which he did in "The Kid
The only other person who has any
thing to do is Claude Gillingwater as
Captain Bill; against his will he
adopted The Boy. The rich grand
mother is played by Mathilda Brun-
dage. The picture is presented by Sol
Lesser and it was directed by Victor
Herman and Albert Austin. There is
marionette prologue called Jackie
and the Cop"
There is also on the program an in
teresting PIiyma picture called "The
Little Match Girl" with chat clever
child actress Madge Evans in the title
role. 1t is remarkable how closely Miss
Evans resembles Elsie Ferguson, botl
physically and temperamentally. The
picture is made from Hans Christian
Andersen's story. There is the annua
Yuletide frolic, too, which is partl,
done in pictures and partly with rea
actors. 1t is called "His Christina:
Dream" The new Mermaid comedy il
called "For Lands Sake" The overture
is Yuletide tone poem, arranged By
| Carl Edouarde.
After seeing Penrhyn Stanlaws':
version Of THE Little Minister" at the
Rivoli Theater yesterday we were sorry
that we had not read Barrie's story
more recently. Then we should have
known whether the fact that the story
told on the screen did not grip US al
it did in book form and on the stag,
was due to our increasing years q
whether the picture really lacks tn,
atmosphere Of the Barrie version.
Of course, the presence Of Mauc
Adams in the old days insured the
success of play, and there was some