New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-18
On the Screen
Journeys End the Perfect
Picture Without Titles, but
Titles Would Improve 1t
BY Harriette Underhill

| I
It has been stated by those who con
slider the perfect motion picture the
picture without titles that one need
look no further-that 1.-THE journeys
End" which Hugo Ballin is presenting
at the Capitol thi week, is really the
journeys end to those who are seek
ing this perfection. 1t is not often
which we have heard 50 much. It
seems as though every one we know
had seen "The Journeys End" before
it was shown at the Capitol and loud
was their praise thereof.
ut is 80 perfect" they said, chat
you won't realize until you have seen
half Of it that it hasn't any titles"
SO many people have said that a
picture should be as far away from
the stage as possible. That the only
perfect story for the scree.. is one
which can be told without titles.
However, VIC never have agreed with
them. To us the titles have ever
proved to be one of the most interest
ing things in picture We have said
"a picture without titles would be like
a play without dialogue; picture may
be excellent without any written word
in it, but it would be much more in
teresting if it had words.
Ana now we nave seen Inc
Journeys End" and we are convinced.
1t is like play without dialogue-a
perfect piece of pantomine, if you like.
1t is an excellent picture, but to us
it would be much more interesting if
it had words. After awhile the
studied and complete silence of all the
people concerned in the story worried
us. We felt like crying out, "Speak
and tell him it isn't true"
Now, when we say that we like titles
we do not mean the titles which read,
"Alice Decides to Go Shopping" "Dick
Calls on Jane" "The Next Morning"
or "And Then When the Spring Came
Round But we do like to have peo
pie declare themselves and we can
not feel any particular interest in
heroines. who only look pathetic. in
heroes who only look tender, and in
We want 'em to say it with words.
1t is not that the story which Mr..
Balm has put upon the screen is not
quite clear. 1t is. He has established
localities and time without single
title or without ones feeling the lack
of them. train drawing into a sta
ton will show one in what city the
action is taking place. A leaf torn
from calendar will establish the day
and month, tree in foliage or with
bare limbs will tell one Of the season,
and a child's birthday cake may mark
the fight of years. Mr. Ballin is a
director with imagination and he has
made beautiful picture, but it is done
in neutral tints and in a minor key.
1t is a pathetic story which. strange to
say, wins all of the sympathy, at least
all of our sympathy, for the villain.
His greatest fault was that he had
eXecrable table manners.
Mabel Balin, as the Girl, is ex-
quisitely beautiful, and she gives
performance which is full of appeal.
Only we should have preferred that she
be allowed to show little spirit.
After time she seemed colorless
person. Not Mabel BALM. but The |
Girl, who never grew to realize that
she was not still in a convent.
George Bancroft as The 1ronworker /
gives gorgeous performance. He |
seemed to strike not quite so true
note as The Monk Perhaps it IS be-
cause you can't conceive of man who
uses a toothpick at the table and also
wears suspenders and eats with his
knife ever becoming a monk
Wyndham Standing as the Mill |
Owner looked a jolly sort and seemed
to retain q calm and optimistic outlook
on life all through the sad and drab
period Of his courtship of the iron
wife. Of course he had rotn
ing to worry about. 1t was a foregone
that he would win her
Only, if we had been the girl. we should |
have loUed Tho iropuorl,or a., +Lo o,J