Evening star., 1921-08-29
P0LI'S-"The Four Horsemen of
the Apocalypse"


''The Four Horsemen Of the Apoca-
lypse," heralded by lauding celebrities
as an epoch in the history of the
screen. had its presentation here at
Polls last night.
1t is presumable that the multi
tudinous audience knew. to begin
with. just how much the production
had cost in raw money and the exact
thousands of people shown on the
exact miles of film. but, for once.
anticipation failed in justice to the
awful splendor of the theme. This
reversal of the old rule is due to
Vincente Blasco Ibanez. writer of the
book from which the play is adapted;
to st. John the Prophet. and to Rex
Graham. director. who. each in his
way. visioned with living, breathing
realism the four riders of evil omen
who swept out of the New Testament
into the Europe of 1914: Conquest,
War;" Famine" and Death"
The story as told by the picture has
its beginning on the ranch of fab
ulously rich land owner of the Ar
gentine, an old Spanish emigrant Of
humble birth, who, lacking a son, de-
cides to will his vast fortune to
Julio. son of his daughter, who has
married Frenchman employed on
the estate. a second daughter had
elored with a German employe, but
her three Teutonic young sons fail
to please the old Spaniard, who law
ishes on Julio all the love and pride
of his heart. The boy, born of the
romance of old Spain and the gay
flippancy of French youth. and en-
couraged by his pleasure-loving grand
father. becomes a lavish prodigal, with
an inspirational gift for tango dancing
and vagrant taste for art. The old
man dies suddenly, however, without
changing his will and the estate is di-
vided between the two daughters.
The German takes his sons to the
fatherland to learn culture, and the
Frenchman returns to Paris. where
the love of a young wife who Is un-
happily married to his fathers friend.
The husband has challenged the boy.
but there is no duel. because France
has called her sons to the colors.
Julio dawdles in his studio, because
the dance palaces are now empty. and.
by chance, he learns to know mystic
who lives on a floor above. Lonely
for Marguerite. the lovable scamp
joins, her at Lourdes, where she is
nursing her husband. who has been
blinded in battle-and her renuncia-
tion of love for duty, together with
the gallant patriotism of his father,
leads the boy to enlist. Eventually
he meets his German cousin in NOR
tai conflict when-a shell puffs out
the lives of both.
1t is a war picture. in that nothing
more tense has been shown than the
battle of the Marine at that supreme
moment when France cried out, ''They
shall not pass" or in the devastation
of villages and tragedies of death,
but 1t is also a conflict of human pas
sions, in which men and women go
down in defeat to gone-mad tempta-
tions, but rise to victory because the
soul is stronger than sin.
After four years of war. with the
grim riders galloping through car
mage and flame. the Americans come,
and after them the angel of peace
the mystic stranger who KNOWS all
languages and all peoples and who
der. onlooking Christ. who changes
the soul of Julio from a lovable
scamp to a soldier of France and
humanity.
The transition marks Rudolph VAL
entino as an actor of real worth. To
admiration for his portrayal of the
lover OF precious antiques. who defies
the enemy that robs him Of his treas
ures and scorns the once spectacled
boys of the ranch. now German Off
GERS. who taunt him with their power.
as bat the rset mystic
conveys his spiritual power when. as
the old Frenchman asks at the grave
of his son, did you know him?" he ex-
tends his arms as If on a cross and
answers, II knew them ALL"
Alice Terry as the young wife de-
picts the social butterfly transformed
into womanly duty with wonderful
charm. Indeed. the cast in its entirety
Is OF q standard that honors alike the
drama and the screen.
Considered as a whole the produc-
tion vibrates with tine inspiration of
its director Yale's bestowal Of a de-
gree upon Mr.. Rex Ingram is a most
unusual honor. but that it was justly
accorded is proved by the indorse-
ment of eminent authorities wherever
the play has been shown. The story
in the hands Of a less masterly d.
rector might have given a false
glamour to a noble theme, but in it's
transference from book to screen Mr..
Ingram has maintained the soul Of it's
atmosphere, and with a fidelity that
is absolute genius he has visioned the
great novel of the war into one of
the greatest dramas in the history Of
the screen.