New-York tribune., 1921-02-21
On the Screen
''Rlack Beauty" at the Strand
and 'Straigh, Is ihc Way"
at the Rivoii
By Eiarriette UnderhilI

One is held so in amazement at the
costumes which are worn in "Black
Beauty" that one is apt to miss much
that is pleasing in the picture, which
la the feature at the Strand this week.
The story was written not much more
than thirty years ago and there was,
If we remember correctly nothing in
it to indicate that it was laid in a
previous generation, and yet the hero
inc appeared in panta]ettes and hoop
skirt, and some of the people wore
costumes of the Revolutionary period.
Jimmie Morrison appeared first in
little Lord Fauntleroy get-up, and then
later it looked rs though the director
might have said to him, ooh, Just wear
anything you happen to have" Such q
conglomeration of costumes we never
have seen unless it be In "The Tavern"
1t is very discouraging, because it sets
you to guessing as to what's what and
what the next one (costume) will be
like.
1t seems to us that great part of
the credit for "Black Beauty" should
60 to the camera man, or perhaps it
is the director who is responsible for
such things. At any rate, "Black
Beauty" is thing of beauty as far
as its exleriors go. Not only are the
scenes of remarkable grandeur, but the
photograph is of that soft, misty sort
judge from the lamentable things one
so often sees. 1t is very well told, too,
this story of a horse, without dragging
him in too forcibly by the hair of his
head, as one might expect.
Black Beauty tells part of the story
himself, and to us this was the most
thrilling pant. We were much more in
terestet in knowing how he got well
Of his broken knees than we were in
Jessie's marriage to Jack. Only Black
Beauty got old so much faster than any
Of the others. When he was a colt
Jessie was old enough to have beaus,
and when he was an old, broken-down
horse she had only just come of age.
But even if he had had his knees
broken and been driven by a London
cabby, he had life enough left to beat
Lightning in cross country race that
seemed to last for hours and hours, and
finally, because he couldn't make it any
other way, he jumped clean over the
racing. Words fail us. We can only
say il was some jump! 1t also saved
the day. Jimmie Morrison reached the
station ahead of George Webb, the viii
lain, and said, "Jessie, your brother
did not steal the money. You are
saved" And then Black Beauty never
had to worry again about having good
home. The story teaches owners now
to treat their horses. The only trouble
is that all horses are not angelic like
Black Beauty. There are as many diff
ferent sorts of horses as there are
owners.
The picture is Vitagraph produc-
tion adapted from Anna Sewell's novel
by George Randolph Chester, Jean
Paige is seen as Jessie, the heroine,
but. of course, the one who does the
best work is George Webb, the villain
It's positively immora, how attractive
they make these villains! What are
the censors doing?
The comedy is Buster Keaton in
"The Scarecrow," a picture at which
every one laughed uproariously. There
is very nice vocal prologue, in which
the Strand male quartet appear in
hunting costume, with whips and dogs,
and sing appropriate songs. One of the
pointers insisted on joining in the
chorus. He did not realize that his was
only thinking part. The overture is
"Oberon."
Out in Hampton Center the crime
wave appeared to be g permanent wave,
and it was all because the crooks were
hiding in the east wing of Aunt Me-
hitabels house in the night time and
posing as detectives in the day time
What if something of the sort should
be uncovered in regard to the recent
crime wave! Wouldn't it make great
first page stuff? And can't you just