Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-06
-FOUR GOOD FILMS
GET FIRST SHOWING
BartheImess, Elsie Ferguson,
Betty compson and Jim Kirk.
wood Are the Stars


Richard Barthelmess remarkable
group Of scenes In gay Broadway
restaurant photography that is both
striking and artistic, and enough pretty
girls to satisfy a Flo Zicgfeld.
The story is much as 1t was on the
stage, straightforward, simple and
often extremely lachrymose. IL It has
nothing subtle, it has much that Is
guaranteed to open the fioodgates or
sympathy in the feminine portion OF the
audience. Kate Bruce, in n typical
mothers role; Mnrjory Daw, as the
pretty and appealing heroine, and Bar
thelmcss himself provide the necessary
heart interest Equally good, In more
worldly roles. are John Miltern as the
cynical Experience, Il. j. Ratcliffe ae
Ambition and Nita Naldi as Tempta-
ton.
The wanderings Of Youth from the
time be leaves his mother and Love at
the call Of Ambition. and meets all the
evils OF the great city, until he returns.
pcnnilcss and hungry. to find his mother
dead. but Love waiting for him. are
faithfully portrayed.
Palace-Put down in your movie note
book that Betty Compson, Pcnrhyn
Stanlaws and AT the End OF the
World" are combination that will be
hard to beat in making genuinely good
picture. Betty reveals herself as an
actress really deserving of the stardom
that has come to her. Penrhyn stan
laws has always been known as an H.
illustrator. He's director now, which
doesn't mean much to the average ian
but ought to.
There is scarcely scene in AT the
End of the World which does not bear
the stamp of the artistic training which
sets are decidedly unusual and the COM
position of every group in every Sc
Qucnce puts over the pleasing effect in
tended, though most people will per haps
not go deeply into the question of the
cause for their satisfaction.
Most notable is the delicacy with
which Stanlaws tells of two murders
without letting the audience see even
Il suggestion of revolving detail. The
Staying Of the heroine's father in a re-
sort in Shanghai is done entirely out
of sight OF the camera. which records
only the surging crowd struggling about
the two men. And a dramatic and fatal
struggle on the rim of lighthouse is
shown fitfully as the fare revolves
across the scenc-and then. when it
q,
but no struggling men.
The entire cast of this picture is
worthy of the direction. Milton Stills is
very human and convincing hero and =.
If there is Il more satisfactory juvenile
on the screen than CasSon Ferguson
it will BE- hard to recall him. Mitchell
Lewis is excellent in an extremely diff
fcult part and Spottiswood Aitken,
Goro Kino. Lucien Littlefeld and Jo-
seph kilgour are quite up to this high
standard.
Victoria - 1t slipped through very
quietly and without blare of trumpets.
did this screen reproduction of The
Great Impersonation. one of f. Phil
lips Oppenheim's best sellers. pur, as a
matter of fact. it is as gripping an ad-
venture yarn as has visited this city for
many months.
First of all. James Kirkwood. who
long ago was Mary Pickford's leading
man, and who is scheduled to play The
Man From Home made famous on
the stage by William Hodge. does a
crackerjack piece of work In a double
role Of an English nobleman and Ger
man spy.
The story. which depends on real
punch for its climax. and which moves
from the African veldt TO an ancestral
English estate, with a brief stop over
in the former Kaiser's famous store
room of Moloch. has been produced with
telling effect by George Melford
Ann Forrest. in difficult role. ran
the gamut of insanity, frailty and final
happy love with grace which was
fOrCtOd in former pictures. Alan Hale.
has part similar to the one hep laycd
in The Four Horsemen.
Arcadia-Elsie Ferguson has seldom
had n better personal vehicle than is
offered her in 'Footlights. The story
itself is sufficiently interesting to make
good two reeer but the opportunities
il gives the star for depicting the
changing emotions of the little New
England girl transformed into great
Russian actress makes it's expansion
into feature picture u simple matter
with SO popular star as Miss Fcrgu-
son.
AS the supposed Russian actress.
under the shrewd guidance of q noted
manager. she is called upon to display
a versatility which will probably be a
pleasant surprise TO her admirers She
runs the whole gamut in the simplicity
of the little country girl. the pathos of
the drudging vaudeville hack. the feigned
emotionalism of the great star and the
really clever limitations she does on the
mimic stage in her impersonations of
Eddie Foy and Nazimova Marc Mac
Dcrmott. always "A thorough artist in
any part hN plays, makes the most of
the role of the noted manager.
Reginald Denny Is an acceptable leading
man. The direction is by John S. Rob-
crtson, who put ON "Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde and Sentimental Tommy"