The New York herald., 1921-03-28
Sentimental Tommy
by Sir j. NJ. Barrie,
Is Realistic Picture
Character of Hero Actually
Develops Before the Spec
tatOrs-Other Films.

Sentimental Tommy" is the seventh
wonder OF the film world, and In viewing
1t at the Criterion Theatre one forgets
with utter abandon what the other six
wonders are. Paramount has so finely
etched Sir James NJ Barrie's double
story on the screen that II Is with diff
Guilty one restrains oneself from becom-
ing rabid press agent for II, roaming
adjectives at the mouth.
After seeing what happened to What
Every Woman Knows" many devotees
OF the Scotch playwright must have
given Barrie up for lost on the screen.
but John s. Robertson will force them
70 do a mental aboutface. no matter how
much human beings dislike changing
front II needed another Scotchman OF
ample sensibilities to convert the North
man at last into celluloid In appropriate
fashion, and Robertson has done 1t so
beautifully he appears to have converted
Barrie into gold. 1t seems almost In
credible that the oft derided screen
should give birth to anything so exqui-
site. so quiet and subtle and yet more
telling than a screaming headline. Rob-
ertson has at last made the screen speak
In its line II Is the outstanding hlm
achievement of the year. and Mr. Rod
ertson win need all his Scotchiness to
keep n level head after this production.
At first one doubts the efficacy OF this
combination OF the two books. "Senti-
mental Tommy" and Tommy and
| Grizel,' but Mr. Robertson soon over
comes that. going straight to the heart
! of Barrie In uncanny fashion, and en-
/ phasizing even more clearly than does
the writer the underlying ideas of his
books. that pretty sentiment can have
the germ of tragedy in 1t. and that
man. by being too faithfully affectionate
! "a his sister. can really shrivel his heart.
Ending Different barrie story.
Though his ending is different from
I Barrles--which always seemed rather
offhand in its tragedy-and he makes
Tommy more OF a man eventually than
the author does, Mr.. Robertson has oc-
compiished something at which many
stage directors have tried and SHE'D
AN actual development of character
before ones eyes-and now his direc-
| tions may be considered pearls of wis
| dom.
Gareth Hughes Is the inimitable and
mercuriai Tommy, the youth OF many
minds. despised and loved by readers,
whom Mr.. Hughes plays in mis- various
phases of callow youth and proud man
hood with absolute fidelity and an en-
tertaining trick of Tonings vainglorious,
roosterlike waggle OF the head. Nothing
could be more sharply expressed than
his occasional realization OF his make
believe playing with GrisePs feelings
| II almost takes the breath away.
But the pervasive characterization Is
that Of Miss May McAvoy. rot only
lovely to look upon as Gri-ei, but play
ing her with complete understanding,
and with a nobility, an almost Greek
feeling for tragedy. that brings the hope
some Euripdes OF the screen may yet
write for her. This nlaeteen-year-old
| girl does an unforgettable emotional
scene when she discovers ToDlmPs love
is insincere and the only aspect in
which she did not quite measure up to
the role was In GriSers touch of ele-
mental fierccness-but that seems inn
possible for Miss McAvoy with her
equipment OF eyes.
"Man-woman-Narr
4 A cinema OF different type is at the
Strand IA MAN Woman Marriage" IN
which Allen Holubar pounds away at
/ his tnrget by old Fashioned methods, but
succeeds In knocking some OF II off.
while at the same time Jarring ones
\ sense OF plausibility. Conceived on a
spectacular scale, II deals with the
problem OF living happily forever after
/ through the ages. modern husband
drifts away from his wife and into shady
I politics. though II would seem. in spite
Z OF the producers foministic viewpoint.
/ that she gave to him cause by harping
on the necessity for having an indefin-
able faith in something or other Miss
Dorothy Phillips as the wife suggests
Nine. Giida VaresI In her looks but not
so much In her acting.
The cutbacks to prehistoric times, 70
the Roman age and the period OF Con-
stantine, in which this same husband
and wife appear also as protagonists. IL
brought about by sudden flashes or intui-
tion on the part OF the wife when she
IN seeking to hold him. that this same
fight between the sexes has been the
championship. million round pugilistic
match OF the centuries. There are we'll
balanced and skiilfuily photographed
pictures OF Constantine and his court.
and a most striking battle scene between
the Romans and the Amazons. with hun
dreds OF men and women exchanging
sword thrusts on horseback with all the
spirited zeal OF French and Germans.
Miss Pauline Frederick has an oppor-
tunity In Roads OF Destiny" at the
Capitol to he tcmpcstuous in three diff
ferent rhythns. she plays tho girl in
the Goldwyn version OF Claiming Pol
locks play. who. as rugRestcd by o.
Henrys story. finds that she would wind
UP IN the same hot water no matter
which turning OF fate she took. so long
as Miss Frederick continues 10 act so
capably one doesn't care much which
turning she takes. Easter music. with
Liszt'a Les Prcludes." Rubinstelns
"Kammenoi- -Ostrow." tho prayer from
"Cavaiierle Rusticana. solos by Mrs
Elizabeth Ayres and Erik Bye and the
usual adept dances run riot In good
order.
AZ the Rialto william s. Hart does
some out Of the way acting as New
England iaborer IN The Whistle"
which seems somewhat prophetic. as ne
II about 70 knock or work In the movies
for good. trio Of entertaining nIall
boys support his overaiis. Bcbe Daniels
IN Ducks and brakes az the Rivoil
manages to remain fairly calm and pre-
sentabie even when flirting over the
telephone with the FIRST number she HIS
IN tho book. apparently finding nothing.
not even the present telephone service.
10 rune her particularly