The New York herald., 1921-09-26
NeW Film From
Oppenheim Novel
Full of Mystery
'The Great Impersonation' Is
Aptly Titled-James Kirk
wood in Dual Role.
RIALTO-"The Great Impersonation,-
George Meiford Production for Par
amount. Adapted from the Novel by
y. Phillips Oppenheim. Scenario by
Monte NJ. EatteriOhn.

amount. Adapted from the Noyei by
u. Phillips Oppenheim. Scenario by
Monte NJ. Katterjohn.
For once a movie has been aptly titled.
There Is not only real impersonation.
but compared to mary double exposure
film that has been offered 1t might be
called great. IL one feels prodigal of adj
jectives with reference to photoplays.
1t has no more skin deep characteriza-
tion than one might expect OF an L.
Phillips Oppenheim tale. but 1t has
enough mystery to keep the police OF
two continents busy
Up to. virtually the last instant Mel
ford. with his skilful direction. and Kat
terjohn. with his expert adaptation,
keep shrouded In tantallzing obscurity
the question whether the figure who Is
plunged into the web OF German IN
trigue In England just prior to Great
Britan's entrance intS the conflict is
really the British Lord he purports to
be or the German officer and former
classmate at oxford who plots to Kill
him. In furtherance of the Kaiser's am
bitlon to set the mustache fashion for
the whole world. Engrossingly but
never bewilderingly involved with this
are a supposed murder by the lord and
the insane domination OF his wife by a
governess. while spooks howl and a Hun
garlan princess loves In u tempestuous
Hungarian fashion, so that the picture.
like Jack Dempsey In fight, has every
thing.
Even the ultimate explanation by the
mysterious parsonage is absorbing--anl
explanations are usually az undramatlc
as 4 baseball score. The trick photog-
raphy is very shrewdly handled, and
there are striking scenes In Africa AMI
at an English estate. while the Kaiser
Is picturesquely shown in his war cham
Der. smiling and smiling and being 4
Kaiser still. James Kirkwood differcn-
tIates the two leading characters well.
not even sparing himself the sacrifice
OF combing his curly hair in brlst!y
Teutonic style Miss Ann Forrest IS
appealing as the terrorized wife, while
Miss Truly Shat.uck. Alan Hale AMI
Winter Hall do their share persuasively,
not to mention Miss Fontaine La Rue.
who can have positive freshets of emo
tion at will.
Besides TschaikovslSy's "Marche Slav'
and Just YOU" by Carlo Enciso. tenor,
the incidental programme includes an
enthralling film calendar. "The Four
Seasons" collected by Raymond Ditmars
and presented by Charles Urban. that
makes life twice as grand as ever and
geography and boicgy easy to learn in
three reels.
RIvOLI-WillIam S. Hart In "Three
Word Brand" Paramount Picture.
Adapted and Directed by Lambert
Hillyer from n Story by VIII Reynolds.
Hart goes the ditto impersonations
this week one better by scoring triple
play from himself. He first portrays
a father, and then, after rafting
good Indian fight. plays his twin sons.
who grow up in different paths. one
to become Governor Of Utah and the
other 10 develop into a cowboj who
Is fond OF biting off three words ~ a
time, generally in the form Of direct
ing an enemy where 20 go. In fact,
there is really quadruple substitu-
tion here. for the cowboy impersonates
his gubernatorial brother in order 10
pardon a friend while the Governor is
away inhaling fresh air in Gods coun-
try and being shot up in the same
country.
Brand might better have been called
"I'hree Shot Brand" for It is with that
number OF nonchalant shots that he
routs half dozen blackguards. There
Is more comedy here than in most OF
Hart's pictures. and he reveals that his
quivering upper II? can twitch hu-
morously. He puts enough dignity into
the pert OF the Governor to vii.
boiled shirt. Miss Jane Novak and
the others keep the picture canterlng
along. and there Ii always the irpos-
ing mountains to fall back on. An
ingenious "Out of the Inkwell' cartoon
by Max F'leischer. longer than usual
and charming picture. "The Beggr
Maid" after Tennyson and Burnc-
Jones. are other offerings, while he or
chestra with Romeo and Juliet" gives
10 Tschailtovsky perfect score on
Bro dway this week