New-York tribune., 1921-12-20
On the Screen
''Miss Lulu Bctt" Trans. erred
60 Screen With Surpris-
ingly Few Changes
BY Harrictte llndcrhill

4
transferred to the screen by William
| nc Mile It is tho feature picture at
the Rivoli this week. Tho picture is
more nearly like the book than it Is
like the play, and Clara Beranger has
done splendid things with the scenario
She gives Lulu one glorious scene,
where she forgets the inhibitions Of
years and smashes up the china IA she
says farewell to the family of Deacon.
Neil Cornish in the picture is rather
| more romantic figure than he is in
the book or the play and he enters
Lulu's life before she meets Nnian
Deacon. OF course it would be nee
essary to make this concession to the
audiences, who will insist that the hero
be good looking. And instead Of being
the impoverished owner of piano store
he is a school teacher with very small
tin racing car. The atmosphere of the
book, however. is faithfully preserved
The important and petty husband,
Dwight Deacon; the shallow and sweet
wife, Mrs. Dwight; the common and
kind d-hearted Ninian, the rattle -braineu
Diana. the brat Manona. the termagant.
Grandma Bett, and the dumb bell.
Bobby Larkin-all are there as big
as life.
One of the outstanding features of
the picture is the performance of
Theodore Roberts as Dwight Another
that given by Ethel Wales as Grandma.
Mabel Van Buren, is characteristically
soft and foolish as the wife. AS for
Lulu, herself. it is by far the best
thing Lois Wilson ever did. She is q
perfect Miss Lulu Bett. and she should
stick TO such roles. Miss Wilson is a
clever enough actress to make you be-
lieve almost anything save that she is
a beauty.
Milton s;lls gives his usual convinc-
ing performance as Neil Cornish. The
cast is completed by Helen Ferguson
and May Giraci as the two daughters
of Dwight Deacon. Clarence Burton as
the loud brother and Charles Ogle as
the station agent. Those who have
read and enjoyed the book may feel
quite safe in seeing the picture.
The comedy is Larry Semon in "The
Bell Hop" The overture is LA Forza
del Destino." Betty Anderson and Fred
Jagel sing MacDowell's "To Wild
Rose"
Vendetta" with Pola Negri, is at
the Strand, and we left that theater
last night feeling about as we did when
we learned that there wasn't any Santa
Claus. Our illusions are shattered and
never, never can they be patched up
again. Oh, why did we insist on see
ing Pola Negri in modern play? We
have seen stars before who changed
their appearance and personalities in a
most battling way when they changed
their directors, but never have we seen
so startling an example of it as in the
case of Miss Negri. In Gypsy Blood"
she was glorious as Carmen, in "Pas-
sion" she was alluring as Du Barry.
and in cone Arabian Night" she was
wickedly seductive as the dancing girl.
But in "Vendetta" she is only badly
dressed girl with black hair. which she
arranges most unbecomingly, and
penchant for throwing her arms around
people.
We still do not admit that Pola
Negri is not one OF the greatest screen
actresses, for she could hardly have
done what she has done otherwise, even
under the direction of Ernst Lubitsch.
But she should never play anything
save wild girls who lived when the
styles in dressing we're picturesque.
Never shall we forget our beloved
Negr as she appeared last night at
Monte Carlo in brown satin gown
with gloss beads sewn on it and her
hair done in figure eight The rest
of the picture is about the sort that
you used to see when Pathe sent them
over, and every one was interested in
them because they moved. The whole
cast is so German in appearance that
it looks strange to see the men in the
uniforms of British officers No atten-
tion seems to have been paid to any
thing that one is accustomed to expect
nowadays in motion pictures. The
strangest looking people gathered
about the little roulette wheel at Monte
Carlo and at the wedding of the Prin-
cess Mariana. One of the women wore
white satin evening gown and black
laced sport shoes. The bride herself
wore white gown trimmed with mara
bout, and black slippers, 1t seemed as
though the director had collected The
people at a moments notice and said,
"Oh, just slip on anything you happen
to have!"
The only thing which The picture has
to recommend it is the earnestness of
all concerned. They work like mad,
and it Is probable that the star felt that
she was quite as effective in this "Ven-
delta" thing as she had been in her
previous pictures. But she Is q mis-
guided young woman.
So great has been her hold on her
American public, however, that her
followers are sure to forgive her this
one indiscretion. The charm of Pola
Negri is not easily thrown off, so come
/ back Pola, as Tosca or Cleopatra or
any lady who made love violently and
did not wear modern gowns. We need
you.
Emil Jannings, we neglected to say,
is seen In small part called Tomasso.
but ne has no opportunity to display
his ability as an actor. He Is kept
busy running back and forth trying.
to prevent people from killing each
other or urging them to do SO. He
had our hearty cooperation in the
latter project
Vendetta" is by George Jacoby and
Leo Lasko and the picture was directed
by Mr. Jacoby.
The comedy Is Larry Semon in "The
Bell Hop"
The prologue to the feature picture
Is sung by Richard Bold and Joseph
The overture is "Sixth Hungarian
Rhapsody"
At the Lyric Is a picture called "rhe
New Disciple" 1t is dramatization
Of John Arthur Nelson's book, with an
INTRODUCTION of Woodrow Wilson'S
The New Freedom" The story is all
about mans inhumanity to man and
it is strange how two versions of the
same story can differl We have be-
come SO used to the plea of the en-
ployer who vowed during the war and