The New York herald., 1921-09-16
Mary, Doug and a
CROWD See Her in
Fauntleroy Role
Crush at the Apollo as Mrs.
Burnett's Story Is Screened
With Movie Stars Present.

For all its popularity. Little Lord
Fauntleroy" has probably brought more
misery to small boys than any other
Juvenile book. When Frances Hodgsoa
Purnetts fanclful tale came into wide
spread note sentimental mothers OF the
Victorian era insisted on getting UP their
young hopefuls in the familiar velvet
hreeches. sashes and curis, making their
days one long distress. But Mary
ickford with her Aim version OF this
outheuI classic at the Apollo Theatre
last night evened the score. for she
brought delight to those same youngsters,
grown up now, and their offspring, that
made them forget that scar on their
past.
The first showing proved just as much
OF an historic event as the recent first
night of the triumph of her husband and
hero. Douglas Fairbanks. in THE Three
Musketeers" IT the Lyric Theatre, two
doors away. for as on that occasion the
Roman mob was there. They jammed
the lobby and clogged the sidewalks to
the number of 500. keeping the collars
OF police reserves melted. They ftut-
tered with delicious expectancy, exclaim-
ing. There goes George Walsh! or II
seen Norma and Constance Talmadge,"
as various of the celebrities crashed into
the theatre, or remarking out of sheer
ecstasy, MY. 1t all seems like dream -
Then as Mary drove up with her hus-
band. her ma. her brother Jack-who
directed her in the picture with Alfred
+. Greenland couple of mounted cops
for protection the crowd let go of its
feelings and boiled around her. A way
was forced TO. her in the throng and
she was finally wedged into the theatre
over numerous damaged shoe shines and
torn skirts. One woman emerging from
the melee around the star with her hat
over one eye but aglow from the thrill
or having seeI the tip Of Mary's nose
through the turmoil. gurgled rapturously.
Wasn't that grand !"
Mary and Doug Speak.
Inside the Apollo as Mary. resplendent
In gown that defies description by 4
male typewriter. took her seat In a stage
box opposite a bevy of little orphan
girls who were her guests, the audience
applauded the star, though not to the
extent that they did her husband or
Babe Ruth. But her reception was cor
dial enough to force her during the IN
termjssion to treat the patrons to that
rarity. Mary Pickford speech. followed
by Doug. who drew a good laugh from
his opening bon mot-"Ladics and gen.
tlemen.''
Mary explained In her address to the
American people how the double expos
ure In the film was done, and 1t was
this trick which enabled her to play the
part of Lord Fauntleroy and his mother.
Dearest, that was perhaps the outstand-
Ing feature Of the picture. next to TIE
fact that Mary wore pants. Doubling In
the films Is an old story by now. but
this was of the exceptional variety that
enabled Miss Pickford actually to kiss
herself-rarely. ii ever. accomplished
with actual contact beforehand to pass
herself photograph without having one
of those slight hiatuses while the objec.
passed Is slipped over to the other side
| OF the scene and the two parts. are sewed
! together again.
In some scenes doubles were obvi-
ously used, though quite discreetly, and
| on the whole this Siamese twin projec-
tion OF Mary was refreshngly novel.
1 As the mother Mary seemed twice as
tall as the little Lord, but though she
apparently played on stilts her acting
wasn't stilted. She proved by her
charming. delicate portrayal OF the
misunderstood daughter-in-law OF the
Earl OF Do,inoourt that she need no
longer be a small girl in the movies
but when the time comes for her to put
H.
ity the part of girl who is almost
ready to be married. In her quaint,
old fashioned costumes. with frizzy
curls. she looked endearingly Italianate,
and she achieved the greatest triumph
known to woman--she appeared fetch
ing in plumed picture hat.
Lacks Vim as NobIemnn.
As the small nobleman she lacked
some OF her customary vim, but possibly
that was because Lord Faulrterov la
bored under fearful burden OF polite
ness. Mary has worn trousers before
in ''Thc Poor Little Rich Girr"-but she
\ felt quite consciously the nobless obl.ge
OF her satin kniclSers. For perhaps
twelve seconds In the whole twelve reels
she looked like a boy. The rest Of
the time her winsome but erreminate
upper lip was prominently on the lob.
But her walk was quite amusingly boy
ish. and like good wife she seemed to
/ have taken her husband for II model
She strode sturdily as one might expect
| Cedric Er-ro! Fairbanks to do.
| In Bernard McConvilles adaptation
the story hews closely to the original.
with its slender thread OF the hostility
OF the gouty Earl to the wife of his dead
son. the appearance of a spurious heir 70
| oppose Fdnntier0Us claims, and the
righting of everything by Cedric with a
plentiful display Of smiling teeth.
| The settings were remarkably rich
and effective, particularly the substan-
tial interiors or the baronial castle and
the lovely exteriors of the park, and
Mary looked like fragile bit OF
bric-a-brac amid them.
Good types were chosen for the
| other roles-except that Claude Gil
lingwater had burlesque mustache
as the Earl-and the audience applaud
ed literally when Hobbs and Mrs. Nc
Ginty appeared. and especially every
tln1o Mary game downstairs
The picture Is not as varied. as hu-
morous or as dramatic as earlier We
hicles. but II will be sweet enough for
any one. starting as II does with a
crock or brown sugar
~ n,ys a