Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-23
-FOUR H0RSEMEN"
OPENS TO BIG HOUSE
Film Version OF lbanez Novel At.
tracts Brilliant Audience and
Scores Undoubted Hit
Rv HENRY NJ. NEELY

Garrick--Thcre was no evidence o'
the much advertised slump in the
amusement business when '"The Fou'
Horsemen of the Apocalypse opened
for an extended run last night. An
hour before the time set for the lights
to 20 out the lobby of the Garrick leau =
tifully redecorated, by the way, for the
occasion) looked like the Town Hall
ready for the visiting flremen. Marcus
I,oew. the New York theatrical mag
nate, who practically owns Metro Pic
lures, producers of the film, was over
from New York and stood near enough
TO the box Office to keen from being
nervous. Fergus McCusker. who
usually smiles through the wicket at the
Forrest (when business is good, was
talking to him.
"Going in to see it," asked I.oew.
"I don't need to-" said Fergus,
waving his hand at the crowds piIing in.
II know it's n good show already.
And that about expresses 1t. From
q box Office viewpoint 1t is unqucstlon-
ably q winner. 1t has in 1t all the ele-
ments of tremendous drawing power.
II has all the prestige of book that Is
close 10 its two -hundredth edition. and
all who have read the book will go to
see Il to explain TO their friends how
much better they think the translation
could have been done IL they had only
been consulted. and those who haven t
read the book will go to see it the four
horsemcn are as good as Tom Mix or
Buck Jones. They are.
1t is inevitable, of course. that ad-
mirers of the 1banCz story Will mss IN
the film version much that made them
sit up late ut night over the book. That
could not have been helped. The
author painted his picture on surh a
huge canvas that in its entirety Il was
totally beyond the constructed frame :
work of the screen. OF necessity 1t
had to be boiled. In this those who
have not read the novel will have de-
cided advantage over those who have,
for the former, not knowing what is
left out, will see logical. consecutive
story OF tremendous power, developed
with all OF the skill and rcsourcefulness
and some Of the hokum--of present. d.
day moving picture art, and conceived
and executed upon SCnle and with a
surety and mastery of touch that are
in themselves sufficient answer To thoS"
who are preaching the menace OF q
foreign film invasion.
Rex Ingram, the director. has de-
served the honors that have been show
cred upon him. 1t doesn't even seem
too much that he should have Won the
very beautiful and appealing Alice
Terry, the heroine, in his own personal
love affair that resulted from the pro-
duction of the picture. It is only to be
hoped that their marriage will not take
her from the screen, for she has every
promise of being a gratifying addition
TO the limited list Of real actresses.
1t was an exceptional cast that In
gram gathered to play the widely d.
yergent characters used in the story.
The clash of nationalties could scarcely
have been better aCCentuatcd; the Ar
gentinians really looked and acted like
Lstins, the French were satisfactorily
Gallo, while the Won Hartrott family
were so typicaly German as to make
one unconsciously thirsty just to see
them.
As for Rudolph Valentine the hero,
he Is altogether too good looking to
make any criticism desirable, from a
newspaper viewpoint. 1t would ALLEVIATE
all the feminine readers. Joseph SwiCk-
ards performance as the cluer Desnoy-
ers was one of the outstanding features
of the acting. very closely seconded by
the visionary Russian, Tchernof, played
by Nigel de Brulier. II is impossible,
with cast of such length and such uni
form excellence. to diffcrentiate among
them Even the little pet monkey Of
Desnoyors was a star in his way.
"Bulp' Montana was too big for the
part, so they gave him only small bit
rs a butcher.
The one jar7ing note Of the whole
evening was the Interpolation of a
human singer in two places in the film.
Just in time to ruin the effect Of tense
situations by dividing the attention and
totally spelling the illusion.
But don't lot that keep you away
from The Four Horsemcn' ladv.l. 1t
is too big an achievement to be lnlS ,"d
by any one who prCtends to keep abreast
of the development of the moving pic
ture. Its almost worth seeing second
time In the hope that may be that singer
will have a cold that day or something