New-York tribune., 1921-08-04
On the Screen
Pearl White Shows Dempsey
Punch in "A Virgin Para
disc" at the Park
By Harriette Underhill

When we first caught a glimpse of
Pearl White in "A Virgin Paradise" at
the Park Thcatcr yesterday we thought
it was going to be one of those dramas
where the leading person finds out in
the middle Of the story that mis- or her
grandfather or grandmother was yell
low or brown or red, as the case may
be, and therefore that he or she is not
eligible to marry the other leading
person.
The heroine in "a Virgin Paradise"
was brought up on an island inhabited
only by monkeys and lions, and she
certainly bears strong family re-
semblance to one of those kings OF
the forest which William Fox has
tanned and trained. This is especially
noticeable in the silhouette of Miss
White lying on the rock. Presumably
the resemblance lies in the name which
she wears, for she turns out to be
full-blooded American whose father
and mother were missionaries.
"A Virgin Paradise" is a sort of
fairy story which ought to entertain
all children and grown-up people who
sort of female Tarzan, and after she
goes back to civilization she makes all
sorts of faux pas, but, thank goodness,
she does not come out" prettly and
learn everything there is to know in
three months, including French, and
the proper way TO repulse an unwel-
come suitor.
1t seems to us that if there could be
any such circumstances in the first
place that the people in those circum-
stances would probably act just like
the people in the picture. OF course it
8 difficult to conjure up virgin para
of lcdu
who had been brought up by monkeys
and lions. One doesn't dare to predict
what she would do, but we think the
director, j. Searle Dawley, has used his
imagination pretty effectively in this
case.
A missionary, who was es.ranged
from his rich brother, Peter Latham,
Is murdered by nat IS in the South
Sea Isles. His young daughter is res
cued and brought up by her nurse and
when the child is about ten years old
the nurse dies. This leaves Grata all
alone in this virgin paradise. When
the uncle dies some of the heirs set
out to find John Latham, the mission
ary. for he should inherit Peters mill
lions, but when they draw near 10 the
island, which they seem to have no diff
fculty in identifying, no one viii land
because Of the wild beasts which are
roaming the coast. Finally one of the
sailors volunteers and SO our hero (for
it was indeed he) meets our heroine.
The hero had gone as an able seaman
because he was not able to keep ms
head above water in the stock market.
But the villain is aboard, too, and when
he sees Gratia he thinks he would en-
JOY possessing not only her beauty but
also her millions, so he attempts to
marry her Now, Gratia doesn't know
a marriage ceremony from n bulls
foot hut she is rescued just in time by
the hero and the next time the VILLAIN
approaches her she IS ali ready Tor
him.
If the authorities will not allow Che
world TO see on the screen now Mr..
Dempsey worsted Monsieur Carpenter
how viii thew allow the world to look
on while Gratia Latham convlnces
Bernard Holt that she does not wish
to marry him? 1t is the most glorious
fight we ever witnessed, with Miss
White acting like female Doug Fair
banks all over the place. She finally
marries the man Of her choice, and
the title says, "Entreat me nct to
leave thee nor to return from follow
ing after thee, for whittier thou goest
| viii 60 and where thou lodgest | VII!
lodge and the people shall be my
people and thy God my COO. VI
course we recognized that. 1t was
Bible talk that Gratia was handing
out all the time and we thought 1T was
Shakespeare. The volume which she
carried about with her looked just like
the copy of Shakespeare, on which we
cut our teeth, but it was probably
Bible, for her father was 8 missionary
However, Miss Latham seemed to learn
nothing but rhetoric out of the good
book. She certainly was a Tartar with,
with never q duh moment.
Miss White plays the heroine better
than any one else could have done,
and she is very good to look at, cspe-