The New York herald., 1921-09-12

OF Anatol," produced by Cecil b. De
Mile FOR Paramount, Gnd suggested by
Arthur Schnitzler's play and Grnnyllie
Barker's paraphrnse. Scenario by Jeanie
Macpherson. Twelve star cast.
This Is probably the greatest piece
OF assembling ever seen outside fiiv-
yer factory. Miss Macpherson has
combined "The Gold Diggers" with De
Miles earlier film production. Don't
Neglect Your Wife" and added TO it
a bit of that still unwritten screen mas
terpiece, Los Angeles by Night The
resultant impression Is that OF reading
tale in Snippy stories in a room dec
GRATED by Joseph Urban.
De Mile mas manipulated with his
usual skill, flashing scenes in caba-
ret. at private and very un-Volsteady
banquet. on g. midnight roof, at pink
tea with hypnotic seance trimmings and
in an idyllic country spot, SO there
would seem to be enough to satisfy
various tastes among those who desire
fling for an hour or so-on the screen.
ner Of adapting Schnitzler's airy gem
he simply hasn't adapted 1t at all.
Though passing acknowledgment Is
made on the programme to the fact
that this photoplay might never nave
been If the Austrian dramatist hadn't
written his delightful satires, the pro-
ducer has shrewdly dispensed with the
dialogues and in fact practically every
vesti5e of the original. He has simply
I borrowed an idea of young man IN
love with love from Schnitzler, as he
might borrow a cigarette. and Ameri-
caniZed 1t to Broadway's best Jazz
I strains.
He has started Anntot-with the Hol-
lywood names of De Witt Spencer added
70 his cognomen-as a married man.
whereas In the play the young philan-
derer only winds up in the marital state
and most reluctantly at that Then
he has this wealthy member Of the
Jeunesso doree, bored with his wife's
devotion, have various romances with
a girl of the cabaret type. midnight
show girl, and a pretty young country
wife with a love Of fiaery. while Aratol,
in all his infidelity to mis- wife. grouchily
insists that the young women shall be
faithful to him. Each time he comes
to the conclusion that the girls have
been merely making a flank attack on
his pocketbook. or course all this So
phistication. after the outh has had his
fling and has come back penitent to his
wife, is sanctified with a moral. and one
is treated TO the sigh. OF Schnitzler be-
ing tagged with this inspired motto:
There is so much good in the worst Of
1 n, 4 IT,. t1xo <xf
that 1t Ill behooves any of us TO talk
| about the rest Of u.s.
AS Andtol Wallace Reid was the OPP
posite OF the polished trifler played ~
! John Barrymore, for he knitted his
brows as he never has knitted them c.
| fore. especially when worsted. Reid was
rarely debonair-ani the public has
4 come to regard this star as the man who
/, put the debonair brand on the films
| But he gave O consistently forceful in
depreciation OF the character. so forceful
that when he smashed all the furniture
| in the apartment of the first girl to
| disillusion him lie almost literally
brought down the house.
/ This scene was quite entertaining.
! stopping just short CT the wildly far
cical, but the situation Of most genuine
appeal In the whole concoction was that
1 in which Andtoi discovers that the show
girl who has lured him to her den of
4 the devil" operates on his purse solely
| for funds so that surgeons may operate
on her husband. In this and other
scenes the picture wae notable eor re-
| yealing that Bebe Daniels can act II
pushed to 1t. Aas Satan Synne-O tri-
umph of Hollywood ?--she was selected
for another of those roles In which she's
not really such bad little girl after all.
I but she managed to put into II the truest
feeling Of any of the femcnine players.
Gloria Swanson scarcely shook the
earth as the wife. Elliott Dexter, WAN
da Hawley. Agnes Ayres. Theodore Rob-
erts. Monte Blue, Raymond Hatton.
Polly Moran--as the performer of hyp-
notism that was the sole link with the
original play-gave n variegated and
sometimes highly individuallstic touch
to the characters.
The sub-titles are hardly an improve
ment on Schnitzlcr. With their parti-
colored decorations they look like rural
picture postcards. They typify the pic
ture-filled with artistic bits and the
veriest shoddy. but perhaps because OF
that many may like 1t.
Tony Sargs amusing Almanac car
toon, Fireman, Save My Child; selec-
tions by a Russian bnlalaika orchestra
and various soloists were also on the
programme.