New-York tribune., 1921-03-29
On the Screen
May McAvoy, in Sentimental
Tommy" Achieves Personal
Triumph at Criterion
By Harrctte Underhill

If Haywood Broun may point with
pride when his predictions become
actualizcd, SO may we, and we don't
even intend to say excuse us for
printing. When May McAvoy appeared
in a minor role in "The Truth About
Husbands" few weeks ago, we said
that seldom had we seen equalled her
beauty, charm and feeling; that she
ought to be allowed to do something
worth while. And here she Is doing
some Of the finest work we ever have
seen in the most worthwhile picture
Of the season, Sentimental Tommy"
at the Criterion.
There Is much in her that sug-
guests Lillian Gish, although she
IS. quite different from the frail,
iair Lillian in appearance Miss
McAvoy is fawless brunette beauty
who wears clothes better than
any one on the screen, and we had Won
dered If perhaps we had inadvertently
confused her sartorial with her his
trionic talents. But not! Barre's little
Grizel had no fine clothes and she
NEEDED none. Miss McAvoy gives per-
formance that is beautiful and moving
and soul satisfying. In the scene where
she learns that Tommy does not love
her we believe that she could not have
been surpassed even by Miss Gish Our
praise may seem extravagant to those
who have not seen the picture, but
those who have been fortunate enough
to see it will understand.
Gareth Hughes's portrayal of Tommy
Sandys is equally stirring, only, you
see, one knew beforehand that Mr..
Hughes would do something verw fine.
Mabel Taliaferro is perfect as the
painted lady. Still with such remark
able performances-and we must in
clude in this the performance Of
George Fawcett as DR.. McQueen--it is
really John Robertson who has brought
Barrie to the screen. So far as we
know, this is the first time it has been
cone with any degree of satisfaction to
any one save the director himself He
deserves tablet in the Hall of Fame.
Only we should have preferred to see it
IN two pictures, just as Barrie wrote it
IN two stories. There is too much for
any director to cope with even though
ne be superman, and The picture be-
gins to seem long after Grizel finds
that Tommy does not love her. The
ending, too, is conventional, but while
we have no quarrel with Barrie we
still admit that we always wanted
Grlzel to marry Tommy and live happy
ever after.
OF course, after all we have said it
isn't necessary to say that "Senti-
mental Tommy" is one of the finest
PICTURES we ever saw; even the photog-
rarhy is marvelously perfect. Josepnlne
Lovett made the photoplay version
At the Capitol Pauline Frederick is ap-
pearlng in Roads of De1tiny," Gold
wyn picture made from the Charming
Pollock play which was made from the
o. Henry story.
In it's screen form the story is made
to appear as dream, which, of course.
makes it plausible and not disiointed
as 1t was in its stage presentation.
And yet to US, without Florence Reed.
1T seems a iejune thing If we never
had seen Miss Reeds colorful perform
ance we might have been satisfied with
Miss Frederick's conception of Rose.
But there was no characterization.
Each Rose appeared sad and pathetic
lady who might have been daughter
of Madame X. The parts which origi-
nally were played by Edmund Lowe and
John Miltern are done d. John Bowers
and Richard Tucker. Jane Novak is
Ann Hardy, the girl who was loved by
the hero.
"Roads If Destiny" was never really
anything save four one-act plays, and
making it into a photoplay could not
have been the easiest thing in the
world Yet, while a fairly good picture