The New York herald., 1921-05-16
Mary Pickford
Charming as Ever
in NeW Girl Role
Star Delights Spectators III
Through the Back Door,
Satchel Drama.

Miss Mary Pictford in Through the
adds another motion : picture TO the
satche drama. The satchel drama is
that part OF the theatrical body polite
in which the characters are always pack
ing up and going away somewhere until
you feel travel stained from looking at
them and Your arm aches helping them
tc carry their grips
In this. another of her Cinderella ro-
mances for United Artists Miss Pichford
carries a suitcase even before she ap
pears on the screen, for the pretty little
child who represents her at the age Of
has her tiny handbag ready 10 20
away with her mother from Belgium,
but her wealthy mamma, who has mar
ried again. Is forced by her new hus-
band 10 leave the youngster behind be-
cause he's not used to having children
on his honeymoon trip. Then Mary, as
Jeanne BodanieTe, slows all her belong
ngs In portmantesu again when the
nurse and foster mother who has
brought her up in Belgium sends her to
her mother In America as the Germans
begin 10 invite themselves in.
Jeanne joins the long lines of refugees
struggling out of Belgium-very graphi-
cally done down a long lane of trees
and the ousted inhabitants seem TO have
packed peverything within each except
perhaps fe wpianos En- route to
America Jeanne picks up two orphans,
who add more bundles and a duck or so
to her collection. In the Long Island
country home where she has to enter
through the back door as a servant and
where she seeks to identify herself to
her mother, who believes her dead. more
suitcas ses are made ready when a quar-
rel starts between her mother and her
step-father over an adventures who
eventually Is sent packing after Jeanne.
In keeping with the grand motif, has
eavesdropped-be a trunk.
The only important thing not put
away in n bag is Jeanne final kiss
with her spinding but still gentlemanly
young lover. and even that is locked in
his lips-so the howe affair might be
described a sa portable romance. Many
persons will find It very hand on their
journey through life. AS much OF the
action passed in Long Island home. It
was but natural. according to stage ira
dition that there should be considerab BILE
scandal there-more so than she has
usually had to put up with. for there
has generally been Il handsome hero
with stawart chest who simply
withers any such intrigue.
That is the only drawback to this pic
ture--there IS too much OF Long Island
and not enough of Mary. And the
mother 10 whom she constantly strives
to reveal herself Is so cold and super
cilious that If Jeanne hadn't finally es-
tablished her relationship 1t wouldn't
have been such loss. But whenever
Miss Picltford appears the whole face OF
nature changes, even on Long Island.
She gives another of her delightful and
wholly irresistible impersonations of a
fifteen-year-od girl, and her tilt with an
obstinate donkey and her utterly orig
inal and hilarious method of scrubbing
a oor. are more OF those joyous touches
of hers that puts the darkness of q
movie theatre to rout. She never has
looked so pretty. and one would rather
see her as girl tripping over a rug
than Samuel s-hls-name or any
child prodigy winning fourteen chess
games or performing other intellectual
marvels.
In comedy and In pathos she still
reigns supreme, and this story. con
ceived by the star herself and adapted
with some clever sub-titles by Miss Ma
rion Fairfax. gives TO her all the scope
she needs which includes. of course, op-
portunities for the famous smile. An
excellent company, including Wihred
Lucas Misses Gertrude Astor and EIinor
Fair surrounds. and there is the usual
assembiage OF children and animals.
which. while they don't stimulate the
story particularly. keep the smiles on
the jump
Another diverting ''Toonerville Troi.
ley comedy from Fontaine FoX's car
toons; excerpts from THE Chocolate
Soldier by the orchestra and by Miss
FsteIlc Carey. and another OF Managing
Director Joseph Plunketts admirable
prologues send the moments scurrvpg.