The New York herald., 1921-07-18
Cinema Without
SubtitleS Is a
Screen Novelty
Hugo Ballin's The Journeys
End Well Told i'm Pic
lures Only.

Hugo Balm made an interesting ex-
pertinent Mt the Capitol yesterday
afternoon in THE Journeys End" The
pictures succeeded cne another without
the subtitleS to explain the story. The
action was somewhat complicated at
certain points. Yet the departure was
an entire success. 1t vas no more diff
cult to understand THE Journeys End"
than 1t is the ordinary picture play. All
of them are more or less inscrutable
except to the gifted spectator who hap
pens TO possess a movie mind.
The advantage in the case of Mr..
Ballin's method is the relief from the
smart Alec titles that have come to be
such a trial 10 the flesh. The men who
write them are no longer content to be
merely Illuminating. They must also
be funny. 1t is all very well for George
Ade to deyote his talents to. this pur-
pose. But to sit under the efforts of
the man who is not Mr. AIDE, but is try
ing to be and has a pretty fair idea
that he is succeeding-that is another
story.
Mr.. Ballin's picture had other ad-
vantages. The Photographic quality Of
the pictures was admirable. The story
is sentimental and travels over a con-
siderable part of the world in its solu-
ton. There are scenes in the mill town
of Phoenix. in Rye, in this city and
eventually in Rome to which the de-
serted husband retires. His wife who.
thinking him dead. has married the man
she preferred. comes across her first
husband in the catacombs in Rome after
he becomes a lay brother in a monas-
terry.
So 1t will be seen that the long arm
of coincidence was not overlooked in the
solution of the story, which is said to
be taken from a novel called Ave
Maria" IT was generally well played
by Miss Mabel Ballin. George Bancroft
and Wyndham Standing. Emo Rapee
conducted. his orchestra in numbers by
Schubert and Moskowski. and the Capt.
tol Quartet sang negro songs
Miss Brady in "LittIe Italy"
Miss Alice Brady is by this time ex-
perienced In representing the foreigner
Anna Ascends," Ylddish in one of her
picture plays and yesterday at the
Rivoli, the Italian heroic of Little
Italy" whic; was prepared for her by
the Hattons. This is Of course no more
than to say that Miss Brady has a
strong sense of character to which she
Is able to give eloquent pictorial ex-
preston. She was altogether italian In
looks. gesture and facial expression as
the daughter of the wealthy Italian
florist.
There was family vendetta, Capu-
let and Montague complex, somewhere
over in New Jersey italian colony.
and there Miss Brady reigned as the
belle. She even went in travesty to
ball Of her enemies. But she looked SO
youthful in mans dress that the secret
was soon out.
The cinema was lively and full of
action. When the population of this
Little Italy were not engaged in dancing
the tarantella, they were eating spa
ghetti. Miss Brady is an admirable
actress with or without the aid of
speech. so there were no problems for
her. Frederick Stahlberg led the or
chestra In Rossinis old overture la
Gazza Ladra." There was a Christie
comedy to prove how the best laid plans
may go estray and what is meant to b.
funny, turn out of an incredible dulness.
New Role for Miss TaImadge.
Miss Norma Talmadge Is playing the
part written by Chapning Pollock in
"The Sign on the Door, for Miss Mar
jorie Rambeau at the Strand. Mr..
Pollock has told the world what
splendid piece of work Miss Talmadge
and Mr.. Brenon have done. and nobody
in the theatre yesterday felt like con-
tradicting the author, who ought to
know. Director Plunkett has thought
fully arranged fine musical programme
and there were topical and comic
pictures.
Thomas Meighan appeared yesterday
at the Rialto in "The Conquest of
Canaan" There was the same pro-
gramme seen at the Rivoli with him last
week.
Successful picture plays that continue
are "T'he Golem" at the Criterion
1.-THE Old Nest at the Astor; The
Queen of Shelba" at the Lyric; a Con-
necticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"
at the Central, and over the Hill" at