Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-13
LADIES MUST LIVE"
MAKES DEBUT HERE
"Bits Of Life," "Shame" and
desert Blossoms" Among
Notable Film Offerings

Stanley-George Loane Tucker star
fled the movie world with THE Miracle
Man" year or so ago, and now Phila-
delphia has a chance, for the first time.
10 see the successor to that feature,
Ladies' Must Live" which the tai
ented director completed just before the
illness which resulted in his untimely
death.
While not the equal of "The Miracle
Man" Ladies' Must Live has its good
points. It may be imagined that before
the feature was shown 20 the Censor
board it may have been a much finer
piece Of work. Its merits are flashes OF
originality, fine photography. and a
cast that contains many fnvorites.
Ladies' Must Live" tells Of the trihu..
latons of trio Of girls, in different
walks Of life, who meet, each in their
own way, temptations that confront
them that would make their lives more
happy and COntcntpd. In one case II
is marriage for money; in another
less conventional relation with a man
of means.
Into the lives Of these people there
drops an aerOplane containing two mil
lionaircs for the minute, one hand-
some young chap and the other 4 sort
Of civilized wild man. without exactly
fluencc the working out of the dcstlnirs
If the three girls, two happily and the
o,hcf IN tragedy.
Robert Ellis az the younger acronaut
is excellent, as Is Gibson G"Wland as
his bearded companion. leatrlC" JOY
does the best work among the women,
Th, settings of the picture are both
attractive and we'll photographed, most
of the action taking place on b"autl-
full estate. Scenes of the pursuit ot
fast mOtOrCar are especially striking.
Buster Keaton appears on the pro-
gram in an amazing comedy called The
Playhouse. which should be seen to be
appreciated. Suffice 1t TO say that BUS
ter. at the beginning. is seen paying his
way into theatre, where he immPdt-
atcly becomes an orchestra director, six
players, an entire minstrel troupe, the
occupants Of several boxes and the stage
hand. The trick photography is un-
Canny.
Arcadia-Marshal Neilan's much her
aided new experiment in filmdOm en-
titled Bits of Life" leaves one with
the impression of jumpiness and dis
turbed sense Of not being altogether sat
istied. 1t Is not all one story. 1t is a
feature length made up Of four separate
and distinct scenarios, with no relation
to each other. They are introduced and
connected with typewriter letter from
Nellan explaining that he got them from
various sources and put them out be-
cause he had no big story to film, but
the end of the letter announces that he
is now getting to work on Harrington =
"Penrod." This makes one feel that
Seilan Is apologetic for not being up to
the mark and casts the whole work
under unconscious suspicion OF inferi-
ority.
The experiment cannot be said TO be
wholly successful. and 1t does not arouse
a desire for more of the same kind.
though the stories are interesting
enough. But the shift from one set of
characters is so sudden that one does
not have time to get out of one atmos-
phere and into the next.
The first story, The Bad Samari-
TAM" is the best of the lot In it Wes-
ley barry and Rockliffe Fellowes do
some excellent work and quite win the
interest and sympathy Of the audience.
The other stories are The Man Who
Could Not Hear" Hop and finally
one written by Neilan himself in a
! brisk comedy vein. These scenarioettef
bring together a lot Of notable players
ana Lon IhaneS, AS 'hlndHan 1T
| Hop" achieves the most remarkable
makeup of his remarkable career. The
other players in this film vaudeville are
/ Noah Berry, John Bowers, Teddy
Sampson, Harriet Hammond the fas.
cinating Anna May Wong, Dorothy
Mackail, Edythe Chapman, Frederick
Burton and Tammany Young.