New-York tribune., 1921-11-01
On the Screen
Bill Hart, in 'sWhite Oak" at
Rialto, Shows Him in
High Hat Role
By FIarrictte IJnderhill

~ A01IlCllG ONC3CIthlI
The first time we ever interviewed
Bill Hart we asked him if, when he
left West Point to go on the stage. he
had made up his mind to be anything
IN particular. "No," replied Bill, II
just knew that wanted to be noble"
and surely Bill has come very near to
realizing his youthful dream. Being
noble is the thing he does best. and
when other people couldn't think of
any more noble themes for stories for
him Bill started to "roll his own.v
His latest one is white Oak" which
he wrote all alone and is presenting at
the Rialto this week. : If you had felt
that you were bit fed up on Bill in
plaid shirt and a sombrero do go and
see Blu IN ruffled shirt and an 1850
plug hat. The story proves that noble
heart can beat under that kind of shirt
just as we'll as under different sort.
Flapper of Seventy Years Ago
The feeling it reused in us, however,
was not so much admiration for the
hero's nobility, for we are hardened to
that, Is an amazement as to the sort
of fiappers which existed seventy years
ago. We could not help comparing
Ethel Hoyt, the heroine at the Rivoli,
with Rose, the heroine in "White Oak
Rose was White Oak Millers sister
and she was invited to elope hy Mark
Granger, which she did. They got on a
floating palace" on the Mississippi
River, and only then did Granger in
form Rose that the minister had
missed the boat and that they could
not be married on board. Now, what
would Ethel Hoyt have said? Why
cho
can be married when we get there" or
else she would have said: "You can't
put anything like that. over on me!
III call it shopping trip and go back
home after it's over"
But Rose, having lived in the dark
5O's, Immediately jumped overheard,
and when she was rescued against her
will she went home and died, anyhow.
She said she could never have lived
down the disgrace. What disgrace :?
say we. OF course, we are not sure
that Mr.. Hart really believes all he
put in that story or whether he just
put it in to make it more difficult (for
the villain. And then maybe fappers
in the SOS died easily like that when
the minister missed the boat.
Fools Every One
Anyhow, sthis gives White Oak a
chance to trail the villain, and finally
he grows a beard, comes back to town
in love with Barbara and handles her
name about, however, White Oak be-
gins to fret and fume, for Barbara
is the girl he secretly loves. So he
has the villain on double count. But
Granger is wanted by another also.
This is the big chief, whose daughter,
Starry Eyes, was stolen by this same
villain, for Granger didn't mind what
color they were.
The picture keeps you interested
every minute, for although you know
that White Oak is going to be there in
time to save the caravan from being
afraid he won't be. He is in prison
when the dog with the message tied
about his neck finds him, and the dog
has to dig him out before he can go
to the rescue of Barbara and the
others. The warning is sounded. but
before any one can capture him White
Oak leaves. He shoots nearly all of
the Indians as they do merry-g 60
round before attacking, and the rest
run away.
He was in prison, of course, because
he had taken the blame on his shoul-
dcrss which belonged on another's. He
that in the movies man may gamble
and be hero still. OF course, Mr..
Hart gives perfect performance. He
always does, and sometimes we feel
about him as we do about his heroes
we wish he would give bad per-
formance so we could see him come
back next time.
Nicely Supported
VIOLA Vale, a pretty brunette with
curls, plays Barbara nicely. Robert
Walker is Harry, the brother We al
ways liked Mr.. Walker and would like
to see him do bigger things. Alexander
Gaden is the villain who died with a
knife in his back, and Chief Standing
Bear is the big chief who threw the
knife. You could see when he threw
it that he wasn't fooling. Helen Hal
ley was the foolish virgin who died be-
cause she couldn't live it down.
Lambert Hillyer directed the picture.
Buster Keaton has a comedy ,"Hard
Luck" on the program, and the Rialto
Magazine seems especially interesting
The overture is LISTS "First Hunga.
rian Rhapsody" Carl Rollins sings
"The Cowboys Love Song" and William
Eastes, viola virtuoso, plays "Chan-
son !Celtique.'
The big feature, SHAME" which
William Fox presented last spring at
a Forty-second Street theater, is at
the Capitol this week. 1t isn't at all
what one would expect to find by the
name, for it is all about young man
who was. led to believe that he was part
Chinese and that Anna May Wong was
his mother. 1t is a very teresting
picture, with John Gilbert as the
grown-up David, Doris Pawn, as the
girl; William Mong, as the good China
man; George siegmann, as the bad
Chinaman; Rosemary Theby, as a
Chinese seductress, and Mickey Moore,
as the little David. The picture was
directed by Emmett j. Flynn.
Also on the picture program ave the
Capitol News and Pathe, called "The
Tale of Geisha Girl" Elizabeth
Ayres sings the goldfish song from
"The Geisha" and the overture is
Madame Butterfly" The prologue is
Tschaikowsky' "Danse Chinois."
s'Keep Smiling Is Amusing
Burlesque at the Columbia
"Keep Smiling," the new two-act
burlesque that was presented at the
| Columbia Theater yesterday, is one of
the liveliest and most amusing shows
that have been given at that house. 1t
was admirably presented. Bert Lahr,