Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-27
BARTAELMESS AGAIN
SCORES AS STAR
Sonny" Adds 10 Llst Of Fine
ThIngs Done BY Young Actor.
other New Fllms Of Week

stanlsy-Add~d to 'sTol'bls David"
and The Seventh Day." "Sonny"
makes the confirmed movie.soe almost
inclined to think that the new com.
bination Of Charlss Dusll, president; |;
Henry King, director, and Richard
Barthelmess, star. spells the nearest ap.
proach to genuinely artistic and con.
vincins Aim production that the indus.
try has today. With four or Ave such
organisations in the field there would
be none Of the present attitude Of skep-
ticism as to the possibility Of the screen
becoming q medium for sincere and
artistic self expression.
about the old theme Of two men who
bear such a striking resemblance that
they cannot be told apart. One Is the
son Of wealthy parents, the other a lone
child Of fate, whom we first meet in his
Hoboken poolroom. The war throws
them together, the rich man Is killed
and the other fulfills q dying wish to
return to his buddy's blind mother
as her son and to live the part to spare
her the heartbreak Of losing her boy.
The whole plot is worked ont In
scenario form with exceptional skill and
smoothness, and It grips the interest
from the start and holds It to the finish.
Barthelmess plays the double part and
he does It probably better than any.
thing he has yet attempted. Mr.. Duell
has again surrounded his star BY a
"hand picked company, and perhaps
none OF them does quite 40 surprisingly
well as pretty Lucy Fox, heretofore
familiar as serial player with .'Hurri-
cane Hutch" and the Seitz thrillers.
Miss Fox shows promise as q genuine
actress that should be given more IRE
quent opportunity in such roles:
Margaret Seddon, appealingly human
as ever, is the blind mother Of the rich
youth, and dainty Pauline Garon Is q
delightful little sister. Herbert Grim :
wood plays a character part that ranks
among the really revolving Williams Of
the screen, and Patterson Dial, just
genuine girl, is fine in the part OF the
~" worker who brings the substitute
son home. to soften the anguish OF the
dead boys mother.
Photography, editing, direction and
scenic. settings are all up to the high
level set by the Barthelmess organiza
ton in his previous starring vehicles,
and one of the most pleasing features OF
this picture, as It has been of the other
two, is the sprinkling of flashes of keen
humor of kind that is quiet but dra =
matte in its effective contrasts with the
more serious episodes in the story.
Karlton-With backgrounds that have
seldom been approached, let alone
equaled, on the screen and . cast that
includes old and new favoriees In great
profusion. thsre seems to be no logical
reason why so pronounced stage hit
as 1.-The Man From Home" shouldn't {
be a world beating picture. Unfor-
tunately 1t isn't. The fault lies with
the scenario writer.
As it stands, the picturized version
of 1.-THE Man From Home" is an in
drags in spots and becomes mawkish,
but which interests by the sincere per-
sonalities Of the players.
Daniel Vorhees Pike is no longer the
wonderfully human and understanding
man from home" that Hodge made
him. He Is country pumpkin, who
drawls uncouth remarks and acts In a
manner quite theatrical. That is not
Sames Kirkwood's fault, but that of
the scenario and the sub. titles. Kirk
wood does an admirable piece of work
once the original Pike is forgotten.
Anna Q. Nilsson is the girl who
played haunting old-time melodies for
Pike on the piano. She is q fascinating
figure. Norman Kerry casts aside
heroics in favor Of Italian villainy, and
does his work well. Joe Ruben gives
an especially admirable piece of emo
tionalism in the role Of crazed peas
ant. Then there are Dorothy Cum
mings, Annette Benson and Geoffrey
Kerr. all excellent. But the most satis-
flying: expanding performance is fur
nished by John Miltern in the
memorable role of Pixies Russian
friend.
Director Fitzmaurice has done his
work more than well, and nearly every
scene is O. perfect model of continental, =,
Old World beauty. Only Booth Tark-
ington and Harry Leon Wilson, the
original authors, have been slighted.
The film Is all very we'll, but it's not
the original Man From Home"
Arcadia-One of those intrepid young
Americans sightseeing in Constantinople
becomes involved in typically CORY
Oriental adventure In which he saves
an American girl and battles with
countless swarthy guards. That's the
plot of 1.-The Prophets Paradise, !"
which, treated comically, could very
easily have been turned into n com.
panion piece for Lloyd's Sailor Made
Man."
However. Eugene O'Brien and Di.
rector Alan Crosland and a large cast
have all worked with perfectly serious
faces, and the result is hugely impos-
sible melodrama made Of familiar sit
uations which succeeds in diverting be.
cause Of fast action and attractive set.
tings.
Victoria - Periodically, Tom Mix
turns again to Q. N. NJ. p. canadian
Northwest Mounted Police) stories, and
in "Up and Going" he took a company
way up into British Columbia for the
purpose. The answer is plenty Of stun
ming scenes and countless well-known
situations strung together to make q
"red- -blooded story Of the Great Out
doors" Tom Mix has to paddle his
own canoe as well as sit in the saddle of
his favorite horse, and Eva Novak IL
the girl who provides the love interest.
It's all very primitive and very hack.
neyed, but sufficiently entertaining.