New-York tribune., 1922-08-14
On the Screen
TulIy Story, The Masquerader,'
With Guy Bates Post, at the
Strand, a Dull Picture
BY Harriette Underhill

The story told in "The Masuuerader"
has been done on the screen SO many
! times and SO much better than it has
been done by Richard Walton Tully,
who is presenting G,ty Bates Post at
the strand this week, that we fear
nothing but disappointment awaits
those eager souls who have been look
ing forward to this screen version Of
| successful play. 1t Is unbelievably
dull. A picture where the leading man
plays two characters is usually more
/ or less interesting, if il Is only be-
cause you like to watch the man meet
himself on the screen again and again
| and try to detect the inner workings
OF the thing. But in this picture the
two men do not meet often enough to
hold the interest and you do not care
what becomes of either of them, any
way. The truth of the matter is, Mr..
Post belongs anywhere rather than on
the screen. Certainly he does not be-
long in role like the one he is at
present essaying. We doubt if the fan
exists who can see in him romantic
figure. The only people in the picture
who aroused the slightest spark of in
terest In us were Edward Kimball as
the old butler, Herbert Standing as
| Uncle Herbert and Dawson Butt as
|
the worshipfut wife. was stupid and
boresome, and Marcia Manon as Lady
Astrupp, the villainess, was pathetic.
! On yes, one other performance which
was refreshingly spontaneous was
given by Barbara Tenant as Robbins,
maid.
Mr.. Post plays John Chilcotc, a Mem
Der of Parliament, who looks upon the
wire when it is red all too often. John
has an obscure cousin named John
| Loder, who is everything that a young
man should be. So, of course. when
Chilcote desires an understudy he
forces Loder to take his place in Par
Lament, and he goes to Loder's lodg
ings and there drinks himself to death
Like all heroines whose husbands or
sweethearts are replaced by another
man, the wife Immediately falls in
love with John Loder, and between
Lady Astrupp and the wife poor Loder
had to step lively. You see, before he
disappeared Chicote had been carry
ing on very lively affair with Lady
Astrupp, and for some strange reason
she liked him and wanted him to con-
tinpe it. Then his cousins wife would
force herself on him at tea time and
would say insinuatingly, Dearest hus-
band, let us spend the evening at home
| alone; Just you and l." In desper-
alton he would fly to Lady Astrupp
and she would lock him in the library
and refuse to let him out until he had
resumed the courtship where it had
been interrupted. Oh, the life of
double is not q merry one-if he has
scruples.
1t seems as though the picture would
have been better if the director had
rushed in now and then and broken
up the group that gathered together
to chat, and they were always swarm
ing from room to room without giving
any reason for their comings and 90
ings. Now and again the director evi-
IDENTIFY had an idea of some comedy re-
lief, but he always thought better of
it. The titles are the sort we do not
care for-pretty long and howery.
1t was impossible to keep from COM
pairing this double-exposed hero with
another one undergoing similar
operation couple of blocks to the
south on Broadway. After all, if one
has not screen personality one hasn't
anything. Only some people refuse 10
acknowledge the power of this intangi-
ble thing. James Young directed "The
Masquerader. The feature is followed
BY an educational comedy called Ere. h
Flsh.' The overture is III Trovatore."
with vocal selections, and Harrison
Li LiochpdIh Is ncafd III prologue 10
the feature picture. "The Masouerad-
err is not so long as it seems, but it is
longer than the usual feature, so 90
early if you do not wish to miss any
Of it. '
A picture called "My Dad" slipped
into the George NJ. Cohan Thcater last
week and has been there ever since
without our knowing about it until Fri
day, and then we went to see it. ex-
pecting that it was only "In the Name
OF the Law" with new title. Pic
lures do that sometimes, and JOHNNY
Walker was the star in both pictures
MY Dad" is brand new picture
however, and Johnny Walker is still
going strong 1t is a tale Of the frozen
north and is just about as exciting as
such pictures usually are. If YOU like
iots OF snow and sleds drawn by dogs
and fights between men with big fur
coats ON and trappers unjustly accused
OF murder you'll like "My Dad" Mr.
walker plays the son who is in love
with the daughter of the real murderer
but to save dad he gives up the girl
Then there is a ride over the frozen
PLAINS in real blizzard to obtain a
death bed confession and a big fight in
which one of the participants is a dog