Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-14
WAllY REID HAS
ROLE OF PUGILIS7
Comes Back as Worlds Cham
pion-'3 Live Ghosts; Shows
Fine Views Of London

Fine Views Of London
Stanley-Thc stage Is the stage ant
the films the films. and the two never
quite get reconcilcd. but sometimes boil
Of them succeed in being entertaining
in the same thing.
The Worlds Champion is goot
/ example. 1t must be admitted that
there is n great deal Of difference ir
! spirit between this film and the stage
{ comedy Of A. +. Thomas and Thomas
1oudcn which played at the Broad q
year or SO ago. There Is world Of
difference in the personalities and char.
! acterizations<f Wallace Reid and Grant
! Mitchell. The other folks in the story
don't look or net at all alike. but >thc
/ fact remains that "Thc Worlds Cham
I pion' is divcrting, pleasant. running
comedy.
! The film editors have dclctcd most OF
the English atmosphere which cluns
rather in tatters about the stage play
The writer Of the sub titles seemed TO
be having a lot of fun poking fun at
John Rull. and waving the American
fng wherever he (or, more probably,
shc) could.
The structure Of the story remains.
despite sweeping assaults. The young
son Of an English family that is trying
its best to hob mob with nobility is dis
owned. comes to America, becomes a
/ champion of the prize ring. and re-
turns to his bewildercd family. The
upshot (and most humorous part OF
it alb is that the surrounding titled
gentry, much to the fathers amaze :
ment, show their first sign Of interest
in the family because of the son pugi-
listic distinction. -,
! Wallace Reid. more than ever like
/ the old Jack" Barrymore in his anus
ing 'mugging' and polite coined!
methods, is very un- English. but
capable hero. First comedy honors.
however, go to w. J. Ferguson. who
makes a buffers role not only one. OF
the most outstanding in the cast, but
one of the funniest pieces OF cccen-
trio comedy seen on the screen in many
moons. There Is a trace of q. Il. Heg.
gle in his work. Lois Wilson is an
attractive and capable heroine, and Guy
Oliver does a nice bit of character
study.
Though the humor never grows beyond
chuckles with one exception, The
Worlds Champion may be classed rs
n we'll groomed. easy watch screen
comedy. with more than usually meri-
torious cast.
Arcadia-A hero who invariably
runs away every time he gets into n
scrape and who never. under any con
ditions, does anything heroic, but is
simply passive throughout the story, Is
not an easy nucleus about which to
! build an attractive photop'ay: Ihis.
! seems to be the principal weakness OF
Three Live Ghosts and the general
impression is not improved by the final
unbelievable scenes showing the Duke
and the Duchess and the society girl
and the hero and the butler and the
! maid all sitting down to dinner to,
gether just because the three men had
been pals in the war.
The three live ghosts are the
American. the Duke and a cockncy'
The Dukes memory has deserted him
through she'll. shock and the American
has incontinently fed from suspicion
of the murder of maid servant. They
are all interncd in n German prison
camp and escape and get home after
having officially been reported dead.
And their efforts to become alive again
| furnish material for many diverting
! incidents.
The picture was made by one Of the
Famous Players Lasky units working
abroad, and the scenes in and about
London will be JOY to those who are
familiar with the English metropolis.
The typcs shown in the Whtechapcl
scenes and in tho bar parlors of tn"
pubs could not be improved upon. The
photography is nt times unusually
beautiful, but the direction seems
scarcely worthy Of bearing George Fltz-
mauricC's name.
Anna o. Nilsson Is an allurng hero
inc and Norman Kerry does his best
TO make the unheroic hero convincing
and likablc. Cyril Chadwick does an
outstanding bit of work in the shell.
shocked Duke. known as "SpOofy. y
and Edmund Goulding is excellent as
their cocknoy pal. But the film does
not get across as convincingly as did
the stage play when it was presented
not long ago by the Orphcum Players
in Germantown.
Rcgcnt-Nith n story that smnckS
very strongly Of something "" studied
in our French books back in high
school days. Shirley Mason. by her
individual efforts, puts across an en-
tCrtaining film.
1t il called JACKIE ana lhc nulnOr
is given as Countess Barcynska
Miss Mason. in addition to her
capable acting. performs French and
Russian dances with the skill Of her
early professional days. Harry Crater
plays the villains role and little Georgia
Stone has the role of crippled boy
Capitol Light comedy, sometimes
approaching improbable farce, is rep
resented in "rhc Fourteenth Lover, q"
in which Viola Dana Is starred. This
actress has often. OF late. let a too
easily stirred sense Of burlcsque ruin
her comedy scenes. but in the present
ease she is naturally amusing without
being ridiculous.
1t is the story Of girl who has
Tilted thirteen lovers and whose father
tries 10 discourage her hckloncss. Tho
result is TO make her pick the gardener
as her fourteenth, and the fact that
the gardener does not approve Of So
ciety happers compicates the situa-
tion.
Jack Mulhall is the hero. and other
parts are played by Theodore Won EltZ,
Kate Lester. Alberta Lee and Frederick
Nroom.
AstOr-TwO stories in one is the best
descriptive phrase for "Madonnas and
Men, One phase of the film shows
ancient Rome. and the action rcvolyCS
about an Emperor. his son and court
rny,ritn (lpn nf thn GtriL inn