The New York herald., 1922-05-22

M,
rected by +. Richard Jones.
The title, "The Crossroads OF New
York." is very good one, but in this
case it means nothing. The only sug-
gestion of anything connected with cross
roads in the picture is the fact that
there Is plenty of underworld work
afoot. Perhaps the comedy producer
meant to convey the thought that in the
great city the paths OF comedy and
pathos so frequently interlace. but In
this case the near pathos can no more
induce spell Of weeping than near
beer.
Shots of Broadway and Columbus
Circle and Of the hero making his way
to Central Park, OF a copyright at the
entrance to the park-establish the fact
that this Is actually New York and not
Hollywood In its mere metropolitan as
pect.. Right away in Central Park. how
ever. the scenery seems to have been
swtched--one discerns a most self-im-
portant looking mountain in the back
ground. And perhaps because the land
scape looks queer the happenings be-
come queer too. The cops would never
allow such goings on in the real park.
Saves Heroine Three Times.
The country hero promptly snatches
child from the path OF a runaway horse,
with only a few inches saving the direc-
tor from the necessity of getting another
hero. In fact George OHara seems to
be kept in the picture principally for his
adeptness at rescuing. He saves the
heroine three times in succession and
finally marries her. evidently to keep
her out of future trouble. In this same
park he retrieves her pocketbook from
pickpocket and fey weeks later he
rescues her from her runaway mount,
lifting her out of her saddle at full gall
lop with ease. despite the fact that she
is former Sennett bathing beauty. FL
nally in one climacteric burst of speed
he plucks the girl from the villains
grasp after she has been imprisoned in
the scoundrels lonely lodge and has
taken to smas shing all his furniture with
great good will.
Apparently the story started out as a
comedy, but then things began to hap
pen too thick and fast. As no one Is
credited with the authorship, it has the
appearance. like many of the earlier
Sennett features, Of having been scram-
bled together by the whole company as
they went along.
The occasional touches of comedy
could hardly be outdone, despite the
fact that not single custard pie Is
hurled and not a seltzer bottle squirted.
The scenes in which the boarding house
landlady engages herself to the hand
some young star boarder, almost before
he knows her name; the wrangle of a
motorcycle sidecar couple with the au-
tomobiles in front and behind: the hi
larious moments when the discarded
Iandlady breaks up the musical show
for which the suddenly enriched young
boarder Is acting as angel-all these are
uniquely diverting caricatures OF human
ity, the kind. as the proper phrase runs.
that get audiences laughing with their
diaphragms.
Two Of the villains Press Agents.
Sennett hasn't drawn a very fatterine
picture of the stage, for he shows
siren constantly in search of man tc
back her In a musical comedy, princi-
pally that she may wear a $25,O0O gown
and be acclaimed a great actress. And
two of the villains are press agents
It's doubtful il Sennett will get any to
work for him hereafter Moreover.
there are many other villains In the
picture. which Is like a three ring circus
in this repect.
AS for ordinary photodramatic struc-
ture, it's simply been knocked on the
head with slapstick. The producer
kills a man off and then revives him
unexpectedly in order to put punch
in gayly satirical though rather
forced breach of promise trial and adds
to his final episode a realistic Wall
Street panic Just to make 1t harder"
Moreover, instead of having the villain
finally overthrown by young Michael
Flint he Is sent in a headlong auto
mobile dash casually over the edge OF
a cliff. because that photographs better.
But there is little chance for the spec
tator to notice the condolences and in
congruities, because he is too busy shak-
ing down the laughable captions into his
system. And what is the good of talk
ing about structure concerning photo
play that is better and faster than
'iMolly o." and that tickles you on the
spine when 1t isn't tickling you on the
funny bone. Miss Kathryn Mcguire is
attractive as the heroine. for all she
plays young woman who is little better
than an inspired ninny. Miss Ethel
Grey Terry Is a seductive vamp. but
Noah Beery. after making his usual good
ingly virtuous. The rest of the large
Gribbon and Charlie Murray, are suf-
fcient to reduce the onlooker to a state
of occasional helplessness.
Besides Llszt's Les Preludes.' strik-
ingly done by the orchestra. and several
charming ballet dances S. l.. Rothafe
presents a distinct novelty in duet by
Juvenile pianists. Edna Baldwick and
Julia Glass. which never skips on a sin