Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-07
WALLACE REID STEPS
TOTOP AS CLARENCE
Star and Cast Shine Brightly
in Film Of Harrington
Comedy

Ing stage ana notion successes long ana
often enough, they're bound to do one
Of them extremely well, II not per.
fectly.
Clarence" happens 10 be one in
fifty, and the result Is picture that,
while slow. moving. is the best high
comedy and the closest realization Of
the authors conception that the screen
has shown this year. 1t is pleasant tc
record that 1t is the indefatigablc Will
liam De Mile who has played director.
nurse to the transfer of Clarence
from footlights to celluloid. It IL ont
Of Mr.. De Mile s best achievements.
We have said that Clarence" I.
slow moving; that is something thai
cannot be denied. Even the interpola
tion of few new scenes (which do not
however. jar with the spirit Of Booti
quicken the tempo past that Of a dol
trot. But. somehow, dog trots appea
to us more thnn gallops on the screen
The most important thing to mentor
in regard to "Clarcnce" Is the remark
able acting. Mr.. De Mile has had tn
best CO. operation from his cast that an!
director has ever possessed. Everybod,
seemed to be working for the common
good: everybody seemed to sense tn,
spirit of the comedy.
Wallace Reid in the title role proved
once and for all, that he Is the best OK
ponent Of high grade farcing in thu
films: to find his equal one must &c
back 10 the days when Jack Barry
more played "Are You n Mason!" II
was not the Reid Of the nutomobil,
ron.ances. nor Of the idyllic 1bbctson
nor of his usual excellent farces. I,
was Reid typifying Tarkington's C1ar.
cnce. returned doughboy who calms thu
hectic uproar of n pickering family
His was not halfway success he rose
to every scene In n manner quite foreign
70 the usual siipshod screen standards
The critics Of this star have picked &
poor time for their taunts; his "Clar.
ence' is gem. and the sooner he re-
turns TO the screen the better for tn,
good Of the films.
Reid had TO be good or else Robcr
Asnew and May McAvoy. who playet
the youngsters, would have walked of
mirablc. and luckily Director DeAlill
notch pair was that Of Edward Mar
tlndel and Kathlyn Williams. fathe
and mother. Adolphe Mejou was tn
villain Of this piece: Bertram Johns
the butler. and Dorothy Gordon. tn
maid. and they all gave delightful por
trayals. Only Agnes Ayres was color
less and uninteresting, but that wa
mostly the fault of her role.
Clarence AS the story goes-get
job with the Wheeler family becaus
he admits to Mr.. Wheeler that he wa
m adept Mt driving mules in the army
Clarence finds the Wheeler family i,
turmoil the wife is Jealous Of he
! husband and the Governess: the so,
has kissed the maid and fears
damage suit" and the daughter Is Il
| love with the money seeking secretary
However, Clarence. by the use of hi
saxophone. his magnetic smile and hi
unfailing good humor settles all th
troubles and wins wife.
u cycle Of three Cadman songs
we'll rendered and attractively staged
and the violin playing Of the Grca
Harmon We're other features Of tn
bill.
Stantm-Sometimes they take grea
rieces Of literature and grind them int
| film hokum. In the case Of "The OIL
! Homestead" they have endowed an ol
! and frayed stage subject with fresh VI
tnl!ty, and not with little artist
worth.
james Cruze. the director. is par
tinlly responsible. This maker Q
One Glorious Day" has brushed as!d
| the rohwebs OF the old stage version
nut life and reality into characters
and done his very best, at every mo
ment. 10 make the story seem strictl
fresh and original.
Side by side with this couraseou,
director are two of the grand oil
mon" of the screen. Theodore Robert
ard George Fawcett. who do what
lust about the finest work OF their ioi,
careers, Roberts is seen as Uncle Jos!
kindly and whimsical, quite diherc,
from the "men of the world usual
portrayed By this character man. Geori
Fawcet,, as Eph Holbrook, a hard b.
inst man who causes all the troub
but is quick to right the wrong whe
he discovers that his own son Is Il
culprit. Fawcett's remarkable face III
, never been more expressive; bis actir
has never contained more feeling
sympathy.. l.. .+,,.,,v
, case o: film In which the charact
man cclipses the juvenile. Roberts
far. far more interesting and humt
, character than three. .fourths OF Il
, Sleek Haired young men. Here, how
ever he receives splendid support fro
r. Roy Barnes. as Happy jack
tramp, and Harrison Ford as heuDe
Every character is so we'll draw
and the action is 40 we'll co.ordinat,.
hv Director Cruze, and the photograph
,s so unusually beautiful that tn
| easily transcend in interest the act'l
,,ory, but even that has been chang
for the better, and the hokum car
, fully removed.
It's all about young country 90
SON of Josh Whitcomb, accused
theft. who runs away. The real gull
man is the son Of the farmer who hol
3 tha mortgage on the 'old homestead
L, When everything seems blackest, t
crrnc son comes home, just as the .
, homestead is about to be taken' I
, guilty mnn is exposed Dy MS o>
father and everything Is settled.
: All Of that YOU may remember 1r(
4 the stage version, but You don't !
member remarkable cyclone see
Which rius houses from the ground a
,o@scs trees. 1t Is with this ferocio
a BACKGROUND that the. climatic sce"eS
. the play are reached
In addition to the maGnihcent VIC
- Of Roberts and the others ALREADY me
tened. Kathleen O'Copnor rs attract'
= AS the heroine and FIttzt Ridgway
! splendid rs the girl for whom the mon
, Aradia-"slim Shoulders is son
0 thing of a surprise IN the MN nhe,