The New York herald., 1922-06-19

McCormick's stage play and directed
by Reginald Barker. Scenario by j.
G.. Hawks.
By far the most thrilling moment in
this powerful photoplay is one that
wasn't in the original at all, for the
simple reason that II is so difficult to
transplant rapids and whirlpools to the
stage. 1t Is the scene where Manette,
daughter of the French bootlegging trap
per, rescues her father from the hands
OF the Canadian mounted police, bobbing
through the boiling water In a frail
canoe. with all the soothing motion of
a car on a scenic railway.
One suspects that the incident of the
rapids may have been deliberately in
serted into the film version because 1t
is becoming popular to send screen
actors through torrents at the risk of
their high priced necKs-one would
almost get the idea the directors don't
think much of the actors. But the
episode serves it's purpose admirably,
even If. so to speak, 1t was just put in
to make it harder.
Plunge Through the Current.
1t is impossible to tell. because Of the
speed of the tiny craft, whether Miss
Virginia Valli had any one double for
her as the heroine at this point, or
took the raging rush of waters "in per-
son." But II she was in the bouncing
little boat. she must have experienced
in the turbulent waves all the sensa-
tions of a chip of wood in tea kettle.
The plunge through the current seems
more vivid than the snowside or the
forest fire later. largely because 1t
would have been possible to make these
on the premises. A judicious use or
dynamite would start the avalanche,
while a liberal sprinkling of petroleum
could get a most impressive effect with
the conflagration, as any insurance COM
pany will tell you.
But no director could premeditatedly
arrange the effects in that baneful
deluge any more than he could make
Niagara behave itself for the sake OF
a picture. Still, the fiercely burning
woods later seem so real one doesn't
mind If the news magazine lacks the
usual weekly views of oil tanks going
up IN smoke And when the avalanche
crashes down and blocks the path In
the North Woods House Peters and Miss
Valli toddle away from there as brislsly
healthy even for the charmed lives Of
a movie hero and heroine.
Yet 1t is the human drama in the
story that stands out in the memory
most strongly for all the shots" of
nature on rampage When the play
was produced by George Broadhurst
originally on the stage 1t was largely
as an opportunity for well trained
scenery to do some heavy acting. Here
the dramatic qualities have been we'll
brought to the fore in the theme of the
two friendly men, each of whom owes
much to the other for past service. who
come to hate each other while snow
bound in a cabin during the winter
with no radiophone to guide them.
Probably they would have gotten on
each others nerves anyhow, but n
pretty miss, the trapper's daughter. Is
introduced into their household when
her father dies just to make sure that
they presently would be showing their
teeth at each other The gradually
growing antipathy between the former
partners because of her has been very
artistically brought out by the director,
Reginald Barker, end there are some
throbbing scenes, especially when they
encounter each other in the girls room
at night. but not by appointment
story Keeps Moving.
The intensity of this out of the way
triangle. focused at almost white heat
in a small cabin. is heightened by con-
trast with the sweep of nature, like
wise in an obstreperous mood. From
the very start the story keeps moving
never letting the spectator get the jump
on 1t. The story proceeds with scarcely
any exaggerated posturing by the prin-
cipal trio, former comrades in Goldwyn,
who appear to have been willing to
undergo any peril with Universal as
long as they kept working till the Gold
wyn studios reopened. While there ap-
pear to have been a flood of sub-titles by
J. G. Hawks occasionally, they have gem
orally been worked into the story Sig
nificantly. and they keep silent in the
great outdoors and let nature speak for
itself.
play has been concentrated in only
three characters on the stage success
fully before this. but it is rather amaz-
ing how only a trinity of principals
can hold the attention on the screen,
without even having an extra part writ
ten in for dog. Producers who delight
in having hundreds of supers cloud the
screen can save much money of their
own and much patience of the specta-
tors by studying this picture. House
Peters plays what is officially known as
primitive herman" role stalwartly,
but without smearing II with the con-
seriousness that he is doing the big,
virile stuff Miss Valli seems over
sophisticated at first for simple CanuclS
maiden. but her emotional scenes grow
surprisingly natural. and her remark.
You know how it's" gets over every