Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-16
FRENCH FILM TELLS
WEIRD DESERT TALE
missing Husbands" at Karl
ton-'Find tho Woman" at
Arcadia-other Photoplays

Missing Husbands shows,
in many places, where American view
points--to say nothing of censorship
boards - eliminated the parts that
caused the advertising slogan. "ihe
picture that made Paris gasp Evil
IDENTIFY it was built for gasping pur-
poses. But the gasps are all now safely
removed and what is left Of the MIN Is
just an amusing and wholly impossible
story of the Arabian desert ana
mythical queen of a mythical kingdom
whose hobby seemed to be the collecting
Of victims who all went mad or COM.
mittcd suicide or something when her
tickle ardor cooled and were promptly
turned into gold statues for her private
"hall of fame" in the great marble
room Of the cave palace.
But It has some effective desert views
mot made In California; and the com
pany of French actors act really like
French people--even the savages OF the
desert kingdom are enthusiastically
French. And the Arabian queen
doesn't seem to do anything but dress
uD IOT COIuIdHy duus OCN"NSh s'hbe.s 80
around perfectly regardless in negligee
upon great, uncomfortable but photo
graphic piles Of cushions and smoke
cigarettes with crudity Of hand. work
J that shows she Is at Least one French
woman who doesn't smoke.
But she certainly is winner with
the men. As we are introduced to her,
We see her blackamoors set up Statue
No. "a. ard this story concerns the cap
| - ~ No h
capes, but he just can't be happy with
out her. so We leave him returning to
her fatal charms--said charms not
being very charming in the pictures
and taking with him pal who Is osten-
sibly to be No. p.
As IL usually the case with French
pictures. the direction is very ordinary
and the photography uneven with
nothing but "hard lights used in the
studio shots; with the ACCOMPANYING
unpleasant sharp contrasts of glGr'ng
high lights and slack. solid shade :.
The peculiar part about missing
Husbands is that not one Of the men
in the story Is husband at all, SO far
as the remains Of the picture show.
unless the title means the victims and
the queen went through ceremony
with all twenty seven but the picture
doesn't indicate that she wasted her
valuable time on such trivial detail.
Arcadia - A rattlipg good mystery
is unraveled and solved in "Find the
Woman" which may be accounted one
Of the best film melodramas of recent
months. The author. Arthur Somers
Roche. magazine writer and writer Of
just this sort Of thriller. evolved an in
teresting and vel constructed yarn In
this story Of the death of a theatrical
agent in his Office and the search for n
mysterious woman as the suspect.
Tom Terriss, who directed Find the
WOman,' has kept the suspense high.
and the thrills in a pretty steady
stream. Tho film is further enhanced
by the more than ordinary ability Of
Harrison Ford. one of the most sincere
and capable leading men tho screen
possesses. Alma Rubens, the star, is
attractive and effective. and the cast
also contains such clever people rs
Eileen IIuban. Norman Kerry, George
McQuarrie and Arthur Donaldson.
Victoria - Except that the heroine
Is most unconventional. and more than
once beyond the pale of the audience $
sympathy. ''The Broadway Peacock, +"
Pearl Whites rev vehicle. is an effec.
tive screen story.
Indeed. the heroine's role is far diff
ferent from the usual thing, and COM
bines certain Clements generally COM
mon to the character woman s. part.
Miss White plays the role Of hostess
in Broadway cabaret, who chooses
as the object Of her love n blue blood.
When he becomes cold, due to outside
interference. she woes almost berserk
in her attempt Mt revenge. Just when
things looked bound hc,tcr- skelter to-
ward tragedy everything clears M in
an interesting, though rather improb-
able climax. d
Regent --- "Conccii' i ono of these
things often found between the pages
Of books. but seldom on the srreen--
an out-and-out character study. Of
course, there Is a supplementary plot.
but everything revo!ves about and
hinges on one man. wealthy weakling,
who stands by and sees his wife being
woOed by another man. When he. in
turn. tries to steal another mans
sweetheart, he Is challenged to fight and
his refusal causes the girl TO express
her contempt
From then on it s n question Of the
man working out his regeneration to
the fulf 'lment Of the plot and the par
tial satisfaction Of the audience. Will
liam Il. Davidson plays tho leading role
and Hedda Hopper. Charles Gerard and
Maurice Costello shine in the support.
Ing cast.
Capitol - Tho old. old. bur evidently
inexhaustiblr story Of tn" gray moth
who turned into gorgeous butterfly is
again seen. with few variations, in
"Glass Houses in which Viola Dana
is starred. In the earlier portions of
the Fl m she is seen with horn rimmcd
glasses and old maidSh clothes. but
later TO the intense qualification Of the
hero and the mild pleasure of the au-
dience, she becomes radiant. CASTOR
Glass. Mayme Kelso. Helen Lynch,
John Stepping and Claire DuBrey help
nut With coma nYcnllnnt actinn