New-York tribune., 1922-08-07
On the Screen
Rodolph Valentino Proves He
Is Star i'm Blood and Sand
at the Rivoli
By Harriette Underhill

a
Juan Gallardo was the idol of Spain.
but Rodolph Valentino is the idol of
America. The crowds which were pic
tured on the screen in "Blood and
Sand" as rushing to see their hero kill
his bulls in the ring at Seville did not
! look as great to us as the crowds
which elbowed US yesterday in their
efforts to beat us into the Rivol Thea
| ter. And for one hour and a half they
sat spellbound applauding Valentino
when he first appeared as a ragged lad
| learning his business of toreadoring
| by playing truant from the cobbler's
! bench, and after that at each feat Of
valor 1t was exactly as though their
| idol had been on the stage before them,
| and it was not confined to the women
| in the audience either. More than one
man cried "Bravo!" and "Valentino!"
when he contrived what appeared to be
particularly clever maneuver.
So, after all, there is nothing in all
this talk about the story being the
thing and the star system being on
the wane. How many people, we ask
| you, would have gone to the Rivoli to
see the picture yesterday if it had been
advertised "'Blood and Sand an Archer
production with an all-star cast? Not
more than fifty. But Rodolph deserves
his popularity, in spite of the wise
acres who shake their heads and say,
at won't last" Maybe not, but it IS
pleasant while it does-pleasant for
the spectators as we'll as for the star.
| Valentino as Juan Gallardo gives
! fine, appealing performance, and let any
one who dares say now that he is not
good actor. He has improved 100 per
cent since he smiled his way through
"The Sheik." The only thing we do
not care for in the picture is the
philosopher who finds reason for
everything: He says that women were
made to give happiness, and that they
bring only discord. He says that he
who wins fame and prosperity by
cruelty and bloodshed shall surely
perish. And he is constantly breaking
in on the most exciting passages to set
some wise reflection down in his book
There was a similar person in "The
| Four Horsemen.'
Valentino has made this popular
toreador of Spain just what Ibanez in
tended him to be-a child of the peo-
pie, simple, sophisticated and super
stitious, vain and sure of himself in
the ring, but timid with people in the
other world. 1t was apparent that he
never was at home in the presence of
Dona Sol. She treated him not as
| hero, but as the Great Catherine
treated her lovers.
Nita Noldi is magnificent in this
role, and we kept wondering whom they
could possibly have found to play the
part if Miss Noldi had not been avail
able. Surely, no one else could have
looked like that. She is not only
stunning beauty, but she wears clothes
dreamed of-gowns with tons of real
] oh lc ,o+
sort of thing.
Lila Lee plays Carmen, the wife, but
nobody believed from the first that she
had a chance with the lovely Sal. That
Juan stuck to her as long as he did
was greatly to his credit-at least we
suppose it was-for our interest was
all in his affair with the wrong lady
In the first part of the picture Valen-
tino does dance in a cafe with one
sighs of appreciation! For flash there
was closeup OF the toreador clicking
the castanets. and the man next to us
said: 81 don't believe that's him." 1t
sure is," his girl replied. Don't you
think 1 know his hands?" So, if you
are man and are contemplating TAX
ing your girl to the Rivoli, be cautious.
Do not express disbelief in any thing
you see on the screen. If she believes
in all the long shots in the arena, let
her think so. 1t won't hurt your case
1early so much to let her believe it as
it will if you try to disillusion her.
As matter Of fact, we know it was
really Valentino who held the casta-
nets, for we know his hands, too, hav-
ing once lunched with him for three
hours. And we, too, believe, it is he
who handles the bull so cleverly in the
long shots.
There is excellent work by a sup
porting cast, which includes George
Field, Walter Long, Rose Rosanova, Leo
White and Charles Belcher. June
Mathis made the scenario and the pic
ture was directed by Fred Niblo The
overture is Rimsky- -Korsakoff's "Ca-
priccio Espagnol" and there is a pro-
logue called "a Night in Spain," in
which Augusta Ordonez is assisted by
the Rivoh ensemble
"Voices Of the City" is at the Capt.
tol, and one is bound to admit that
while those voices talk great deal
they do not say thing. 1t is one Of
the most uninteresting pictures we
have seen in long time and it re-
minds US Of Tom Lewis making one of
his after-dinner speeches--not that
they are uninteresting, but they are
is this picture. The opening title Of
this Leroy Scott production says that
the voices Of the city are siren voices
that lure men on, etc, etc. And If
you may believe the titles this picture
is filled with terrible examples to
young men and women about to stray
from the path Of rectitude. Only moth
ing happens, or at least nothing that
you cage anything about, and it seems
to us That the only example in the
picture is the one it sets writer's for
the screen. 1t might be called "What
to Avoid in Concocting a Scenario"
Lon CLANCY is the featured player,
but this McGee is very vague sort of
person and it is doubtful if even
CLANCY knew what he was trying to
portray. The titles intimated that Nc
Gee was villain of the deepest dye,
but he didn't do anything wrong so
far as the naked eye could see unless,
perhaps, he may have been q boot
logger.
Ieatrice Joy that deliuh+ful rou,o