The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-09-11
Doyle'S "Hound of
the Baskerville" Is
Ghostly as Movie
Picture Based on Sherlock
Holmes Story Runs to
Letter Writing.

Another ghostly picture is offered on
Broadway this week at the Capitol. and
as might readily be guessed Conan
Doyle is the author. Furthermore,
dog is the ghost, as might be guessed
again from the title, The Hound OF
the Baskervilles." But the name OF this
latest screen exposition of the exploits
OF Sherlock Holmes might just as well
have been "A Short Course in Letter
Writing"
Much of the plot is dealt out to the
audience in missives that are as long.
as screed by a boarding school miss.
Moreover. thdy are in rather fine hand
writing, rather rough on those who
make practice OF reading the sub
titles aloud. BY the time the spectator
finishes with them all, he has a per-
suasion that he has been reading the
Willy-Nicky correspondence before the
war all over again.
In addition. as sometimes happens in
a British made picture. the subtitles
run wild over the story. There are so
many Of them they crowd the characters
for room. Sexeral OF them state fact
and Immediately afterward illustrate il
"a method which seems TO bark back
to the B. c. period of the films. Once
in fact, they make the mistake of re-
peating an unessential caption almost
verbatim. giving virtually the minutes
of conversation Holmes has.
Many of the subtitles might have
been amputated. allowing the spirit of
mystery to be developed, not by the
written words. as the producer has at
tempted. but by the dark. heavily sha L.
owed pictures, and the scenes in bold re-
lief on the moor. which are always good
for thrill. What with the letters and
the captions, the spectator has a con-
slant sense that something is being
slipped over on him behind his back.
The unraveling of the identity OF the
conspirator who is seeking to drive
away the titled tenants of Baskerville
Hall by reviving the Shostly hound. be-
comes toward the end as tedious as
waiting for n train to arrive. In the
early part it is rather gripping. and
though one guesses at the criminal half
way through, it Is interesting to watch
Holiness net enmeshing him, with oc-
casiona flashes that show again that
Doyle is the old master when it comes
TO weaving such tales. But II is unduly
prolonged, and finally Holmes is inject
ing delays to the denouement as IL say
ing. Hold on, boys. till the sixth reel
is through
A good piece of work is done by that
sterling English actor Ellie Norwood.
" no seems to have made the delineation
of the famous sleuth on the screen his
life work. Physically he looks the part.
seeming an English edition of William
Gillette. He has some of the best scenes
in the picture. when he is watching for
the hound, and again when he is strug
ging with the villain on Grimpen Mire,
taking care to do it in silhouette.
When the villain finally sinks in the
quagmire, the producer has fash OF
Inspiration. and simply reveals It
through the horror an the detectives
face, instead of showing the desperate
messing around in the bog. There are
striking glimpses of the Druid Stones
and OF the hound palpitating with flame,
but a copy of the book Is still the best
means for sending you quaking to bed.
The feature isn't the half OF ii, dearie.
Carter De Haven appears in an anus
ing comedy, Their First Vacation"
there is a charming series called "Im-
pressions Of Vienna" in which the Cap
itol quartet sings a BLUE Danube"
number; Frederic Fradkin plays Chan
son Boheme,' the ballet corps does
Brahms's Sixth Hungarian Dance;
the orchestra opens with Tsclnaikowsky's
Fourth Symphony Doris Niles does
an Indian dance to go with the engag-
ing scenic. ''Tepee Town." and to cap
the climax. Zerola OF he Metropolitan
sings an aria from I'll Trovatere."
Wherefore the crowds packed the audi
torium last night ten deep.