Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-27
THE MOVIE FANS LETTERBOX
BY HENRY NJ. NEELY

"Wraym" writes: "Dispensing with
the usual Introductory ceremonies. I'll
get right down to brass tacks, and
really hope they'll be pointed enough to
make you sit up l have been Il
great admirer of the way you have
brought up a happy, though argument.
ative family and have often marvelod
at your skill and patience in handling
the fapper and the highbrow alike.
But friend Henery. you skidded in
my estimation when you pounded out
YOUR hot weather reply TO j. II. Mandel,
Don't know said individual, but believe
he scored more than one bullseye. and
was beaucoup disappointed in your re-
ply.
but had some good. straight dope. le,
YOU resorted to the press worn method
Of ridicu,e and thin like Taft. sar'
casm to answer him. You must of have
been hot weather tired.
II agree with J. II. NJ. about
Peter Ibbctson.' 1t made an accept
able movie-but n great one? Never
in this vale of tears. On the stage
with a man Of Barrymore's artistic
skill and poetic feeling. It was vastly
superior. | remarked to the lady who
goes to the movies with me thar some
how-mind you, I couldn't tell why
there was something lacking. 1t had
story, sequence, climax. practically
everything that n great movie should
have, but the kick wasn't there. That
indescribable something that reaches out
across the footights and just naturally
gets you. makes you feel you are sitting
in on the real thing, was not in it. III
was in Orphans Of the Storm, re-
gardess of what you say about that
One.)
SHAW says that this effect is achiev-
ed BY the actors, and only by them,
regardless Of the play. Of l quote
him correctly.) And since Peter lbbet
SON is admittedly a good story, even
by J. II. M.-mightn't it have been
the acting that was amiss: | think so.
Miss Ferguson was superb, as she
generally is--and ideally ADAPTED to the
part. Not 80 Winsome Wally. That
pink nailed pinhead'
But hold, Carona mine. Let's
give him chance. Which lies just
where you put him. ironically. Verify,
he should be playing automobile
stories all the time, just as you wrote
with your left hand. He oughtn't TO
play heavy roles like Peter, but should
90 right on doing the same old, hack
neyed thing year in and year out
world without end Because he is not
equipped temperamentally, artistiraIly
God save the mark, intellectually or
any other way 10 do anything else. lie
is glorificd lounge lizard and rs such
gets by with the thoughtlesS, 'aStelcSS,
careless, ld"aless mass that makes up
the movie hoi polloi And alas, with
Henry VI. Neely, the Letter Box shep-
hcrd-much 10 my surprise.
Maybe you think I'm a trifN rabid,
etc, bur list minute longer. You recall
that in one v"ry tender section II his
dream picture. where Wally was sup
posed to kiss the fair Elsie ,ln rharnc-
terlf Well, he kissed her all out "
character II" acted As though he
might never again get the chance TO
kiss the great Ferguson and thought
he had better make the most out of his
opportunity. Honestly, that kiss Jared
in the picture like a fat lady eating
peanuts during the passing Of Madame
Ruttorfy. Ag'ln kissing; j. Nix =,
But eternally agin an actor who OBJ
viOusly considers an ancient and OK
uuisltp love scene his opportunity to
osculate like Slobbery bear.
You called the picture poetic. The
poetry of motion, doubtless. But not
emotion.
II like Norma Talmadge Believe
she is what You call hcr--a sincere,
consistent performer. Merely wish
sometimes thar she would have better
stories and fewer opportunities for
gown changes put into her pictures
She counts on certain amount Of
popularity from the ideas she gives
women patrons as to style and by
gumbo she gets II. But glad rags do
not a movie make, nor yalsparred hair
q star
Valentino? Great Jehosiphat' His
mctcroic career simply illustrates again
what publicity-gOOd. bad or invented
can do for anybody in this great
land of the free. Free: It's wide
open, Take zephyr Of brains, n
whisper Of talent. n breath of scandal.
II suggestion OF looks; mix 'em up with
Il press agents pencil and the silly
public will do the rest. Presto he
ranks with Barrymore. And, after
all, why not? The public's mind is no
stronger than the weakest tlapper s.,
People don't want to think, study or
discriminate. When anything will get
by, why bother your brains!
II ought to know l wrote FIVE
rceler in my salad days and furthermore
sold it.
Il knew it. Just because once !
tried to sides;cp an argument and be
accommodating, did iSst the opposite