The New York herald., 1922-01-02
'ToIable David
Title Sets Value
of the Picture
Gruesome Scene Feature Of
First Film With Richard
Barthelmess as Star.

STRAND--Rfehnrd .Barthelmess In
s.Topablc David,' production by Inspir-
alton Pictures, IIc. adapted from the
story by Joseph Hergesheimer and di.
rected by Henry King.
The title sets the value on tho first pic
ture in which Richard Barthelmess as
serts his manhood as a star. II is "toi-
able" Il IS sometimes pleasing and
generally endurable except in the fight
in the shack between Barthelmess, as
the young driver Of the mail coach. and
the hullSing brute who aimed to steal one
of his sacks. when it rises to the savage
heights of bull fight.
One expected that a grim struggle
would develop in that shanty-its dis
reputable darkness simply cried for it.
But 1t hardly seemed likely to become
so deyastatingly nerve racking with two
men lying shot on the floor and the
other two engaged in bouncing each
other off the walls and the furniture.
Banged against door jambs and rafters,
Barthelmess acts here principally with
the help OF his back, and 1t must be
said he receives splendid support. 1t is
one of those gruesome scenes in which
spectator feels that a film star is
really earning his pay.
1t has never been suspected that
Ernest Terrence, who has been playing
genital characters in musical comedy fo-
years, had SO much vicious cruelty in
him, but they say the camera won't lie
though probably Terrence would be sur
prised at the result himself So far as
Torrences acting of the malign Lake
HGtburn goes the picture was a reyela-
ton, particularly as to the way a
scrubby growth of beard can disintegrats
a character.
Barthelmess, who came out of the
struggle victorious but looking actu-
ally worse for wear, played his role
of the youth suspected of cowardice
with that well shaded restraint and
earnestness for which he IS noted.
though in the earlier romantic passages
with the little girl neighhor he forgot
on several charming occasions that the
world is not entirely a serious matter
of shooting and being shot at. For
screen purposes the difficulty with
transcribing this, as well as other Her.
gesheimer stories, is that they seemed
concerned largely with states of mind
as well as atmosphere, and for long
and arid wastes of film the actors seem
principally concerned with acting out
large gobs of descriptive writing. Which
makes motion pictures seem motionless.
Stripped of its dilapidated straw hats
and other local color, the story on the
screen seems common enough one of q
Southern mountain feud. with two fami.
lies exchanging bullet for bullet, all OF
which naturally would seem to lead a
boy and girl from each group to fall In
love with each other. Miss Gladys Hu-
lette as the girl filled out the require
ments of the type well, though in her
emotional moments she seemed inclined
to adopt the quivery methods of Miss LII
Ian Gish. The scenery, snapped almost
on the spot, formed realistic back
ground for this story of the struggle be-
tween modern David and Goliath, will,
the odds in favor of the man who was
quickest on the draw
Ponchiellis Dance of the Hours" by
the orchestra; a prologue with George
Reardon, barytone selections by the
Strand male quartet and ''The Fast
Male" a comedy, were other matters OF
record.