The New York herald., 1922-02-20
Franks of Penrod
ShOWn on Screen
by Wesley Barry
Youthful Star Appears at His
Best in Adaptation of
Harrington Novel.

STRAND-MarshaII NeiIan's production
of "Penrod," First National release
based upon Booth Tarkington's stories,
with Wesley Barry in the title role.
At last the snimmy has justified itself
At the birthday party to do honor to
Penrod for his leading part in the cap
ture of the desperate bandits, the incl
dent when the youngster shakes the
shoulder with a juvenile French vamp to
make his regular girl jealous and all the
small ladies and gentlemen do the in
spired wiggle also. to the horror of their
parents. furnishes the funniest moment
OF happy picture--a moment that ].
Hartley Manners himself would enjoy.
No doubt numerous youngsters after
seeing this film are going to emulate
this check dancing and no doubt for
the sake of this joyous episode their
parents will forgive them instead of adj
ministering the customary slap for show
ing off-for such is the power of this
photo comedy. It could hardly be called
an inspired or idyllic portrayal of youth,
anclat times there are theatrical touches
deliberately inserted by Marshall Neilan
which must have drawn from him the
characteristic observation That's a
good gag."
But 1t remains fairly faithful and
enjoyable depletion with occasional carl
cature of the average healthy boy,
neither very good nor very bad, but
quite casual and impulsive and with
the instincts of n puppy for roofing
INTO everything. The treatment Is epi-
sodic rather than dramatic--that seems
to be the trade mark of all child stories
on the screen. The producer mas lost
somewhat in diffuseness in his noble
effort to cover lot of ground and rush
the spectator on the heels OF every pos
sible mishap of Penrod
The incidents woven out OF Booth
Tarkington's series seem almost as
numerous as the freckles on Wesley
Barry's face. There Is the founding of
the American Boys Protective Associa-
tion in the underground cave. the dane
ing class and Ponrod's big show, with
the fat boy changed from carping
spectator to a satisfied freak because
he happened to be related to the towns
leading murderess. Ono of the most
genuine and unforced bits OF satire
seen on the screen in a long time is
"The Children's Pageant of the Table
furtively donning overalls to hide the
embarrassing nakedness of his hose as
the Child Sir LanceIot.
The most spirited bit is the hilarious
fight in which his colored henchmen,
Herman and VermGft, rout Rupo Col
Inns, the towns tough boy, by the sim
pie expedient of moving his feet with
the lawn mower.
While Charles Rays production OF
"The Old Swimmin' Hole" still is the
best picture of the American boy to
date, largely because it had a real story
in 1t, this Neilan feature is perhaps the
best capturing OF Tarkington's elusive
charm imaginable on the screen, and
there is an air of unstudied impet .psity
about 1t that is enhanced by Wesley
Barry, the complete Harrington hero
who casts everything but a vote.
Besides some good but fleeting
glimpses of Miss Marjorie Daw as the
big sister and Tully Marshal and Claire
MacDowell as the father and mother.
very vivid types have been picked for
the other juvenile roles. of which the
funniest are the two negro tots and
Pcnrod's dog, which looks like an ami
mated penwiper And Baby Peggy, the
tiniest star on the screen, adds several
carats to the value OF the picture by the
vim with which she weeps a bucket OF
tears,