New-York tribune., 1922-11-06
On the Screen
Work of Valentino i'm ss1he
Young Rajah," mt Rivoii
Theater, lie Excellent
BY Eiarriettc Underhill

good picture or net we are not pre-
pared to say. because we confess tc
being so enamored of Rodolph Valen-
tino as an actor that the material
which he handles makes little differ
ence to us. The picture was shown at
the Rivoli yesterday and we know that
the fact that there was no wild-eyed
and determined crowd storming the
doors means something, but just what
does it mean? When "The sheik"
played at the same theater a few
weeks ago it was not only impossible
to get in the theater, 1t was impossible
to get near it; and yesterday we went
dressed for hard knocks and wearing
comparatively sensible shoes, feeling
sure that il would be necessary to
stand up during the performance If we
wished to be able to broadcast our
opinion Of the new picture In this
mornings Tribune.
AS we drew near the theater we fan
cied that we must have been mistaken
in the program, hut there it was in
electric lights, "Rodolph Valentino!
But how was this? No one was acting
in any way out of the ordinary, no
policemen were required to keep the
crowds in order, because there were no
crowds. We just walked in and found
very good seats, but still they were
seats. Now, was this lack of enthusiasm
due to the fact that it was marvellous
Indian summer day? Was it due to the
fact that the people who stormed the
theater on previous occasion were
there to see "The Sheik" rather than
the star of the picture, or has all this
unpleasant publicity made tha fans
view their erstwhile idol with coolness,
il not coldness? 1t hardly seems that
this can be true, for when did adverse
criticism ever make the stock Of a
popular hero depreciate? Whatever
the reason, however, it has not COM
municated itself to us, for we still
think Valentino one of the most mag
netic and ingratiating figures on the
sonality that is very like the appeal Of
Richard Barthelmess; and the two are
not unlike. Both young actors seem
to say: Il hope you will like me. I
try hard to please you, but l must do
1t my way, and not your way, because
I think am right"
In the character Of Rodolph Valentino
logged determination plays big part,
and we think that Is one reason we like
him so we'll. If people will only stand
back of their convictions it really isn't
very important whether they are right
or wrong.
The young rajah in the story was
lot like that. 1t was a part of his re-
ligion, this living for a principle,
md he was fearless and strong and
son that a happy ending would almost
have been excusable. But he didn't
get it. Valentino never gets happy
endings in his pictures, and he prob
ably never will so long as he continues
to look SO much handsomer gloomy
than happy. June Mathis made the
scenario from the play "Amos Judd"
by Alethea Luce, and the novel by John
Ames Mitchell. OF course, "Amos Judd"
would not have looked pretty up in
electric lights, SO they called the pic
ture "The Young Rajah." Probably
the story told on the screen is not at
have heard it said that it was not, but
we do not claim to be an eyewitness,
not having familiarized ourself with
either one.
When the story opens tho young
rajah is posing as the adopted son Of
old Joshua Judd because at the age of
Ave, fifteen years before the story
opens, there had been an uprising in
India and his father had been killed.
The only safe place for the black-eyed
youngster seemed to be America, and
he was smuggled to a quiet farmhouse
in Connecticut. The young rajah was
only half Arab, his mother having been
a Spanish countess, and so, of course,
1t was logical that he should be very
handsome and attractive and not too
dark. He falls in love with Molly
Cabot as soon as he is graduated from
Harvard, but he has way of gazing
into the future which prevents him
from ever being very happy. In spite
of this old melodramatic stuff (and
the picture abounds in it) it is so deft-
ly handled that you never resent it in
the least.
The gift Of the young Rajah is used
for comedy situations as we'll as for
tragedy and the sincerity Of the star
makes it quite acceptable.
The director and the title writer also
deserve the highest praise for keeping
the story light. The tone of the sub
titles is just what every writer of
dialogue for the silent drama should
strive for. The people talk as people
do talk--always in real life. once in a
blue moon on the screen. When Molly
sees Amos for the first time at a cos
tune ball she points to him and Gays:
"Who is he, Sultan or Persian
poet?" And one of his class mates,
who is jealous Of him, replies: "Who,
that swarthy man who turns his toes in
when he dances?" Now, how many
title writer's would dare to thus de-
scribe the hero? They are forever say
ing you can't do this and you can't do
that because you will lose sympathy for
your hero or your heroine, while, of
course, they should know that the hero
or heroine can hold the interest of the
spectators so long as he or she is nat
He is such good actor that he never
picture he is aided and abetted by a
that you may hold the mirror up to ma
Wanda Hawley is the girl, Pat Moore
is the five-year- Rajah, Charles Ogle
and Fanny Midgeley are his adopted
parents, Bertram Grassby is the usurp-
er on the throne and there are a score
Of other we'll known actors in the cast
Philip Rosen directed the picture.
"The Village Blacksmith" motion
picture made from Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow's poem, inasmuch as both
the poem and the picture have a VIII
lage blacksmith for the central figure,
is delighting people at the Forty-fourth
Street Theater. This we know from
the ordinations and the comments
which we listened to during and after
the picture. Now, the picture did not
Impress US in the least, but the must
cal score certainly did and 1ua should