Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-23
TALMADGE FILM
HITS HIGH SPOTS
'smiIin' Through surpasses
Expectations-'Too Much
Business at Karlton

Stanley-It may be a knack, rather
than an art, to make people cry it may
also be that simple romantic story.
set on BY all the beauty Of background
and treatment that the modern screen
technique can supply, masquerades as
something more than It really IL, but
the fact. remains that the long awaited
"Smilin' Through" is one Of those
strange anomalies, film that trans.
cends its heralding and becomes one Of
filmdom's masterpieces.
! The theme is too well known from
It's stage success to need full elabora.
tion. Facts have been added, but few
love story q yesterday ending in trag.
edy when the rejected suitor kills the
crinoline bride just as the garGen we'd
ding is to take place. In the film ver-'
| sion, this portion Of the story is intro
duced as an interlude rather late in the
picture, but in no way retards or hurts
the action. The modern story telling Of
the love of the neice Of the bridegroom
and the son OF the slayer is worked out
In virtually the same way.
This is merely the skeleton. What
beautifies the story is the abiding love
Of John Carteret, the older man, and
his final reunion with the spirit Of his
slain bride, after they have been kept
his heart for the slayer. Almost as
touching is the friendship Of Carteret
and DR.. Owen (much like that Of the
two old men in "Mary Rose") and their
game Of dominoes in the fragrant gar
den.
It Is more than natural to compare
"Smilin' Through and ''Peter Ibbet-
son. two of the films most poetic
features. The thought comes to mind
that 1t needed the wonderful acting OF
magnificent cast to put the present
film on the plane with the Du Maurier
story, which, in itself, is the more un-
usual. the more artistic and the more
deeply impressive.
But the acting of "Smilin' Through"
Is its ,crowning glory. The many,
many admirers Of Norma Talmadge may
cease their long quest; at last she has
vehicle worthy Of her, and her por.
trayal Is every whit as fine as Jane
Cowl's on the stage; at times, in fact,
It Is superior to stage characteriza-
ton. Never more beautiful, she dis.
tinguishes between the girlish and more
mature years of the modern Kskhleen,
and puts still third Interpretation
to the ravishing bride of yesterday.
The cast Is as near perfection as
imagination could conceive. Harrison
Ford shows his stuff in the two roles
Of the madly jealous suitor of the old
time part, and the up standing young
hero. Wyndham Standing, especially
as the old and feeble Carteret. is quite
matchless. his performance measuring
up to that in "Earthbound," and
marking him as one Of the screens
hn
during the picture. Glenn Hunter is
quite the best young Seventeen" the
screen has disclosed in many moons.
he Is real actor, stage or screen,
The direction by Sidney Franklin is
thing of few flaws, the photography
even superior to that of "Peter Tibet.
son., with only one occurrence of the
hard printing which has ruined
Norma's beauty in some past films.
karlt0n--The dominant feature of
TOO Much Business" which proves
to be rafting good comedy Of pro-
fessional variety, Is the laughable
characterization Of Tully Marshall as nm
irascible employer who pretty nearly
breaks up a romance.
Here is man who almost invariably
has been associated with the most vii.
lainous roles possible to imagine. but
who proves, in this instance, as we'll
as IN recent film at the same theatre,
tnat ne mas most delicious sense of
the subtly humorous, and a. capable
ability at "mugging."
This is adapted from the magazine
story, John Henry and the Restless
sex. 1t concerns young man who
tries to carry business into love. and
obtains an option on his girls hand.
which is to be taken up in thirty days.
provided he gets raise in salary. In.
stead he gets fired, through no fault Of
his own, and his employer. fearful Of
losing good secretary (John Henry's
girl), puts all kinds of obstacles in
the young mans way. The whole thing
is well produced, we'll directed and well
acted. "eN
Arcadia - The story of a modern
young couple who get married, but keen
the fact secret, SO that the briSe's |
career us an artist will not be affected
is told in why Announce Your Mar,
riage"' Elaine Hammerstein's s new mic.
ture.
The yarn is a good one, with touches
of originality here and there, as scandal
hangs heavily over the young DeonIe
when the gossips get busy. As in Mary
Roberts Rinehart's Seven DAYS
burglar Is the instrument of fate and
finally brings about the amusing fipoje
A big cast, including Niles Weich
Ar<lnr Housman, Florence BILLINGS
Frank Currier and Huntley Gordon, as.
VictOriar-TO the great auantitv of
viriity now to be found on the screen
must be added another story by the in
defatigable Zane Grey, entitled 'The
Last Trail" 1t has a background In
the ever popular great outdoors" and
the blowing up of dam and the re-
sultant flood are the mechanical thrills
which feature the picture, credit for
which should probably be handed TO
Director Emmett Flynn. The hero OF
this quick action feature Is Maurice
Flynn, and the cast includes Eva
Novak, Rosemary Theby, Charles X.
French and Harry Dunkinson.
Regent-Vivian Martin hasn't been
very lucky in her screen vehicles. and
seems to have become a stage fixture
again, but Pardon My French" her
latest film feature to be shown. has its |
merits. The author Is a Philadelphian.
Edward Childs Carpenter, and none
other than Irwin Cobb wrote the sub
titles. It's all about a nouveau rich |
family which moves from Kansas and
commonplaccs to Bar Harbor and So |
ciety. Miss Martin has the role of q