Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-08
THE MOVIE FANS LETTERBOX
By HENRY NJ. NEELY

Gee Jay writes: ~ find still have
confidence enough to write you again.
although when read your reply TO my
letter week or so ago in which you
waxed sarcastic on my opinion Of Be
yond the Rocks felt I would never
have the courage to write you again.
II saw Neilans 'Penrod' last evc.
! ming and enjoyed seeing my old book
friends in reel life. The picture.
think. afforded pleasure to all. but
was disappointed in several Of the por-
trayals. in so far as they were so diff
ferent from the characters in Tarking-
ton book.
II have read 'Penrod' and 'Penrod
and Sam three or four times, and while
don't suppose 1t will make a particle
ct difference to you. or any one else.
nevertheless ! would like to tell you of
the few who did not live up to my idea
',f the boys and girls in the books.
First. Baby Rennsdale' was de.
serving of a better portrayal. l will
admit that Peggy Jane was cute and
pretty and could do some rather origi-
nal facial contortions, but she couldn't
have been more than three or. nt the
most. four years Of age. and the Baby
Rennsdale of 'Penrod' was eight years
old. That age was assuredly a baby
age to the boys Of 'Penrod's' size. hence
their term Baby as applied to her.
To see poor Penrod trying to keep step
with a tot like Peggy Jane (who. by
the way. didn't keep step at ally was
really burlesque Of the occurrences IN
the book. ct
certainly was overdrawn. The part may
have been taken by a child but it was
not as sophisticated n Fanchon that
Booth Harrington wrote about. In my
opinion Clara Horton would have made
an admirable Fanchon, and methinks
one of the trio of pretty little girls one
had merely a glimpse of would have
made hetter Marjorie.
"Of course, know scenarios are
never like the books. but it certainly
wouldn't have been much trouble to
have selected these characters more true
to form. em sure all readers and
lovers of the 'Penrod' stories will agree
with me.
There. I'm done with finding
fault.
lis Johnny Harron brother to
Bobby Harron? thought I detected
a resemblance to the Bobby Harron
whom 7 used to love to see with Lii
liam Gish In the Griffith pictures.
Also, wasn't Gordon Griffith. who
played Sam. the boy who played in
Twain's Tom Sawyer and 'Huckle.
. berry Finn:
tai episode Of the movie product of
Tarkington's brain? 1t puts the right
| touch to the picture. inasmuch as II
! gives reason for and q good ending
to II. ,.
tota! lack of knowledge concerning
things in general and evil in particular.
Imagine any one, even a heather. not
| knowing the picture of Eric Won Stro-
helm or asking what did he ever do?
The question is. what hasn't he done?
You gnve a good answer to her, or him.
and your description of the Ossifer Is
, true 10 life and could not be mis-
taken.
However, methinks Just Landed
was trying to put one over on all of us,
as if we would believe there was any
one living who didn't know Won Stro.
helm through his war pictures. Evil
travels faster than good. and VIC wish
he would keep on travelling to some
more distant shore.
Il never thought any of my answers
to the fans were couchcd in such fierce
terms as to scare them away. but, any
way. I'm glad YOU got up enough cour-
age to come back for more. This time,
however. we've no crow to pick. I en-
joged "Penrod.' and while | cant see
where there is anything in it calculated
to start one of our "tempests in let.
The Sheik' and Beyond the Rocks J
I'm Glad n vOur Ct lon m II
You're quite right about some of the
portrayals being far from Harrington.
ian, but, as a matter of fnct. I went to
see 1t expecting as much. I've got to
the stage where ! expect to be disap-
pointed and so am motif you get what
mean. Anyway. I'll say this for Nei
lan's production-it doesn't ruin PEN
rod as they ruined Seventeen when
they picturized that.
OF course. Peggy Jane was absurd
as Baby Rennsdale. The few laughs
she may have gained by her "cuteness
were overtopped by the outraged feel
ings OF all true Tarkinstonians--o
which am certainly one. And tha
silly. and not In the proper spirit a
scenario writer's brain.
Yes, Johnny Harron Is Robert
brother. The latter was a splendi
young actor, and his death was a YER
real loss to the screen. I've rathe
SHE'D at printing pictures Of stars VIII
have died. so II you don't mind YER
much ! won't. but, to make up, ~
rush that O'Brien picture as soon a
possible. Yes, Gordon Grifhth played i
''Huckleberry Finn"
You're quite right about "Jus
Landed; none Of us are taking hir
(of hsr) ssriously.)