The New York herald., 1922-04-03
Rogers Appears in
Film Adaptation of
"A Poor Relation
Play Brought Up to Date Has
Picturesque Scenes Sometimes
Gay and Again Tender.

CAPITOI-wnl Rogers In" "a Poor Re-
Iation," n Soldwyn version OF Edward
r.. Kidder's stage comedy, directed by
Clarence Badger. Scenario by Ber-
nard McConville.
This picture signalizes the advent or
the newspaper coiumnist on the screen
as figure of Importance. almost OF
grandeur. "See," the adapter OF this
famous comedy says in so many words.
"a man who has been failure as book
agent and an inventor may rise to the
dizzy heights of conducting humorous
column on a paper!'
Moreover, the down AT heels philoso-
pher suddenly acquires the appearance
OF an affluent lawyer, with the frock
coat in which no doubt a colyumist does
his snappiest work. 1t might be recon-
mended that colyumists view this picture
and enjoy an unaccustomed laugh. Poor
fellows, they usually look as If they
needed 1T.
Rogers as the Inventor.
There are other and more natural
laughs in the picture, principally be-
cause Will Rogers Is there, accompanied
1t was inevitable that the character OF
the shift!ess but lovable philosopher
who adopts two little orphans when he
can't look after himself should reach
the screen even after the lapse OF
generation since Sol Smith Russell
shambled to fame in it.
But why. oh why. did they have Rog-
ers in this modern version wear the
old fashioned plug hat that was almost
ha or,T Tu of he origin a Gtrllrfnra
of the play? Rather a thousand times
that he should wear the crippled fedora
that has been his constant companion
In the movies. Aside from this, the
play has been brought UP to date with
automobiles, tea wagons and ice cream
cones.
Much mystery surrounds the exact
nature of the garret sage's invention.
for it isn't named, though you are ex-
cited by glimpses of 1t, which Indicate
that 1t is probably a device for taking
blood pressure or making a fortune by
measuring the mean annual rainfall
While you wait. No, Uncle Noah doesn't
make a million out of it, as you sus-
pected. Instead. the modern and highly
original variation is to have the
mechanism prove impracticable, as no
doubt any device for measuring the
mean annual rainfall would be.
Right here arises the chief snag In the
cortinuity-that the hero doesn't do any-
thing to get himself out of the misfor-
tune of being evicted all over the street,
except to go and live in packing case
on the street. Rather is It a young cub
reporter who rushes off and Immediately
gets Noah a job at columing on the
strength of his own home wall notices.
If the adapter of the play thinks 1t can
be done that easily. Just let him try sub
mitting a few snappy aphorisrns on the
order of Remember the Johnstown
fiood.''
Picturesque Scenes.
There are picturesque scenes in the
tenement attic, sometimes gay and again
tender, and the adaptation has fairly
weu massaged out the rheumatism in
thes craaking joints Of the aged piece.
But ono can tell at glance that tllf
villainous manufacturer Is going to steal
thes invention merely by the way he
looks out from under his eyebrows. AS
usually happens in such plays, the
elderly inventor doesn't marry the young
heroine. though. as she happens to be
Miss Sylvia Dreamer in this case, It ap-
pears to be quite an oversight. Rogers
has some worthwhile passages with a
supercilious parrot, and is we'll sup
ported by little Jeanette Trebaol and
Robert De Vilbiss. especially when the
latter goes on fighting while his little
trousers are taking the count.
STRANGE Cities of the Sahara" a
scenic by II. ID. Ashton. showing the
bizarre underground hanitations Of
Medenine and Matnlata. and the Tuareg
town Of Ell Oued-Souf and "A Goose
Safari on the Lower Mississippi" by
Eltgine F. Warner, are two unusually
fascinating Incidental pictures. while a
gay Mack sennett comedy. The Dusk
Hunter" was evidently added by S. l..
Rothafel to convince himself that duck
hurting isn't as serious as he thinks
It is.