Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-26
BALzAC on THE SCREEN.

BALzAC on THE SCREEN.
John Cowpor Powys. In ono Of his
essays, states: ION the whole. |
Balzac must still be regarded az tho
greatest novelist that ever lived. Not |
To love Ralzac Is not TO love the art OF |
fiction. not 10 love tho huge rostora- |
tive pleasure of wandering ut large |
through n vast region of imaginary |
characters set in localities and scenes
which may be verified and authenti-
Gated by contact with original places"
Tho truo lover OF Balzac--and there
are many here in Wilmington-has
often wondered whether his charac-
ters could he translated 20 the moving
picture screen without entire loss of
tho spirit which the master infused
In his stories. All of us know how
Dumas Three Musketeers" was
murdered 20 make an athletic holiday
for tho second husband OF Mary Pick
ford. II was an interesting picture
but Il was not Dumas.
Now comes--and 10 Wilmington,
too--a screen version OF Eugene
Grandot." called rThc Conqucrine
Power" \ modern miracle occurred
IN tho filming OF that piece. for. in the
opinion of many who have viewed
1.-THE Conqucring Power" at local
theatre this week. much Of the Bal
xac spirit Is embodied In this screen
version Of the masterpiece that pos
sibly ranks next 20 Perc Goriot in
power.
ono grave mistake the producers
made. and frankly admit in the In
PRODUCTION 20 the play: no effort was
made 20 stage the play in Its proper
historical period. II is a severe Jar
10 the imagination 10 see Charles
Grandct ride 10 tho miser's home in n
| limousine. However. after the in
,roductory scenes the setting is such
that today Is rapidly forgot as yester-
I day Is shown. The people in the
smaller towns Of Franco in 1922 do
not differ much IN habit. thought--and
clothine-from the people threc-quar
ters os a century ago.
The story is followed very closely
OF course there Is the handicap tina,
every picture suffers under-thc mar
Vicious beauty OF a masters pen pic.
lures, and his philosophical disserta.
lions are missing; but TO a certain
extent that is counterbalanced by tn,
clever Perturbation OF the rniser's In
creasing mania for gold. The con
rict between love and greed is shown
ia u tstcSt lSN'4AN. iiiiiAiiei- IL SUE
w,thou, saying that the acting i
superb.
No picture can ever portray tn
entire spirit that a writer infuse'
into his novel. That is impossible
But IN our opinion The Conquerini
Power" depicts Balzacs "Eugeni
Grandet" with more fidelity 70 tn
authors conception than any pictur
based on a novel that we have eve
viewed. II is a masterpiece IN I.
way.
Those who have enjoyed "Eugeni
Crandct" have a real treat in stor
for them, for THE Conquering Power
Will remain in Wilmington the II
mainder OF the week. Those VIII
have never read the book. and VIII
may harbor the delusion that Balza
= was a wicked writer" should by a
means see the movie 1t preachs
one OF the mos. powerful OF sermon
" and a IS interesting from the fir.
Fash on the screen 10 the final clos,
UP.
IL il not once in a blue moon tn;
Every Evening editorially endorses
motion picture. But In this case v
. feel that We are justified in doing 6
Incidentally. we wish that son
OF the gentry who believe that go
!, In everything In life would see "Tl
!. Conquering Power" OF course
wouldn't change their views. but
!. might give them something 10 thin
about.