The New York herald., 1922-04-09


II greatly entertaining old
friend. Harry Leon Wilson.
quite returned to normalcy The
book preceding this was a slight
wandering "off his beat'-not that
The Wrong Twin" wasn't a good
story. for it was. but it might pos
sibly have been written BY some one
else. This one could not have come
from any other hand. 1t IS one or
the penalties of having created a
Ruggles" and a Bunker Bean"
that the public will not willingly let
their maker do anything of lesser
individuality. 1t IS a severe demand.
but in Merton" Mr.. Wilson fully
lives up to il. Merton is worthy
to be enshrined along with his two
immortal predecessors. He is unique
In conception Merton is a more
subtly understood character than
anything Mr.. Wilson has as yet pro
duced- II the texture of workman
ship. the more or less mechanical
side Of expression is. sometimes, just
: little careless. suggestive of haste,
thar is small matter compared
to the excellence OF the whole. Not
that it is really careless or in any
way slipshod; merely that its sur
face does not always show the high
polish OF some Of Mr. Wilson's other
work. When that very slight flaw
IS noted there is little left to say
except in the line of Joyous. ex-
hilarated approval and enjoyment OF
the delectable entertainment and
edification provided by the story.
The moving picture world is so
patiently exactly the field wherein
one would expect Mr.. Wilson's keen.
mildly sardonic but fundamentally
good natured humor 10 function that
it is only remarkable that he has
waited until now TO take it up in
q serious way" and devote a whole
book to it, But now he has made
a very thorough job of it. His criti-
eism is beautifully adapted TO the
end in view: he is not afraid. when
necessary. to outtravesty the widest
burlesques, but for the most part
it is more delieately managed dis
section, a turning on and off. as de
sired. Of just the right exploratory
lighting TO guide the hand of the
demonstrators. Its deftness and ac-
euraey of touch are superb.
Mr.. Wilson is master of ne very
difficult art of the extravaganza. He
knows just where to stop. just how
% shift from the monumentaliy abb
surd at the precise instant when it
threatens to become the impossible
and thus spoil itself. He knows. too
and this Is even a rarer gift-how
10 make his broadest human alb
surdities still always human and
with a side to them that remains
dignified lovable. sometimes even
tragic in its humanness. The Merton
OF this story IS truly heroic figure
in spite of himself. He is the. per-
feet Nut but his very nuttiness is
majestieally human.
The story records the transforma-
ton OF Merton Gill. hard worked
clerk in the general store" Of Amos
@. Gashwiler (an emporiun-Every
thing for the Home Our Prices AL
ways Right at Simsbury. Illinois
into the famous young screen hero
Clifford Armytage OF Hollywood
Merton is the living incarnation OF
hlm multitude" if we may be al
lowed the phrase. lie IS passionately
determined 10 become a screen hero
stuff. the great outdoors where a
man is man" sc. H is immensely
upIifted by the serious nobility OF
. all He has soul above the
comics. and he takes everything and
everybody concerned in the business
with the utmost seriousness. He has
a vivid screen imagination. rea
talent for the makebelieve. a child