South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-07-09
WALLY REID STILL
HOLDS The CROWN
OF FILM SUCCESS
Richard Harding Davis Story
is Fine Vehicle for
SIick-Haired Apollo.
by JAMES NrDoNNALD.
lspeelaI 70 The New.-TImesl

NEW YORK July s.-(By y. e
a. News Service Heroes may
come and heroes may 90. but Wally
Reid goes on forever True. ne has
bis ebb tide when some other slick
haired Apollo supplants him FOR a
time but his fun tide follows just al
surely as Tho crest OF one wave fol-
lows the ebb flow Of another.
THE Dictator marks his return
20 the full tide OF glory This adapta-
tion OF the Richard Harding Davis
story and play furnishes him with
his best picture in months.
Like many OF the Reid pictures It
tells the story OF a young man who
doesn't believe in work. but who gets
there Just the same. This time he
becomes dictator OF q tropical cOun-
try as the result OF a mad chase
. after girl with whom he has fallen
n love.
The girl is the daughter OF a rebel
chief Wally's father Is the banana
king" who fixes the price OF fruit &C
cording 20 the cost OF tropicaf presi-
dents.
Riot Of HumOr.
Wally's father was against the
revolution. but that made no differ
ence 20 Wally He led the rebel
forces and won the girl.
The picture starts out with a farci-
cal subtitle and the farce continues
una bated until he fade-out The d.
rection of James Cruze n after the
manner or a veteran Jockey who gets
his horse off first when the barrier
is sprung and keeps him there until
the race IS over.
For the direction OF farce comedy
OF the type or The Dictator" give
me Cruzs every time He Is without
a peer IN that line.
The most dificult thing 20 express
in literature IS conversation. Few
book characters talk ike their liv-
ing prototypes.
Fannie HurEt-except when she
Is talking about herself with such
expressions as the dew IS still upon
the rOse"-prObably reprOduces real
life conversations better than any
other contemporary writer.
But even her stories which have
been translated into celluloid have
had stilted conversational subtitles
Walter Long. as a taxi driver
makes his part one OF the outstand-
ing features OF The Dictator" The
conversational gubtitles credited to
his utterance make this role one OF
the most natural bits the screen ever
. has reflected
The Kfng7 "Om Jazzbei"
He talks Ike a taxi driver. not like
a college professor He refers 10 the
banana king" as "Old JazZbo."
Being quizzed BY tropical gov
eminent about the disposal OF am
munition. he says Cant you under
stand United States2 J told you .
dozen times the hardware's parked
over there IN the drink"
Any taxi driver viii tell you he
meant the firearms we're IN a boat
Slap-stick comedies Of merit are
few and far between. That, because
the leading comedians OF the day
pay more attention 20 story plot and
the opportunity 20 display their owl
pantomimic talent.
The best SLAP stick comedy IN
many a day is step This Way" II
Is filled with many original gags
new stuff. There are many stunts in
10 that show more ingenuity thar
those displayed in recent comedies
by Chaplin. Lloyd Keaton and Ham
ilton
step This Way has no star II
was built for fun OF the burIesque
tyne II accomplishes It's mission.
The power or the subtitle Is bes'