The New York herald., 1922-01-02
JUST AROUND CORNER
FILM OF POOR WIDOW
Picture From Fannie Hurst
Story Has Intimate Details.
RIALTO-"Just Around the Corner"
Cosmopolitan production for Para
mount, adapted fron Fannie Hursts
story and written and directed by
Frances Marion.


story and written and directed by
Frances Marion.
This is another Of those stories about
tired mother--a poor widow with two
children. They are increasing greatly
of late, although no one seems to con-
slider audiences can grow tired. too. 1t
illustrates the truism that pathos is ap-
pealing only when it is trenchantly brief,
for IL 1t is too long drawn out The spec
tator begins to feel sorry for himself
rather than the characters.
In this case some long distance suffer-
ing is done by the mother, who in add:-
ton to having bad heart spells is wor-
ried almost to death because she can't
have the young man who is taking out
her daughter up to the old family tene-
ment once for some Of her famous home
cooking. The peculiar Importance which
old fashioned mothers of the Ghetto
attach to inspecting at least once the
youth who Is courting their daughters
is not properly emphasized in this pic
ture and. for that matter, the East Side
has quite the reverse reputation with
outsiders.
But here II forms the crux of the
photoplay, If it can be said to have any
thing quite so definite as a crux. The
racial significance in its theme which
might be indicated by the names of the
characters and their occasional lapses
into appropriate dialogue Is lost because
not one of them suggests in facial ap-
pearance the Ghetto-in fact their
countenances are several avenues re-
moved from the shabby section of New
York.
The picture. as might be expected
from an adaptation of fiction by Miss
Hurst, abounds in intimate details, but
no one knows better than the authoress
of that film landmark "Humoresque"
that a picture is not made by such home
touches as a young man hazarding his
face in his first shave. This one is al
most static through three-auarters of its
length, the principal stir being caused
by the mothers objection to a position
as theater usher taken by her daughter,
who promptly reveals the baneful effect
the life is having on her by dropping
her gs".
She walks aat with a young ticket
speculator-whose calling. by the way,
is no longer illegal, as indicated here.
After taking her to a typical dance hall
competition he refuses TO present him
self before the widow. and the girl. to
save her face with her dying mother
does the logical thing one might expect
picks up as his substitute n young
man on the street who is unknown to
her. But he turns out 70 be the right
sort. though apparently he Is not deemed
worthy of being introduced to the
audience. That Is the most striking
thing about this photoplay-that the
name OF the ultimate hero is never men
toned, so that you are left 10 guess he Is
one Of those fairy princes tha. fire.
quently appear on the East Side.
Miss Margaret Seddon acts with pic
torlal appeal. but with no dramatic ef-
feet, one of those mothers to whom Miss
Hurst. having succeeded with one. now
seems chained on the screen. Lewis
Sargent, as the messenger boy son. was
the refreshing spot in the story; every
time the tousled hair OF this youthful
star of "Huckleberry Finn" came in
sight one felt new life surglng through
ones veins. Miss Sgrld Holmquie
hailed as the Swedish Mary Pickford. -
proved highly attractive and capable on
her screen debut here. though perhaps she
was picked mainly for hor ability TO run
about through snow.