The New York herald., 1922-03-20
Betty Compson in
Film Juggles Knipes
as Well as Hearts
Takes Part of Apache Girl in
Last Production Of w.
Desmond Taylor.

RIyOLI-Miss Betty Compson In "The
Green Temptation" Paramount pic
ture adapted from the story "The
Noose.' BY Constance Lindsay Skin
ner, and directed by william ID. Tay-
Tor. Scenario by Monte NJ. Katter-
john and Julia Crawford Iyers.
William Desmond Taylor's last pro-
duction just misses greatness py the
length OF. a war. The director was
faced with the problem OF showing the
| regeneration In a Paris Apache girl
conflict, and yet of making the trans
formation so gradual and plausible that
1t wouldn't seem on par with the
change effected by one of those over
night complexion creams.
To do this he had to show bombs
bursting In air and the rockets red
glare while the picture marked time.
His method was essentially undramatic
right in the midst of the story. just
when it should be gathering force. ready
to spring. Here the producer did not
merely run afoul Of the still lingering
prejudice against mentioning the war or
trying to settle who won it. He simply
did not make his war situations tneat-
ricaly effective. for he did not introduce
his three important male characters TO
influence the action of the heroine and
evoke from her anything but smile Of
guaranteed Grad A spirituality. The
trench scenes were excellent of their
kind, but they were mere atmosphere,
no more dramatic than poison gas.
This was rather disappointing after
a splendid beginning. in which Miss
Betty Compson portrays little Pari-
sian dancer, pupil of the rascally Har-
lequin Of a pantomime show which
distracts the populace while their
Apache allies plunder their homes and
shops, splitting with the Harlequin for
his share OF this kind of amusement
concession. After her initial success in
"The Miracle Man" it is part OF Miss
Compsons destiny to be surrounded
with crooks and eventually to win
through to the light from their poorly
illuminated dens. Here she tries il ON
Paris
The changes in her character are con-
veniently marked out for the audiences
by three changes in the color of her
hair--a neat device. When she is In
an Apache dive. alternately dancing
spectacularly with the men and slap
ping their faces, her curls are inevitably
dark and sinister When she Is in her
public character. the dancing idol Of
the bouleyards. but still fitting 10 the
underworld and aiding her accomplices
IN robbing the wealthy homes .xhere
she performs. her hair is an appropri-
ate false gold. Finally when she. has
learned right from wrong as a nurse,
and you know she's sincere, Miss Comp
son displays her own ash-blonde
tresses-though even here zone may
still be guessing.
Miss Compson exhibits her unusual
terpschorean powers in a gorgeous
Amazonion dance to aid her in stealing
''Tho Green Temptation" which is a
rare emerald owned by her hostess. and
not dollar bills, as some OF the audience
guessed audbly at first. Likewise she
demonstrates she can juggle knives as
well As hearts. Her quiet, simple glow
In her deeper moments would disarm
the Paris chief OF police himself.
Those early episodes. while not on a
high plane. have all the color and mys-
terry, the swift action through trapdoor
and dark spaces that one expects from
Sarfs guide books. After sagging the
story pulls itself together at the end,
but It is then almosA too late, and one
has come to realize that the war GER
tainly lasted four years. The audience
could have taken il for granted that the
girl changed, without watching the elm
ical operation on her character.
Theodore Kosloff Is excellent as the
wolfish Harlequin, indulging again in
that knife throwing that is coming to
be an intrinsic part OF every Kosloff
role. It is interesting 10 note that Tay-
lor, himself getting on in years, made
his real hero a middle aged man. lie
would have made this picture an en-
during monument to his genius but for
the middle. in which 1t looks as II
someone chucked in scenes haphazard.
An1--oh. yes, Miss Compson wears some
striking costumes. These ought to be
mentioned perhaps because it almost
made the censors shake their fingers at
the picture.