Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-06-14
School Days

yesterday at Cne luIe I1ouA hhaVilSS
all the kids in town had double
treat; a block of the latest craze in
confections, and that scream IN him
comics called school Days. The
enterprising management gave free
with every ticket, palate-tickler OF
the choeolate-eoated, ice-cream-hlled
"Esuuimo Pie, and the boys and
girls of Alexandria thus had three
senses revealing in delight at the
usual price of one; three rings going
at once. Their eyes, by the side-spht-
ting film with Wesley Barry as the
freckle-faced school-kid; their ears by
the Jolly jazz-music to which their
feet shuffied time; and their palates
by the seductive concoction that
trickled slowly down their eager
threats. The management promise
to repeat the free treat today and to-
morrow at the matinees, from two
o'clock till six.
But their elders came in crowds,
as well. What memories this classic
by the famous Gus Edwards brought
back to life! And "Freckles" Barry,
that youthful genius of the silver
screen-how like all the boys that
ever lived-how perfect picture of
all the boys that ever will live and
make happier the hearts of a world
aged by time and the sorrows of life!
There was not man in the
audience that did not sigh for the
Joyous, care-free days when to go
barefoot was an inestimable privi-
lege; when to play hooky with fish
pole and a can of wriggling worms
was to taste the pleasures Of for
hidden paradise; when to play pranks
on the teacher and tease the girls,
were the sole alleviations of the dark
some hours of study and recitation.
Then, too, the first callow prick
lings of an unfiedged sentiment Tor
the other sex; a strange and grue-
some sensation, unknown as to cause
and a thing of mystery as to effect.
The moods of a growing boy, body
out-growing mind and brain striving
to catch IN! His fancies, his mag
inings, his ambitions, his dreams OF
the future-seldom understood and
never appreciated by his elders
these are all portrayed by "Freck-
les, with freshness, a zest, and an
righteousness, that charm and capti-
vatc young and old alike. He is the
universal Boy-no doubt Of that, He
has made his own whatever of right
belongs to boyhood. The truth of
this is apparent from the fact that
we all recognize our boyish selves
/ in mis- inimitable impersonation Of
Speck Brown-the hero of the film.
Then the dog, Freckles's own little,
, lonesome cur, as homely as his master,
an orphan and an outcast, kicked
about by the world in general, and
compelled to offer daily excuse for a
despised existence! These two have
hearts that beat as one-and the re-
Quilted affection and loyalty of each
to the other is no less touching than
true.
OF course the Girl is there! And
she is wcll-played by airline Black
burn. who makes of her fitting
counterpart to Freckles Barry. We
have made the sometime remark that
perhaps children are especially
adapted to screen plays because they
arc natural mimics-and their pan
tomime and action is unspoiled by the
self-consciouSnesS that comes to all
with the years. At any rate these
two could not be surpassed in their
charming delineation of bOy-and-girl
life.
The rest of the cast are good
could not be improved upon, in fact
and the tout ensemble is wonderfully
fascinating and absorbing TO the be-
holder, of whatever age.
The play gives boy-iife as it SHOULD
/ he: clean, wholesome, with the fresh
, hve-o'clock-atmosphere of the couu
try filing ones lungs with the yer!
JOY of living. and with good anC
kindly folk moving about and lead
ing their simple, homely lives, I'm
= tainted with the artifciality Of mod
= ern urban existence. There is
touch of the city, too, but the fina
ercunt is back to the farm.
I We suggest to our readers tina
they go to see this prettiest of fir
:. plays that we have had in lon
time-and settle themselves down I
an hour or two of genuine laughte
: and keen enjoyment. The week WI
= be all the better for it!