New-York tribune., 1922-07-31
On the Screen
"FooIs First" Pleascs at the
Strand; "Hcr Cilded Cage
nj the Rivoli
By Harriette Underhill

The best time 20 visit the Strand
Thcater this week is az $500 p. M. or
at o p. m. Then you viii rct 100 leat pm
time 90 hear "Iho Parade OF tn.
Wooden Soldiers" played better thhn it
has ever been played even at tne
aChauve Sourif." where it was hrst ~
iroducod 20 New York. by thi' We ao
not mean that 10 is wise 90 miss the
feature. which comes just before ms
FOR "Fools First is one of the best
picturcs Che Strand has hnd this sea-
son. only the fascinating Russian
music. coming right at thc end oi the
picturo. ia diFtractne. and ii you 80
and hear that frt when Che picture ih
finished you can walk out and reflect
on it
fact that Marshall Ncilan is such
fine dircctori ~ wc were "a director on
n producer we should 90 Co see every
thing be does. The only trouble is thnt
YOU can give people this advice, but
YOU cannot give them the brains neees-
rarv IN they are 20 derive any bcneht
from it. n you tell a producer that
YOU do not Ike his picture because it
h Cheap be will say "But 30 cost
$50. 900. my dear young lady And n
the directors and producers do go ana
look nj "Fools First thcy probably
will think their own productions much
nicer. u is only after picture makes
a lot OF money that they conclude 10 is
time TO begin 90 try 90 emulate.
Mr Neilan has thought more about
making his heroine and hero interest
ING than be- has about making them
noble. Therefore. they ore very hn-
man. Then. be- has no star, and no %
has not been necessary 90 stop the ac-
ton OF the story 90 take closc-ups OF
tears rolling from BEADED eyc laghca
adown stellar checks nor 90 have por-
traits Of Young lady with an electric
bulb concealed boo her coIhurc taken
out OF focus Tho story can proceed
without any Of these dctours because
the cast is an star instead of one star.
We never have liked Richard Dix aF
much as we do In this picture. and be-
seems better looking than ever, toof
but tho greatest performance in the
picture is given by Raymond Griffith
ae Tony the Wop. Claude Gillng-
water plays Denton Drcw, man who
likes 90 study criminals at close range,
and Claire Windsor is Ann Whitaker,
his secretary, whose father Was noted
forccr
Thc first part Of the picture is pretty
biood-curdlinC, FOR 90 shows The gang
in full swing. A boy. known only as
"Thc Kid" is killed by o member OF
the gang. when the detective ysit
thcir headquarters the gang SO the
CORPSE up iu % chair and stick cif-
arctic between his fingers, so tnat when
the officers break in the room be- is, np-
parcutly, taking part on poker game.
II is q CHASTITY scene, worthy OF shcr-
lock Holmes.
Speedy rctribution ovcrtakcs tAc
murderer. however. Tor Tony send.
Blonde Clark bis girl. out to CORA.
Cockney Joe, ana after shipping all
the buttons on bis coat and wastco4t
with his stiletto he sfabs him t9 Che
heart. Il isn't pleasant, but 90 D.
thrilling, and DO is done with so much
action and with 90 few titles tnat BE- is
awfully convincing Richard Dix if o.
pacifc member of th.F gang
rr. forging 90 violence, and abou. this
time be is sent up The uvtf Ia. ..
years. When hc comes out be s met
bv beautiful Claire Windsor, who tells
him 90 60 after big game and She viii
help him. She says that her fathers
last words were. "l deserve thir for
being "a piker" So. together, they
plan 90 steal 100000
From here the story proceeds along
very unusual lines.
The cleyercst child in the pictures
has small part. She is the little one
who does comedies aN hy herself
Baby Peggy or Baby Marie hcr name if.
She is the only child on the screen
who never makes you feel that you