Evening star., 1922-10-02
C0LUMBIA-Cecil B. De Miles
, GRANDDAUGHTER"

All the world, loves luxury and.
those who can't have It, themselves
like to witness others who are for
es tssHsts ss tks Sas ssh:s IN
crowds overnowed the Columbia
Theater all yesterday Afternoon and
evening TO witness the latest pro-
duction by the screen naster Of lux
Mr.. de Mile more than fulfills the
public expectations along this line
in "Manslaughter"-the moving pic
ture with an ugly name and q beauti-
full cloak. The contrast between the
gorgeousness Of many OF the scenes
and the grim. stark tragedy of many
of the episodes of the play itself is
rather marvellous. One goes away
deeply impressed with the bfgness Of
the theme, its universal appeal and
it's special aptness' at. this particular
"adanslaughter" is a story Of today.
It is so modern that 1t can best be
Identified by the unpoetio but force
full expression iof todRv-"hot of the
griddle." Yet the actions attributed
to the fast youngest set Of today's
picture, find a conttant parallel in
the actions of the debauched youth of
ancient Rome that is almost ludicrous
in its exactness. Yet there is a
CHASTITY prophetic note in the COM
pdrlSOn tnat QOeS not 1edVe ple0o-
ant taste in the mouth. The picture
is full of vivid contrasts of scenes
in modern homes of luxury, scenes
in the machinery of modern prisons.
and scenes in great balls given over
to Racchanalian revelry in the time
Of the Caesars.
Leatrice Joy. as Lydia Thorne, the
pampered speedy" young girl OF q
wealthy family. gives an individual
ity to her character that is not at all
hampered by the fne clothes she
lwears. and she holds the interest and
ence through the entire picture. Lois
Wilson, as Evans, the maid who stole
a ring in her desperate desire to get
her sick little boy to California to
save his life. also gives an excellent
these actresses in all their previous
screen work has ever eQualed her de-
lineation in this picture. Thomas
Neighan. as the much ch-tortured dis
trict attorney, who nearly loses his
girl he loves, is back on his old pedes-
tai as a real actor. His work Is much
better than 1t has been in his last
few pictures.
Mr.. De Mile evidently chose his cast
with an eye for the artistic fitness Of
her particular role. even when it was
just a bit. He has famous character
actors, such as Charles OgIe. Spottis-
| woode Aiken and Edythe Chapman.
in small parts. as a physician, foreman
of a jury and a much-worried chap
eron. This Is not by any means q
one. two or three star picture. 1t Is
really all-star, and those in the
smaller parts are not sacrificed to
keep the principals on the screen, as
has been done in other pictures,
where the story was sacrificed to the
individual popularity Of the star.
others who contribute much to the
realistic development Of the story
are Jack Mower. Julia Faye, Casson
Ferguson and John Miltern.
The De Mile boudoir touches are
much more in evidence in an elabo-
rately embroidered black velvet bed
spread, a bouquet Of flowers as a safe
combination door. and many other
characteristic super-voluptuous notes.
The wild scenes in the Roman SET
tings are gorgeous and often startling
and the girl prize fight In one of the
modern roadhouse scenes is unusual.
to say the least. Scott Fitzgerald
himself does not more vividly por-
tray in his popular novels the spirit
of the age than Is shown in this play.
In a way Mr.. De Mile is the Scott
Fitzgerald of the movies. and there
is every indication that "Manslaugh-
ter will be listed as one of the big
gest and most talked-about picture
plays OF this year.