Evening star., 1923-11-25
BY HALLETT ABEND.

LOS ANGELES. November GA
new Bill Hart has come to the screen.
In person it is the same Bill Hart
who retired nearly three years ago.
but for screenland and as an actor it
is a new Bill. The old Bill. thought.
seemed tired and little faded. The
last three pictures he made were not
up to standard So it was with some
misgivings that l went out to the
Lasky studio to see wild Bill Hic-
kok," which marks his return to the
screen.
| In the first place. Hart seems years
younger than he was when he retired.
He weighs more and the additional
pounds are not unbecoming. he acts
incomparably better than he DID In
his last three releases. In other
words. film fans will see Bill Hart OF
six years ago in film made with all
the mechanical and technical rehhe-
ments which have marked those years
and they will see d fresher actor. one
with Surer touch than ne nau "heii
he retired.
The story has to do with the caree
of Hickok from the close of the clVli
war, when Lincoln personally thanks
him for his service to the pnion, 70
the time when approaching blindness
forces his retirement from frontler
life. 1t is full of thrills. gun play
and pioneer honor. For his Leading
woman Mr. Hart has Ethel Grey
Terry. who plays Calamity Jane with
real fire and sympathy. In fact, she
is so good that one is sorry Hlckok
did not marry the dance hall girl.
Balxac Story Modernized.
I have also previewed Balzac's The
Wild ASS Skin" which has been mod
ernized as to clothes and automobiles
and is shortly to be released by Cold
wyn as slave of Desire" The story
is fairly true to the original. except
that a happy ending has been tacked
onto it. But it is sound in structure
and has been splendidly titled.
Bessie Love repeats her recent sue
away with the picture in spite Of the
fact that people like Carmel Myers
and George Walsh are in the cast.
This is one of the big Goldwyn re-
leases of the year and is. in its way.
as good as was the new version or
"The Spoilers"
Strongheart and Lady julie. mar
velous police dogs. will soon make
their screen appearance in THE Love
Master" a northern picture in which
magnificent exterior scenes add to the
beauty. The story is not particularly
we'll told, but the human members of
the cast are quite adequate and the
dogs and the scenery alone make it
worth while.
Viola Dana's next release. I'm
Search of a Thrill" is the best pic
ture Miss Dana has made for more
than year.
Her work in it more than justif1es
putting her in Revelation" the big
Eazimova success of several years
ago, in which she is now working.
The star. not only does good emo
tional work in I'm Search of a Thrill"
but in the sequence in which she is
disguised as a Partisan Apache, she
handles some character acting ad-
mira bly,.
Buster Keatons seconi feature
length comedy. Hospitality" was
| run for me in the Schenck projection
room. This is a better Aim than
Three Ages" and shows Buster in a
costume part of America. IN 1890.
Much of the comedy is constructed
| about the first railroad ever built in
this country, which was duplicated
from old cuts and drawings in the
| Smithsonian Institution. Buster is
| surrounded by a fine cast, including
his wife, Natalie Talmadge: Joseph
| Roberts, the big comedian who died
here of apoplexy. and ki.ty Brad
bury, in the part of his rich New
York aunt.
Universal Work SIackens.
| Carl Laemmle. following the an
jnouncement that the Famous Players
| Lasky studio will close until Janu