San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-24
Richard Dix Makes Strong
Appeal in Feud Picture:
Good Pictures at Palace;
Majestic Pleases With
Second Bill-Park Play
ers Have Good Vehicle.

ITO the Last Man taken from
Zane Gray's novel Of the same name
is this weeks offering at the Empire
theater. 1t is q stirring and dramatic
story of a feud that is transferred
from Texas in the early days to the
Happy Valley of the Tonic Basin. in
tween "Gaston Isbel" acted by Robert
Edison. and Lee forth" by Fred
Huntley. and includes every person
connected with either family in its
icadly hatred. The OILY unconvincing
feature in the p:rtu:e is the reason
gwen for the origin If the feud.
The Isbel family, which includes the
father, several grown sons and their
wives and children live in primitive
but large and comfortable ranch house
on one side of the Basin, and wait
for the return OF the youngest son
Jean" VINO has been on a lengt.:y
hunting expedition in Oregon. They
ae much harrasscd by cattle thiav.s,
ard have more than little reas III to
suspect the .Iorth clan, who live ross
tive Basin, of being the marauders. The
to;th houhnhold consists of a g-oip
% unrelated men, who know many
ways besides ranching TO turn an
| honest penny" The only woman in
this group is the leader Jorth's dsugh-
ter, Ellen" who has been accustomed
through lack of other association to al
] lowing the men in her fathers employ
to make rather rough love to her.
These two young people NEE. on
the return of Jean FRI IN the north and
become warm friends without either
knowing that the J.lia- belongs To tie
composing family. Wien Ellen learns
who Jean is and tells him of tic
haired that exists between the two
families, is the first time Jean has
ever heard of tie feud.
Much fighting occurs. that is so well
done as to be very startling to wit
ness. The 1sbel family are barricaded
in their ranch house, and many of
the rembers, including little boy,
are shot from ambush. After CASTOR
Isbel is treacherously shot the re-
naming Isbel men ride in pursuit of
the forth clan, who so far, have more
killings to their account. In this hot
chase through the mountains, there is
staged a most remarkable and appall-
ing scene. One of the fleeing forth
elan sets a charge of dynamite in the
side of the mountain, which explodes
just as the pursuing 1sbels have
reached the road beneath. The huge
crashing stones that fall and crush
both men and horses, make scene
that is convincingly and disturbingly
real. and when the excitement subsidies
little it is real relief to remember
that, impossible as it seems, it is real
ly only a wonderfully conceived piece
of stage business.
"The last man," who energies from
the humiliation and ruin wrought by
the shattered hillside, is Jean Isbel,
who, after more fighting. is wounded
and takes refuge in a deserted cabin
on the hillside. Ellen Jorth is brought
here by one of her fathers gang as the
picture is completed with a climax
as dramatic and as logical as the rest
of the story.
1t is hard TO praise the acting of
the leading characters too highly. Luis
Wilson is at her appealing best, as
ELLEN Jorth," while Richard Dix, as
"Jean Isbel. the last man," easily
takes rank as one of the finest actors
on the screen. SO thoroughly convinc-
ing is he as the central figure, that
he does not seem to be acting at all.
The splendid acting, the dramatic
story. and the wonderful scenic effects
combine to make this about the best
picture Empire patrons have seen for
a long time past.
Don Philippini again delighted his
audience with his performance of the
overture to Offenbach's "Orpheus in
der Untervelt," His Interpretation is
spirited and individual and marked by
his habit of conducting with his voice
as we'll as his baton. His wife. Nine.
Suzanne Lehman, soprano. in Del
Riego "Homing." and "Marquita" is
very charming added attraction.
The comedy Easter Bonnets" is
unusually amusing. and the Pathe
News. are of much interest to San An
tonians. as they feature pictures Of
the recent maneuvers at Camp Bulls
Texas