San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-21

that Id hesitate in using to describe
the picture Maurice Tourneur has made
from Sir Hall Gaines THE Chris
tian."
"The Christian" is a big photoplay-
big in concept and in treatment. 1t is
the best photoplay Maurice Tourneur
has yet made. 1t is more substantial
contribution TO the screen than all of the
photoplays Goodwin released in 1922.
The story Of THE Christian" is too
familiar to be reeounted here in detail.
Written a quarter of century ago.
it is Hall Gaines most widely circulated
novel. 1t has been enacted on the stage
and has twice before been transferred
TO the screen.
John Storm, the hero, renounces a
career as stateman TO enter the
clergy when he witnesses some of the
woes that beset the world. Glory
Quayle, whom he loves, has never seen
anything but poverty and refuses TO
marry him when he takes up career
that means poverty and priyation.
Glory becomes a nurse III a London
| hospital and Storm enters a monastery.
There he is torn between conflicting
l GnlOtlODS anu NHtl Ills dlltNlAbll ltl NuG
girl triumphs he fOrswears his vows.
| Leaving the monastery he learns that
! she is now great stage favorite. tie
| establishes a mission and gains great
| popularity with the rabble until his
work is undone by evil forces.
He visits Glory to kill her, believing
/ that he is following the dictate Of God.
She protests her love for him. and he,
| his love for her. Leaving her home
he is set upon by mob and MORALLY
wounded. Before his death. Glory
is married to him and promises he shall
| be her only bridegroom.
Credit is due the producers for re-
! tanning the logical ending. Movie
| makers yield to the temptation of
milksop endings too often. The penetra-
| ton into human psychology evinced by
, Tourneur throughout his direction al
the film would have been set at naught
by any other ending.
| Mae Busch and Richard Dix take a
long step forward in the ranks OF
screen players through their work in
| "Tbe Christian" Accustomed to seeing
! Miss Busch only in vampire roles, her
portrayal of Glory Quayle, rs n young
girl, as a nurse and as a stage star,
came as a revelation. Here is an actress
who will soon range with the foremost
on the screen. .-.-.--.-..- y....
However. the great revelation in the
cast was Phyllis Haver. The popular
convention of her is that of a statuesqut
Sennett bathing beauty. In the sccnt
in which she finds her brother and sur
renders her baby to him she does as flint
bit of emotional acting the screen ha
seen since Pauline Frederick starred in
Madame NJ
"The Bright Shawl" will not b
filmed as Joseph Hcrgesheimer wrote
it. / learned that as l watched Johr
s. Robertson directing Richard Barthel
mess in scenes of it.
The usual method Of transferring
stories TO the screen has been re
versed TO this instance. Hergc
sheimcr based his story on an ole
mans vision of young mans 70
nance. The movie eliminates tn
vision. Frequently movie adds I
vision to forestall criticism of it
improbability. w..
Hergesheimer's story as writer
would have made futile photo
= play Robertson told me. "Th
! hero. never accomplished anything. HI
was a simp. He went TO Cuba TO savt
t the country. His attitude toward wo