San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-09
Barrymore as Beau Brummel'
Famous Actor Personifies Famous Fop in Film Soon
to Be Released.
BY JACK JUNGMEYER

ned In Harry BeaumontS superb
production for Warner Brothers,
soon to be released. Barrymore he's
much Of that same personal elan
and insouciance which elevated the
pennness, obscure George Bryan
Brummel to the social arbiter of
England and the inst gentleman
of Europe during the reign OF
George III.
Presented in this day of revived
foppishness, the pictured romance
of the Beau, authenticated as well
as may be from historic and legend
airy sources. should find a particu-
larly receptive audience.
Barrymore is sounoly supported
by the cast. Willard Louis, as the
him. Irene Rich, Mary Astor. Car
mel Myers, Alec Francis, William
HUMPHREYS and Richard Tucker. to
single out q few others, contribute
vitality to the drama cunningly
woven by Director Beaumont.
The common impression Of Brum-
mel Is vague beyond the fact that be
was the pink of dress and manner.
That his capitalization of elegance
came as q result Of tragic love af-
fair, and that he subsequently fell to
rags and madness when royal favor
waned, is the illuminating gist of the
= story as filmed.
In ludicrous, tense and pathetic
episode is unreeled the progress OF
tie dandy who, to avenge himself
for broken romance. deliberately
sets out to use his charm and VT
in a game against that snobbish So
ciety which wounded bin. He toys
mockingly with the prince, finding
vry pleasure in dalliance with court
women, dominance of the dull regent
and his retainers, the jealousies OF
his impotent enemies, the vanities
INDUCED at expense Of his cowed
creditors. Too sure Of his power.
finally, he offends Wales and sinks
quickly into that oblivion whence
he arose.
Despite the general excellence Of
the film and the brilliant acting Of
BARRYMORE. I feel he has missed a
truly great performance by narrow
margin. 1 think it lies in his failure
quite to exploit the deep, warm I'M
dertones of character, the tender ro-
manticism below the veneer of bit
terness, which Beau Brummel"
ascribes to the title role.
But IL Barrymore misses shades OF
characterization in the earlier pas
sages, he rises to superb heights OF
artistry at the close when, doddering
in A prison asylum and musing with
wraiths. his Brummel is found by
the lost sweetheart, Lady Margery,
now widowed, and by his faithful re-
tainer.
Here the ehriveled soul Of the
Beau peers forth pathetically, the
restraints of pose gone. .f
Butchers, bakers, tailors and other
respected guilds Of industry hsve
Dragged about members of their craft
who have made good in the movies.
Now it's the Iewspapermae's turn
to boast.
We point with pride to G. Gardner
Sullivan, who, falling from the high
estate Of the copy desk, has made
the best of it by amassing young
fortune and q matured reputation IN
the things they do at Hollywood.
Sullivan was tempted and fell
some nine years ago when Thomas
H. Ince paid him $500 for 10 scena-
oirs and offered him writing job IN
picture at $50 a week.
Today Sullivan is editorial director
for the Joseph NJ. Schenck produc-
tons and supervisor Of all Constance
Talmadge's pictures. In addition.
his counsel on pictures before and
after filming is eagerly sought By
many other producers.
He writes screen stories. adapts
them from novel and play, titles and
doctors films, and without fear Of
the "blue envelope" or dread Of an
edition deadline earns more in one
wear than the average newspaprman
Ia paid in his professional lifetime.
From $50 a week to considerably
over S150,000 a year IT. nine years
tins the material fortunes of G. Gard
ner Sullivan might lead off to a sue
cess story. But Success" to him
counts for much less than such pre-
1ude might imply.
success is doing what you like
to do, irrespective of what it pays"
he says, "and working like hell. II
you don't like what you're doing,
cult, even IL you don't knew where
the next meal is coming FROM"
Sounds just like a newspaperman,
doesn't It? And that's just what
Sullivan is, respite his emoluments-
sound newspaperman. creating
and editing motion pictures upon
evaluatior Of human interest stories
learned as a reporter.
Sullivan several times took his own
prescription about quitting If the job
doesn't fit" For months he trampe1.
literally not knowing where the next
meal was coming from.
He is one of the most reticent and
unassuming Of Hollywood's celebri-
ties. He does his writing at a desk
redolent of the newspaper city room.
in an office wholly free of the usual
HOLLYWOOD atmosphere. The spot
light never falls upon him at a pic.
ture premier, but after such premier
a dozen big producers and directors
are apt respectfully to seek his crit
ical comment.
He did Bill Harris first feature pic
tUre; Billy Burke's first picture.
Peggy" soon to be revamped fo-
Constance Talmadge: he has three
originals in preparation Mt present,
Termination" for Fred Niblo. "Wan-
dering Husbands" for James Kirk
wood and Lila lee. and Against
the Rules" for John Griffith Wrav.
A list Of his works during the past
nine years in films would occupy
half column of space
ID. W. Griffith brought his long.
awaited picture. "Anerics"-Series
Ore: "The Sacrifice"-to the Forty
fourth Street Theater a few nignts
ago. It is an accurate. faithful re-
production of those events that led
q. ,ba birth Of fhis country