The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-13
BLOOD
 SEEN ON SCREEN
 FULL OF THRILLS
Enthusiastic Audience Sees Private Showing Of
 Forthcoming Feature

 of Rafael Sabatini's novel of the Span ish main, was enthusiastically appraised as Oiie of the most pretentious and thrilling stories of romance and adven- ture ever told in celluloid ticker take by a representative audience that saw 1t at a private screening at the Temple theater Friday.
 The film will have its r 'emier presen- tation in the south at the Temple dur ing the week of Sept. 22, and is certain to excite unusual interest in Birming- ham for the reason that Sabatini's novel, pronounced by no less an author ity than Dr. Frank Crane as lone of the greatest the world has ever known" is now running in The AgeHerald in serial form.
 The picture, which emanates from the Vitagraph studios at Hollywood, closely follows the book in all of it's gripping detail. Without dissent, the 300 or more Birmingham men and women who attended the private show ing acclaimed Captain Blood" as an extremely well done screen version of the novel.
 J. Warren Kerrigan, who has been favorite with movie fans for years, and whose work in "The Covered Wagon" brought him a long line of new admirers, plays the title character. Allan Forrest, who is always splendid and convincing in costume roles, has a lead. Pretty Jean Paige plays opposite MT. kerrigan as "Arabella."
 Quality And Magnitude.
 As a production of quality and mag nitude, Captain Blood," with it's eight reels of climaxes and anti-climaxes, has gone far beyond any other picture of the year. It has shown that there is almost nothing that may be thought of that has form and shape and substance which is beyond the power of photogra- phy to visualize.
 It undoubtedly took much time and money to produce this film. The ac- tion takes place both n land and sea, amid historic and spectacular settings There are some fights at sea that have notable reality, and many of the pho- tographic shots are beautiful.
 Moreover, Captain Blood bring a relief from the celluloid drivel that has been so numerous recently. There is not single cocktail glass in the pic ture. The time-honored plot surround ing flapper who drinks, wears abbre- yiated bathing suits at midnight swim ming pool parties and flirts with mar ried men, is varied, and we are given film that graphically depicts the days of the sixteenth century when men per formed doughty deeds of arms n and and sea.
 Execution Is Halted.
 Peter Blood is jailed as a rebel and sentenced by a courtmartial to hang for high treason. The execution is halted by an order from the king 70 send all prisoners to the Leeward islands to be worked on the plantations. The youthful Blood, along with several hum dred others, is taken to Jamaica and offered for sale as slaves Governor Steed orders his aide, Colonel Bishop, to select number of able-bodied men for use on his vast estate. The col onel passes Blood by, but his daugh- ter, Arabella, wins her plea to retain him. Bishop pays ten pounds for Blood and he begins work in the fields He and his fellow workers are sub jected to various forms of torture, in- cluding frequent sessions at the whip ping post, but Arabella, who from the first had been attracted by Blood's gentlemanly manner, found way al- most daily to chat with him.
 Blood had studied medicine under his father, and when many of the slaves became victims of an epidemic, Colonel Bishop took him from the fields and pressed him into service as a physician.
 Escapes To Jamaica.
 The escape from Jamaica of Blood and group of his followers, their con- fiscation of a large boat, and their ca reer as pirates, are detailed by the film in graphic manner. Blood's TO- nance with Arabolla has its up and downs, and, in time, the young buc- cancer, who becomes captain of the pi- rate ship. seizes upon the opportunity to make a prisoner of Colonel Bishop There are delightful touches of humor throughout the film.
 Later, Blood allows his own ship to he destroyed in order to rout invading forces. He also has an opportunity to make a thrilling rescue of the girl he loves. Still later, the entire situation is changed and Blood becomes gov ernor, succeeding the regime of Gov ernor Steed and Colonel Bishop.
 It seems useless to go into detail concerning the story. The novel is being widely read in The Age-Herald and indications are that the week Of Sept. 22 will find the S. R. o. sign hanging out at the Temple.
 I "Captain Blood" is remarkable story, .superbly told by great cast of screen stars. It is certain to take it's place as one of the finest pictures of the day