The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-09
THE TORRENT
A Review

Having named their picture "The
Torrent" the producers thereof de-
cided to incorporate that phenomenon
into their film, altho to any unbiased
observer an earthquake, snowstor1n.
or cyclone would seem to have been
equally fitting. Once the torrent was
in, however, it became obvious to the
director that someone must swim it.
brave" the torrent, as it were. For
this task Mr.. Ricardo Cortez was Sc
lected. His object in SO swimming
was to save the opera singer, Dona
Brunna miss Greta Garbo) who lived
at the other end of the river. Envel-
oped in handsome negMgee, she
caustically informed Mr.. Cortez that
she wanted none of his saving. Earlier
in the film we have seen Miss Carlo
and her father driven from the village
by Mr.. Cortez' finty-hearted mother.
who, in order to rid her son Of Miss
CARLOS presence, precipitately fore
closed the mortgage which she con-
veniently held on the old homestead.
This crafty female wished her son to
marry a young Spanish heiress in
stead Of the poverty-stricken Greta.
Mr. Cortez as Don Rafael had sworn
eternal allegiance to Mile. Carlo, but
after her departure for the great city
(where, as you may imagine, she Is
readily metamorphosed into grand
opera starr he promptly engaged him
self to the heiress. Returning home
la Magda, Miss Carlo dazzles the
natives with her splendor, the plethora
OF her jewels, and the records-phono-
graphic-of her triumphs. And il is
right at this point that Don Rafael
feels it incumbent upon him to swim
the torrent, and vainly offer himself
to his whilom sweetheart. Spurned
he follows her to Madrid, where the
two make plans to depart together
for PAmerique.
But it appears that our hero IA
definitely knotted to his mothers
apron-strings, for just as he is about
to bring his beloved a sprig of orange.
blossoms emblematic of their affec
ton, mama's deputy in the form OF
the family lawyer appears upon the
scene, and by skill in debate per-
suades Rafael to abandon the Brunna
and the light life of which she ia an
exemplar, and return to the simple
heiress, who is his mothers choice.
Rafaei, over-obedient, forgets to re.
member-insofar as the oranQe-bIoa-
SONS and Dona Brunna are concerned.
He returns to his native village. he.
comes a petty political leader and n
dutiful husband and father. whereas
the Brunna accumulates more lovers
monkeys, diamonds, automobiles. and
triumphs.
AT the end there is a bit OF muddla.
headed moralizlng in a subtitle which
informs us that If we cannot have the
best we must do with the second.best
This picture is a prime example Of
movie-pretentiousness with no slight.
est suggestion OF cerebration eor.
cealed anywhere therein. The nho.
Biography is pleasant enough, but the
pre-eminently foolish narrative is do.
veloped without sense, judgment or
conference.
MISS Carlo who is new to us. lisa
pretty girl, but fear she has a lone
distance to travel before she can CON.
vince anyone that she knows much
ABOUT acting. She is, in fact a pain.
iui example Of a player whose every
motion has been palpably directed nv
someone who did the feeling ara
thinking Tor her. Mr.. Cortez as the
yacillating lover is acceptable, altho
the part is quite impossible The
minor characters range from bad 10
"O''e' Charles Stern.