The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-03-05
FIRST AWARDS
ARE MADE IN
CRITIC CONTEST
F. Elmer Marshall and John
KIeinhenz Get So
Prizes.

everybody seems 70 want to be
a movie critic, judging from the
way hundreds have written reviews
Of Weary River" the Dick Bar
thickness movie row at the Circle.
The Indianapolis Times wants to
give all movie fans a chance to be-
come movie critics, hence this con-
test.
For the best daily review received
by the Movie Critic Contest Editor
of The Times, the writer will re-
ceive check for SIS. Then there
is a grand prize Of $25, to be given
to the one who writes the best re-
view OF all submitted.
Every one who submits a review
will be considered a candidate for
the grand prize, regardless of the
daily award.
Two Winners Named
Winner for the opening day of
Weary River" at the Circle is John
Kleinhenz of the Indianapolis Wa
ter Company.
The winner of Mondays criticisms
is F. Elmer Marshall, 1888 West
Washington street.
The winning review of Kleinhenz
follows:
If "chain is only as strong as its
weakest link" isn't it equally true that a
motion picture is only as strong as its
theme songp" I think so, and that is
why I'm sure that Weary River" will
linger in your memory as a poignant cpl
sode of the modern underworld.
Richard Barthelmess, carried along on
the haunting undercurrent of the appeal
ing melody. Weary River" earns for
himself all enviable position in the talk
es" by his whole-hearted portrayal of a
slangy gangster, Jerry Larrabee. whose
only interests in life are the racket and
his baby" until he is framed" and inn
prisoned.
Aided by the understanding friendship
of the prison warden, Larrabee succeeds
in supplanting the ignominious No. 46O39'
with the lauadable Master of Melody"
and rc-enters the world determined to
go straight The racket" again
beckons. however. and he is saved from
the old life only through the timely inter-
cession of his baby and the warden.
The voices of both BarthelmesS and
Betty Compson (his "baby'o are repro
duced exceptionally well as are those OF
the other players. Miss Compson els
PLAYED a tendency to oVeract her emo
tional moments. but otherwise all char
acterizations were well-enacted and faith
ful to type.
Marshall's Review
The winning review of f. Elmer
Marshall of 1888 West Washington
street, is as follows:
am not a ',novie FAM" but long have
been an admirer of Barthelmess. and, OIL
course. I wanted to hear him talk-that
was uppermost in my mind-and so went
to hear and see 'Weary River. ana
when Barthelmess spoke, how satisfying!
Not the booming voice of moVletone
actor, but a well-modulated, natural
quality. His singing voice is even better
a quality that touches the heart.
The audience caught the humor when
Barthelmess said to the detective: "Don't
be a fiatfoot all your life. I don't pack
iron when I call on a lady"
Betty Compson at her best. Her voice
registers better than that of any other
screen actress I have ever heard, and
convincing.
The prison scenes help give correct at
mosphere to the play, because of their
realism, but the chaplain seemed rather
"fiowery' in his delivery. Did you notice
the sheer on the face of convict near
the front row during the chaplain'S
speech?
The actor playing the part of the warden
was one of the best characters. and his
lines we're especially good.
When I tell you that I sat through the
lunch hour watching this play. forgetting
that 1 hadn't eaten since morning. you
will understand how we'll liked Weary
River"
Send in your reviews at once.
Keep them around 200 words. A
few words over 200 will be toler-
ated, but not too many.
Send your reviews to the Movie
Critic Contest Editor of The Indi-
annapolis Times.
All reviews must be in by mid
night Friday of this week.