The Washington times., 1929-05-21
IGLEANINGS'
SCREENINGS
~ ANDREW r. KEl.IEY

ford performance in the screen
version Of the same character
will be scanned closely for COM
parison in such cities as have
seen both the play and United
Artists feature.
Americas sweetheart has
grown up, but, it seems to me.
somewhat reluctantly. hardly
think that any who saw the
play liked the little Southern
flirt the less because, when her
fathers back was turned, she
stole a few guilty puffs at a
cigarette. Mary Pickford's pen
chant for remaining the sweet
juvenile would not permit this
indulgence in sinful pleasure, so
that it is missing from the
picture. However, its absence is
an inconsequential detail.
It is in the more serious
threads of the plot that the
story has been altered--deodo-
rized is perhaps a better word
that Miss Pickford may not lose
appeal through being party to
an unholy love in her first con-
tact with serious romance. In
the play DR.. Besant, realizing
that his daughter has become
seriously involved through her
overpowering affection for
Michael Jeffrey, kills the I'M
happy sutton in defense of the
honor of his home, as he sees 1t.
Norma is asked to perjure her
self and stain the memory of
her lover to save her fathers
life. She chooses to commit
suicide.
In the picture, as revised to
fit the Pickford talents, DR..
Besant is shown as mistaken in
his suspicious, remorseful over
his tragic deed, admitting his
error and committing suicide
in the court room. The entire
judicial procedure of the final
reels seems wholly artificial and
theatrical. Why should a trial
be interrupted while the pris-
oner at the bar comes over to
the witness stand and cross
examines his daughter? Why
should a loaded pistol be con-
veniently within reach on coun-
sells table in the court room?
"Coquette," it seemed to these
captious eyes, ran along smooth
ly until the time to revise the
Ann Preston Bridgers and
George Abbott script. A wholly
plausible and unhappy ending
was tossed aside and a syn
thetic finale substituted that
Mary Pickford might remain the
completely innocent child of film
tradition. Insert A of the film
"Coquette" is death bed scene
wherein Norma rushes hyster-
ically to the dying Michael and
comforts his last moments. 1t
gives Miss Pickford abundant
opportunity for high-powered-
emotional effort-another full
sized dose of sobbing in a story
already saturated with tears.
And this scene is highly over
acted. Her session on the wit
ness stand is by far the apex
of the Pickford exhibit.
Neither will forgive the
reduction to "extra" insignifi.
canoe of Betty Lee Reynolds,
the gawky little yokel, whose
adolescent laundering and
yearning for the attention of
the boys was so humorously
limned by Una Merkel in the
play. You will search in vain
for Betty Lee Reynolds and the
laughs she provided.
Time is taking its toll on the
Pickford features. She is notice
ably older in face and, although
the slender youthful legs of SUBJ
deb proportion remain pictorial
asset, the camera no longe
conceals that Americas Sweet
heart is hardly a girl but a
matured woman-albeit a pretty
one. Her voice is charming
and of such attractive quality
that her future in the talkies
seems assured. Having grown
up in fact why the objection to
sophisticated stories? "Coquette"
is "a striking example of what
might have been a great
picture beco'. ing just a good
feature becs Sc of the mistaken
belief that the little Mary of
the Zukor days must never be
"bad" for her devoted screen
public.
1t has long been a source of
wonderment to the casual
visitor to New York why the
New York motion picture
houses and the vaudeville
theaters are open on Sunday
while the shrines devoted to
the legitimate drama have
closed box offices.
Now the Messrs. Shubert pro-
pose to find out whether the
legal discrimination which bars
regular plays will stand the
test of a judicial decision. They
will offer Pleasure Bound"
their hit revue, on next Sunday
night and defy the police to do
their worst. Presumably some
of Commissioner Whalen's finest
will prefer a complaint and the
matter will be threshed through
thn o0Y1Y4tS Mand1nos ~ saw &c