Judge — April 28, 1923 — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

KLEIG, KINDLY LIGHT TS Srranp Tueater in New York 1 Fi i and we had to break our way in throngh a crowd that. spilled ont ‘into the lobby when we went to see Harold Lloyd in “Safety Last and that was fter it had been running for five days. When you can do this, you're popular. But when you can rock a house that size with enthusiastic laughter, you're an institution. It's worth the price of admission to hear the house at a Lloyd picture, We just listening to tried closing our ey It’s as the reaction of our neighbors. unanimous as a mountain. Lloyd, in his last three pictures, has done well by his public. It’s a healthy, friendly, brotherly relationship he has developed with his large following. Somehow you're glad to know him, if only on the screen, He's put a tender warm-heartedness in these last three pictures that give you a certain. com- panionable sympathy for him. ‘There's something homely ‘about. the kind of story he’s doing; something thoroughly American-small-town about him that warms you to him and makes him more a pal than merely a good sercen actor. This picture, technically, isn’t as good =¢ dma’s Boy” or “Dr. Jack.” eve it would have been as good if he'd left out the human-fly stuff. As a matter of fact it wasn’t needed at all in the story. The first. part of the pl we liked) immensely. Its abundant humor flowed naturally from its situ- Lloyd and his leading Lloydy. ations. The heart interest was there. But he should have won the girl without the dizzy climb up the face of the depart- Lloyd is too intelligent a ment store. by George Mitchell comedian to have to shake a mouse from his trouser leg on the edge of a coping ten stories above the street to make you laugh. Anybody can do that but nobody else can do the tricks he does so expertly and which have come to bear his hall mark. is a mistake. “Safety Last.” wis aman openly wears a woman's bracelet through eight or ten reels of film and declares himself to be an enemy of women, the truth is not in him, At least that’s the impression you get from the picture which bears the title “Enemies of Women.” But we did a great « joy- ment from it and beg to thank Miss Alma Rubens and Mr, Lionel Barrymore for two very fine performances. Lloyd in anything he does You must sce him in We are on our knees to Alma. Barrymore owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Ibanez for the creation of a char- acter which gives him so many splendid opportunities to prove his perfect fitness for the sereen, His is a very compelling performance. We are on our knees to Miss Rubens. Hers is a charm wholly satis! The story is thoroughly ficti up (or down) to melodrama. pace is too frequently slowed down to allow of interpolated war material. These off-shoots, however authentic and beauti- ful, are irritating in that they interrupt the action and leave you with a sense that the story is weak. We believe that they not only prolong the picture beyond its normal length but that a more com- prehensible result’ would have — been obtained without them. 13 But why cavil? Barrymore is a manly, dashing, picturesque devil-may-care, acts his réle with a sureness of touch that is satisfying. and Alma, as we have tried to suggest, is most restful to the eye. The settings a accurate and thrillingly beautiful, adding much to the sweep of the story. The action is tense and full of gripping situations. It’s good moving picture material, splendidly done. You must see it. W: AREN'T so sure that all the world loves a lover, nor vet a fat man, great deal of advertising has for them ever since the day both were born. But that all the world loves Theodore Roberts is beyond the peradventure of a doubt. As we remember the original play done some years ago by Cyril Maude, it was woven from an intelligently constructed mystery theme, the solution of which was successfully held in the dark till the final curtain. Somebody has seemed to feel the need to substitute a handful of gardenias for the mystery. Every time some one in the cast wiggled onto the set and hid one of these flowers we were inclined to giggle but along came Grumpy in the nick of time and saved the The rest of the cast is good. P, larly is May McAvoy ingénue role. Casson dressy villain, Conrad Nay much to do but does it: well. But Roberts carries the show on his broad shoulders with the consummate although a been done rticu- hasn't All the world loves Theodore. case of a Roberts. He already has a host of friends but, as Grumpy, the lovable old snoozer, will tie another host to his heart's strings. You must see Roberts as Grumpy. comicbooks.com