Judge — December 8, 1923 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

CAprantye of moving pictures,” said we. “But And we weren't. nice people don’t speak of moving pictures,” said Aunt Agat We were at tea in Aunt Agatha’s laven- der and white sitting-room. We always drop in on Aunt Agatha just before Christmas. It keeps us in her mind and we are the better for that by a new pair of warm gloves, a conservative necktie and a hand-knitted silk muffler. Aunt Agatha blushed scarlet to the edge of her Duchesse lace collar. Aunt Agatha spends most of her time dusting off and polishing up her morals. The mere mention of the word “Passion” turns Aunt Agatha dizzy with embar- rassment. On we remember, when Willoughby—Willoughby is our second butler—we remember Wi Aunt A with their mghby ha if he'd serve the pc jackets off and Aunt Agatha left the table in utter confusion, T don’t know what we're coming to,” said Aunt Agatha. “Oh, ‘Flaming Youth’ is all right,” said we. “There’s a lot of necking done in it but what's a bit of necking among flap- pers eorge,” said she. “Your associa- with the cinema has coarsened you.” vs says “cinema” for “petrol” for we went on, “* ‘Flaming Youth’ is the story of a mother who gets giddy in this present age of flamboyance. es about with the younger set. So does Dad and of course their three daughters keep pace with their parents. Then the mother dies. Her heart isn’t as young as her spirit. She leaves Pat, the fourteen-year older and her favorite in the hands of one of her former sweet- hearts. But he pays more attention to a correspondence with the departed spirit of the mother than he does to Pat and she runs wild and only when she falls into the open arms of another old flame of Santa Claus breaks into the movies. FILM FLAMMING THE FILM FANS by George Mitchell mother’s does she find a haven of rest. It’s got some wild scenes in it. As a matter of fact it’s the kind of picture people like you always shake your Is over but run right out to see. “How dare you,” said Aunt A and then, bless her heart: say it was playing?” To punish her, we didn’t say but changed the subject.‘ ‘Under the Red Robe’ is playing at the Cosmopolitan Theater. You may remember in your salad vs when it was done by Faver- sham down on Fourth avenue and Twenty-fourth street in the old Lyeeum Theater. It's a story of France in the days when kings ruled Europe and women ruled kings. There weren't any flappers then or who knows what would have happened to Europe. That was also long before the League of Nations was thought of as the perfect judicial body that has suggested so perfect a state of peaceful warfare all over the map of Europe. But to return to our picture, the boast of which is that it cost a million and a half to produce. It also. boasts some lovely natural scenery which didn’t cost a cent to manufacture and it contains some of the poorest acting that has ever wormed itself into the films. It's in twelve reels and it could be cut down to one and still be a long picture if you didn’t provide yourself with a book to read, The most enjoyable thing about the picture is the singing of John Charles Thomas, the leading man.” “I take it you didn’t much care for it,” said Aunt Agatha. “We know a million and a half better ways to spend a million and a half,” we answered, 2 “Is there nothing naive or simple being done in the cinema?” asked Aunt Agatha. “Yes. We saw Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in his first step to get into his father’s famous shoes. The picture is ¢ 1 ‘Stephen Steps Out, and it is naive cnough to suit’ the naivest. A quiet, gatha “Where did you 20 gentle little story of a schoolboy whos: wealthy father has endowed the school in which ‘the lad is trying to develop his mind—what little of it he possesses. Of course you can’t expect any sex ina story for a boy of fourt There’s no love interest. They had to k that out; but they didn’t replace it with anything much and that’s what we have to find fault with. He's a winning little chap. is Douglas, Jr., full of a warm smile and a sympathetic personality, and we feel that he’s going to make good. Must you always have sex in the f asked Aunt Agatha. not at all,” said we. “We can take sex and we can leave it alone. Ther: are some fine pictures in town. This has heen a really splendid year for pictures. Take ‘The’ Covered ‘Wagon’ for in- stance—a fine, big, historical picture; beautifully photographed, splendidly acted—” “When is that going to be shown?” asked Aunt Agatha. “It's been running for over six months in New York to crowded houses. said rather heatedly as if we had had a hand in its making, but we get so wrought up with people who are always knocking the movies. “If the stage had done any- thing as fine as ‘The Covered Wagon,’ you'd never have heard the end of it. “Take ramouche,” for example. It’s amusing to see the play which isn’t half as good as the film and then read the snooty line carried on the signboards out- side the theater where it is playing: ‘This is not a moving picture,’ whereas the moving picture might n proudly claim: “This is not the pla sorge, dear, you shouldn't get so excited,” said Aunt Agatha, handing me another cup of tea. “We won't.” we promised. “Then there is Chaplin’s ‘A Woman of Paris,’ a picture far more intelligent in direction than ‘The Crooked Squi or half 2 dozen other plays now running in New we comicbooks.com