Judge — March 20, 1926 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

OPHISTICATION makes its Amer- S rscreen début in Torrent from the by Ibanez. Not only are love and convention not happily reconciled in this picture in 99 44/100 percent. of other movies, but there is no attempt to camouflage the character of Leonora, played by Greta Garbo. Miss Garbo, by the way, is the Swedish star who made European reputation in the leading role of “The Story of Gosta Berling.” the screen version of Selma Lagerlof's Nobel Priz This is her first American appearance. “Torrent” is the story of two lovers. a Spanish peasant girl and the young don of her village, who are twice on the point of grasping happi ness and defying the world, but each time are defeated by the will to regu- larity of the young man’s mother. After the first Leonora journeys to Paris where in the course of time she becomes a famous prima donna, féted and pursued by half the titles on the Continent. In her wicked splendor she returns to her native village to find her don adeputy and engaged to marry the pork king’s daughter. Again the old magnetism works its spell. They they love, all one moonlit night in the old garden. The mother drives her from: the village. The son meets her in Madrid. There is talk of flight to America. But oh, well, the romance comes a cropper. Nothing you understand; nothing —melo- dramatic. No- body is killed, or dies, except in spirit. But the tragedy of the outcome is all the PP more poignant ;: for the lack of blood and tears. novel story. desertion meet, sensational, “John. lady up?” where’ Houghton. “The Big Parade? —Still the best movie 1 Woman of the World ins (background, “Time, the Comedian to woo her daughter Ma's sweetie Poor stutf returns “Sirafried”—With a good orchestra it beats the opera “Tumbleweeds~-Standard Bill Hart fare “Lady Windermere’s Fax*—Near Wilde “Blucheard’s Se + burlesqued. en Wires" —The sheik busi yul Mates” —Elinor Glyn piffte | melodrama. Not worth it 850,000 pp “That Royle Girl A dip into Chicago's underworld with a eyelone to boot “The Spleulid Roal”—Deep in slush “Ben-Hur The chariot race is worth the price of admission “Sea Beast’—John Barrymore in a mixture | of slush and*blubber. “The Black Bird” rook dram Lon Chaney in a gue “The Reckless La “Lime, the Come comment on “Memory Lane"—Mush “Moana of the South Seas" nducted tour to Paradise Personally “The Grand Duchess and the Waiter” rate comedy First “Partners Again” —Potash and Perluutter ared on thick “Mare | Ibanez Nostrum'—Florid war tragedy: from “Dancing Mothers" —The old lady rebels. '$ your manners? Isn't the man supposed to help the Erne Miss Garbo gives a finished per- without heat effort extracts the last ounce of scorn formance which or and pity and frustration from the situation. Ricardo Cortez, her vis- a-vis, does equally well with his part. But [can’t be the is too appalling. “ve he actually plays last scene. The transformation Xo appreciate “Torrent,” see “La Bohéme.” By that Idon’tmeanto imply that King Vidor } really brilliant. picture n't made a out of this He has, with the conspicuous assistance of Lillian Gish and John Gilbert. But “La for all accent on , is a bit of sentimental un- It leaves you with no ques- tion in your mind, your heart. It brushes your tions and passes on. But I don’t see how it could have been done better. Lillian Gish merely has to walk through the part to make a perfect Mimi. And John Gilbert, as Rodolphe, is quite as handsome and spirited and inconsolable as one ancient tear wrin reality no rebellion in emo- could wish. What's magnates come our movie that hould giving us such unaccustomed fare? sed to chocolate over they be nut sundaes and fudge, I feel like the lady who thought filet mig- fish. This is the third screen tragedy I non was have seen in suc- cession, all Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer pictures. Some one in that organization must have had a sudden attack of artistic con- science, or gone Perhaps both. comicbooks.com