Judge — April 27, 1929 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

OGWG IN JUDGE THE © By cs oe PARE LORENTZ return of Mary Pickford to stardom is an event worth more than passing comment, will dismiss “Clear the Decks” and the other duds of the week and confine our lecture to a dis course of “Coquette.” There are three items of chief importance: Pickford, the play itself, and Will Hays. The fact that little Gladys Smith, Americ heart, should have the courage and ability after play ing Little Nell parts for these many years to bre into a new medium in a difficult part brought a wave of admiration (+ the mind of this be-waved depart ment. Looking back at her past performances, it would seem that cach year brought a new diminish- ment in the appeal of the movies’ original and bright est ingénue; Clara Bow's and Lupe Velez’s parking two guns and a marine’s vocabulary seemed to have trampled rough-shod over the girlish of Gladys and her host of followers. However, in “Coquette,” she is called upon to play Southern flapper, with She plished performanc Many reviewers objected to her < what you might expect. It we Mary D innocence accent, ves a ent. ‘That is the easiest and most However, having spent s south of the Mason-Dixon line, 1 ccent was neither awkward nor unusually good. > camera was unkind to her at times, Mrs. Fairbanks still brought a very youthful and beautiful appearance to the sereen. Whenever a scene fell short of its purpose it was the movi not she who was at fault. So long as she cares to work, Mary Pickford can be a movie star. ‘The next point is the play. Not only was it one of the outstanding successes of the but it was graced with our most brilliant actress, Helen H A play with the dia- logue of “Coquette” naturally becomes an extraordi nary movie—it was an extraordinarily good play. obvious thing to criticize. most of my y tone and It is a sympathetic study of a modern young thrill- seeker who runs afoul the vigorous traditions of her old-school father but when she is put to the test she outdoes him in a sacrifice to honor and chivalry as they were defined in his code. The tragedy of “Coquette” originally hinged upon the fact that the girl falls in love with a man whe the father considers unworthy. The father kills her suitor, and the girl, with child, commits suicide to save her father’s pride as well as his life. We then come to Bishop Hays, and, as expect, he would not tolerate any revolut that might en and in order t R., the American ligious and r: you might onary idea nger the movie fables of the stork, save the innocent minds of the D. A. Legion, and the various other re- ial groups that look to him for moral guidance, he forced the producers to change this part of “Coquette In other words, the main point of the play is annihilated, and as a result: the movie becomes pointless before its substitute nclusion, ain, what had the movie to offer over the play? is one scene in which the heroine is shown run- ning through the woods and screaming for her dying lover. ‘There is another in which you see only’ the shadowy profiles of the lovers while their voices come and softly to you. duced cither of them, liarly aided the plot. inst this, the perfect reproduction, “Coquette,” as a movie, is superior, As a dramatic medium it fails to chall the th It is safe to say the talking movie is still a lumbering experiment. There The stage could not have However, neither peeu- stage and inine gave you perfeet timir no censorship The movie had an excellent cast, and was in good tuste—two unusual re endations for a movie. I hardly think it necessary to suggest that you see it, but I would add that if Helen Hayes comes to town in a road show of the stage play, save your money and see a far greater show. “A Woman of Attairs”—C fling easily through Michael A bat “Case of Lena Smith" —The director of “Underworld” serves another ace. “Coquette” —In this issue. “End of St. Petersburg” —The first time the Russians have been intelligent “Lucky Boy” —But hence “Alias Jimmy Valentine” —\ good stherty Leve"’—Arcn and hammer dy well dove. bod so lucky “Broadway Melody"—Don't believe 1y Maa" —A non-stop record of the . fone. “The River" novel “Outeast”—Very entertaining “Spite Marriage””—Buster Keaton at bis best. “Trial of Mary Dogan”*— Pair The Foet—Al Jolson still Singing vz Warner Bros. 9 good buy “The Welt Seng—Dicd in transit ja The trom Mask” —With Excellent job of the airbanks “Shadows of Fear”—The first good French movie to reach these shores “The Patriot” —The best of the silent “The Rescue” —Ev have liked the pictures wd might comicbooks.com