Life — June 19, 1924 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

HIS page is not often marred with blotches as of red vitriol. do my best to keep my temper and to bear constantly in mind the old admon- member, she’s somebody's I try to avoid the martyr’s pose and the professional crab's. But occasionally the most resistant patience will utter the ery of a wounded thing and will fall to the ground, shat- Outbursts of this nature are iv like tered. variably “Cytherea.” ue s! ture, follows J inspired by pictures y of “Cytherea,” as a pic- seph Hergesheimer’s (Why, in the case do the movie novel pretty closel of all bad ducers suddenly novels pro- display a. thore characteristic respect?) ¢ permitted to follow the roman tic Lee Ra from the dulled atmos- phere of f of Savina Grove, and so to Havana, Cuba. They thither in search of moral liberty—and they find sordid filth The repres “Cytherea” enraged me I'm an old Bacardi alumnus myself, and ghly degree of s home into the receptive arms journey Havana in considerably the Cuban capital is well known to me I may conviction that it is grossly insulted in this film. The object, of say wi course, is to drive home a big moral lesson; to prove that it the nd get sacred laws of con- away with it. but it carries you can’t fl ventionality Well, that is a fine theory little weight when presented solely for purposes. Had it borne any to reality, it would have box-office remote relatiot been more effective. A sermon that is fundamentally false ly convert any of and insincere will har its hearers to the cause of righteousness cases out of ten, it will overflowir Billy Straton, Samuel Goldwyn —but, in nine fill the church to Sunday, Dr and other eminent evangelists are acute- ly aware of this condition, and. turn their knowledge into profit. LTHOUGH it “Cytherea” derives some doesn’t deserve it nod act- ing from its ticularly Alma Rubens. Gee various exponents, par he director, specialist trash, is ¢ Fitzmaurice, being a in the art ¢ photographing in his clemen| “Sherlock, Jr.” ORTUNATELY for the poor critic whose spiritual digestion is poisoned by such as “Cytherea,” there is an anti dote in Buster Keaton and his fellow clowns. One can look to the right always low-brow slap-stickers for honesty and artistic integrity “Sherlock, Jr.” is one of Buster's SHERLOCK, Jk.” BUSTER KEATON IN omnger efforts, being considerably more coherent and evener in its pace than his two previous productions, He starts out with a definite object in mind, and even though he does make a few highly al detours, he never loses sight of comii his ultimate goal Like all Keaton comedies, “Sherlock, Jr.” is constructed with amazing in- genuity. The sniffers may dispose of his gags with the withering “mechanical,” but they can not dampen the merriment that these gags evoke. The san sniffers would consider “Cytherea” elegant because the name of Hergesheimer is attached to it. word, Joseph Ap? who is nay developi benevolent Mother Langdon has a remarkably ¢ and a commendable sense of repression. As yet, he has been given little sur- rounding material; but he has the mak- ings, and deserves to be watched. “Mlle. Midnight HERE are two things to be said for fae Murray’s pictures: she always manages to equip herself with a com petent supporting cast, and the mechan- effects (i. ¢., photography and lighting) are exceptional. At this ap- proximate point, the praise may end. “Mlle. Midnight” is a typical Ma Murray production, branded with the usual glaring defects of exaggeration. absurdity and excessive speed. It would . were it not for Lang: under the Sennett. omic comedians: Harry eye of C, ical all be good to look the fact that normal eyes can not stand the strain of Miss Murray's incessant calisthenics. Her réle this time is that of a Mexi- can-French half-breed—which is just about the ultimate in Mae Murray char- will be violating no nnounce that she per- nees in the course of ert E, Sherwood. acterizations. It confidence to forms several d the film: h comicbooks.com