Life — February 24, 1927 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

Not So Optimistic Loe week I announced, for this issue, reviews of Harold Lloyd’s “The Kid Brothe nd Buster Keaton’s “The General.” The paragraph containing this proclama- tion was headed “Optimistic Note”’— and now, having seen both pictures, I’m compelled to concede that this was unduly hopeful. Neither of them is up to the Lloyd or Keaton standard of humor. That doesn’t mean, however, that I wouldn't rather cither of them again than nin ight one-hun- dredths of the films that fate and the nature of my job force me to view. “The Kid Brother” I< his latest product, Harold Lloyd returns to the character but not to the mood of “Grandma's Boy,” his finest picture. He appears as a timid, unobtrusive lad who has to stay home and do the housework while the more stalwart members of his family have all the excitement and all the fun. day, in an emergency, a sheriff’s badge is pinned on his coat and, like the umbrella handle in “Grandma's Boy,” it does something to him. He suddenly becomes a hero and bests two burly villains. “The Kid Brother” has plenty of action, but not nearly so many loud laughs as one has a right to expect from Harold Lloy Most of the mirth, indeed, imited to one scene wherein a monkey walks away with the picture. “The General” USTER KEATON shows signs of vaulting ambition i The General”; he appears to be attempt- ing to enter the “epic” class. That he fails to get across is due to the scantiness of his material as com- pared with the length of his film; he has also displayed woefully bad judgment in deciding just where and when to stop. In the latter connection, some one should have told Buster that it is dif- ficult to derive laughter from the sight of men being killed in battle. Many of his gags at the end of the picture are in such gruesomely bad taste that the sympathetic spectator is inclined to look the other way. “RHE GENERAL” has some grand scenes. Two aged loco- motives chase each other through the heart of the il War zone, and the ingenuity displayed by Buster Kea- ton in keeping these possibly tedious chases alive is little short of incred- ible. its pretentious propor- tions, “The General” is not nearly so good as Raymond Griffith's Civil War comedy, “Hands Up.” Query bs? HAT,” writes a Mr. Perkins, of Vermont, “are the current pictures of the widest appeal? “The Big Parade’ or ‘What Price Glory’ are liked best by men, and ‘The Scarlet Letter’ by women; but what are the pictures that hit everybody— young or old, male or female, high- brow or lowbrow?” That's a hard one to answer. Oft- hand, I should pminate “Beau Geste” and “The Fire Bri : R. E. Sherwood. Recent Paradise for Two. Richard Dix ina weak little comedy about another of those trick wills. The Night of Love. Terribly com- plicated romantic drama involving dukes and gypsies, with Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky. The Potters. W. C. funny. The Music Master. Sugary and frail. Blonde or Brunette. Adolphe Men- jou is thoroughly happy as the bone of contention between two beautiful women. The Perfect Sap. The entertaining story of a young man who would be a detective. Valencia. than the plot. OR: Se I Fields is very Even the song is no staler Nobody’s Widow. Leatrice Joy, ably assisted by Charles Ray, in a light but delightful “comedy. The Winning of Barbara Worth. Old-fashioned Western stuff in a Tiffany setting. Twinkletoes. Colleen Moore, with “rings for her fingers and tears for her crown,” in one of those stories “of old Chinatown.” _ Hotel Imperial. A series of interest- ing but pointless photographic effects, with Pola Negri and a good cast. Tell It to the Marines. Lon Chaney doesn’t need elaborate make-up to be a fine actor, as his performance herein con- clusively proves. eM sgt en Developments The Better ‘Ole. Old Bill and other Bairnsfather characters effectively por- trayed in a rowdy Syd Chaplin comedy. en-Hur. It’s been a great year for Christianity, what with “Ben-Hur,” Bruce Barton and Cecil B. De Fl and the Devil y say that John Gilbert and Greta Garbo have bee married—and after their behavior in this film, it’s just as well Don Juan. There's a new John Barry- more love-fest on the market. It’s called “When a Man Loves” and will be re viewed next week. . What Price Glory, The Fire Bri- gade, The Scarlet Letter, Old Iron- sides, The Big Parade and Beau Geste are all more than worthy of attention OCX.¢. HY uae me PA EI PASO a“ comicbooks.com