Life — September 1, 1927 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

“The Patent Leather Kid” ICHARD BARTHELMESS has had a far from glorious career since the days of “Broken Blossoms” and “Tol'able David." He has tried all kinds of stories—from romantic costume pieces, like “The Bright Shawl,” to sombre melodramas, like “Fury,” to whimsical fantasies, like “The | Enchanted Cottage”—with generally depressing results. Now, in “The Patent Leather Kid,” he seems to have come back into his own; he has landed at last in a picture in which his consider- able talents are neither misdirected overstressed and in. which, in consequence, he is at his best. M*: BARTHELME as a snappy young prizefighter who was climbing toward the cham- pionship at the time when the United States was patiently waiting for the Imperial commit an “overt ac been declared, the young pug went on with his ring battles—shame- lessly declaring his relucta gage in a conflict that wasn't fought with gloves. nor erman Government to War having to en- He was caught in the draft, dis- patched to France and there devel- oped a yellow streak which lasted until the eighth or ninth reel. It was overcome, of course, just in time to blow another Heinie machine-gun nest to perdition. ture, “The Pa Pa deserves to ranked up near “The Bi ade” and “What Pric f Its director, Alfred Santell, knows his subject and he has embellished the story with bits of detail that are con- Although he has always been identified as an expert manipulator of gags, Mr. Santell fails to enliven “The Patent Leather Kid” with many flashes of seintil- lant comedy; it is in the grimmer, more serious passages that he shows his finest form, Mr. Barthelmess is supported by an excellent cast, including Molly O'Day, who does surprisingly weil as a tough but tender heroine, Matthew Betz, Arthur Stone and Raymond ‘Turner. vincingly realistic. THE ending of “The Patent Lea- ther Kid” is inexpressibly ham— but aside from that, and one or two over-long episodes, it is a fine pic- ture. Incidentally, the which it is based Major Rupert Hi introduction to the constant readers of this department. story on was written by he hath ome “Adam and Evil” ARTING off with this title: It was raining cats and dogs and people were hailing taxi- cabs,” the film called “Adam and Evil” proceeds to run the f old and bum musical comedy j sub- originality in it. Lew Cody and Aileen Pringk two expert performers—do what they can with the material; what they can do, Editorial Blurb THIS is as good a time ay any to announce that Tom Mix is about to make his début as a tributor to 1 Under the g heading of “Nosin’ Around Holly- 4," he will contribute a series of tense, gripping articles on social life in the citadel of the cinema. His first story, which is to appear in the September 15th issue, is con- cerned chiefly with the forthcoming ergument between Mr. Tunney and Mr. Dempsey, the last-named of whom has been doing heavy training in Tom Mix’s bailiwick. In the meantime, if any of Mr. Mix’s pictures come up for review, I shall be strictly impartial, as usual, stically. Sher: however, isn’t much. and praise them enthus: R. EB. Recent Developments Twelve Miles Out. An entertaining melodrama of warfare on the Scotch front, with good work by John Gilbert and Joan Crawford. Paid to Love. George O'Brien is the hero, and Virginia Valli the heroine, of a very nice Ruritanian comedy The First Auto. No one as vet has been able to tell me why this was pro- duced. Rolled Stockings. Collegiate capers. and quite pleasant. too, with Louise Brooks and other talented voungsters, The Blood Ship. A real, genuine old time thriller which actually thrills. Ho. hart Bosworth is the star and there are several villains, The Callahans and the Murphys. Official holder of the world’s bad-taste record. Ten Modern Commandments. Fsther Ralston’s legs are getting to be an old story by now Fast and Furious. Another of those automobile racing farces, with Reginald Denny as the inevitably nervous driv Old San Francisco. The San Fran- cisco earthquake didn't arrive a second too soon to save Dolores Costello. The Unknown, Featuring all ten of Lon Chaney's toes. Resurrection. orbing drama of oppression and intolerance in Romanoff Russia, with Dolores Del Rio. Tillie the Toiler. Marion Davies in some obvious vulgarity The King of Kings. The Gospels ac- cording to St. Cecil B. De Mille. Annie Laurie. A mild romance of the Highlands, with a singularly unimpressive performance by Lillian Gish Camille. Norma Talmadge languishes through an old sob-squeezer. The Way of All Flesh, Seventh Heaven, Stark Love, Chang, Old Iron- sides, What Price Glory, Beau Geste and The Big Parade. Still good. comicbooks.com