Tess of the d'Ubervilles. A faith- ful and accurate screen translation of Thomas Hardy's novel, produced and directed by Marshall Neilan with Mrs. Neilan (Blance Sweet) in the title-role.
The picture is no less gloomy, no less morose than the novel. But the superlatively fine acting of Blanche Sweet, the polished direction of Neilan and exquisite photography displaying English landscape at its loveliest save the production from entering the lists of sordid melodramas.
Conrad Nagel plays the part of the youth who learns of Tess's past immediately after their wedding and refuses to live with her. When his judgment has become kinder, it is too late. Tess has murdered her betrayer and is sentenced to be hanged. There is no eleventh hour pardon. From a distant hill the penitent husband sees the black gallows-flag raised on the county prison. Director Neilan has had the courage to carry the tragedy through and to send his audience away weeping.
The Man Who Fights Alone. William Farnum makes his return to the screen after an extended absence. He comes back in rather lamentable shape—as a paralytic hypocondriac and civil engineer, who considers his existence a burden to his wife, and is undoubtedly right. Twice he is about to make his quietus with a bare bodkin or some similar instrument, but on both occasions thinks better of it. Toward the end of the story his wife has an accident, and he is so alarmed that he gets right out of his chair, even forgetting to exclaim, "My God! I can walk!"—an unpardonable breach of cinema etiquette.
Manhandled. Gloria Swanson as Tess of the Tenements chews gum engagingly in this production. Through a jumble of fairly amusing incidents, she puts her best stocking forward. This picture offers one more proof that though there are a number of screen ladies who can act as well as Gloria, there are few who can wear tough clothes with such a dash of joie de vivre and expensive ones with such an at- mosphere of vivre de joie. The story is one more of those that teach the working girl that rags are royal raiment if worn for Virtue's sake. Tom Moore is an adequate leading man and Lilyan Tashman is excellent as Pinkie, the girl whose bracelets are well-won service stripes. Ian Keith presents his profile.