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Children of No Importance. This German film depicts the difficult existence of three illegitimate children: Peter, 12, Mary, 6, Lottie, 4. They are adopted by a brutal man and wife. Peter is made to go to work, so that his foster father can have money for liquor. Mary dies of what a doctor calls "heart disease" in the death certificate. But Peter crosses it out and writes "hunger." More beatings in a most horrible manner. Finally, Peter is take" in by a kindly woman; but his foster father finds him, sends him up the river to hard labor. The film has been cut so much for U. S. audiences that its effect is lost. Ralph Ludwig as Peter is a child tragedian of first importance. At the Manhattan showing, Nan Britton, author of The President's Daughter, spoke briefly in behalf of bastards.
The Big City. Minus horrid, blinded eyes, hunched back, and wooden legs, Lon Chaney remains true to his movie spiritual type. He never gets what he wants. Here he is a crook, smart, wise, set in a scenario complicated by the fact that everyone double crosses everyone.
Red Watson plans to hold up the night club of famous Tennessee, who makes whoopee with the suckers. Chuck Collins (Lon Chaney), "lousy crook from Harlem," hijacks the holdup, escapes with the jewels, aided by Betty Compson and James Murray. Now there enters sweetness and light in the form of Marceline Day, known as Sunshine. Sunshine is an innocent, a canary brained youngster whom Lon and Murray immediately love. Jealous of Lon, Betty double crosses him to the Red gangsters, Lon redoubles, and eventually all the double crossing is of no use as he gives up his friends to the police, to get the innocent. Sunshine doubles immediately by marrying Murray and the sad-faced Chaney gets the girl crook. It is all annoying.
* Jack London.