THE CRIMSON PLAYGOER

There's no doubt that modern life, with its mass production, speed, and machinery has taken much of the romance out of living. Of course, without these inventions we would never have a motion picture story of whaling life, such as "The Sea Beast", not being shown at the Metropolitan. But this latest of John Barrymore's screenings makes you somehow long for the good old days when the look-out's shout of "Thar she blows!" was answered by a lusty "Where away?" and from then on it was "Dead whale or stove boat", and not a pursuit of the whale in a power boat, mounting a one pound cannon in the bow.

There never has been a more courageous folk than the whalers of New England, and it is strange that the movies have not capitalized this theme to a greater extent. Only once, if we remember rightly, have we had a whaling picture, and then "Down to the Sea in Ships" proved rather too educational to portray the real life of a whaler "The Sea Beast", adapted from Herman Melville's famous book, "Moby Dick", is truly an epic. From start to finish it is so accurate that not even the curators of the New Bedford Whaling Museum could find fault with it, and at the same time it possesses a story that holds the interest and plays upon the emotions.

Never, since "Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", have we seen Mr. Barrymore in a screen role that fitted him better than the one of Ahab Ceeley. And indeed the two roles have much in common. Ahab, through the treachery of his half-brother, loses a leg to Moby Dick, the whale, who has cost the life of more than one boat's crew. The same brother alienates Ahab's sweetheart, and makes him bitter against all mankind, and as the film unrolls, we see Ahab's character changing before our eyes much the same way as in the dual role of Stevenson's character.

There is much in this film to be praised. The whaling scenes and the inevitable typhoon are done in a manner unusual to the screen in their realism. The direction, that of Millard Webb, is not at all in evidence, which after all is the highest praise that can be accorded. The acting throughout is admirable; the Chinamen, cannibals, and maniacs that make up the wild crew of Captain Ceeley's vessel do not depend entirely upon their make-up to show how wild they are; and Dolores Castello is demurely passionate as the heroine a missionary's daughter, and Ahab's betrothed. In one scene, beneath a tropic moon, John Bar more, aided and abetted by Miss Costello--we mention this merely by the way--utterly puts Mr. Valentino to shame I you have not yet sent in your vote to the film magazines for the greatest lover of 1926, don't overlook John. We are, after seeing "The Sea Beast", backing him heavily for the title.

One thing more We have not yet compared the screen version with the book, but this is merely because we have not read the book. But in any event, we heartily recommend the movie, for however different from the original--and we don't doubt that Hollywood has taken its usual liberties. "The Sea Beast" is very much well worth seeing.