In "Master of Men" Jack Holt, as usual, displays a great deal of firmly set jaw and swelling chest. The director, I fear, has tried to calm him down; this was not a good thing to do. Mr. Holt possesses the characteristics of masculinity, and very little else; consequently, this side of his nature should be played up as much as possible. The calming down, however, has not been carried too far; he is still bull-necked Jack, the terror among strong men. The plot, appropriately enough, deals with a steel mill, in which jack is at liberty to romp with the hunkies. It is probably the closest approach to the good old Horatio Alger song and dance that the Hollywood demons have given us, and contains most of the elements, in addition, which made Mrs. Radcliffe's novels so popular at one time. Jack rises from the labouring crew to marry the boss' daughter, and, incidentally, to break the boss and supplant him in the business. Unfortunately, this bold adventurer becomes overconfident, and in the end the stock market crash gets him. His wife, played by Fay Wray, sticks by him, and the piece has a happy ending.

The plot, although trite, is lively enough to provide an evening of more or less semi-conscious entertainment. The acting is not too rosy, but will pass. I do not recommend the vaudeville which accompanies the picture on the stage of keith's Boston.