The Film Daily (1918)

Sunday, July 21, 1918. ajr^ DAILY 13 Sex Meller Intelligently Handled. Is Heavy But Interesting Alice Brady in "THE DEATH DANCE" Select DIRECTOR J. Searle Dawley AUTHOR Marie Eve SCENARIO BY Paul West CAMERAMAN H. Lyman Browning AS A WHOLE ........ Problem stuff made entertaining by intelligent direction and capable cast. STORY Has several complicated twists made convincing by clever handling of individual incidents. DIRECTION Made this hold all the way and gave clearly defined reasons for happening of events that made them coherent and plausible PHOTOGRAPHY Generally very good LIGHTINGS Adequate; a few artistic bits CAMERA WORK Effective STAR Beautiful and made role convincing SUPPORT Very good although character of detective was somewhat overdrawn. EXTERIORS Some beautiful; provided authentic atmosphere. INTERIORS Very good DETAIL Many good touches; automobile accident very effectively handled. CHARACTER OF STORY For adults but intelligent handling has kept it from becoming objec= tionable. LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 4,975 feet THIS offering, although it is rather heavy entertainment, certainly holds your attention all the way and Director Dawley has made the complicated twisting of events convincing and easy to follow by intelligent handling that provided a plausible reason for things happening as they did. The situations that might have become objectionable under less capable direction, have been handled in a way that keeps them from becoming risque and a very capable cast makes you willing to swallow the story, "bait, hook and sinker. Tins starts out as an eternal triangle affair and keeps -moving from the start, bringing in unexpected twists and new complications that work up to a finish that few folks are going to have doped out in advance. Just to show you how things happened in this, there was a dancer whose partner was his wife and being tired of her he had an affair with the wife of another man. she having led her husband to believe (hat she was wrapped up in her art so she could maintain a studio in which to pull off parties with the dancer without hubby getting next. Hubby gets wind of the affair and goes to the cafe where willun is dancing, determined to kill him. At the cafe, he meets Alice Brady, another dancer, with whom he becomes infatuated and learning that she is desirous of going abroad to study music, offers to take her to Italy if she will marry him. He has sufficient evidence against his wife to procure a divorce but defers action on account of his daughter. On his way to Alice's apartment prior to the proposed trip, he is killed in an auto smash. In the shifting of events that follow, Alice becomes the dancing partner of willun. who's wife had died, and the dead man's wife tries to "make" the junior partner of her husband's firm who has also become infatuated with Alice. Jealous of Alice, the wife tells willun of her affair with Hero, the junior partner, and he agrees to kill Alice in the "Death Dance", which is a feature of their act. making it appear accidental. Hero is present during the dance and seeing willun reach for his dagger, intercedes in time to save Alice. Willun kills himself and Hero and Alice are united. This sounds rather intrikut and Director Dawley deserves much credit for the way he has made this' hold together without becoming incoherent at any time. The auto smash-up was exceptionally well staged and the planting of the "poipers" so wifey could find them was cleverly done. Helen Montrose, as the wife, wore a gown that bared considerable beside her past in several shots where she stooped over towards the camera but she played convincingly. H. E. Herbert, as the husband, made his role very effective. Robert Tain was a convincing willun and Mahlon Hamilton was an acceptable Hero. Charles Slattery, as the detective, played rather broadly which made you think of him more as an actor than a gumshoe, but this hardly jimri the offering. Others who appeared were Rita Spear and Xadia Oary. 3M "■v&: -*&?.' '■jm E.k.LINCOLN "Lafayette We Corner' Leoo.ee PercetS Patriotic Production .