The Film Daily (1918)

14 tMA DAILY Sunday, December 29, 1918 Social Hygiene Picture More Preachment Than Play G. and L. Features Co. "THE SCARLET TRAIL" State Rights. PIRCETOR John S. Lawrence SCENARIO BY John S. Lawrence CAMERAMAN ..John Ramsey AS A WHOLE Social hygiene preachment aiming to make impressive the need for a clean life. STORY .Moves too slowly and always shows that it was written for a purpose. DIRECTION Handles scenes and characters in elementary manner with no pretense at modern treatment PHOTOGRAPHY Clear LIGHTINGS Good" enough CAMERA WORK Mostly straight stuff; a few double exposures. PLAYERS Interpret characters in a workmanlike way without displaying much individuality. EXTERIORS Mainly street scenes representing city or immediate outskirts. INTERIORS . . . . . Ordinary DETAIL. .... .Obvious slips are avoided; scenes of blind or crippled children used to point a moral serve their purpose. CHARACTER OF STORY Despite its theme, the picture is kept clean. LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 5,100 ft. As entertainment this isn't. It is tragedy, without so much as the ray of sunshine that sometimes strikes through a hospital window to temper the darkness of suffering. The author, drawing his inspiration from "Don't Take A Chance", a book by Charles Larned Robinson set out to write a medical story, not a "happy" story, so there need to be no disappointment if the entertainment value registers somewhere near the zero mark. Any out-and-out preachment, such as this, is under a heavy handicap when it comes to awakening interest in the characters. The subject matter is so much more vital than the figures chosen to interpret it that, unless a masterhand is at the helm, the final impression is not unlike that left by a lecture illustrated with slides. Everybody concerned in the sombre tragedy is so apparently there to point a moral that they don't get to you as real human beings. Then there's nothing particular in the way of surprise, because having once set out to prove his case, it doesn't take second sight to beat the author to it in guessing the wind-up. From a technical standpoint the main short-coming in the construction is the slow movement of the scenes and the use of much unnecessary footage on incidents that don't contribute to the advancement of the story. It is such simple, direct narrative that audiences familiar with the A. B. C.'s of movieland will place the characters in their proper pigeonholes without risking any confusion. The father, wealthy and honored in the community, is exposed by a woman reformer for his connection with patent medicine fakers — the source of his fortune. He frankly admits the alliance to his idealistic and seemingly healthy son, whose pretty sweetheart is forbidden to see him until the good name of the family has been re-established. An powerful ally of the father is an influential factor in a reform organization comprised of well meaning folk who consistently mess things up. The quack conspirators, with the support of the reform crowd, set out to get the woman who exposed them, on the ground that she is endangering the morals of children by advocating the teaching of sex hygiene. Interspersed with scenes showing the advancement of the conflict between these factions are others following the career of the son who has left the parental roof. His ambition to get a commission in the army is in a fair way to be realized when he is rejected on account of an incurable blood disease inherited from his father. With all hope of a succesful life gone, the youth shoots himself, leaving a note calculated to give the parent several uncomfortable hours. If You Run it, Try to Get Support of Social Betterment Crowd Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor. You exhibitors who played "Damaged Goods' , or recall its profitable career, are in a position to decide whether or not it will pay you to run this. I don't mean to draw any comparison between "The Scarlet Trail" and the Brieux drama, beyond the fact that both deal with diseases which menace the future generations and are films which may be expected to appeal to much the same class of audience. In regard to the present production it may be noted in its favor that it is based on facts verified by medical authorities, and excellent judgement has been shown in excluding gruesome incidents likely to offend. "The Scarlet Trail" is free from the nauseating details apt to accompany a presentation of a subject of the kind. As I have already mentioned it can't be classed as genuine entertainment, but it should be beneficial in that it points a warning to youth and never by any inference, makes vice attractive. On this score it ought to be possible to get the endorsement of some of the social betterment societies in your town, particularly if you have a large manufacturing population in need of instruction in the vital things of life. You might even arrange an introductory lecture to be delivered by some physician familiar with the social hygiene campaign now being carried on by the government and many societies. Some startling facts might be revealed in a talk of this kind, touching on conditions brought to light in examining men for the army. Due credit is given in the film for the beneficial work conducted by the Y. M. C. A., the Red Cross and other organizations, which also should be of value in getting the patronage of serious minded folk who are sincerely interested in promoting any educational movement which benefits the community as a whole.