Motion Picture News (Apr-Jul 1915)

June 5, 1915. MOTION PICTURE NEWS 77 "Three Roses." (Thanhouser. Sun., ?fay 16.) — A drama based on the theme of a daughter estranged from her father by marrying against his wishes, and reunited through tb/_ influence of her little daughter. Some bad errCrs in the matter of costumes mar the effect considerably. "He Wouldn't Stay Down." I Keystone. Thurs., May 20.) — A man, likewise a villain, inveigles friend Ford Sterling to feign suicide so he can collect the insurance money, and also get Ford's wife (Minta Durfee). However, things take an unexpected turn, and Ford is really thought dead, until a fisherman pulls him up from the bottom of the harbor. Another good Keystone. It seems that Mack Sennett is going stronger than ever. "For Better — But Worse." (Keystone. Sat.. May 22.) — Harry McCoy appears in makeup, and is sidesplittingly funny all the way through. A very funny plot adds to the interest of this film, which contains many original stunts. That pretty Keystone comedienne appears again. "The Rivals." (Komic. Sun., May 23.) — This is one of the most clever child comedies seen on the screen in some time. Three youngsters are rivals for the favor of a little girl. The fighting boy has little trouble in disposing of his studious rival, but is beaten out by wealth in the form of a boy with a two-seated "pushmobile." The studious boy wins out in the end while the two others are fighting, by a daring rescue of the heroine from a burning powder magazine. The acting of all the child players is unusually good. They are George Stone, Violet Radcliffe and Carmen de Rue. "Eleven-thirty P. M." (Majestic. Two reels. Sun., May 23.) — Excellent construction, setting and acting, combined with a strong detective story, make this a picture of decided merit. When a wealthy man is found murdered his daughter's sweetheart, whom the dead man has ordered off from the place, is accused. The print of a mangled hand in some mud serves to identify the real slayer and save the innocent man. The guilty person's story results in an acquittal. In the cast are Al Filson, Eric von Ritzau, Loretta Blake, George Walsh, Sam De Grasse and Curt Rehfeld. "The Cliff Girl." (Reliance. Mon., May 24.) — When it comes to a choice between the wild little girl of the mountains and his suspecting fiancee the geologist decides on the former. A fair story produced rather crudely, since much of the action as pictured is not well "motivated." The scenes and photography are very good. "A Rightful Theft." (Majestic. Tues., May 25.) — Fierce rivalry exists between the villain, who holds a mortgage on the town church, and the deacon for the widow's favors. The deacon triumphs in a novel manner. While old in plot several unconventional situations and appropriate acting unite to make this reel a most pleasing drama with a very clever comedy element. "Fairy Fern Seed." (Thanhouser. Two reels. Tues., May 25.) — Through the treachery of a false friend the mother and her estranged daughter who married against her parents' wishes are never reunited. Years later her two twin grandchildren are brought together, ostensibly through a dream indulged in by the children and the old lady. This is rather a disagreeable offering as the act of the false friend is inhuman in the first place, and her appearance in the rest of the oicture is most repelling. The Thanhouser twins Lre introduced in the final scenes. The double exposure work is good. But the theme lessens the value of the entire film. Peggy Benke is in the cast. "The Deadly Focus." (Reliance. Wed., May 26.) — A novelly constructed yarn depicting the manner in which a gunsmith reaps the benefit of his own misdeeds and meets death by a contrivance he had arranged for his assistant. This reel produces an unusually large amount of suspense, while its out-of-the-way situations lend to it a refreshing appearance. "Mutual Weekly. No. 21." (Thurs., May 27.) Of national interest are the two events in which President Wilson figured while in New York City. He is shown reviewing the Atlantic fleet's land parade, and later the fleet is shown passing out of the harbor — two truly inspiring sights. The Harvard-Cornell track games are entertaining, while war scenes and a few other events that transpired in our own country complete the reel. "It's an 111 Wind—." (Falstaff. Fri., May 28.) — A clothes line on which hang a number of articles of wearing apparel blows away from its posts on an apartment roof and sails over various sections of New York City, finally landing in the room of a poor family. An original comedy which should go very well in the small towns that clamor for New York views. It is to be regretted that the negative is streaked with black in many of the scenes. However, the double exposure work is well executed, and the reel as a whole is most pleasing. "Little Dick's First Case." (Majestic. Fri., May 28.) — A juvenile comedy in which the kids play detective, but meet with little success. This is good for those who like the child comedies. "Gasoline Gus." CKomic. Sun., May 30.) — One of Ed. Dillon's choice comedy selections based on rivalry and the jitney bus. Chester Whitey, Elmer Booth and Fay Tincher carry the important parts. This may best be described as a thrilling comedy, as some of the stunts performed by the bus and the principals aided by trick photography are very startling. There is much that is original in this, which really is an excellent comedy. "Out of Bondage." (Majestic. Two reels. Sun., May 30.) — The escape of a thiefs daughter from her environment is the theme of this strong drama. Dorothy Gish does fine work as the girl. The others in the cast are F. A. Turner. Walter Long, Richard Cummings and William Hinckley. A thief forces his daughter to marry his partner, but later tips off the police and sends the man to jail in a spirit of revenge. He takes his daughter to the country in the orange growing district, where he becomes an orange thief. The girl's husband escapes and comes to the place, where he and the father kill each other in a revolver duel. The leather case holding her marriage license stops a bullet and saves the girl's life. Then she finds real happiness with a young orange grower. "The Angel in the Mask." (Thanhouser. Sun., ^'ay 30.) — By the brains and quick wit of a girl living in the same boarding house the country boy is freed from an accusation of theft. This is interesting but improbable to the extreme, but this fact is counterbalanced by the nicely worked out story. Marguerite Snow and Boyd Marshall lead the cast. "The Resolve." (American. Two acts. Mon., May 31.) — Reviewed at length in another part of this issue. "Little Chrysanthemum." (Beauty. Tues., Tune 1.) — A young Japanese girl adopted by an American family learns that their son whom she has grown to love is engaged to another girl. TTome-sick and disappointed she stabs herself. Displavc clear photography and excellent technique. Neva Gerber and Webster Campbell play the leads. "The Girl of the Sea." (Thanhouser. Two reels. Tues . June 1.) — A reporter discovers that his orphaned sweetheart is heir to a large fortune, but we are in the dark as to whether she gets it or not. This contains the elements of a good story, but the ending is unsatisfactory in that it is not definite. The direction has been rather poor in some places, while in others it is very good. For instance, people don't catch twelve inch fish in the surf, and again the snow stuff is bad, while on the other hand the newspaper office is the best we have seen in the films. A short subject featuring Helen Badgley fills out the second reel of this. As the granddaughter of a grouchy old man she teaches him how to be charitable. This is called "The Baby Benefactor," and is a delightful little comedy drama. "The Golden Rainbow." 5^ (At \V. ,1 Tune 2.) — A pretty story showing how the baby brother of a girl in a Western mining camp uncovers the plot which one of the rivals for the girl's hand had concocted to place the blame for a theft of gold dust upon the other. Vivian Rich, Harry von Meter and Jack Richardson are seen in this picture. "The Conversion of Frosty Blake." (Broncho. Two reels. Wed., June 2.) — Frosty Bill is a gambler with few principles save trust in his own personality, which is fiercely domineering when perturbed. So when a much despised Sky Pilot lands in the godless Arizona town Bill immediately sets to work against him. But the minister's powers are underestimated by the gambler, for in his sermons he makes Bill think of his boyhood days when he was the fond and obedient son of a staunch father and mother. Thereafter he su-^orts him. A day comes when Bill gets into a scrap with the Horned Toad from the next settlement. The Toad shoots at Bill but the parson receives the shot in his heart. He dies, but he leaves the whole town, including Bill and his girl, much reformed. Th is is another William S. Hart picture, in which Mr. Hart renders the same yet magnetic and sympathetic performance as in other pictures of his direction. Louise Glaum is the girl and Charles Ray makes an appealing figure out of the minister. Lawlessness is predominant in all the scenes. The action is continually rapid and the interest never falters. The photography is clear and distinct throughout. "Scales of Justice." (Domino. Two reels. Thurs., June 3.) — The wife of the busy judge encourages the attentions of another man. One night while she is in the company of this gentleman her husband returns unexpectedly. The lover exits via the fire escape, at the bottom of which a burglar has just murdered a policeman. The escaping man is accused of the crime, but the judge knows the truth. He is confronted with the prospect of committing an innocent man to prison or laying bare the scandal regarding his wife, but he is saved from either alternative by the burglar confessing at the eleventh hour. This is very strong, the final situation being most tense. The acting throughout is very good and the direction is praiseworthy. Walter Edwards is the crook, J. Barney Sherry the judge, Clara Williams his wife, and Frank Borzage the lover. The photography is good and the scenes appropriate in 'every sense. "The Guiding Light." (American. Fri., June 4.) — Beautiful scenes of craggy shores and tumultous surfs produced by perfect photography make this a more than ordinarily good picture. The young wife of a lighthouse keeper induced to run away with a man from the city, risks her life by plunging overboard from a yacht to swim back to the lighthouse in order that there be a light to guide her husband home. PATHE EXCHANGE INC. "Pathe News, No. 38." — A reel of much interest, although almost exclusively devoted to happenings in this country. Some very fine views of the Kentucky Derby and a good animated cartoon are strong portions. For the various parts of the country scenes of local interest are added. "Pathe News, No. 39." — The most important feature of this reel is the part showing the commanders of the Allied armies, at the front. This is the first of the pictures taken by Pathe for the French government to reach this country. In addition to news items from this country there is a fashion section, and a good animated cartoon of Col. Heeza Liar's latest exploits. "A School in New Guinea." (Pathe. Split reel.) — An unusual sort of scenic picture showing life at a mission station in this great island of the Orient. In effective Pathccolor. "Jaypore. the Rose City." (Pathe. Split reel.) — A Pathccolor scenic film of this famous city of British India. Interesting and instructive. "The Police Dog." reel.)— This is one of tin (Pathe. Three-quarter fine animated cartoons THE FROHMAN AMUSEMENT CORPORATION ANNOUNCES THE PHOTO PRODUCTION OF THE COMEDY jUST OUT OF COLLEGE Written by GEORGE ADE A splendid cast includes EUGENE O'BRIAN 18 E. 4ist St. > WILLIAM L. SHERRILL, Gen. Mgr