Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1916)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

566 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 13. No. 4. "THE UNWRITTEN LAW" (California Motion Picture Corporation — Five Reels) REVIEWED BY OSCAR COOPER THIS picturization of Edwin Milton Royle's stage play affords Beatriz Michelena opportunities for strenuous emotional acting which she realizes well, presenting an impersonation which is convincing in itself. In externals— that is, in photography, lighting, and sets — "The Unwritten Law" is thoroughly acceptable. Fade-ins and close-ups are managed with skill. Many of the interiors are rich; the atmosphere of low life into which the action is carried is gained successfully ; the court room scene, as far as the set goes, is excellent ; when extras were needed, the director picked good types, and there are other evidences of careful and intelligent direction. The story, which moves very slowly chiefly because of the repetition of scenes, concerns the downfall of John Wilson, through the political perfidy of Larry McCarthy, who is determined to win Kate Wilson away from her husband. Wilson becomes a drunkard, finally deserting his wife and child. McCarthy comes to the rescue, pays the bills after Mrs. Wilson and her child have been injured in a fire, and promises to marry the mother. When he is about to break this promise by going away with his mistress, Mrs. Wilson kills him. Wilson, appearing on the scene just after the murder, takes the blame. He is finally cleared when his wife, her memory restored by hypnotism, rushes into the courtroom, takes the stand, and explains all. As is perfectly evident, the big scene is the court room scene. Here Miss Michelena does her best work. It must be said, however, that the manifest opportunities for dramatic suspense in this scene have not been realized in the highest degree. There is a lack of continuity, which was noticeable also in the earlier footage. We should say that this is probably due to insufficient care in editing. Nevertheless, the court room scene is interesting, because Miss Michelena makes it so. The cast is good. Second honors go to Andrew Robson, who rendered the character of Larry McCarthy in a finished fashion. William Pike is entirely satisfactory as John Wilson, and Irene Outtrim is good as McCarthy's mistress. Other members of the cast are: Matt Snyder, Frank Hollins, Clarence Arper, Baby Felice Rix, and Nina Herbert. Capt. Leslie Peacocke made the scenario. President Beyfuss, of the California Corporation, personally supervised the production. RAILROAD COMPANY OFFERS LAND TO MANUFACTURERS NEAR SAN FRANCISCO Special to Motion Picture News San Francisco, . Cal., Jan. 10. RECENT reports that motion picture producers were considering locations outside of Southern California, have led to the submission to the manufacturers of two offers of territory close to San Francisco. Walter Arnstein, president of the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railways, announced, after a conference with land owners, that an offer conveying in fee simple and with absolute title more than 250 acres of the most valuable holdings in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, would be made to the moving picture men as soon as satisfactory details concerning their term of residence could be arranged. Arnstein said he and his associates would guarantee the offer of fifty acres at Pinehurst, one of the "show places" along the railway of the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Company, between Oakland and Sacramento. William R. McStay, general agent of the Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railroad Company, has left for Los Angeles to lay an offer from that corporation before the motion picture magnates. H. Buckingham, general manager of the company, announced that the film companies could have all the land they wished for studio purposes on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais. Robert Newton Lynch, president of the Chamber of Commerce; Guy T. Wayman, president of the San Francisco Realty Board; and McStay had a conference here before McStay left for Los Angelesi Wayman will follow McStay to the South to see the Universal, New York, Selig, Lubin, Kalem — in fact all the film companies — in reference to the concessions offered on Tamalpais. FOUR WEEKS AHEAD OF PRODUCTION GIVES PROCTOR CHANCE TO MAKE SCENARIOS FOR GAUMONT PERFECT SINCE proper attention cannot be given scenarios that must be rushed to the directors, the Gaumont company has arranged its work so that the scenario department will always be a month ahead of the demands of its Mutual Masterpicture directors. "We have things well in hand," said George D. Proctor, scenario editor, "and are now putting the finishing touches to the manuscripts that will not be put in work until this time next month. Working four weeks ahead we can give the utmost individual attention to each manuscript. This final polishing assures the director that he is to have a manuscript that has both continuity and dramatic action. "I am just completing the picturization of 'The Show-Down,' an unusual story we purchased from Lionel Barrymore and Wright Huntington. Joseph H. Trant has finished and sent to Jacksonville a scenario written in conjunction with Paul M. Bryan, who wrote 'The Idol of the Stage' and 'Lessons in Love' for Gaumont. Captain Leslie T. Peacocke has delivered an unnamed mystery scenario, and 'The Wonderful Desire' has been received from John B. Clymer." SELIG PREDICTS NATURAL HISTORY INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS BY MOTION PICTURES WILLIAM E. SELIG, president of the Selig Polyscope Company, believes that within the next few years the motion picture camera will have been installed in every school house. Films teaching natural history and science can impress the pupil, and give the future generations a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of arts and sciences. The method of motion picture instruction can also be made most entertaining, and there will be no more urchins reluctant to start forth when the school-bell rings. Methods of horticulture, the birth of a flower, the haunts and the habits of wild animals, agriculture and many other subjects can be taught as well, if not better, through the medium of motion pictures. Many of our universities and schools are already utilizing the motion picture camera, and I believe the custom will become universal before many years. $30.50 COMPLETE with arc lamp PROFITABLE TERRITORIES NOW OPEN BING'S HOME ENTERTAINER To live men able to see a big opportunity and financially able to lay in a small stock of inexpensive, serviceable, easily operated and rapid selling machines. For such firms we have a splendid proposition to make. WRITE TO-DAY. Every family is a possible purchaser of Bing's Home Entertainer. $30.50 will bring you a sample of the finest little Motion Picture Machine you have ever seen. This fascinating, absolutely safe motion picture machine, practical in every respect, is sold to dealers only. While useful for sales demonstrations, it is primarily designed for home use. Simple and self contained; it takes standard size films; equipped with fireproof film boxes of 1,000 feet capacity. Bing's Home Entertainer gives very large white pictures at a short distance; has silent mechanism and large lamp house. Each machine has a baby arc lamp of 800 candle power taking about 6 amperes. The rheostat supplied is suitable for 110, ISO or 220 volts. Don't delay — write for sample NOW. BING BROTHERS, Manufacturers JOHN BING, Sol* Representative 381 Fourth Avenue, New York