Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1916)

December 9, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 3675 Tabloid Reviews for the Busy Exhibitor PRODUCTIONS FROM ALL PROGRAMS I GEi^ERAL FILM SERVICE "The Brand of Cain." (Sclig. Three reels. .\Ii>n., Dec. 4.) — .Vot shown for review; the story follows : George Wade is sent to America by his family. His monthly remittances from England arc his only income, and this he spends on liquor and women. Wade meets Lenno.x, another Englishman, and Lennox gives him a half interest in his mine. Lenno.t goes East to meet his newly arrived wife, leaving Wade in charge of the mine. Wade sells the mine for $200,000 and steals the money. Lennox discovers this theft and attacks the ungrateful man. Wade kills Lennox, and goes to England. He cannot forget the " Brand of Cain," however, and a swift and unusual punishment comes to him. Appearing in the cast are Kathlyn Williams, Harry Lonsdale and Wheeler O.ikman. Colin Campbell directed. "The Purchase Price." (Selig. Sat., Dec. 9.) — Not shown for review, the story follows : Helen refuses the proposal of Van Dyke, a young clubman, but marries Howard, a young broker who she believes to be wealthy. Howard steals a large sum of money to meet his wife's extravagance, but is discovered. Helen now wishes that she had accepted Van Dyke. Robyn Adair, E. J. Brady and Virginia Kirtley are in the cast "The Egg." (Essanay. Two reels. Tues., Dec. 5.) — This comedy-drama would have been far more effective if the whole plot had not been given away at the start. As it is, the dullest spectator can easily foresee the outcome, a fact that detracts from the interest. Richard Travers and Marguerie Clayton, the leads, handle their parts well, but are unable to inject much interest in the weak plot. Marjory Miller, an heiress, reads a book in which the heroine reforms a derelict and marries him. She determines to do the same thing, and picks out " The Egg," a character of the slums. " The Egg ' is a hard-boiled one, however, and she makes little progress with him. She finally discovers that he is the author of the book that inspired her, and that his rough-neck habits are only put on. She marries him at once. " A Waiting Game." (Essanay. Wed., Dec. 6.) — Xot shown for review; the stor>' follows: Ben, a shabbily attired hobo, enters a high-class cafe and orders everything in the place. He cannot pay for it. and a riot ensues. The manager thinks he has solved the afTair by letting Ben work out his check as a waiter, but several costly errors prove this an unwise proceeding. Ben Turpin plays the hobo. "A Failure at Fifty." (Essanay. Three reels. Sat., Dec. 9.) — Not shown for review; the story follows : Old Tim is a successful factory superintendent until his college-bred son starts to work in the same place. The son inaugurates an efficiency system that breaks the heart of the old man : He leaves the factory and is called a failure by his family. Tim meets a young designer who sells him a half interest in a patent. The patent makes them both rich, and Tim's family is glad to welcome him back and call him a success. In the cast are Thomas Commerford, Alice McChesney and Royal Douglas. "Jailbirds." (Kalem. One reel. Tues., Dec. — A comedv of much merit which will surely find favor with any picture lover who has been introduced to Ham and Bud. Having left town to evade the law, these two worthies decide to get into iail anyhow, for they are hungry. They succeed, but under more favorable conditions than they anticipated for they are made guards and recognize among the prisoners one Roy L. Flush (Henry Murdoch) who is incarcerated for conducting a gambling house. The gambler's daughter Flora Flush (Ethel Teare) endeavors by a ruse and at the expense of the new keepers, to effect her father's release and would have succeeded had not a guard shot him as he was making his getaway. He is returned to his cell and the keepers are vindicated. " The Wizard's Plot." Episode of " Grant, Police Reporter." (Kalem. One reel. Fri., Dec. 1.) — George Larkin as Tommy Grant of the Chronicle again covers himself with glory, this •time receiving a clue from an anonymous note. Following the clue, he discovers that " Marvelo " is advertising himself as an extraordinary chess player. Professor John Atwood (Robert Ellis), by whom he is employed, is an anarchist of deepest dye and is using his every endeavor to slop the shipment of munitions abroad. After throwing a live bomb into the slip and getting on the trail of the bombmakers. Grant has a series of hair-breadth escapes. A tight in the rigging of a freighter is one among the many. For patrons desiring action aplenty, hazardous situations and tense moments, this episode should not fail to provide enough. In the cast are OIlie Kirkby, " the woman in black " who gave the clue ; Harry Gordon as Inspector Kathbone and William McKay as City Editor Mansheld. UNIVERSAL PROGRAM •' The Trial Run." Episode of Hazards of Helen " (Kalem. One reel.) — A strain of humanism runs through this reel, which is replete with interesting situations and the photography is consistently perfect. The freight agent of a railroad is about to lose his position because of his inability to secure business, and at Helen's suggestion he tries to get the large contract of the Kruit Growers' Association, but without avail. The same day, however. Manager Morton (G. A. Williams) of the fruit concern meets with an accident and is pinioned beneath his own car with the inevitable Limited's screeching blast already within ear range. Helen looms upon the scene, sizes up the situation, mounts her pony and races away to meet the oncoming train. Just in the nick of time a more terrible disaster is averted and Manager Morton, anxious to show his appreciation of Helen's quick wit and quicker action, invites the girl to call on him. Instead, however, she sends the agent who is in danger of losing out and a bargain is made that the business of the fruit concern will be handed over on condition that their present schedule of time can be beaten, so a " trial run " is proposed and accepted. A new record is made and the railroad gets the new business and the man in fear of losing his position gets a new lease of official life. Very interesting throughout. " The Lineman's Peril." — Episode of Hazards of Helen. (Kalem. One reel. Sat., Dec. 9.) — This reel is literally filled with thrills, and uses to wonderful effect the sagacity of a dog. Tom Rogers (P. S. Pembroke) a lineman for the railroad on a tour, fell from a telegraph pole and lay prone across the tracks in the path of the Limited. Being unable to help himself owing to his hurts, the lineman scribbles a note which he places in the sweatband of his hat and dispatches via dog. Helen Gibson, the operator at Lone Point, gets the note ; requisitions an automobile ; beats the Limited by a nose and so saves the lineman from more serious injury. Teddy, the dog, shows almost human wisdom and of course is duly honored by being presented with a brass studded collar. "Border Wolves." Seventeenth episode of " Girl from 'Frisco " (Kalem. Two reels.) — The trickery of low caste Mexicans is here amplified to a degree. Ace Brent (Frank Jonasson), so-called " Empire Builder " on account of his engineering feats by which he has been able to reclaim much arid land in the South and West, is about to buy a cattle ranch on the Mexican border and has established a credit of $5(),000 in the local bank. A Mexican named Panchita learns of this and informs Gordoza (a walking arsenal with some following and described by the present owner of the ranch as " a patriot for revenue only ") who decides upon a scheme to secure the money. Maria (Josephine West), a half-breed helper around the cattle man's house, is forced by Panchita to remove all the arms from the house, and this done a raid is planned. Ace Brent and his daughter Barbara are made prisoners and held as hostages while John Wallace (True Boardman) is hurried to the bank to draw the $50,000 on an order signed to Ace Brent. The money is on its way back when Barbara having caoled Gordoza into drinking more than his capacity makes her escape, purloins the musket of a sleepy sentry and starts out on a campaign of restitution. She rounds up the surviving cowboys and they start out to meet the party returning from the bank and a lively battle ensues. As a climax Barbara has the supreme satisfaction of shooting Gordoza, just as he was about to plunge a dagger into her father's breast. Wonderful scenery is shown and the pictures are remarkably distinct. " Pass the Prunes." (Nestor. Mon., Dec. 4.) — One of the best Nestor's of recent date written by Bess Jleredyth and staged in a sanatarium with Lee Moran as the doctor in charge. In this role Moran has one of the funniest character parts of his life. Eddie Lyons and Priscilla Dean are the lovers as usual and win out against the villainous actions of Moran. " Ashes." (Gold Seal. Three reels. Tues., Dec. 5.) — Featuring Claire Mersereau, this drama written and produced in the East by Robert Hill makes an average release of the heart interest type. The story is familiar at every turn, concerning, as it does, the slavey who is to get an inheritance, and the conniving parties who attempt to pass oil one of their kind as the slavey, but the incidental business and the production help it along to a considerable extent and give it a pleasant surface. Stanley Walpole, Joseph Granby and Helen Slosson have the other principal parts. " His Golden Hour." (Victor. Tues., Dec. 5.) — An e-xceedingly old comedy laid on a farm where the farmhand after all proves the hero by beating up the villain and marrying the farmer's daughter. The gags are all old, and the plot is not big enough for even one reel's space. Harry Wulze wrote the scenario for Roy Clements' comedy which includes Ed Sedgwick and Belle Bennett. " The High Diver's Curse." (L-Ko. Two reels. Wed., Dec. 6.) — ^Dan Russell has the role of " props " in this amusing offering and creates a most ludicrous character. He works in a variety house, and is " in " on every act. He succeeds in spoiling the strong arm stunt, and in a sob playlet brings the hose into play for rain. For the star performance on the bill " props " has to play cupid and swing about on the wires. The audience takes this as an insult and the whole show ends in an uproar. Russell seems to be a sure-fire hit in anything nowadays. " The Shadov?." (Victor. Two reels. Thurs., Dec. 7.) — A fairly diverting mystery story that ends humorously, concerning the bet made by a society man that he can turn RafHes and get away with it. The man's identity is kept secret through the body of the picture, hence the mystery. Alan Holubar, Harry Carter and Neva Gerber are the principals. Eugene B. Lewis wrote the scenario. A Dittmars Educational trails on the last reel. " The Call of the Unborn." (Imp. Two reels. Fri., Dec. 8.) — A conventional picture presented rather cheaply, as two settings and the exteriors form the backgrounds for all the scenes. The husband slowly drifts away from his wife to pay court to another woman, but the two are reunited by a mutual friend who influences the husband by telling him of the coming child. M. K. Wilson, Edith Roberts, Lillian Concord and Malcolm Blevins are the principals. " Oh, You Honeymoon." (Nestor. Fri., Dec. 8.) — The manner in which the employes of a hotel reformed a non-tipping honeymoon couple is dwelt on with considerable humor in this release, which is the first comedy written and produced by Captain Leslie T. Peacocke for the Universal. He deals with delicate situations that are just decently risque enouarh to add suspense and spice to the reel. Alida Ilayman is the lead. Quite worthy to be branded a Nestor. "The Good Woman." (Bison. Two reels. Sat., Dec. 9.) — Another of William V. Mong's productions in which he casts himself as a Western bad man, who reforms when a good woman comes into his life. The climax comes when he becomes suspicious of the woman and discovers she isn't good at all, but she pleads and he forgives. Nellie Allen has the title role, while others are Georffe Pearce, Harry Holden and Frank Witson. ""The Tramp Chef." (Joker. Sat., Dec. 9.)— William Franey as a tramp with a passion for cooking, who gets arrested and cooks for the town sheriff is the central figure of this Joker, produced by William Beaudine. It makes am