Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1916)

December 23, 1916 MOTIONPICTURENEWS 4047 llllllliUWIIIIIilllllllllllllllllllUlllllllillllllllllllllllllillll^ I TABLOID REVIEWS FOR BUSY EXHIBITORS I iiiiiiiiiiiiDiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ General Film Service " The Menace." Episode of Grant, the Police Reporter, Series. (Kalem. Fri., Dec. 15.) — This is a thriller, depending on bomb throwing and police raids, and the capture of the female anarchist on the roof top to carry it through its thousand feet. An unusual feature is the showing of the Maxim silencer on the revolver of the hidden hand which deals death to the betrayer of the cause to Grant. Another novel stunt is the curious ball found in the pocket of the murdered man who told, which, on being broken, is found to contain an identification. Very good thriller. " The Fatal Violin." Ham and Bud Comedy. (Kalem. Dec. 19.) — Bud Duncan and Henry Murdock are the stars of this piece de resistance. Ham is missing this week, but the fun goes on just the same. Some doings. Bud, after trying many jobs, tries to make a handy nickel by carrying grips from the station when allowed to do so. He finds some objection on the part of travelers to this generous service offered, so when the anarchist who is to bring the " fatal violin " arrives, he slips the violin case toward the nearest cab while its owner is looking for the comrades who are to meet him. Spymg the violin, which is in a white case, the comrade mistakes Bud for the brother anarchist and a hot time ensues. Finally the violins get mixed, and the anarchists blow up themselves, while Bud suffers the tortures of the damned in the expectation that he was to get blown up. Really clever comedy, well worked up. "The Midnight Express." (Kalem. Sat., Dec. 16.) — Helen Gibson pulls off some more of her daring stunts in this fast and furious reel. A train robbery is planned, in which a banknote shipment by the Weldon Express Co. in express boxes marked Am. Express Co., is taken from the train in suitcases by crooks who, instead of attempting a getaway, remain at Lone Point. Helen gets a thumb print of the robber, who sends a telegram from her office. The detectives attempt to arrest the robbers redhanded, but the bandits are too quick for them and cover an engine and cars with their revolvers and make the engineer and fireman turn over the train to them. Helen pursues on a motorcycle and does the most daring stunt we have yet seen. She rides down the middle of the track on the cycle, and suddenly, being confronted with a flat car, rides the machine up a narrow plank, leaps off while it is running at high speed along the top of the car, leaps from the car on to the rear of the passing train, and leaps into midair, what appears to be about ten feet after the train which appears to be going fully thirty miles an hour. It is all so plainly shown, the thrill is a real one, and we are wondering yet how it was done. We don't know whether there was any trick or not. We have never seen a better " stunt." "The Vanishing Box Car." (Kalem. Dec. 23.) — This is another Helen Gibson stimt picture. This time some very clever railroad switching is introduced, showing a train broken in the middle and the caboose coupled to it again, without the engineer discovering that he had lost a car. Helen and her girl friend set out to find the car. A fight ensues, and Helen gets away on her motorcycle and brings help. Plot to wreck a factory and other realistic counterplots make this a full measure thriller of a thousand feet. " The Five Franc Piece." (Selig. Three reels. Mon., Dec. 18.) — Reviewed at length elsewhere in this issue. "The Man He Might Have Been." (Selig. Sat., Dec. 23.) — This release is suitable for showing at a church fair or at a W. C. T. U. meeting, but its theme is too moralistic for popular consumption. The clothes worn by the players show that the picture was made some time ago, and the acting is of a kind equally out of date. Robyn Adair, Buddy Harris, and E. J. Brady are the principals. A hobo dreams of his youth, when he had a position of trust in the office of his rich father, and when he had a beautiful and loving wife. He then sees visions of the downfall drink brought, and how he lost wife and positiori through it. He goes back to his home, is forgiven by his wife, and starts life anew. Selig-Tribune. No. 98. (Thurs., Dec. 7.)— Big shipment of meat arrives in Galveston, Texas from Argentina ; picture theatres take potatoes at box office, New (Jrleans, La. ; dancing hula-hula, Galveston, Tex. ; U. S. dreadnoughts sail out of New York harbor ; President Wilson and judges attend requiem mass for the late Emperor Franz Josef, Washington, D. C. ; Secretary McAdoo and wife visit in Saratoga, Cal. ; Mayor Thompson of Chicago presents poor children with tooth brushes ; University of Pennsylvania defeats Cornell in football, Philadelphia, Pa. ; and other scenes. Selig-Tribune. No. 99. (Mon., Dec. II.) — President Wilson officiates at ceremony of lighting Statue of Liberty, New York City ; Charles Taft turns ranch into cotton plantation, Taft, Tex. ; soldiers dine Thanksgiving day. Corpus Christi, Tex. ; scenic boulevard opened to motorists, San Francisco, Cal.; Vice-President and Mrs. Marshall welcomed on arrival in Washington, D. C. ; Berthier gun inspected, Wakefield, Mass. ; world's largest gold dredge launched, Marysville, Cal. ; automobile race, Los Angeles, Cal. ; idiot attacks city officials, Hammond, Ind. ; horse? purchased for use at front, Denver, Col. fashions. Mutual Program "Reel Life." Gaumont, Men., Dec. 11.) — " Where Benedictine " is made shows the bottlmg. case making, packing and shipping of the well known liqueur. " How to Dance," is a popular topic, particularly when it is demonstrated on the screen by a graceful couple to whom dancing seems to be a serious art. " Working for Santa Claus " will be a relief to those who imagined that toy makers are all fighting in Europe. This is another instance of reversed conditions. Instead of depending upon Germany and France for our toys, western factories are shown turning out enough Christmas delights not only for home use but for the little European war victims as well. Radium, so precious and costly, is seen seething in big cauldrons. Several tons of ore are used to produce a speck of radium that will lie in the palm of the hand. " Up The Nile." (Gaumont, " Tours Around the World.") — Number six of the Tours shows the Nile from a modern vessel. The many sailing boats in the Cairo harbor look like a forest of masts. The cameraman with an eye for the unusual caught with good effect the curiously formed banks of the stream. The fine old world city of Carcassonne, with its splendid buildings, is also shown. Glimpses of Switzerland show some excellent photography ; they include Lucerne, the birthplace and the statue of William Tell. See America First, No. 66, and Komic Kartoons by Harry Palmer. (Gaumont. Split reel. Wed., Dec. 13.) — Ascending Mount Baker in the state of Washington is the theme treated in this number and apart from the educational features, it is very interesting and the photography is excellent. The glaciers, the waterfalls, the effect of the sun|s rays on the different strata are beautifully depicted, and to see this picture convinces one that one really should " See America First." Harry Palmer's Komic Kartoon, " Curfew Shall Not Ring Out To-night," is a direct onslaught on our old friend " John Barleycorn," alias " The Demon Rum." He is jailed and is to be hanged when curfew rings. Therefore he — in the form of an animated bottle — decides to go to his own rescue. So with the liquid inside himself he burns down his prison bars, escapes and mounts to the belfry and swings from the bell's clapper. But the bellringer is slightly over enthusiastic this particular p.m., the result being that the bell is rung so violently that the victim is caused to lose his hold and is thrown far, far away into the night air. Mutual Weekly. No. 102. (Gaumont.) — Interesting scenes from the Battle of the Somme ; world's largest gold dredge, Hammonton, Cal. ; wounded New Zealand soldiers on way home stop at Norfolk, Va. ; illuminating New York's statue of Liberty, President Wilson attends ; Berthier machine gun tested, Boston, Mass. ; scenic boulevard opened, San Francisco, Cal. ; Aviator M. Daucourt in France ; President Wilson addresses congress ; school children of Washington, D. C. taught thrift; and other scenes. Universal Program "Mixed Blood." (Red Feather. Five reels. Mon., Dec. 18.) — Reviewed at length elsewhere in tnis issue. This picture features Roy Stewart and Claire MacDowell in a story of rather too much plotting. It is a Western and contains, some realistic scenes and considerable gun play, but owing to the unattractive makeup of the characters fails to please to even an average extent. r, " ^',0^?""-^^'* ^'^^ ^ K'ss-" (Nestor. Mon., IJec. 18.)— Two jealous couples and a bed room mixup make this a Nestor of average worth although the tactics employed to produce the humor are more on the Joker than the usual Nestor style. Eddie Lyons, Lee Moran, Priscilla Dean and Vola Smith, all have congenial parlor roles and appeared to good advantage under the direction of Louis (Jliaudet. Bess Meredyth prepared the scenario. " Little Partner." (Gold Seal. Three reels, fues., Dec. 19.) — ^A Western drama with a good many of the usual trappings of such pictures, done in a nice way and loaded down with a good bit of sentiment. The first reel might be shortened, and other places edited making the production an excellent two reeler. James Dayton IS author, Calder Johnstone did the script and William Worthington directed. Franklyn Famum and Agnes Vernon are the leads. " Shooting His 'Art Out." (L-Ko. Two reels. Wed., Dec. ZO.) — Comedy of the artist and model type in which the janitor (Phil Dunham) figures prominently. First laugh comes with subtitle " I'm going to shoot his " art out " as spoken by tenant of lower floor whose wife is addicted to visiting the artist via the dumbwaiter. The leaders are few and brief and a riotous finish on the roof of a Los Angeles skyscraper will cause gasps and giggles from any audience. " The Ivy and the Oak." (Rex. Two reels. Thurs., Dec. 21.) — A man-about-town renounces his actress-fiancee because of her past and marries a little country girl who later turns out to be extravagant and considerably vampirish. He robs a safe of some bonds to satisfy her desires, and then discovers the bonds belong to the actress. .She refuses to prosecute him and so the man discovers which is the better woman. A fairly entertaining number with Lee Hill, Dorothy Davenport and Lillian Concord in the principal roles. ^ " In the Dead O' Night." (Imp. Two reels. Fri., Dec. 22.) — Tense melodrama which really grips — Douglas Gerard, Doc Crane, Ruth Clifford and George Barranger as the old doctor, his ward and nephew, and the villainous friend. Two reels of continuous action which will be pleasing to most audiences and a knockout to the lovers of this kind of drama. Poison, forgery, convict garb, gunplay and bloodhounds help the plot. " It's Great to Be Married." (Nestor. Fri., Dec. 22.) — Written by Capt. Leslie Peacocke, the plot permits the showing of a mature blonde in childish garb trotting about a Christmas tree, wheel her widowed parent is making up to wed Fred Church. This is the same Fred who aided " Broncho Billy " of Essanay for some years, and as a gay widow wooer he is quite different. Exploited by Mama as an eight year old, the brat entrusts to Fred the awful secret of her true age. As soon as he gathers that she is really eighteen and does some mental arithmetic, he weds " Baby Doll " leaving Mama at the post. The minister is the best actor and has the best part in this one reeler. " Jags and Jealousy." (Joker. Sat., Dec 23.) — This Joker has to do with a jealous husband and a wile who innocently gets in compromising situations. A story of the better-thanaverage sort gives this a good amount of sustained interest, although the business of the players is rather hackneyed. William Franey, Gale Henry and Charles Conklin are the leads. " Fighting Joe." (Bison. Two reels. Sat., Dec. 23.) — Featuring William V. Mong as a careless scrapping miner who has no plans or fears as to the future, and is loaded with gall and money. Descending upon the border town just before Christmas, he cheers up the church and saloon folks equally by spending generously in each place and promoting about the best