Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

86 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIX, No. 2. De Rigney give her support. Travers Vale directed the picture which was taken from the magazine story by Olive Wadsley. The story: Diana Lester is left motherless when a small baby and is raised to girlhood by her father, a professional gambler with a reckless, shiftless nature. Diana is fully imbued with the life of the card-shark but notwithstanding has grown into a sweet and unsullied girl. When her father marries the owner of the Cosmopolitan, the most widely known gambling house in London, Diana is asked to look after the resort until after the honeymoon, and so takes up her residence there. Hugh Carton comes to the house one night in search of a friend, totally unaware of the nature of the place. The house is raided and Hugh, fearing his reputation will be ruined, begs of assistance from Diana. She has had experience in extricating her father from like situations so helps Hugh to escape over the roof-tops. Not knowing where else to take the girl at such an ungodly hour of the morning, Hugh takes her to his own apartment and he spends the night at his club. The girl's future bothe'rs him as she doesn't seem at all the sort to frequent gambling houses, and he aids her to accept a position in a store. Eventually the two fall in love and Diana hears that Hugh is married. She is willing to throw conventionalities aside and live with him as his wife and does so for a while until she realizes that she is hurting his future. It is then she leaves and is about to marry another man when Hugh's wife offers to divorce him, and all ends happily. 'The Gown of Destiny" Triangle Picture with Alma Rubens. Released December 30. Reviewed by Helen Rockwell THIS is truly an exceptional picture in its artistic conclusion. Moving picture patrons are not generally credited with the proper acumen to appreciate the kind of ending which this picture sets forth, but it remains to be seen if this offering, which is really out of the ordinary, is not met with enthusiasm by those who view it. Earl Derr Biggers is responsible for the story which is delightful in theme and quite unique in treatment. This is by far the best picture which Triangle has produced in some time. Those who fail to fully appreciate it will enjoy it nevertheless. The story: Andre Leriche is head designer for a fashionable Fifth Avenue modiste. He longs to be a soldier of France, to shed his blood for his country, to die if needs be for a glorious cause, but alas fate has given him the body of a weakling and he is rejected by the French consul. Embittered because he can do nothing, scorned because he isn't on the firing line, and laughed at because he tries to be, he takes the consul's advice of "each according to his gifts" and creates a wonderful gown, which is the one and only thing left for him to do. The gown is purchased by Mrs. Mortimer Reyton whose husband has been neglecting her of late. She dons the gown on the eve of their wedding anniversary, and it is such a master-piece that she wins back her husband's love. With new -resolutions the husband sends three ambulances to France as an anniversary gift to his wife. Mrs. Reyton then sends the gown to her niece, a sweet young girl who has always suffered the indignities of a wallflower because she had no pretty frocks. The niece, Natalie Drew, is 90 transformed by the gown that she wins a declaration of love from Neil Cunningham and makes him realize that he is a slacker. He leaves to enlist in the English army and asks her to wait for him until he comes back a man to claim her for his wife. Thus Neil Cunningham finds himself leading his soldiers over the top to re-take the village of Pont a Cresson, which has been captured by the Germans. The Germans have imprisoned the mayor of the village and ordered him shot at sunrise. Cunningham's attack is successful and he captures the village and frees the inhabitatnts. The mayor comes to thank him and express his appreciation, and adds, loyally, that somewhere he has a son who, he feels sure, is doing his bit, wherever he is, for his country. His son, he says, is called Andre Leriche and the last he heard he was a designer in New York. Back in his Fifth Avenue shop Andre reads in the paper of the re-capture of his native village, Pont a Cresson. With a heart full of grief, and blinded by tears, he wishes he could have had some tiny part in so great an achievement. There is a strong moral attached to this picture which can't fail to reach an audience and leave it satisfied. Lynn Reynolds directed the picture, which was photographed by John Brown, and both deserve high praise. The lighting effects and photography of the battle scenes at night are something quite splendid. Alma Rubens is charming as Natalie Drew, but special honors go to Herrera Tejedde as Andre. He fits the role to perfection and renders a most enjoyable performance in an exceedingly eccentric and difficult part. "Girls You Know" First Two of the James Montgomery Flagg Comedies, Kleine-Perfection Release. Reviewed by Genevieve Harris C XHIBITORS looking for high class comedies, note these. J-" James Montgomery Flagg, the artist, who drew a series of sketches under the above title, has written the scenarios for a series of one reel comedies in which girls who have posed as models for his pictures enact the title roles on the screen. Very clever and laugh-producing subtitles aid the comedies, which are very well produced. The Edison studios made the comedies. Flagg himself appears in them in the early part of each picture. He may become a screen favorite as well as magazine artist. "The Screen-Struck Girl" begins the series. Her dream in which she believes she is a great screen actress and indulges in various temperamental whims is an amusing burlesque on the attitude .of many spoiled celebrities. Her rude awakening is also funny. "The Bride" is a society satire in a far cleverer tone than we usually find in motion picture comedies. It is well picturized and is very enjoyable. Judging from these two subjects, the comedies, which are released through the George Kleine system, under the Perfection brand, are fine for any audiences, but they will be liked especially by the higher class patrons who cannot be amused by the crudeness of slap-stick and the usual broad humor of the screen. They are very fine and their producers are to be congratulated. Natalie receives the gown of destiny. 'The High Sign" Herbert Rawlinson in Butterfly Melodrama of December 31. Reviewed by Genevieve Harris ""THIS is one of those wild and romantic adventure pictures which end with the hero awakening from his dream. Herbert Rawlinson is the dreamer in this instance, Brownie Vernon the young lady he dreams of. Swift action, a flavor of humor, likeable characters and clever playing help to make a fairly good offering from a story of slight value. Almost all the material used is old, the college scenes, the mythical kingdom episodes, above all, the dream ending. The title refers to the coincidence by which the hero finds that the secret signal of his college society serves as an "open seasame" to a meeting of plotters against the throne of a kingdom. But the whole story was in a dream he had the night after his initiation into the societv. Audiences which like plays of real emotion or real life will not find this very satisfying. But as a light, frivolous entertain