Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

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.

February 23, 1918. MOTOGRAPHY 363 Two outdoor scenes from "My Wife," an Empire-Mutual star production with Ann Murdoch. Mutual Has All-Star Cast in "My Wife" Ann Murdock in Stellar Role Takes Part of Girl Who Wed Guardian So She Could Inherit Fortune of Her Aunt ANN MURDOCK is seen in a screen production of "My Wife" in the Mutual star production series of February 18. The picture was made under the direction of Dell Henderson at the Empire All Star studios. It is an adaptation of the play by Michael Morton, which had an extended run both in America and England and achieved a tremendous success with Billie Burke when first produced in New York. Originally it was a starring vehicle for John Drew, but in the film version the play was altered to provide a stellar part for Beatrice Hammond, "My Wife," who is portrayed by Miss Murdock. The story presents the amusing and interesting complications developed by a marriage of convenience entered into by Beatrice who, in order to comply with the conditions of a codicil in her wealthy aunts will, in which she is left a million dollars on condition that she marry before she is eighteen, weds her guardian "in name only," with the intention of obtaining a divorce when her lover returns from the front. It becomes embarrassing and decidedly uncomfortable for the guardian when he falls in love with his wife and he repents of his bargain. The comedy element is dominant throughout in spite of the seriousness which involves the unusual position of the husband. Miss Murdock is said to be thoroughly at home in the role of the temporary wife, giving it a lightness of touch and vivacity that are charming. She wears some stunning gowns of the ultra-fashionable mode, one of which is decollette. Rex MacDougal reveals some fine act ing in the part of the husband — a part created by John Drew in the stage production. Mr. MacDougal has supported Miss Murdock in many of her stage successes in which he has made distinct hits, his most recent being his characterization of a role in "The Three Bears." The cast supporting Miss Murdock in "My Wife" is an all star one, including Amy Veness, who has appeared with Mine. Nazimova, Tyrone Power and Ethel Barrymore; Ferdinand Gottschalk, who plays "Gibby Gore," the part he created in the stage version; Hubert Druce, Grace Carlyle, Dudley Hill and Carl Sauermann. Fox Talks on Scandal Film Since it was announced that R. A. Walsh has been working on a production founded on a recent New York society scandal and subsequent murder trial, the William Fox policy of reticence in part has been abandoned. Mr. Fox himself is now the author of a statement regarding the photoplay in which he argues that all of the publicity the case received in the press will redound to the advantage of the exhibitor — may, in fact, be considered as so much preliminary advertising. "Mr. Walsh and I talked over the matter at the time; looked at it from all angles and then decided it would furnish the material for a photodrama notable in the annals of the screen," said Mr. Fox. "We took into account especially the human appeal — the mother's love for her child and the super-dramatic scene in which she faces, alone, the representatives of the law, who, being men, are natural allies of the man who sought to deprive her of her child. "Then Mr. Walsh was given a free hand. The high qualities of directorship which he exhibited in such photoplays as 'Carmen,' 'The Conqueror,' 'The Regeneration,' and 'The Honor System,' showed that he was eminently capable of directing even as great a picture as this promises to be. "From the exhibitor's angle, it represents a great opportunity. The picture should make a record." Miss MacDonald Praises "Doug" Katherine MacDonald, who plays opposite Douglas Fairbanks in his new Artcraft picture, "Headin' South," says that in working with the; acrobatic actor, one must be a daredevil athlete. "His stunts," continued Miss MacDonald, "are more thrilling than I have ever seen in a circus, and really the risks he takes are great. "While we were working down at Tucson, Arizona, on a train hold-up, he leaped all over the locomotive with the agility of an animal. His jump from the speeding train onto an opposite bank caused us all to shriek with horror. He certainly earns his large salary. "Working with Mr. Fairbanks has other compensations than money. He is a student and his peculiar philosophy, when treated seriously, is more refreshing and instructive than any of .the philosophers I have studied at school." Bushman Acts on Own Estate The famous "Bushmanor" estate of Francis X. Bushman, near Baltimore, Md., is being used for a new Metro All Star Series production, "The Brass Check."