Motography (Apr-Dec 1911)

April, 1911. MOTOGRAPHY 49 dramatic preparation ; the action drags, scene after scene showing almost no development; and there is not a great amount of suspense. Jim's self-sacrifice, however, strikes an appealing chord, and the drama is certainly worth while, even if not as exciting as it aims to be. Her Words Came True. — Selig. There is quite a bit of wit in the idea on which this comic is based. It shows the prophesies of a fortune teller coming to pass in a manner as ironical as those of the oracles of old. The piece could have been worked up better in several places and the final episode fails to> provide anything like a whirlwind finish; but still the subject has an amount of human interest that cannot fail to appeal. One Hundred Years Later. — Selig. The opening scene of this film is a fine example of staging. The settings, the pictorial composition, the costuming and characters, the time of night, combine to make a picture that is artistic and full of interest. There was also something particularly pleasing about the lighting— just what, we will not attempt to analyze further than to note the effect, which was to give the picture an unusual amount of natural light and shadow. The picture is another instance of a growing effort on the part of the film-makers to make their pictures really artistic and not mere crass transcripts of reality. Some day a diploma from an art school will be one of the qualifications demanded from a photoplay director. There is a later scene in the film which is also well put together from a realistic standpoint, but lacks the various artistic touches that render the other so excellent. The story is a dichromism, with the action cleft by a hundred years and linked together again by a bullet mark and a dream. It is interesting. Steamship Lusitania Entering New York Harbor.— Pathe. This monster leviathan of the deep is a novel sight to those of us who live far inland, and we are glad to catch a glimpse of it, even though a fragmentary one. The day was evidently foggy, but this detracts nothing from the pictures, rather gives them a vague mysterious touch which harmonizes well with the subject. The Trickster Tricked. — Pathe. This is neatly put on and the pictures are attractive to the eye, but it cannot be said that the piece is very satisfying. It aims to be comedy but all the humor is so inexcusably rough and over-emphasized that the effect is mostly painful and the laughs are extremely reluctant. When an audience watches these strenuous comical exertions without giving any audible expression of amusement, it is safe to say that the effort fell flat. Love in Madrid. — Pathe. There is a picture classification used by artists which goes by the name of genre. It denotes a kind of picture which gives a typical representation of life in one of its general phases, such as city life, provincial life, the life of fisher folk, mountaineers, factory workers, circus life, stage life, etc. The aim is to be at once truthful and artistic — the facts to be combined in such a way as to have something more than a surface significance, the picture to be packed with meaning. Such a picture is "Love in Madrid." It is a genre study of Spanish life and love. The scenes are accurate (at least, they convince), the types are vivid, and the action conveys so much more than mere plot that it deserves to be called educational. One sees the grace and politeness of the Spaniards, and underneath it all their essential barbarity, the males fighting like beasts for the favor of the beautiful female. And her coquetries, at once bold and shy, are at bottom vehemently sexual. There seems to be a tacit understanding underlying the romantic make-believe that is brutally frank to an Anglo-Saxon. Courtship in Madrid is, in short, little but a sexual sparring match. To state the matter thus crudely is doing scant justice to the film which conveys its meaning with much art and refinement. It is a Pathe production of the better class, and leaves nothing to be desired in any respect. A word of mention must be given to the photography which is clear and warm with sepia tones. Such soft harmonious values are worth a ton of pigment coloring, from an artistic standpoint. The Lieutenant's Love. — Pathe. This is a tragedy of German life, well acted and well presented. It is in all respects serious and dignified enough to convey the impression of a dramatic performance on the legitimate stage. The plot being involved with notions of family honor and class distinction conventional to German military circles is rather hard for us Americans to follow, and having puzzled out the various motives we are inclined to be exasperated by their fatuity ; but they undoubtedly rule conduct in that paricular corner of the earth ; so the events are probable and the tragedy logical. A play that gives us such an intimate glance into the German heart is instructive and profitable in the highest degree. Another recent photoplay of similar purport was Selig's "The Code of Plonor." We have all read of the absurd formalities of German military etiquette, of the caste system and the senseless notions of honor that prevail in those benighted circles ; but they have seldom been brought before us so vividly as in the two photoplays mentioned. Such is -the power of drama. Not only the scenic and industrial films should be classed as educational. A serious photoplay or drama depicting the life and social environment of another people, is as highly educational as anything we know of. The Lonedale Operator. — Biograph. A piece that stirs excitement with its physical perils and emotional thrills. For a thriller it is worked up with exceptional dramatic neatness, the producer placing his faith in something beside spectacular effects alone. There are flaws, however; for. instance, introducing us to the engineer first instead of to the girl, who is really the character to be emphasized, is questionable dramaturgy; and the monkey wrench incident in the preliminary scenes is maladroit, being too palpably preparatory. Why explain the monkey wrench beforehand anyhow? It robs the climax of an effective surprise. The hoboes' action at the end in taking off their hats to the girl is absolutely improbable, but has its humorous value. These are little points and would not be mentioned except that Biograph has led us to expect perfection in just such places. The piece as a whole is probable and well worked up. It provides a number of legitimate thrills and will enliven any program in which it appears.