Moving Picture News (Jan-Jun 1913)

28 THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS PATHE PATHE'S WEEKLY NO. 21 (May 19). A JOCKEY FOK LOVE (May 20).— Max meets the Countess Duvienne in a very distressing moment, for she has just learned that her jockey will be unable to ride her horse, the favorite for the Owner's Stakes. In that irresistible way of his, Max volunteers to ride in the jockey's stead. The Countess thanks him but cannot accept his offer because of his excessive weight. The gallant Max, nothing daunted, decides to reduce. After running a mile with a forty-pound dumb-bell he looks like a wet rag, but goes gamely to a Turkish bath. The scene in the steamroom of the bath is cleverly arranged and a scream. This treatment brings Max down to weight and, mounted on the Countess' horse, Max fights every stride of the tight race, but wins not only the race but the Countess as well. On the same reel: THE CITY OF ROUEN (FRANCE) .—One of the oldest cities in France with a quaint charm that is all its own. The beautiful hand coloring of the film makes it truly a feast for the eye. THE PRICE OF SILENCE (May 21).— Amy Frazer hears the call of the footlights and deserts her husband and baby daughter to answer. The daughter, Marion, is raised to young womanhood with the understanding that her mother is dead. After her father's death Marion marries a wealthy young broker. The notice of this marriage first brings the thought of her daughter back to the mother and she attempts to see her, but Marion's husband interferes and bribes Mrs. Frazer to keep the knowledge of her profession from his wife. The frequent visits^ of the strange woman nearly wreck the happiness of the young lovers and finally precipitate a crisis in which Marion learns the truth. The call of the blood is too much for the young wife to overcome and, forgiving her mother, she opens wide her arms and welcomes her to her new home. THE RIGHT OF WAY (May 22).— A poverty-stricken laborer scurries from home to get a physician for his child. On his way to Dr. Huber's office he sees a child falling from a window. Down, down the child drops, but into McCann's strong arms. He bears the baby back to her mother who, wild with joy, seeks to reward him, but McCann will not wait. The mother pleads for his name and McCann gives it, then hurries on to Dr. Huber's office. The doctor is expected back any moment and McCann waits. A few minutes and there enters the office a man of wealth and power, one Nicholas Preston. He is informed by t'^e maid that the laborer is first. The roll of bills pressed into her hand convinces the girl that Preston shall be first served. The doctor returns. Preston is being ushered into his office when McCann protests. A fight ensues, but justice triumphs and Dr. Huber accompanies McCann to his home, where he guarantees to bring McCann's girl around. Preston secures anoth°r doctor for his sick child and the physician informs him that she owes her life to the man who caught her when she fell from t^e window. Overjoyed, Preston hurries to the home of the man and there McCann and Preston again meet. Preston begs forgiveness and McCann is touched bv his plea. Dr. Huber is told to send the McCann bill to Preston's office for payment. NIGHT BIRDS (May 23).— Few people have ever seen an owl. They know what they are like and have, perhaps, heard them screech, but this film affords an opportunity to study them at close range and to understand why thev are called wise. Forest owls, barn owls, white owls, young owls and wise old owls are shown, also there is a corking good fight between a forest owl and a rat. There are laughs in the pictures, too, and the exhibitor who is a wise old owl will include this offering in his nrogramme. On the same reel: THE AILANTHUS SILK WORM. — A study of the habits of the little worm t'^at is responsible for the fabric that delights every woman's heart.' It is interesting, it is instructive and it's new. A WOMAN SCORNED (May 24).— When Phil Barton spurned his old sweetheart over a petty jealousy he little suspected that she would turn on him so suddenly. She sent him to jail for a crime he did not commit, tortured him after his escape, but she made one mistake when she attempted to notify the nolice. Barton's friend and prospective father-in-law. Dr. Swain, was present at the time and through him Phil's name was cleared and he married the girl he really loved. Crane Wilbur and Octavia Handworth play the leads and they are at their best, which means that the characters are perfectly portrayed. SOLAX THE HENPECKED BURGLAR (May 28). — Henpecked, an undersized man, decides to take his big, strong wife to the theatre. So he buys two tickets from the pretty ticket seller and gets into an altercation with the burly manager. Brave everywhere except in his wife's presence, he easily vanquishes his opponent. As Mr. and Mrs. Henpecked are leaving the restaurant in the hotel that evening, Henpecked is possessed of a sudden peremptory thirst. He makes an excuse to get away from his wife, telling her to wait a few minutes: The minutes lengthen into hours and at last the irate wife goes home to prepare a warm reception for her tardy spouse's arrival. Meanwhile Henpecked has had a hilarious time. W hile he is away a burglar enters his home and ransacks the living room. Henpecked is sneaking in on all fours at four a. m. and is covered by a desperate housebreaker. Seeing that his victim is in a dress suit, the burglar surmises that it is "Raffles, the gentleman burglar," and forces Henpecked to rob his own house. Finally Mrs. Henpecked hears the racket and is investigating when the burglar pounces upon her. Henpecked is forced to gag and bind his own wife — he is torn between delight at her silence and the gnawing fear of her release. The burglar decided that they have enough booty and, calling on the man he thinks is "Raffles" to follow, he exits. While he is gone Henpecked releases his wife, who pounces upon him just as a policeman enters with the burglar in his grip. The burglar has told him that his pal was "Raffles." Mrs. Henpecked interferes and drags her husband away from the bluecoat. Henpecked would rather take his chance on the clemency of the bench than with his maddened wife, so he declares that he is "Raffles" and demands that he be arrested. So the officer drags him off and saves him from Mrs. Henpecked's vengeance. THE KING'S MESSENGER (May 30).— This is a story illustrating the truth and force of the Ten Commandments. Miss Priscilla Handy, an elderly maiden lady, sits reading her bible in her room. She closes the book, removes her jewelry and prepares for bed. She places the bible upon the table at her bedside, blows out the candle and drops asleep. Bill Briggs, a burglar, enters the room, finds the things upon the table and. wrapping them in a handkerchief, escapes with them. He takes them to a bench in the park near a stone wall and there proceeds to examine his loot. Finding the bible, he opens it at a place marked the 20th chapter of Exodus, and the first thing his eyes alight upon is the commandment, "Thou shalt not steal." To him comes a vision of himself as a child at his mother's knee, and he drops the bible on the bench. Hastily gathering up the jewelry he returns it to the owner, closes down the window, and vanishes. Tom Rainey, a workman, is being evicted by John Ferguson, his landlord, and swears vengeance. Arming himself, he repairs to the park to lie in wait, and with drawn revolver he hides near the bench. His eye falls on the bible and he picks it up to read the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." Into his mind flashes a vision of a gallows with himself standing beneath it, and an angel of the Lord pointing to the mark of Cain on his forehead, while the wife and child kneel weeping. Throwing away the gun he flees from the spot, just as Ferguson comes by unharmed. Ferguson sees the bible and examines it out of curiosity. His eyes alight upon the passage, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," and he sees a vision of himself hoarding gold and feverishly counting it while the wan figures of women and children plead with him for bread. With a shudder he drops the book and, covering his face with his hands, staggers away. Other telling incidents illustrates: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife." "Thou shalt not commit adultery." "Honor thy father and thy mother that their days may be long in the land." "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." This morality play ends with: Miss Handy going bv, prim and' precise, but worried. She finds the book, recognizes it, and, clasping it in her hands, with delight, moves off. She comes to the steps of a church and there accosts an acquaintance. As she stands there, with the bible in her hands, there pass in, one at a time, into the church, Bill Briggs, Tom Rainey, John Ferguson, Mary Clemons and her child, Charles Michael Brown, who pauses on the steps, then removes his helmet and enters. Miss Handy wishes her friend farewell and, with a bright smile, follows them. PILOT SCHOOLDAYS (May 22). — Louise, a country girl, studious and very ambitious to go through college, finds the heat too oppressive to remain indoors, so seeks the shade of a large cherry tree. Being endowed with the usual vigor of a country girl, she climbs a tree and leisurely settles down to read. Professor Mooney finds chasing butterflies too irksome and goes to rest under the same tree. Occasionally a cherry drops on the professor's head. He pays but little attention to them. A shoe falls by his side unnoticed, then a stocking drops upon the book he is reading. He absentmindedly picks up the stocking, wipes his face with it, and then places it in his trousers pocket. Soon he falls asleep. In the meantime, Louise tries to climb higher in the tree, but her foot slips and her books fall, one of them dropping on the professor, followed by Louise, who lands plump on the professor's head. Later Louise receives a communication from the professor saying his board is willing to offer her tuition at half price, provided she is willing to assist in the chores. Louise is grieved to think she is unable to accept this kind offer, but her mother cheers her up by giving her some money she has saved, which is enough to carry her through at the half price rate. At school Louise is the victim of all the practical jokes of the girls. She finally gathers sufficient courage to take revenge. In the dead of night, the night before commencement, she steals their corsets, ties them with one string and suspends them from the college chimney. This causes much dismay and distress among the girls, as well as lots of fun for the guests. No one suspects Louise is the culprit, but she confesses to the principal, who declares his love for her, afterwards disclosing who the culprit is, and announcing his engagement to her. VITAGRAPH A LADY AND HER MAID (May 22).— The photographer sends Miss Ophelia a dozen photographs of her in different poses. Selecting the best one, she presents it to her favorite boarder, Billy, who does not think much of it and who gets very indignant when it is compared with the photo of, his sweetheart. Miss Ophelia goes up to her room in tears and tells her faithful maid, Belinda, that her heart is broken. Belinda goes down and forcibly tells Billy what she thinks of him. Miss Ophelia resolves on suicide, because no one seems to love her. Belinda gets back in time to prevent this and, to divert her mistress, she suggests that they go together to a beauty specialist. Arriving there, both receive attention. Miss Ophelia gets a new complexion while Belinda gets new teeth. Both invest in new gowns and dresses and the transformation is complete. At supper time the boarders are all astonished. Miss Ophelia is really nicelooking and arouses the jealousy of all the ladies, so much attention does she receive from the gentlemen. Receiving no return to their advances to Miss Ophelia, they try to flirt with Belinda, who now appears like a trim French maid. She turns them all down very coldly, very much to their surprise. Billy's heart unaccountably changes and he seeks out Miss Ophelia to propose to her. His offer is indignantly refused and he is still more astonished when a few minutes later he and all the other boarders receive notice to quit the house. A sign "For Sale" is placed outside the door and Miss Ophelia and her maid Belinda drive off in an automobile before everyone, none of whom can account for the sudden transformation of their erstwhile hoarding mistress's appearance and habits. Miss Ophelia decides to try the effect of her newly acquired fascinations in higher spheres and hopes now to be able to make a notable conquest and enter at last the much-longed-for haven of matrimony. MIATT PATENTS