Moving Picture News (Jul-Oct 1913)

34 THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS gambler, returning, sees iheir fond embrace and vows vengeance. He secures a couple of ruffians and, in company with them, goes to Ellen's office and, after a struggle, makes her a prisoner, but not before Ellen, during the scuffle, has had an opportunity to send a call for help over the wire to Wilson. The gambler and his pals take Ellen to a shack which the gambler has in the mountains. Wilson, unable to get into communication with Ellen, in response to her frantic call, secures a handcar and, after a wild ride, finds Ellen's office in confusion and his sweetheart missing. With the sheriff's posse he pushes after the gambler, who, seeing the posse at a distance, gags and binds Ellen and puts her ill an old well under the shack. Wilson and his men are about to leave, having failed to find Ellen, when Ellen accidentally hits her spur on a pipe running up to the room above. Jhe taps her whereabouts in tlie Morse code on the pipe and Wilson quickly releases her, while the sheriff and his men keep the gambler and his pals covered. Needless to say a new operator is wanted at Tempuch at once. "101 BISON' THE PICKET GTTAED (2 Reels) (July 15). "All_ quiet along the Potomac to-night, W[here the soldiers lie peacefully dreaming, Their tents in the rays of the clear autumn moon, Or the lights of the watchfires are gleaming." Reid, a Federal sentry, is shown on guard during the quiet of the night. A Confederate officer is seen to dispatch an advance picket. "A tremulous sigh, as the gentle night wind Through the brush-leaves softly is creeping. While stars up above, with their glittering eye, Keep guard for the enemy is sleeping." The Federal camp is shown in slumber as the Confederate picket makes stealthful advance. He suddenly halts. "There's only the sound of the lone sentry's tread. As he tramps from the rock to the fountain. And thinks of the two in the low trundle bed. Far away in the cot on the mountain." Reid, the Federal sentry, comes to rest upon his rifle and falls into a reverie. His vision depicts two children asleep, one of five years, the other three, beside his waiting wife. "The moon seems to shine just as brightlv as then, That night when the love yet unspoken Leaped up to his lips, when low murmured vows Were pledged to be ever unbroken." His reveries carry him back to the courtship days when he bashfully stood beside Mary and mustered courage to tell her of his love. She modestly accepted him. Later they are shown to be married in the green woods and depart with the churchman's blessing to their humble home. He takes his bashful bride in his arms and their lips meet in wedding kiss. Moments of their happy life unfold themselves before him — their first child, which made their sym-. pathy and devotion as one. Something stirs behind him — he raises his rifle, alert, but only for a moment. Then he continues his reverie. "His musket falls slack, his face dark and grim. Grows soft with memories tender, .^s he mutters a prayer for the children asleep. For the mother — may Heaven defend her." His memory shapes pictures of a happy leave of wife and chidlren for the village where Lincoln's bulletin met his gaze calling for 75,000 volunteers. He thinks of loving ones at home and turns from the call. His friends taunt him. The end could be but one, and a sad parting of home ties follows. He recalls his Lieutenant's departure from an aged mother and other soldiers in their leave — surely none were sadder than Mary as she stood with children in farewell to soldiers as they marched away in answer to Lincoln's call. "Then drawing his sleeve roughly over his eyes, fie dashes the tears that are welling, And gathers his gun close up to its place. .As if to keep down the heart swelling." Reid is seen to supply action befitting to the above stanza. In the meantime the Confederate picket sees his chance and prepares to fire as Reid, with shouldered gun, continues his guard. "He passes the fountain, the old blasted tree, The footsteps are lagging and weary. HarkI was it the night wind that riistlcd the leaves?" Reid is seen to peer cautiously into the darkness as the Confederate picket prepares to fire. "Was it moonlight so wondrously flashing?" It looked like a rifle. Ah! ilary, good-bye. And the life-blood is ebbing and flashing." Reid is seen to sink in death to the ground and the sleeping Federal camp rise to meet tiie advancing foe. "All quiet along the Potomac, 'they say,' Except, now and then, a stray picket Is shot, as he walks his post to and fro By a rifleman hid in the thicket." A village scene shows the arrival of news from the front. All hurriedly gather for news o.*' their loved ones. '"Tis nothing! A private or two now and then will not count in the news of the battle; N.'t an officer lost Only one of the men." .\lary comes on the scene in time to learn the news of her husband's death. She swoons beside these who rejoice over their own good fortune. "Moaning out all alone the death rattle." The widow is seen seated at cabin door in thought, her children clinging to her. "All quiet along the Potomac to-night, Xo sound save the rush of the river. While soft falls the dew on the face of the dead. The picket's off duty forever." PILOT SANITARY GULCH (July 10).— Cliff Cole, agent for the Klos-Shave safety razors, finds business very dull in Cemetery Gulch. He can make no sales at all, so wires his manager in Chicago to send the emergency squad to the town at once. Priscilla Long, a stenographer in the office, and Mildred Shaw, another one, are dispatched to aid Cliff. They arrive in the town. Priscilla is slightly disguised as a maiden aunt and Mildred is supposed to be her niece. When the heavily bearded men try to show Mildred some attention, Priscilla repulses their advances with an atomizer containing a powdered disinfectant, explaining that whiskers are lurking places for germs. Two of the more interested of the men decide to shave, and arouse the French barber from his lethargy of "no business." They are cordially received by the women then, and the other men note their progress and decide to do likewise. The barber is shortly overwhelmed with business, which he is unable to take car^ of, and Cliff persuades the men to buj' his safety razors and shave themselves. Aroused by the idea of cleanliness, the men reform the town and change its name from Cemetery Gulch to Sanitary Gulch, posting the new name over the railroad station. A vigilance committee ropes the men who will not shave and compel them to do so, even requiring that the hair be taken off "woolly chaps" which some of them wear. The men make great progress in their attentions to Jlildred and Priscilla, the barber grows fat off his earnings and Clift' sells many razors. When they decide finally that they have milked the town, the conspirators go to the depot to depart. As they wave an ironical good-bye from the rear of the train, the men realize how they have been tricked. There is just time for the now abhorred barber to make it. They shoot at his feet and he beats it for the train, while the men throw away their safety razors and take a solemn oath to never shave again. WARNER'S FEATURES THEODORA (Three Parts). — :\[any a niisguitlcd woman by her unreasonable love for a man has brought ruin and death not only upon her own head but his as well. It is only after it is too late that she realizes the utter folly of her infatuation. Justinian, Emperor of the Roman Empire of the East, has, by his tyranny, brought down upon his head the hatred of his subjects. One day the Empress Theodora, with veiled face, is passing through the market place of Byzantium, the capital of the Empire, when a riot starts against the Emperor. She is saved from the fury of the mob by a handsome stranger. Struck by the Apollo-like figure of her benefactor, she dispatches her slave after him with a note signed "Myrta." Now, this is Andreas, a Greek, the leader of a band of tempestuous spirits who have organized themselves to avenge the wrongs of the people. He sends back word to Theodora that he cannot meet her as she requests. Now the Empress has succumbed to a sudden passion for the handsome Greek, and so the rejection of her advances fills her with despair. As the Emperor had that day issued a particularly imperious decree, the friends of Andreas decide that the time has come for the master stroke. That night they cast dice to decide who shall kill Justinian and 'Theodora. The fates decree that Marcellus shall undertake the dangerous mission. Just after the conspirators have departed from the home of Andreas, Theodora, whom he, of course, knows only as "Myrta," comes to him. While there she discovers the death compact against herself and Justinian. Tearing the name of -Andreas from the parchment and hastil3' concealing it beneath her robe she hurries back to the palace. Theodora discloses to the Emperor the mutilated parchment which gives the names of the conspirators. He immediately orders their secret arrest. When ilarcellus enters the palace to assassinate the Emperor and Theodora he is surprised and captured by the Imperial Guard. During the torture which is then inflicted upon him, Theodora, in fear that he may disclose the name of Andreas, stabs him. The next day, during the progress of the games in the amphitheatre, an attack, headed by -Andreas, is made on the royal pair. It is not until the Greek is seized and bound that he recognizes Theodora as the woman he has known as "Myrta." Rage soon overcomes his amazement and he reproaches her most bitterly for the death of ilarcellus. Fears for her lover and fears for her own safety cause terrible strife in the breast of Theodora. The Emperor has become suspicious of her and is constantly on the alert for some proof of her infidelity. When 'Theodora visits Andreas in his dungeon he reviles her most bitterly, disclaiming all feeling of affection and assuring her that she can never expect anything from him but hatred and loathing. The unhappy Empress, in a frenzy of despair, hastens to Tamyris, a sorceress, and secures from her a love potion that will awaken the dormant love in the breast of Andreas. Now, Tamyris is the mother of Araaron, who has been killed in the rioting in the arena, and she, thinking the potion is for Justinian, in a spirit of revenge, mixes, instead of a love potion, a deadly poison, which she gives to Theodora. \\ hen the Empress returns to the palace she learns that during her absence Andreas has been tortured. When she summons him he upbraids her afresh. Overcome by pain and the effect of his exertion he swoons. While in this state Theodora gives him the magic draught. L'nder its influence he revives, only to start his reproaches anew. Suddenly a peculiar change conies over him; his limbs stiffen, the eyes turn glassy and convulsive shudders seize him. The poison of Tamyris has accomplished its end — .Andreas is dead. The awful realization causes Theodora to fall in a dead swoon across the body of her 'oyer. In this position she is found by Justinian. When Theodora is revived she learns that her doom is sealed. Entreaties and implorings are in vain. The executioner is ordered to do his duty. With one last look at the body of her lover Theodora resigns herself to her fate. -A few quick turns of the garotte and all is over. Theodora has sowed the wind and reaped the whirlwind. T/?e Art of Scenario Writing By WILLIAM LORD WRIGHT And I Year's Subscrlptlorv to Mo-Oin^ Tictur* ffetvJ for $2.00 In writing to advertisers please mention '.MO\ I.Nl! I'lCTl Kl, Nl.W: