Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1914)

1844 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD "The Beautiful Unknown" Three-Reel Costume Romance Featuring Yona Landowska in Sensational Dance in Last Reel — Victor-Universal Reviewed by Hanford C. Judson. A PICTURE in the costume of about the time of Louis XIII and set in some half-fairyland court. Matt Moore plays the part of a young king just come of age and boyishly irresponsible until the Princess Yona stirs his heart — we think that the love story part of the picture is not true to the same boyish spirit found in that scene in which the young king, taking his place for the first time at the kingdom's staid council, and boy-like having a laugh under his sleeve at the importance and ceremony of the reverend counselors. Their enthusiastically expressed loyalty to him is a good contrast and a fine piece of dramatic work. The boy is fond of the ladies and the Queen-Mother wants to get him married. Three princesses come from a neighboring kingdom and the oldest of them, played by Yona Scene from "The Beautiful Unknown" (Victor). Landowska, is destined to be his wife and queen. He meets them courteously and excuses himself to pay a visit to the opera. The princess feels slighted and goes into a pretty pet, marches off upstairs with her shoulders perked up in disdain. Then, for a lark, she, too, will go to the opera and be a dancer. She has to bribe the manager to let her; but the king falls in love at first sight. She won't let him in her dressing room and he orders her to appear at a court fete soon to be held. She comes at the very last when he has begun to grow irritable and her costume is rather breezy — it will, perhaps, make a strong hit in certain houses where there is a sporting clientele. It is a pretty picture, all through and has many graceful scenes. Much of the dancing and acting, too, are very good. FILM SERVICE CONTRACT IN COURT. A suit involving some of the leading photoplay houses in Cincinnati was recently fought out before Judge Gorman of the Common Pleas Court. McMahan & Jackson, operating the Norwood Amusement Company, Levy & Meiss, operating the Liberty and Columbia theaters, J. St. Clair Glassmeyer, operating the Imperial, and the Forest Amusement Company, sued for an injunction restraining the Park Theater Company and the Arcade Theater Company, which operate a house in Avondale, from exhibiting "Life's Shop Window." "St. Elmo," "Will o' the Wisp" and "The Thief," on the ground that the theaters named had an exclusive contract with the Box Office Attraction Company of New York, controlling the productions named, for the Cincinnati rights to those productions. It was alleged in the petition that the two defendant companies were given a like contract on November 18, and immediately began to advertise the coming attractions. The injunction was refused by the court on the ground that there was no showing that the two defendant companies had any knowledge of the alleged prior contract. The Orpheum Theater, of Walnut Hills, is involved in the matter, as it had the pictures named scheduled for exhibition on its program under lease of the two defendant companies. The plaintiffs have announced their intention of fighting the matter to a finish in order to protect their rights, while the defendants are equally determined, and there the matter rests at present, with the victory, for the time being, at least, with the defendants, Arthur Evers ARTHUR EVERS, now playing heavies for the Dyreda Art Film corporation at their Yonkers studio, under the direction of J. Searle Dawley, has had valuable experience, both" on the legitimate stage and in acting in motion pictures. During the season of 1907-8 Mr. Evers came prominently before the New York theatergoing public, through a series of most excellent portrayals in varied heavy roles in the support of Edna May Spooner at Keith and Proctor's Fifth Avenue theater. Of a handsome and imposing appearance, tall and distinguished, Mr. Evers has had the best of training in divers branches of the drama, embracing the classic, comic, melodramatic and stock and he has taken full advantage of his many opportunities, so that he is able to cope with any variety of roles, although he is by no means satisfied with his present attainments, and with each new role he strives valiantly to achieve a higher perfection. Mr. Evers is a college man, is an athlete in every sense of the word and excels in roles that demand strength, power and virility. Mr. Evers has recently starred in the five-reel production of the "Dancer and the King," which was produced by the Shuberts at the Peerless studios at Fort Lee, N. J. His portrayal of the Count in the picturization of "Camille" received much favorable comment from the press. Arthur Evers. "NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER" AND "SHADOWS" DELIGHT ENGLISH NOBILITY. A distinguished audience witnessed the first English exhibition of "Neptune's Daughter" and the two-real feature, "Shadows," in which King Baggot enacts ten roles by means of wonderful double and triple exposures, on the morning of November 24th, in Shaftesbury Pavilion, London. The private showing was held under the auspices of the TransAtlantic Film Company, Ltd. George "Universal" Stevenson did the honors. Among those present were Sir Lionel Garden, the Marchioness of Townsend, Viscount and Lady Dangan, Miss Hiram Maxim, Capt. Leslie Peacocke, Sr.; Mr. St. John Brenon, Father of Herbert Brenon, Mr. E. M. Heron, Alderman Joseph May, the Mayor of St. Pancras, Sir Henry Dalziel, P. C, J. P.; Sir George Alexander, David Davis, Esq., J. P.. C; Councillor Lloyd Taylor, J. P.; J. Elliot, Esq., J. P., and Mr. William O'Malley, M. P. Sir Lionel and Lady Carden expressed their delight at the wonderful artistry of "Neptune's Daughter" and "Shadows" and promised to call again soon at Universal House to attend a showing of the regular Universal program. The double program of "Neptune's Daughter" and the King Baggot feature, "Shadows," created the sensation of the month in London cinematographic circles, as witness "Stroller's" review in the Kinematograph Weekly: "I was riveted to my seat by the continuous stream of sensations and beautiful photographs. A mint of money must have been spent in producing the pictures, and I have no hesitation in recommending the pictures as features which it will pay everv showman to consider carefully." Cinema and Bioscope reviewers were equally enthusiastic over the Shaftesbury Pavilion showing of "Neptune's Daughter" and "Shadows" and at the conclusion of the private viewing Universal House, at 39 Oxford street, buzzed with the hum of enthusiasm which bespeaks and presages success. W. J. WATKINS UNDERGOES APPENDICAL OPERATON. William J. Watkins, of the Vitagraph forces, was recently operated on for appendicitis. Reports from the bedside are to the effect that he is progressing finely,