Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1915)

January 23, 1915 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD uV "THE SHANGHAIED BABY" (Lubin). This is a wonderful romantic story, telling of an abduction of a little boy who passes through a series of experiences and"journeys to foreign lands. He eventually, while still 3 boy, falls into the hands of a kindly disposed sea-captain where, in the tropics, he grows to sturdy manhood. The good captain eventually dies, and gives him a ring which finally restores him tn his family. The boy joins the U. S. KLEINE OPTICAL COMPANY SELLS MANY MACHINES TO CHURCHES. Since the first of the year the Kleine Optical Company has been fairly inundated with orders from churches and educational institutions for projecting machines, indicating that January 1st was the time selected by many churches to seriously consider the possibilities of educational film. It is notewortliy that requests for information of machines are almost invariably confined to the standard well-known makes, as a number of churches found great difficulty the past year with second-hand, antiquated projection apparatus. Scene from "The Shanghaied Baby" (Lubin). Navy and reaches home, where he hears his mother sing an old song, "The Slumber Boat," which revives memories of his childhood. A beautiful love match ends one of the most interesting series of adventures ever placed upon the screen. The cast is unusually strong, including: Ormi Hawley, Louise Huflf. Edgar Jones, Earl Metcalfe, Kempton Greene, little Jack McCIoskey (the star kiddie of the Lubin studio) and many others. "RESTITUTION," STRONG AMERICAN DRAMA. "Restitution," the two-reel American-Mutual feature just released in the Mutual program, is unquestionably a melodrama, but Director Henry Otto with his usual skill has succeeded very largely in disguising the fact. Charlotte Burton plays with singular emotional force the part of Elsa. the woman who at first is a prominent actress, but gradually sinks until she becomes a frequenter of low saloons. The shooting scene in which she kills in defense of her honor and the trial scene in which she accuses the innocent man both thrill the watching audience. Winifred Greenwood's characterization of Helen, the heroine, is excellent, and Edward Coxen in the part of the wrongfully accused Lester rises to the full height of the remarkably dramatic role. i\s the false friend and clever schemer, George Fields renews his reputation for making a first-class villain. The scenes in which he foists the responsibility for the crime he has committed on his rival, and those later ones in which he listens with sardonic satisfaction to the other's conviction, are equally compelling. The part of this other man, who, at the hand of Elsa, pays the price for yielding to ignoble desire, is adequately assumed by King Clark, and John Steppling is cast for a scene in which he has a realistic, life-and-death struggle with a burglar, played by William Bertran, while Edith Borella appears as an adventuress. PERCY HELTON IN "THE FAIRY AND THE WAIF." Percy Helton, who plays Foxy, the Waif, in the big feature photoplay, "The Fairy and the Waif," which the Frohman Amusement Corporation is now producing, is freshest in the minds of the theater-going public by reason of his work as Eddie Holmes in "The Miracle Man," George M. Cohan's big 1914 success. He was the original "Buster Brown" at 12, and had acted before that with Louis Mann and Clara Lippman. His most notable part previous to his work with "The Fairy and the Waif" was as the boy with David Warfield in "The Return of Peter Grimm." COLORED PICTURES BY UNIVERSAL'S NEW PROCESS. William Foster, superintendent of the Universal West Coast laboratories, announces that his process of colored photography, upon which he has been working for the past nine months, is now perfected and that a single reel subject will shortly be produced in which his invention will be given its first demonstration. The coloring of the picture will take place in the negative and will be printed on the positive just as the regular black and whites are printed. The Universal contemplates releasing the first of the new colored dramas in March. PATHE EXCHANGE IN MONTREAL. All Pathe films, with the exception of "The Exploits of Elaine," may now be obtained in Canada through the Pathe Famous Feature Film Syndicate of Quebec, with offices at 313 Bleury street, Montreal, P. Q. This branch covers the territory of Quebec. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, and is under the management of Leon E. Ouimet. Other Canadian branches are contemplated within the near future. NAVY INCREASING USE OF MOVING PICTURES. In addition to the machine and equipment installed on the Battleship Connecticut, mentioned before, Mr. Lewis M. Swaab, of Philadelphia, advises that he has also just furnished a Power 6A with accessories to the battleship Kansas. With the report of another picture machine sold to a U. S. battleship by one of the New York dealers, mentioned elsewhere in this issue, it seems evident that the navy officials appreciate the possibilities of the pictures in furnishing recreation to our boys in blue. Notes of the Trade WILLIAM CLIFFORD, that versatile Bison actor, plays an extraordinary part in "The Crime of Thought," an interesting drama, in which his role of a half-crazed man calls for a bit of character [(laying which few actors in the films today could achieve so well as he. « « * Louise Glaum is known at Inceville as "the girl with a thousand gowns." Since joining the companies whose productions are shown in • the Mutual program she has caused enthusiasm by the variety of her wardrobe. Her sister, a fashionable modiste, helps her to get "the very latest Iha very first." * * * Just how Francis Ford escaped having his bomb-proof skull cracked open by the fusillade of stone which descends about him as he swims away from the set of royal rowdies in "The Madcap Queen of Gredshoffen," remains a mystery even to those who threw the stones. Ford told them to fire away with the brickbats and even the women of the company, including Grace Cunard (in costume royal), followed his bidding and splashed the water all about the Gold Seal director. * * * When Walter Edwards went into the San Bernardino Mountains recently to play the lead in "The Cross of Fire," a Kay Bee release in the Mutual program, he wore a costume given him by his guide on a hunting trip through the Canadian woods two years ago, whom Edwards had rescued from drowning. * * « Gertrude Claire has quite outdone her best previous effort in her portrayal of Old Mother Hudson, a drunken, illiterate woman who sells her daughter to a saloon keeper for a keg of whiskey. " This character is r-hown in "Through the Murk," a Domino release in the Mutual program. * * • J. Barney Sherry, the veteran character actor of the Broncho company, soon will be seen again in one of his favorite roles, that of a seedy farmer, in "A Lucky Blowout." a strong drama to be released by the New York Motion Picture Corporation. * * * Thomas Ricketts has succeeded to a remarkable degree in establishing atmosphere in "The Law of the Wild," an American release in the Mutual program. Tlie backwoods store with its display of general merchandise, trapG and pelts, its shrewd store keeper, loungers and cowboy.^ playing cards on a barrel, is realistic to the last detail. * * • In "The Spirit of Giving," a Beauty release in the Mutual program. Joseph Harris, as Stone, the middle-aged business man. has found a new vehicle for his versatile ability. "Stone," who by accident discovers the true spirit of giving, affords Harris the chance to contrast subsequent humility and gentleness with the character's former arrogance and heartlessness. « * « Irene Tarns, who is being featured in the Regent Films, released through the United Program, is now working on a two-reel feature, called "Irene's Brave Fight." It is a society drama and gives Miss Tarns the opportunity of using many exclusive gowns. The scenario was written to suit Miss Tams* style, brings out many fine points and allows her to make the most of good character work.