Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1915)

September 18, 1915 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 2007 "The Circular Staircase. The Great Mystery Story of Mary Roberts Rinehart Cleverly Produced in Five Reels by Selig, with a Strong Cast. Reviewed by James S. McQuade. I CANNOT recollect another instance in which the visualizing possibilities of the moving picture have been so severely put to the test as in "The Circular Staircase." The complications of the plot are numerous and tangled and, to add to the difficulties, the solution of the mystery must be withheld until the very last moment. Notwithstanding these difficulties, the moving pictures visualize the story, without any excessive use of sub-titles or other announcements. Sixty-five sub-titles, four telegrams and an almost illegible fragment of script are the only aids employed throughout the five reels, a really notable showing under such trying conditions. Exception must be taken to an oversight of the director in the fourth reel, an oversight, indeed, that might well be termed a blunder, and there are several others of minor importance. Referring to the main one, I direct attention to the scene where Aunt Ray, and Gertrude and Halsey Innes are seen standing in a room, in Sunnyside mansion, while the stables are being burned to the ground. The sub-title, "Halsey Disappears," immediately follows. The next moment an exterior shows Louise Armstrong driving up rapidly and alighting in front of Sunnyside. Then she rushes into the presence of Aunt Ray and Gertrude, and a sub-title. "I must see Halsey at once. He is in great danger. Find him; every minute is precious," is flashed. A detective and the gardener rush out to the waiting dog-cart and drive furiously away. We follow them until they reach a scene showing the wreck of an automobile, which has run into a stationary freight train. How did the detective and the gardener sluse the way to the spot? The spectator is not shown. Lest a wrong impression might be formed of the sterling merits of this fine Selig production, the reader is reminded that defects appear all the more glaring when they occur in close juxtaposition with prevailing completeness, and that a fault is far more pronounced in the case of a saint than in that of the sinner. The settings show painstaking care and nice fitness for the needs of the story. The breakdown of the village fire hose cart, near Sunnyside, is a picturesque bit of realism, and the absence of water and the small-caliber hose pipes at the burning of the Sunnyside stables evidence careful attention to detail. The hidden chamber in the big chimney, at the top of the circular staircase, fits in well with the mystery of the story. So does the Armstrong grave with its bogus tenant, and the death from fright of poor old Tom, the colored butler, whose last whisper was about "the dead leaving the grave." The characters in the cast have been excellently assigned. It would be hard to find a more typical Aunt Ray than Miss Eugene Besserer. She succeeds well in conveying the quality of the mental fiber and courageous tenacity of the new mistress of Sunnyside. In strong and mirthful contrast is the part of Liddy, by Anna Dodge, who gets frightened at her own shadow. Gertrude Innes and Louise Armstrong are happily impersonated by Miss Stella Razeto and Edith Johnson. The final scene showing the young ladies spooning with their fiances, in which old Aunt Ray catches sight, in succession, of both pairs of happy lovers, recalls sweet memories to the Scene from "The Circular Staircase" (Selig). aged spinster. "No place for an old maid," she sighs, as she smiles resignedly, contented with her lot. The strong parts of Halsey Innes, Jack Bailey and Arnold Thompson are in the able care of Guy Oliver, William Howard and Clyde Benson. Old Tom, the butler, is a fine character part and is well drawn by F. J. Tyler. Jane Watson and Fred Huntley are worthy representatives of Mrs. Watson, the Sunnyside housekeeper, and Detective Jamison, who tries to unravel the Sunnyside mystery. The release date has been set for Monday, September 20, through V-L-S-E, Inc. "The Unsuspected Isles." First of Three-Reel Rialto Star Features for Mutual Program Presents Fania Marinoff in Unique Role. Reviewed by Margaret I. MacDonald. WITH all the difficulties of presenting a romance of the South Sea Islands. Wm. T. Haddock has made for the Gaumont Company a production of considerable merit from the scenario of Rev. Clarence J. Harris. The story of the production is of the fantastical sort, and is intended to advance the idea that a woman's moral conscience Scene from "The Unsuspected Isles" (Rialto). is part and parcel of the primal instinct, and is able, but for the interference of superior physical force and cunning, to keep her pure through the grime of any circumstance. Fania Marinoff in the role of the South Sea Princess has a fair conception of the role she is portraying. John Reinhard as the Broadway cub who seeks to exhibit the morals of the maid for the sake of notoriety, as well as for the amusement of his associates, when with all the crudeness of her South Sea habitat she drops into the midst of Broadway revelry, presents a characteristic type. Sydney Mason, the Broadway Club man of better morals and some conscience, is also worthy of mention. Beside these already mentioned, but in less important roles, are T. Morse Koupal, Flavia Arcaro, Helen Ronan, James Levering and Phin W. Nares, all of whom do good work. In the "Unsuspected Isles" we find the same passions that dominate the more civilized of the species. The jealousy of Lores, the native rival of Castelene, the fascinating princess, is the first step toward the opening up of new experiences for Castelene, who, attacked and knocked unconscious by Lores, is then carried by her to the ship of Captain Gilroy. The maid is not discovered by the Captain until he is well on nls way to New York. Nothing is left for the Captain to do but to make the best of it, and guard as well as he knows how the path of the unsophisticated maid. Having tasted of the wine of civilized life, and having been embraced by the Broadway cub, she learns to love the man with the dress suit better than her lover of the South Seas, and is easily persuaded to elude the grasp of Captain Gilroy when he is about to return to the South Sea Islands. Later she learns that the man she loves treats other women in exactly the same way in which, he treats her, and the illusion broken she returns to her own land to plot and successfully carry out her revenge. This she does by luring the Broadway cub, who follows her to the South Sea Islands, into the hut of a. leper. The picture closes with the happy uniting of the former lovers. "The Irish in America." A Comedy-Drama in Three Reels, Written and Produced by Sidney Olcott for the Lubin Company. Reviewed by Edward Weitzel. THERE is much good entertainment in this three-reel comedy-drama, in which Sidney Olcott figures as author, producer and actor of the star role. The opening scenes are laid in Ireland, Mr. Olcott having wisely gone to the Emerald Isle for his locations, and used the peasants of the country in a series of authentic and picturesque scenes. The story relates of a young Irishman who is forced to leave his sweetheart behind when he sails for America to better his fortunes. True to the traditions of his race, on his arrival in New York he becomes a guardian of the peace, a friend obtaining him a position as watchman in a bank. He proudly dons his new uniform, captures two enterprising burglars, finds New York too slow and makes for the west. Here he strikes a rich mining claim, is joined by his sweetheart, marries her on the day of her arrival, and gives every indication of becoming a good Democrat and a credit to his