Moving Picture World (Jan-Jun 1909)

5<3S THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD INDEPENDENT FILMS. Harstn & Company. THE DONKEY THAT WAS NOT AN ASS. is a corned} subject by Etalelgb & Koberts. Tbe Story opens bj displaying before us a country road, upon which arc traveling three men, supposed to be robbers. One of them discovers a peasant coming along the road with a donkey. They decide to rob bim of the animal and bide In bushes and wait until he appears. lie arrives in due time, and i robbed of bis animal. Tbe three men lead the donkey to a private bouse, whicb they rob, and hide their booty in the baskets which are placed on the donkey's back. They have some trouble leading the ass to their rendezvous, but they finally reach it, and remove the stolen goods from the baskets on the donkey's back. When the robbers are inside of the place the donkey runs home, and the owner of It Is so pleased that he kisses her. He happens to look into one of tbe baskets on the donkey's back, nnd finds a sack containing money. He is overwhelmed with Joy. In the meantime police Officers arrive and lake the owner of the donkey to the police station, apparently for putting them on a wild goose chase for the donkey, which bad returned home. While he is in the police station the donkey arrives, pulls the bell cord, and immediately an officer responds. The donkey leads the officers to the robbers' rendezvous where they are arrested. Length, 561 feet. THE DETECTIVES' RUSE.— A dramatic film by Hepwix. The film starts by showing us the exterior of a police station, and a peasant telling an officer of his troubles. The next scene shows us the robbers at work; they secure their booty and escape. Just as they are emerging from the bouse they encounter the proprietor, who having disguised himself as an old man, is seated In a wheeled chair. Tbe old man asks the robbers to take him for a stroll, which they subsequently do. They in the meantime have their booty placed at tbe feet of the old man in bis chair. While they are passing a cigar store, the old man requests them to go Inside and purchase some cigars. They do so. They pass by a liquor store, and the old man requests them to go inside and get beer for themselves and bring out a glass for him. While they arc doing this, the old man whistles for police, and two policemen appear; he instructs them what to do, and when the two robbers emerge with the heer they are arrested. Length, 300 feet. THE CHAMBERMAID AND THE DWARF (Eclair Company). — Mr. Jack advertises for a Chambermaid, and in response to the advertisement a pretty girl answers. She is employed at once. When she is in the pantry, the butler makes love to her, and In doing so, they turn over a table on which are many dishes, bowls, etc. She gets angry at this, and throws the butler out of the room. In the meantime a dwarf appears, and by his mysterious power places together all the broken crockery. She thanks him. and he disappears. We next see the girl bringing up tea for her employer, who subsequently makes love to her. While he Is doing so. his wig flies off ins head. She runs out of the room. His wig in due time returns on his head. We next see the girl out in the yard washing clothes; the butler is trying to make love lo her slc> objects. The dwarf appears here again gives the butler and her employer, who had Just appeared, a beating, and then disappears. We next see them in the house. The maid Is helping her employer put ins coat on. He mysteriously disappears while she is doing so, and in Ms place the little dwarf appears. He executes some phenomenal tricks, and disappears. She is having too much trouble with her employer, butler and the dwarf so she decides to leave. Length, 377 feet. EASTER BELLS (Lux).— This drama opens by shewing ns the exterior of a church, into whieii many are going. We next see father and son tolling the hell, which appears to be quite a task by the waj they are struggling witli it. Having finished their work they go to dinner. The son refuses to eat. and subsequently goes out. We next see bim on his way to his "affinity." He meets tier on the door step of her home, and takes her to his home. lie asks Ids father if he could marry He is refused, and is also thrown out of the house. Several years have now elapsed, and e the boy's father and mother seated at a table weeping. It is time for bim to toll the bell, but he is to,, weak to ,|,, so. He falls asleep and dreams that angels appear and do his work: he also gees lii son. with his wife and a little child along the roadside. He wakes up. and goes back nnd tells his wife of Ids dream. While be Is 10, they hear a knock at tile door, and when his wife opens It. In walks Ids son, wife and their little child, The young man's mother takes the child, kisses it, and they are forgiven. Length, 575 feet. SERVICE OF A FRIEND (Itala) tells the story •Oldler who leaves for the war and entrusts Ids wife to his friend for safe keeping. Returnleg unexpectedly he enters a rafe with his comrades and wihle they are having some refreshments he overhears his wife's voice in conversation with his false Mend In nn adjoining room. He surprises ■ bat ensues COUNTESS VALLERIA OF ISSOGNE (Ambrosio). — A magnificent picture which tells tbe story of a countess imprisoned in a convent and rescued by a cavalier friend. In this picture is to be seen the most daring and picturesque photographic effects that have ever been seen in moving picture film. ITALIAN CAVALRY RIDERS (Ambrosio).— This is the original and much talked of film of the remarkable evolutions of the crack cavalry riders of Italy. The thrilling scenes where the horses charge up and down almost perpendicular sliffs, throwing the riders over their heads, are so realistic that tbe audience is held spellbound. MOTHER'S PROTECTION.— A little girl is illtreated by her step-mother. When the father leaves borne on a supposed trip everything appears to be peace in the family. As soon as he is gone the step-mother ill-treats the child and at last locks her in a room. The child opens the window and escapes. The first duty of the little girl is to visit the grave of her mother, where she sees a vision of her parent. In the meantime the stepmother goes to the postoffice, where she finds a letter from her lover, appointing a rendezvous. As the step-mother leaves the postoffice we see the little girl following her. The lady on her way tears the letter and drops the pieces on the road, while the child still following picks up the scraps of paper. Back in her locked room, the child pastes the letter together and hides same under tbe carpet. .\s t he father returns, he questions his child and she shows him the letter. The ending is painful with the father in distress, the expulsion of the wife step-mother and the father taking his child to the cemetery to visit again the grave of the real mother. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW IS TOO KIND-HEARTED. — A good comic of the Eclair Company which should amuse an audience. This is not the proverbial mother-in-law always finding fault with her sonin-law, but it is a too kind-hearted woman, who having secured a rich son-in-law wishes to cultivate her charitable dispositions by bringing in all the poor fellows she meets in the streets to the house of her very indulgent son-in-law. The first one is a poor little boy who as soon as he reaches the dining room, he does not want a chair but sits on the table and helps himself to every edible in sight. Then a worthless tramp is taken to the house, a homeless dog is also made a member of the family. Now the mother-in-law meets a cripple on his little wagon, she wants to make him comfortable, she helps him home but as she reaches home as her son-in-law and his wife are going to bed, she forces them to sleep on the floor, while she gives the bed to the cripple. The next day the dear mother-in-law finds a whole starving family composed of the father, mother and a lot of children. She brings them all to the house, but as this proves too much for the indulgent son-in-law, he expels every one, even his dear mother-in-law. FARMER JONES GOES TO THE MARKET (Hepwix).— Farmer Jones and wife go to market. When Jones buys some chickens, some of them escape as the wife tries to put them in the wagon, but the greatest trouble is when Jones buys a little pig. They start home but they did not count on the mischievous boys who manage to release the pig and assist in numerous chases until the pig is captured. The film is very amusing and will please tbe young folks especially. REMOVAL UNDER DIFFICULTIES (Lux).— A family has decided to move. Everything is working very nicely, everyone is busy packing and moving the furniture and even the movers seem to put some zeal in their work. But no one had discounted the orders of the working unions. As the movers are packing the furniture on the wagon, an order is received that a strike is in effect and the men are ordered out. The tenant decides that he will have to do his own moving and he calls for a wagon, but as he starts to load same some walking delegates appear and stop bim. The tenant and Ins family are at a loss, but in waiting a better turn of affairs they keep their furniture on tbe sidewalk and enjoy a lunch in the open air. They cannot even eat in peace as the police object <o the blocking of the sidewalk and the officers throw pell mell in the wagon tenants and furniture and take them to the station house. RUNNING AFTER A HELMET.— A comic from the Eclair Company. Two French firemen on leave of absence arc taking a walk. As they reach a certain house one of them decides to visit a cook friend. As the cook loads him with provisions, including wine, the fireman does not know how to take them down when he thinks of his helmet. Placing the edibles in his helmet, he lowers same by means of a rope to his waiting friend, but before the friend can reach for the provisions, the helmet strikes the head of a passerby. The gentleman is greatly offended; taking the helmet he inns .jist airs to investigate. The cook manages to hide the fireman and when the gentleman appears she declares that she had no company and never helped lower the helmet, but the gentleman on going to the window finds the rope. The gentleman takes the helmet to his dining room and hides the same in a dresser. As the fireman does not dare to return to the barracks minus his helmet, helped by his friend he roaches the window of the dining room and he succeeds to locate the helmet, but before he can reach same he is scared away and has just time to make good bis escape. The gentleman not knowing what to do with the helmet decides to send same to the fire department and calling a servant he places the helmet in a basket and sends her on her errand. While on her way she meets the two firemen, but they fail to secure the helmet. As the girl deposits the helmet on the desk of the fire officer, the officer sends for one of the firemen, but as be has his helmet he la declared innocent. When the second fireman appears, minus his helmet, the officer goes for him but while the officer writes a few lines, the servant, having remorse of conscience, quickly places the helmet on the head of the fireman and when the officer gazes at him he cannot find him guilty. THE DRAGOONS UNDER LOUIS XIV (Eclair). —The dragoons are in service in the village after an expedition in the Cevennes. One of the dragoons, an habitual drunkard, is quartered at the house of a young flower girl, who is living with her father, in an isolated house. The young girl is beautiful. The dragoon forces her to serve him a drink. The girl repulses the drunkard. The soldiers depart, leaving their comrade fighting with the girl. The girl, who is defended by her father, locks herself in her room. The dragoon consoles himself in exploring the place and, finding a bowl, he drinks and falls to the ground as dead. The officer, who needs the services of the dragoon, sends some of his comrades to look for him. The messenger finds him inanimated; he calls for the other soldiers. No doubt that the girl gave poison to the dragoon to get rid of him. She Is taken before the officer. She is tried at once, convicted of murder and, as an example, the judges sentence her to be burned at the stake. The young girl is taken from the prison to the public execution place. The stake is ready, the young girl is fastened to it, the executioners paying no attention to the cries of the girl and to the supplications of her father. The torch is applied. In the meantime, the drunkard, forgotten in the house, slowly comes back to his senses. He gets up, and half stumbling, he walks out. The clamors he hears guide him to the public place. He runs and sees his supposed murderess fastened to the stake. Luckily the fire has not yet done its work and the dragoon can prove what a terrible mistake the officer is making. The young girl is quickly released from the stake and falls in the arms of her father, while the dragoons are sadly impressed by their blunder. CENTAUR FILM COMPANY. THE COWBOY'S SWEETHEART.— For their first offering to the moving picture public the Centaur Company have wisely chosen a subject which, while being easily understood by the people, is also likely to be generally popular. In this they show great wisdom, for, as recent experience has demonstrated, it is an easy thing to produce pictures which, while full of highly technical and dramatic qualities, are yet above the heads of those who look at them. In other words, they lack the power of attracting and holding popular attention. The theme of this film is, after all, a simple one. It shows how course of true love between tbe cowboy and his sweetheart does not run smoothly. Villainy interposes, the usual obstacle, and for a time it looks as if the lovers were to be eternally parted, especially at the crucial moment of the play, when the villainousous outlaws secure and bind the hero and suspend him in a treacherous quicksand In which he is soon in process of being engulfed. But now the heroine appears and hangs onto the rope and so prevents her lover from being drawn under the sand. From this perilous position he is rescued by the loyal cowboys, and finally the lovers are united outside the door of the humble cabin, which is the scene of the opening of the little drama. The story, of which we have given the main theme. Is full of incident, movement and action. In these respects, if the Centaur Company continue as they have commenced, they will deserve well of moving picture patrons, who, above all things, need, as has been pointed out recently in these pages, action, action, action all the time. Tbe picturesque side of cowboy life in the field is shown, and there are many exciting pursuits, contests, adventures, both on horseback and a-foot, so that the picture has considerable variety of effect. The whole film is, in fact, crowded with Incidents which spring naturally one from the other, another respect In which tbe Centaur Company show great dramatic acumen. It is too often the case that In a moving picture film an incident is, as it were, dragged In by the "head and ears." The indoor and outdoor scenes have been well chosen. The costumes fit the piece, the actors have been well rehearsed in their movements, both on horseback and on foot, and the result Is a very effective bit of cowboy life and adventure such as we think will be well received wherever it is shown. Photographically regarded the picture must be given high praise. The Centaur Company seem determined to utIvp at the best results In this lm""r'-it -cencr-t. its len-th Is S70 feet and It is to be released on May 8.