Moving Picture World (Jan-Jun 1909)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Comments on Film Subjects. "Free Champagne." — A Gaumont comic wnich has no element of dramatic quality. It is horseplay purely, and closes Willi a roughhouse and a hose loose, pouring water into the crowd. The audience laughs, which proves it to be funny. "A False Accusation." — In this story of paternal devotion tin Vitagraph Company has developed some dramatic situations which are worth seeing, though the whole picture by no ans measures up to their standard. The acting of the father when the police search his pockets and discover the bits of food he has placed there to carry home to his sick daughter is beyond criticism, but that is the climax and the rest is merely commonplace. The 'congratulations when his story is learned and the diamond is found elsewhere are merely perfunctory. Possibly it might be contended that this food acting, too, basing the declaration upon the supposition that guests who undertook to congratulate a poor entertainer would do it in that way. The ending is happy, and when the picture ends with the little girl certain of a new and influential friend everyone breathes easier. Photographically the film is uneven, though perhaps it might be contended that even photography in the mixed lighting required is impossible, but the staging should be such that there can he no uneven lighting. It isn't necessary, and it detracts from the attractiveness of an excellent subject. "Dime Novel Dan." — Those who have watched messenger boys and others reading dime novels on the street will appre• ciate this bit of humor from the Vitagraph studio. It is a clever bit of acting, the principal character reproducing accurately the characteristic swagger and indifference of the average messenger boy. And as the climaxes of the novel are illustrated the picture assumes increased interest. In the main the photography is good, though there are places where it could be improved. Some Vitagraph films look dense on the screen, and this is one of them. It would appear that the positive is over printed, or else the negative is under exposed. It ought to be easy to correct a fault of this sort. ' oridget on Strike." — A Vitagraph comic skit which graphically illustrates the helplessness of a young couple when Bridget left them. O course it is exaggerated and a whole lot of absurd things are done. Nearly the entire picture in clear photographically, and it is considered funny by the audience. "Teddy in Jungle Land." — -Whoever in the Vitagraph combination conceived this delicious bit of humor deserves the heartiest congratulations. Not for a long time, if ever, has there been a picture which contained so much genuine humor as this. While no one believes that personal peculiarities should be travestied, still Mr. Roosevelt's personality is so well known that a picture which exaggerates them in such a delicate way deserves to be seen by his admirers and traducers alike. The poses ana motions of the character who impersonates Mr. Roosevelt are so realistic that it seems almost as though he were there himself. The photography is clear and of good quality. "The World Upset." — A Gaumont comedy which is photographically good, but which seems to lack point. Some magical effects are introduced but in the main it looks like a pipe dream. "He Couldn't Lose Her." — A picture from the Gaumont studios which has no point, unless there is something humorous in a motor-cycle with two occupants running into everything they could knock down. Some picturesque scenery is i, and the color and tone of the film is pleasing. "The Spoilt Child." — A Hepwix in which the photography is poor in places. It seems to have little point beyond a bit r<i burlesque, which is good. "For Honor's Sake." — A Lux in which an invitation to a girl to meet a man at night is made the basis of some fair dramatic situations. If one doesn't know how this practice is frowned upon abroad this picture seems senseless. Americans will scared}' be able to comprehend why a man should be shot for asking a girl to meet him. The mistake of the father who finds the note is natural enough, and seems in harmony with the subject. The figures are not natural in their movements. They go much too jerky, a part of which is ilue to a poor operator, perhaps. The film is pood pictorially, but does not hold the interest of the audience. "Neptune's Daughter." — In this Great Northern the familiar ballet maidens are introduced, and the picture makes a good impression. The acting is fair. "The Viking's Love." — A drama from the Great Northern studios which is good as a play, but in working it out the interest has not been maintained throughout. The scene at the bridge should be stopped. It is a farce now, the bridge is so small. The costuming and staging are both striking, and the lighting in most instances is good. Only occasionally is it over lighted. "The Temptation of John Gray." — The dangers of the gaming table are pretty general and practically everyone understands. When John Gray discovers that his mother is dying he regrets exceedingly at having lost his money gambling. Up to this point no criticism need apply. The Centaur people show photography which is fairly even throughout. "Taming a Husband." — An Eclair comedy which has plenty of horseplay, and that is about all there is of it. "Making Steel Rails." — One of those excellent industrial films from the Pathes which clearly represents the methods adopted in making rails. After one sees this picture one has a fairly clear idea of the appearance of the furnaces and the different processes through which the ore is carried to transform it into steel rails. Perhaps the most peculiar appearing feature of the operation to American eyes in this Pathe picture is the women working at the same hard labor as the men. This is common abroad, but not common in this country. As an educational film this one has had few equals. The technical quality is beyond criticism. In other words, it is up to the best of the Pathe productions. "The Faithful Old Horse."— A Pathe film in which the sagacity of a horse is made to do interesting service. A little boy is left in the cold while his elders go after fagots in the forest. His fire goes out and he starts the horse along, but becomes lost in the snow. The horse goes back to the original place and induces the men to follow him to the spot where the little fellow has fallen exhausted by the wayside. As a representation of equine intelligence this is a good picture. But there are some things about it which do not work out. For example, the boy falls benumbed with cold on a clear day. The men find him buried in snow, yet so far as can be seen no snow has fallen in addition to what was already on the ground. This is a small thing, but the Pathes are usually so careful about details that it seems incredible that they should have made this error. "The Pony Express." — An Edison picture purporting to represent the trials of a pony express rider. A love story is woven into it which becomes somewhat mixed, and it is difficult to determine which is the girl's accepted lover some of the time. The main feature is that the express rider is overtaken by Indians and his horse is wounded. The rejected lover is shot by the Indians, but manages to get to the house where the express rider's sweetheart lives and informs her of her lover's danger. She immediately rallies the cowboys and they drive the Indians away or kill them. The picture has plenty of life and action, but does not seem to represent very faithfully the life of a pony express rider. Conditions vary, of course, in different parts of the country where these riders have operated, but as a whole the appearance was the same, and this did not seem quite convincing. The quality of the film is good. The riding is good, but there is something about it which makes it appear patched up. Perhaps this criticism is unjust and undoubtedly it would please an average audience because there is a gooddeal of life in it, but it is so good that one wishes that it might have been made just a little better. "Nat Pinkerton." — Another interesting: picture in the series the Great Northern is putting out, depicting the exploits of Nat Pinkerton, a famous detective. In this picture he is shown measuring wits against a band of anarchists who are attempting to assassinate the Governor, and being foiled in that, dig an underground passage to the Governor's house in which they place a bomb, but before they can explode it the detective and his oolicemen are upon them and they are all captured. This picture has plenty of action in it, and what is better than that, it has no killing. The anarchists are hurried away to prison, but no bloodshed occurs to mar this interesting picture. The operator hurt it some by hurrying it, but otherwise no fault could be found with it. Mitchell, S. Dak. — C. D. Adams has sold his interest in the Standard Amusement Company, which owns the Olympia Moving Picture Theater, to Frank Welch and Joseph Hopp, of Chicago. Jacksonville, 111. — The North Iowa Land Company, of Independence, Iowa, has leased the Grand Opera House in this city to L. P. Anderson, of Springfield, who will soon take charge. Baltimore, Md. — The Engineering-Contracting Company has been awarded the contract for the erection of the new moving picture theater, at 34 West Lexington street, for Thomas O'Neill.