Variety (March 1916)

32 FILM REVIEWS ■mD» "Printing Prints That Produce Profits! "Making Pictures That Make Money! "Where the Gods of Perfection hold high revel" The Lett Word in Film Factory Facilities PARAGON-the Film Plant Supreme! General Manager MAURICE TOURNEUR. Inaugural Inspection Day, Saturday, March 18 TRADE AND PUBLIC INVITED Capacity, 2,000,000 feet weekly. Night and Day Service. Immediate Deliveries. Quality and Charges Guaranteed. New Processes! New Methods! New Economies! RESIDENT STUDIO DIRECTORS INCLUDE: ALBERT CAPELLANI, MAURICE TOURNEUR, FRANK CRANE. FACTORY DIRECTORS: CHIEF: FRANCOIS DOUBL1ER. ASSOCIATE: J. BEZEUL. PARAGON FILMS (INC), WEST FT. LEE, N. J. HER GREAT PRICE. Agnes Lambert Mabel Taliaferro Tom Lelghton Henry Mortimer Larry Richard Barbee Henry (Jeorge Fauncefort Tony Wllllnm Cahlll Ruth Bcresford Jeanette Horton Mrs. Ewing Ruth Chester Thin flve-reel Rolfe feature, which Is to be released through the Metro, begins In the present, drifts Into the past and then hits Into the future, with the denouement kept entirely In the dark until the last two hundred feet of film. The story at the finish din plays the fact Ihnt the general Idea of the "The Seven Keys to Baldpnte" was used ns n basis for a new plot. Incidentally Edwin Cnrewe, who directed the picture, has turned out one of the best Rolfe productions seen in some time. The manner In which the tale Is unfolded on the screen Is at once interesting and gripping. Miss Taliaferro Is Just about as charming and capable an act- ress as could have been selected for the part and as a matter of fact, one could not have suggested a better selection than this lady for the role of Agnes Lambert. Agnes Lam- bert Is sitting In her rooms on New Year's Eve In the depths of despondency. She Is a writer and of laU has had 111 luck In sell- ing her stories. Larry, also a writer; Henry, a painter, and Tony a sculptor, form a trinity of protectors who have been Interested In the girl since they discovered her asleep In the hallway of their studio building several years before. Larry calls to tell her that Tom Lelghton, a wealthy artist, who was the chum of the Trinity In student days, has wired them he was returning from abroad that evening and that the trio have taken the lib- erty to Invite him to a party that Is to he held at Agnes, quarters In celebration of the New Year. Then Agnes shows Larry a num- ber of her unsaleable manuscripts, the two discussing the possibilities of the stories Larry suggests a "twist" finish to them. As he haves Agnes sits at the typewriter and Ktnrta to evolve a new story from one of her plots, but seemingly /alls asleep over her work. The arrival of tho threo boys awake her and the party starts and as the red Ink bottles are opened Tony tries to kiss Agnes which results In a fight and his two com- panion! try to take blm hem*. Larry etarte for Lelghton's home to head blm off because the party baa "fllvved" but finds tbat bo baa reached the scene too lata. Agnes la bar rooms with her faltb In tba Trinity de-. Btroyed, la about to commit suicide when Lelghton enters. He stops ber and makes a bargain wltb ber. If she will forego killing herself for one year he will make her a present of 930.000, Insure her Ufa for $00,000 In his favor and during the first week of tho year following She la to commit suicide and he will be 120,000 winner. An agreement is drawn up to this effect. During the year that passes Agnes enjoys every luxury, falls In love with Lelghton and be In turn evi- dences an extraordinary fondness for the girl. But he Is engaged to Ruth Bereaford, who Is stricken blind st a lawn fete through the premature explosion of some fire works and naturally because of this he would seem a cad were he to break his engagement. The Trinity finally decide to tell Agnea that Lelghton Is engaged to the other woman and the little wrlteY rushes to the girl's house to learn the truth. It Is again the eve of the New Year and Agnes decides that the only way- out Is to keep the pact that she entered Into the year previous. She dis- charges her servants and prepares to end her life. In the meantime Lelghton has been to see bis fiancee, who baa been operated on and her eyesight restored and she realizing Leigh- ton's love for Agnes, bids him go to her. He starts off post haste, but first pauses to phone from his apartments and discovers that Agnes has taken poison. He rushes to her side only to find that he Is too late and that she Is dead. Then the story takes Its "twist' and the Trinity Is found rapping at Agnes' studio door. She Jumps from the typewriter and It Is disclosed that the entire picture that has just been witnessed Is a fiction tale which she has ground out. The picture Is without doubt one that will enjoy great popularity. Fred. THE BLINDNESS OF LOVE. It would have been more appropriate had this five-part B. A. Rolfe photoplay, which has been released on the Metro Program, been entitled "Steger's Staggers," for in It Julius Steger manages to display a greater variety of dramatic "staggers" than have ever been witnessed either in the silent drama or on the speaking stage. Whenever the star felt that the interest In the photodrama was beginning to lag he managed to have the scene staged so that he could embrace some- one and stagger from one side of the focus radius of the camera lense to the other. But, of course, as Mr. Steger Is the star of the picture, he could Just about dictate how be wanted the scenes staged so that he could shine to advantage. The role he portrayed made him the owner of tb* Wilton Piano Fac- tory and also the president of the Wilton Bank, which was situated In the same suburb his factory was located. He had a son and a daughter. The latter stayed at home and kept noose for the "old man" while the son was st college. She was In love with the foremen of pop's plsno fac- tory, where they must have turned out mighty poor pianos, for In the Wilton home there was an Instrument of an entirely different make. The son Is a pretty wild youngster, but he Is .the light and all of father's life. On the eve of a football game, father decides to surprise son at the game by paying him a visit. The son Is the hero of tbe game and when his dad goes around to tbe team's dress- ing room the youth passes blm up so that he can accompany •♦some newly made acquaint- ances home In their car. Later tbe boy Is expelled from school because of a row which was part of the celebration of the football victory. On his return home be Is accom- panied by a "society leech" (whatever that Is), who tells young Wilton's father that the bov should be established In business. The father finances an Investment department as part of the bank, the mismanagement of which finally brines about his ruin and he is forced Into poverty, while the boy runs away from home. Years pass, the old man Is a piano tuner, the boy has "made good" out west, the daughter, who was driven from the home because she married the shop fore- man. Is happy and has a child, and the girl that the boy left behind has remained true and waiting for blm. Naturally be comes back and thpre Is the happy reunion. The picture Is only a fair sample of what a flve- nart feature production should be and would be classed about "C" by an exhibitors' Jury. Fred. ACCORDING TO LAW. A Oaumont Mutual Masterpiece, starring Mildred Gregory and featuring Howard Hall, directed by Richard CTarrlck. It starts off as a sermon against the woman who refuses to bear children to her husband, but toward the centre of the picture, about the third reel, the argument switches against such an en- nobling mission In life for the woman. At that point she presents her husband with a child and In so doing, loses her life. It opens with such captions as "What of the man who marries, reasonably expecting happiness and love, and Is cheated of both?" But after the •twaddle" is disposed of the picture goes Into a corking dramatic story that slips but once In Its eonslntency, and which could readily be remedied by the retaking of a few feet of the Mnlsh. Briefly, wife refuses to bear children to her husband. He seeks comfort In the arms of another woman. Wife divorces him. Wife rei.llzes her error, they make up and she bears him a daughter, but dies in giving birth to It. Husband, heartbroken, lives on island with child, who grows to womanhood while ho develops Rip Van Winkle whiskers. Husband has a treacherous brother with a son of same calibre. Brother, all these years, lives on busbsnd's money, handling ssme. He Is so penurious thst when the divorce wss granted he evaded tbe payment of tbe costs of action. Father decides to send girl to town to complete her education and directs ber to bis former borne, occupied by brother. Brother tells son to propose to the girl, to clinch the fortune. When girl rejects the boy, the brother says to girl: "You were born after your parents were divorced. You are a nameles beggar." Later: "Your father kept you hiding because you were nameless. You must return to your hut." It so happens she has a youthful lover s who turns out to be a nephew of tbe very Judge before whom the divorce was tried. 8be tells the young msn she can't marry him because she Is nameless. Boy tells his uncle (now re* tired from tbe bench). Old Judge looks u» the papers and finds tbe divorce decree was never entered because the costs were never paid. This "unexpected" solution of tb« problem Is fleshed on the miserly villain st the moment the father of the girl Is In his own home upbraiding his brother. Inasmuch as be is still alive, title to the borne and wealth Is In his favor, therefore the miserly brother has no legal claim. But If the father of the girl had died without a will, the brother would have ^een the rightful heir "according to law" and the story more natural. A good Idea partially spoiled: Jolo. HONOR'S ALTAR. Five-part Ince (Triangle) drama, written by C. Gardner Sullivan, directed by Walter Edwards. It Is a conglomerate blending ot many plays seen upon tbe legltmate stage, Including "The Governor's Lady," "Just a Woman" and others. Frederick Mallery has attained middle age and wealth. He Is over- whelmed with flattery by adventuresses end srrlves at the decision that his wife Is not "big enough" for him. He hires s "man of the world" to try and win his wife away, offering him $50,000 the day he succeeds. The rotter, Warren Woods, enters Into the bar- gain, but Is unable to make any Impression upon tbe woman. Instead he falls under the spell of ber beauty of soul end. after In- veigling her to a notorious roadhouse, hasn't the courage to complete the bargain. He has fallen In love with her himself. The bus- band comes to his senses and offers Woods the $50,000 check to call It off, which Is de- clined. It Is a very interesting photodrama, well directed and acted, and magnificently photographed. As a play It Is built upon a false premise. In the first place no hus- band, having sunk so low as to try to "frame" a good wife would have had conscience enough to repent and by the same calculation, no man so low as to agree to compromise a good woman, would have refused the $50,000 when the husband wanted to withdraw. But It's a good photodrama for a program house. Jolo. HIS AUTO RUINATION. Keystone (Triangle) comedy, directed by Fred. Flshbeck, featuring Mack 8waln. Swain, father of a family, wants to buy an automobile. His daughter loves a young man. An Impecunious tricky lawyer butts In on everybody's affairs. He gets the youth to sign away one-half of all prospective wed- llng presents. Swain runs over the youth, the lawyer offers to get him out of the scrape on condition he signs over tbe auto; the two assignments become mixed; Swain cries blackmail and tbe lawyer darts off. Swain Inadvertently swings bis band and It strikes a poor flower girl. To soothe her, he puts his arm around her consolingly, In a fatherly way, and the lawyer has him pinched for white slavery, for which he Is sent to the rockplle for 30 days. It concludes wltb a regulation Keystone auto, motorcycle, wagon chase and tbe "shooting up" of the lawyer. Better than the worst but not quite as good as the best of the latest Keystone comedies. Jolo. THE FLYING TORPEDO. Wlnthrop Claverlng John Emerson Bartholomew Thompson. .Spottlswoode Altked William Haverman William E. Lawrence Chief of International Crooks..Fred J. Butler His Accomplice Raymond Wells Adelaide E. Thompson Viola Barry Ilulda Bessie Love An Outlaw Woman Lucille Younge Head of the Board Ralph Lewis A Fine Arts (Triangle) feature tbat In some respects resembles "The Battle Cry of Peace," detailing an Imaginary Invasion of America In 1020, but stripped of the lecture. Writ- ten by John Emerson, who has tbe stellar role, that of Wlnthrop Claverlng, author, the same character and make-up employed by him in bis presentation of "Tbe Conspiracy" at the Garrlck theatre a couple of years ago. Story revolves about the Invention of a fly- ing torpedo designed to revolutionize modern warfare. The model Is stolen by tbe repre- sentatives of a foreign nation, Its Inventor killed, and the United States is thus at the mercy of the foreign power. Claverlng, by a series of Sherlock Holmes deductions and counterplots, secures possession of the model, the government maken a number of full- sized torpedoes and when the Invaders arrive In California and are driving the natives back, the torpedoes are put to work and in- flict deadly damage upon the Invaders. A very pretentious feature for a program, full of suspensive Interest, tremendous battle scenes, etc. One of the be*t Triangle pic- tures thus far shown. Jolo.