Variety (June 1916)

FILM REVIEWS 23 THE CLOWN. El!! 6 A *i Victor Moore ££!L °t dwa I' *''; Thomas Meighan Stf, 1 ? 6 J 0011 "" Leroy Ernest Joy Mllllcent Florence Dagmar Jackie, hie eon Master Jerold Ward Bob Hunter Tom Potman Circus Manager Horace B. Carpenter Ro «V\ •••.•„• Wallace Pike Victor Moore In "The Clown," Lasky (Par- amount) release for next week, Is one of tbe best program pictures ever turned out by any- one, and will rank with tbe best Paramount features. It Is a fine heart Interest story- good enough to be made Into a play for a ■tarring tour In the legitimate for Mr. Moore. He has a character that fits him to a dotr- that of a circus clown, a "hick," hut with a "heart of gold." In brief, he marries a girl who bel teres her fiance la dead, to legitima- tize her prospective child. Later, when she finds the man she really lores Is allre, Moore goes back to the circus and leares her to the other man. Circus life Is visualised as It really Is—not Idealised, but rery true to life. In contrast Is shown the home life of people of means and Moore's oonstant reminders that, as the "hick," he doesn't fit. Thomas Meighan as "tbe other man" Is also excellent In fact, the entire cast Is well selected, with the possible exception of Florence Dagmar as "the girl." She appeared weak by compari- son with the others. Perhaps It was because she was travelling In fast company. "The Clown" la a corker. Jolo. uallsed, culminating with bar marrying tbe man she really lores, and tbe girl determines to do likewise. Bo she runs off to the train in time to join the man of her heart Just as he is to leare for some foreign clime. Marguerite Clarke Is her usual sweet self as the heroine of both ages, which will aid materially In put- ting orer "Silks and Satins," a Paramount re- lease not quite up to standard. Jolo. SILKS AND SATINS. Feliclte Marguerite Clark Jacques Desmond Vernon Steel Marquis Clarence Handysldes Henri ••• w. a. wlUlems Felix Breton Thomas Holding Annette Fayette Perry If one desired to be facetious he might re- name "Silks and Satins," the latest Famous Players (Paramount) release by some such title as "Where Did You Get That Hat?" for the reason that the hero, who is a sort of D'Artagnan, after entering a gentleman's cas- tle, giving his hat to the footman, finds it neces- sary to fight his way out with his sword In one hand and his beloved lady on the other arm, and when he arrives outside he has his hat with him. But such errors of direction must not be referred to in film reviews—at least the Famous Players' publicity man thinks so, and being the dean of film press agents he Is right. Outside of that "Silks and Satins," or by any other name, is one of those stories within a story. Oirl to marry next day a man she doesn't love. In a "secret drawer" she finds the diary of an ancestress who was In a similar situation. As she reads the diary the various stirring events of her ancestress's life are vas- llllllllllllllll HIS GREAT TRIUMPH. "Buttsy" Gallagher William Nigh Michael Gallagher Julius D. Cowlee Judge Winters Roy Applegate Gus Ewing R. A. Bresee Robert Ewing Robert Eliot Count Carl Martin J. Faust Detective Cody David Thomps Frank, The Mer Frank Montgomery Lefty Jake Victor DeLinsky Peggy Winters Marguerite Snow Mrs. Madden Cecila Griffith Florence Martin Florence Vincent "Sloppy Sue" Mrs. William Nigh "Notorious Gallagher" or "His Great Tri- umph" Is a Columbia feature on the Metro program. The story Is interesting enough, al- though rather badly told in the screen produc- tion. A little editing and recutting, with the titles revamped, would help the picture consid- erably. The fault evidently lies with the man- ner in which the picture was directed. The story shoots off at one angle and then jumps to another and then back again in a haphazard manner. William Nigh, wrote, directed and enacted the principal role in the feature. He gave the screen a characterization that was unusual In type and very welcome indeed. He played the role of a mental defective, who has been raised in the slums and browbeaten by everyone, until he Is afraid of his own shadow. Mr. Nigh played tbe role so effectively that it stood out above anything in the production. Miss Snow, who was the co-star, had little chance to show, although there was an attempt made in the cutting of the picture to get her into as much footage as possible. There are several good laughs in the five reels, but on the whole "His Great Triumph" Is but an ordinary feature. Fred. THE THREE GODFATHERS. Ruby Merrill Stella Razetto Bob Sangster Harry Carey Tim Gibbons George Berrell BUI Kearney Frank Lannlng Rusty Connors Joe Rickson Pete Cushing Hart Hoxle The Bluebird feature might furnish a lot of material for Rube Goldberg's cartoon series "They do It In the Movies," for there are a lot of laughs In the story, even though It Is sup- posed to be the veriest form of melodrama. The story originally appeared in the "Saturday Evening Post," and was pronounced at the time 112 BRADY-MADE WM. A. BRADY In association with World Film Corporation WILL SHORTLY PRESENT BRADY-MADE KITTY GORDON IN 1 "The Crucial Test 99 An Extraordinary Picture, Introducing • Woman's Idea of Justice on a Hereto- fore Unsettled Question Directed by Robert T. Thornby == PRODUCED BY Paragon Films, Inc. ROBERT WARWICK IN THOS. W. LAWSON'S = Most Sensational, Exciting and Sense- Gripping Story "Fridaythel3th" | The Greatest of All Lawson Stories, Read by Millions of People. DIRECTED BY Emile Chautard || E§ TWO BIG MONEY GETTERS = H WATCH F OR RELEA SE DATES = | World Film Corporation = EXECUTIVE OFFICES 1 130 West 46th Street New York 1 H BRANCHES IN ALL PRINCIPAL CITIES jj| ^llllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll||||||||||||||||||^ one of the prise stories of the year, but In film form It seems a little far fetched and Im- possible. Prom a pictorial standpoint the pic- ture is good, but desert scenes have been pulled time and again and have lost their novelty. Prom an acting standpoint there is a lot missing and the direction isn't any too good. The fea- ture is far from being up to the standard that tbe Bluebird laid out for themselves before they started releasing. Fred. THE PRIMA DONNA'S HUSBAND. Henry Vale Holbrook Blinn "flmlly North" Kathryn Browne-Decker Constance Clara Whipple Philip Morton Walter Hitchcock Mrs. Howard Marie Relchardt Sherman Porbes Fred Kernel ton Either the projection at the Lyoeum is es- pecially good, or the photography in "The Prima Donna's Husband" (Triumph produc- tion released via A. ft W. Film Corp.) Is of superior quality. The lighting of this fea- ture appears to be uniformly good. Tbe story is progressive and cumulative, intelli- gently directed and with a strict adherence to detail, which, with one or two ezoeptlons, will stand the test of criticism. A young musical director discovers a girl in his chorus possessed of a beautiful voice. He furthers her career, they marry and have a little girl baby. The wife is obsessed with ambition and is willing to sacrifice everything to ad- vance her career. Husband finds her In the company of a director of the Cosmopolitan Opera Co. and In a squabble the director Is killed. Husband Is sentenced to Sing Sing for life Imprisonment, wife turns over child to an aunt and goes to Europe, where she be- comes a world-famous prima donna. Daugh- ter grows up, has a child of her own, her husband dies and after seventeen years the father is released on parole. When told he Is free to depart, he looks helplessly Into ths warden's face and asks: "Where to?" This and kindred touches were admirably depicted by Holbrook Blinn and it Is not easy to understand why Julius Bteger, under whose direction the photoplay was staged, did not cast himself for a role that lent Itself so effectively to emotional acting. Bteger could have played It and acquitted himself credit- ably, which is no reflection upon Bllnn's mag- nificent portrayal. An even stronger situation, and one Ingeniously designed to cause a leak In the tear ducts, shows the long suffer- ing father who rushes away rather than bring disgrace upon his child, returning in the night for one more glimpse of her. mistaken for a burglar and shipped back to prison, refusing to tell the real situation, preferring to rot In jail. Through strong influence daughter Is brought before the governor, who sends for the prisoner. (It is not explained how the prisoner arrived at the executive mansion In Albany from Sing Sing, accompanied by a Jailer, while the governor and daughter were waiting.) There the prisoner breaks down and admit* the relationship, at tbe pleadings of his little grandson. Meantime mother had returned from Europe and besought a recon- ciliation with daughter, and been scorned. She sends a telegram asking husband and daughter to be merciful, and when it is put up to the father, he says: "After all ahe Is your mother." Everything about the picture gives evidence that more than ordinary care was taken in Its production, which lifts it above the average program release. Jolo. WILLIE'S WOBBLEY WAY. A Keystone two reeler with William Collier featured. The picture has several laughs, one of which Is due to Van Hoven, the vaudevlllian who made ice famous. Several bits of Van's business with the Ice have been copped bodily for the picture. Vaudeville comedians have trouble enough to protect their "bits of busi- ness" from small time pirates, and it seems rather a shame that a star of Mr. Collier's calibre should permit any director to place a piece of business In one of his pictures that Is recognised as belonging to another comedian. "Willie's Wobbley Way" will not particularly enhance Mr. Collier's fame as a film comic. There are two real good bits in it, one a thriller is a passing of two trolley cars, that are shoot- ing toward each other for a head on collision. Willie Is a stew and the story hinges on his escapades while under the Influence. Some business with a Ford car cornea in for laughs and the stuff pulled in the Redskins' lodge rooms, while rather aged, will get by. The finish of the picture is decidedly weak. Fred, BATH fUFPERILS. Proprietor of Hotel Fred Mace His Wife Dale Fuller The Bride Claire Anderson The Groom Hugh Fay A Keystone two reeler directed by Edward Frazee, with Fred Mace as the star, full of action, laughs and thrills of the usual hokum variety. Mace Is playing the "nance" pro- prietor of a hotel, with a liking for the ladles, but possessing a wife who keeps a watchful eve on him. As punishment for a flirtation the wife takes his clothes away from him and locks him in a room. In the room adjoining there Is a honeymooning couple. The husband leaves the room for a moment and the bride starts to take a bath. The cissy proprietor In the next room starts out in his pajamas to get some water, is locked out of his room and In trying to escape from the bridegroom, who Is coming up stairs, he runs into the room of the bride. Complications which follow bring the laughs. Fred. =You State Rights Men-s- and Exhibitors who are in the game for money READ this statem ent below NATIONAL WINTER GARDEN Houston Street and Second Avenue Direction M1NSKY BROTHERS „ . . „.. w, ~ Jun « fth » Ml*. Universal Film Mfg. Co. 1600 Broadway, New York City. Gentlemen:—Just to inform you of the unusual success we are havins with "WHERE ARE MY CHILDREN." Our receipts in the Arst three days sur- passed our entire week's run of Chaplin in "Carmen." This is the Arst time in the history of this Theatre that we were able to charge a quarter and our patrons paid it gladly. Yours Universally, NATIONAL WINTER GARDEN, (Signed) H. K. M. If this evidence doesn't convince you a thousand times more than anything we can say, then we refuse to say any more. What production have YOU ever heard of that would take in more money (in three days) than an entire week's run of Chaplin in "Carmen" ? "Where Are My Children" is CLEANING UP in hundreds of cities for thousands of Exhibitors. Do YOU want a slice of the big money? If so communicate direct with the State Rights Dcpt. of the— UNIVERSAL FILM MANUFACTURING CO. CARL LAEMMLE, President "The Largest Film Manufacturing Concern in the Universe" 1600 Broadway, New York Bookings for Greater New York Territory from the Universal Exchange of New York, 1600 Broadway. Phone Bryant 3720.