Variety (February 1918)

MOVING PICTURES 47 AMONG THE WOMEN BY THE SKIRT. Mary Pickford must have been watching Wm. S. Hart very closely and "caught the twitching of his lower lip before she posed for the orphan girl in "Stella Maris." In the title role (she tdays a dual part) she is Mary Pick- ford, sweet, demure, appealing—show- ing just the same quality of acting she does in every modernly dressed part. As the girl from the orphanage she is unbelievably transformed ■— an ugly duckling, snowing the pitiable result of poor nourishment and ill treatment. The character is a splendid study in detail and while Miss Pickford most likely had not the slightest intention of mimicry she suggested Hart very often in the tense hard thinking moments when she is planning revenge for her beatings from "Louise Riska." The role of Louise, the degenerate wife, is very well taken; the player dressing and looking the part in slovenly perfection. Miss Pickford is charmingly girlish in a shepherdess type garden frock, its Persian silk polonaise having a sugges- tion o|bustle in the back. ^_^Alicyoyce a very pretty peasant fTrPai "Cecelie" in "Women Between riends." Her full round face, expres- sive chin and long dark braids show up well against the gay homely print dresses with their velvet corslet laced bodices. Anyone who has enjoyed a carnival season in Sunny Southern France will doubly appreciate this pic- ture of frivolous, childish, gaiety where old and young alike enter into the spirit of the festive floral fray. The old, old story of the man too engrossed in his work to observe his young wife is grip- ping at times and has a satisfactory moral ending, more humane than the majority of film stories. Miss Joyce was fascinating in a black velvet tarn and long black artist's cape. She posed in drapery as "Chastity" and appeared once in modern dress—a dinner gown bespeaking refined simplicity. Everything was peaceful and quiet at the N. V. A. Thursday night until Kitty Ross (Howard and Ross) commenced to choke on a sandwich she was eating. After the excitement was over the cause of the sudden stopping of her little thorax in its regular duties, was divulged to the assembled guests at the table. Kitty had just remembered it was her fifth wedding anniversary* George even if he did come from Chilli- cothe, Ohio, had to show his apprecia- tion and Kitty flooded down the rest of her sandwich without any more trouble. Ethel Mae Whitney' is the young woman appearing in the "Lest We Forget" film who did the grief-stricken French girl in the picture, but was unprogramed. She made a striking role of the "bit" allotted to her. Miss Whit- ney is regularly engaged with "Chu Chin Chow" at the Century, but will take up pictures as a permanency after the production endS its New York run. Chicago has no representative play- house that can compare with New York's picture palaces, but they put one over in the way of "First Showings." Several pictures now playing here have not been seen in New York yet. The Ziegfeld is about the best downtown picture theatre in Chicago. It is on South Michigan avenue and up one flight. It has a wide auditorium, but no depth (about 15 rows), and a good- sized balcony. The attraction last week was Elsie Ferguson in the "Song of Songs." Sudermann's work has been so'distorted for the stage and for the screen it has lost the foreign atmo- sphere which made the book readable. As soon as an emotional tale of this sort is localized it loses sympathy and plausibility. The picture makes Lily almost decent, instead of the bit of driftwood she was in the book. Miss Ferguson, who plays Lily Kargos (the child of the vagabond-dreamer-musi- cian), in search of her ideal love, her "Song of Songs," has two glaring faults, a quick jerky walk and too much make-up around her eyes. The latter mars the value of some of her best scenes. The picture goes back further than the play, opening in the home uf Lily before her father's desertion and her mother's death. Then the scene jumps to her shop-girl days, Richard Laird, Senator Calkins, her marriage to the Senator, being turned out by him, and her fight and life with Laird, as in the play. Miss Ferguson as "Lily the girl" first appeared in a knee- length plaid gingham, but overacted, losing all suggestion of girlhood. As the shop girl in a simple shirt waist, she looked her prettiest. As "Lily, the woman," she wore at her birthday party jl good-looking afternoon frock. A velvet skirt was attached at hips to a white chiffon top. The tunic and long full elbow sleeves were trimmed with bands of black lace embroidery. For. Uncle Phineas Bennett's party Miss Ferguson looked delightful in a simple black satin evening gown, in Princess lines. The entire length of the panel front had an elaborate ap- pliqued design in opalesques and bril- liants. A tiny "suggestion" of a bolero in opalesques set off the decollete bodice. A velvet and seal evening wrap and an odd, ugly coat worn with a wing covered turban were the only other noticeable features of her re- ported "glorious" wardrobe. A simple negligee edged with narrow satin rib- bon and an ugly one trimmed with marabout were conspicuous for their "lack of style." The luxurious boudoir (of the play) was poorly done, and no dainty intimate "underthings" or negli- gees were flashed—a lost opportunity on somebody's part. Miss Ferguson did not even wear a pretty nightie. .The bringing back of the young musician was a mistake, spoiling the finale, mak- ing it ambiguous and unconvincing. Miss Ferguson's male support was any- thing but inspiring. Cecil Fletcher as Stephen Bennett fearfully overacted. Crawford Kent as Laird was indiffer- ent, seeming to utterly forget he was supposed to be in love. Frank Lossee alone stood out as a good actor. Billy Rhodes is surely well on her way to a splendid future in Filmland. As Mary in "Miss Cinderella" she dis- guises herself as Nellie, the beautiful sewing-machine girl, and shows much value as a natural comedienne. Miss Rhodes is pretty and knows how to wear pretty clothes when they are required. As this reaches your eye, I am travel- ling to the Coast, right to the place where they make pictures, most of 'em —Los Angeles. I expect to miss noth- ing on this trip, also noting how the girls dress when they are so far away from Broadway—but you will hear about it weekly. STUDIO RENT SUIT. The Mirror Film Corp has begu.i a suit against the Empire All Star Co. to recover $4,480. The Mirror rented its studio at Glendale to the Empire for a yearly rental of $26,000. All Star neglected to pay rent for November, December and January. The Empire states the Fire Depart- ment had caused a summons to be is- sued against it to answer a charge of violation. It notified Mirror that by reason of the requirements of the Fire Depart- ment its occupancy of the studio was declared illegal and unlawful. MANNY CHAPPELLE DIVORCED. Grace Helaine, champion ice skater and sister of Billie Burke, obtained a divorce Monday from her husband, "Manny" Chappelle. Dorothy Green, the picture actress and wife of Sam Pomerance, was named as co-respondent. Pomerance and his wife had been separated for some time. Recently Pomerance brought suit against Chappelle for $100,000 for alienation of his wife's af- fections. At that trial operatives of a detec- tive agency hired by Pomerance to shadow his wife testified they had seen Chappelle and Miss Green together on many occasions. A raid was made upon Miss Green's apartment by Pom- erance which revealed Miss Green and Chappelle together in the apartment. The jury at that trial returned a ver- dict for the defendant. Divorce proceedings were immedi- ately started between Grace Helaine and her husband, Chappelle, which were based upon the revelations brought out at the suit for alienation. Chappelle offered no defense and the jury returned with a verdict for a di- vorce with alimony of $20 weekly. LYNCJI PURCHASING STOCK. S. A. Lynch, it was reported this week, is in active negotiation for the purchase of the interests held by H. E. Aitken in the Triangle Distributing Corporation and in addition the deal would carry with it some stock in the Triangle Producing Corporation. GRAND FILM IN SHUBERT HOUSE. "My Four Years in Germany" a fea- ture film based on Ambassador Ger- ard's book of similar natae, has been offered tenancy of a Broadway house by the Shuberts, the latter agreeing to pos- session shortly of either the Casino or the 44th Street. FIRST NATIONAL'S "TARZAN." "Tar/an of the Apes" has been taken over for general booking distribution by the First National Exhibitors' Cir- cuit. The deal is believed to be around $150,000. The Broadway theatre en- gagement has been extended until April 1. Arrangements were made this week for soldiers and sailors to be admitted free to morning performances of "Tar- zan," starting Thursday. The National Film Corporation will collect the war tax only. Instead of the regular or- chestral program it will use the pipe organ. The a. m. shows will be held Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for the next six weeks at least. "Tarzan" did $13,000 at the Broad- way last week; $1 scale. "LOADED DICE" RULED OUT.* Chicago, Feb. 20. "Loaded Dice," Frank Keenan's new- est Pathe offering, fell with a dull thud udder local censorial disapproval last week. Mayor Funkhouser thought that naughty gambling scenes were not pretty. JULIAN ELTINGE TD FAMOUS OfPERSONATOB To the screw what h« ni to lb* Maw TRIANGLE ORDER No. 395 Exhibitors are entitled to some proof that our expres- sions of good faith, fairness, and equity are just as represented. Request any Branch Manager to show you the original of the following Triangle Order No. 395, dated July 5, 1917: "In your future dealings with exhibitors, bear in mind that your interest in Triangle products has only started when you have sold the exhibitor and that our future success is in direct proportion to his success. That your active cooperation with him is essential to the end that the public may be brought to a full realization and appreciations of our product, you arc specifically instructed to deal with no exhibitor except on a basis that will be profitable to him. You arc to bear in mind that unless the exhibitor makes money, we cannot. You must at all times be guided by the fact that a con- tract is only profitable when it insures profit to both parties; that you arc giving your greatest service to the Triangle when you give your greatest service to the exhibitor." This order was issued shortly after the inception of the present Triangle organization. It is published at this time only as concrete proof that the Triangle organization is insisting that these principles be carried into effect. TRIANGLE DISTRIBUTING CORP'N 1457 Broadway, New York 8. A. LYNCH President R. W. LYNCH Vice-President FRED KENT Treamrer Y. P. FREEMAN General Manager