Variety (July 1919)

-'.-. "7s\r''>"".~ •--- ■ . v ■ . :• ■ ■ ■ . '.•-•:■ ■• ■ - -.' ■•■■■■■.■■■; ..' :';.■/- ,-.-> ' ■ ■ MOVING PICTURES ■ te .,.. OPEN YOUR EYES. Tbere will always be a goodly percentage of mothers and others adverse to visualization of sex secrets and cohabltatlve pitfalls for the benefit of hoys and girls who are maturing, even though the ultimate objective is the elimi- nation of diseases. The pros and antls on the subject may both have powerful arguments. Tet If it is true the medical profession is for such dissemina- tion then the ultra-moralists are at fault The latter may frown upon such pictures as "Open Tour Eyes," which presumably has received commendation from Federal and municipal health bodies as well as the police, and un- doubtedly keep away from its exhibition those whom it may. The other Bide will recommend young persons to see and profit from it "Open Your Byes" is plainly a picture tract on syphilis, against prostitution, which is blamed entirely for the inoculation of the unwary, and for the riddance of that scourge, the quack doctor, who poses as "a specialist." It tells a story, or several stories, with syphi- litic victims always figuring, but Is minus the revolting details which caused a storm of pro- test against "Fit to Win." There are several scenes In which a facial chancre 1b pictured Without It being so titled. Otherwise grue- some angles are not present. "Open Your Eyes" bad been shown In most of the bigger cities before It opened-- in New York at the Central last week. Each of the persons in- vited to the opening was given a printed group of testimonials from various officials in other cities. Also there was the speech of Louis Brownlow. president of the Board of Commissioners for the District of Columbia, who, in speaking before a combined mass meet- ing of the Police Department, Rotary Club and Home Defense League, to consider co-operation with the Government in the venereal disease campaign, said: "One little street walker will spread more disease, cause more misery, ruin more lives, bring about more deaths in the course of two or three years than all the lepers who have been in the District of Colum- bia since the foundation of the Government" Although the Hon. Mr. Brownlow probably meant "Open Your Eyes" .when he advised everyone to see the picture, the specific title of the film Is not mentioned, which may have been an error In the press department of the Warner Brothers, who are presenting the picture. There la a sort of prolog picturing a con- vention of medical men to discuss the venereal disease problem. These scenes are photog- raphically the best in the flve-reeler, although they are comparatively brief. In the course of the medical session titles give the gist of the speakers' remarks. Such as: "Syphilis l can be contracted through kissing, public towels and drinking cups. . . . Ten per cent of our young men are syphilitic and that be- cause of prostitution. Twenty-eight per cent of the Insane are so because of syphilis. That the sentiment 'silence Ib golden' Is wrong, and the new slogan that silence Is criminal Bhould be the by-word. That venereal diseases are not a necessity and that It Is time for moral- ists to stand aside and health officers to roll up tbelr sleeves." The atory starts with the birthday party of 16-year-old Kitty Walton. After the party the Parents* friend and physician advises them It Is time Kitty should be told of the mysteries of life and so on. Kitty's mother ;, ,. e8 J ier asl<,e Bna presumably tells the girl all about It," though pictures of a hen hatch- ing chicks didn't seem to fit at all. In any event, Kitty goes the right road, but two years later she falls In love with a youth who has been a rounder along Broadway, a youthful bone-head who had contracted Byphills years before, and though plentifully supplied with money had gone to a quack instead of a regu- lar physician. ThlB same youth bad seduced a young girl from the suburbs, a gal whom he had set up In an apartment without any re- sponse from her socially ambitious mother (one who had been particular about her daughters associates too). The suburban kid ?-S 8 her 2 8lf In the dreaded ten per cent class and she dramatically crabs the rounder'B mar- riage with Kitty by exposing him as a syphili- tic before the assembled wedding gueBts. In S, e ii end .v the F°. uni5cr S°« to the nut factory, while the girl victim (after being cured) SS'lS a ??" tb ^ no nftd eone to the city and had been bitten by a prostitute who worked more rawly than the cops permit these days. Broadway is a featured spot In the picture, as a place where most of the harm is done. 5^TS,.■ ce * 1 2f• howe jer, show the Interior of a SS?i. kB ofl,ce ' whose address is given as "1461 Broadway," that rappond to be "thl Monroe Building." The director might easily have secured a Broadway site for the ex- SST i?' the quack's Joint. Instead he chose some house front r'dlculously unlike Broad- ^c 0 ♦ho» ,>f .i^ , m "'nW««»of "Open Your Eyes- Is that ignorance Is in back of moBt of the spread of venereal diseases, not alone la the SSSf c I °" tracte 5 but the medical advice finish and boosts the stock of the old family physician, which In as It should be. _m! £!? pa ,? anda ..,"2 p J! n Your Ey e8" will draw Tin ~ tent , l0, i. aldDd £ y the medicos and wel- S V r 5S' n t,0n9 ' T h ? <""">«nced Intention of the Red CroBs soclet es of (he world is in centre attention on the stamping out of ve- nereal diseases. The Warners might use that fact in their printed literature, for there tan" Red 0r Cr a o n 8s Za ^^ hlgb,y TegBLTici *" «■• r-.T h i e i p,c ™ r ! , ,s runn,n B continuously, with Carol Ino Nichols and her lady orchestra a p easing feature of the performance. The nrsl 2h£? ,,rl 5 ) Baw , ° c °n»nued deluge at fig ""ft. « "as Impossible to reach the theatre without a taxi, and then difficult. The management, nevertheless, started the picture on schedule time, which led to many persons straggling In late. As the picture runs but an hour and 20 minutes (without Interruption) a better premiere would have been had had the film outwalted the storm. The film Is tagged at the finish with an- nouncements that persons interested Bhould get in touch with the Federal health authori- ties, or with the New York Health Board at Walker and Centre streets. That probably goes for victims. ibee. Metro has secured the rights to Avery Hop- wood's "Fair and Warmer." As soon as the scenario Is prepared May Allison will start work In the leading role. Howard Gaye will be leading man. INCORPORATIONS. Social Hygiene Pilaw of America, Man- hattan, pictures, $6,000; 8., A. & H. Cum- mins, 60 Bast 42d street. Mew York. Eft" and ES Producing; Co,, Manhattan, pictures, $25,000; J. £ A. Finger, C. Frankel, 116 Nassau street, New York. Shorter Theatre Co, Bllenvllie; pic- ture exhibitors; $10,000; & a ft J. I* ft H. J. Shurter, Bllenvllie, New York. DELAWARE CHARTERS. Mitchell Lewis Prodnctlons, Inc.; pic- tures, $100,000; P. Drew, S. B. Dill, & E. Knox, Wilmington. Nile* Welch Production*, Inc., pictures, $100,000; Incorporators same as above. Seena Owen Productions, Inc., pictures, $100,000; incorporators same as above. Anna Q. Nllaon Productions, Inc., pic- tures, $100,000; Incorporators same as a, bo vs Oataerln* OartU Corp, pictures, $456,- OOu, u B. Phillips, M. E. Scanlan,, of Dover. United Amusement*. Inc.. $16,000; 8. B. Dill. P. B. Drew, H. B. Knox, of Wil- mington. Spiegel's Productions. Inc., Manhattan, theatricals, $26,000; M. Spiegel, T. F. MacMahon, B. C. Elliott, 1400 Broadway, New York. I DISSOLUTIONS. PeeksklU Theatre Corp., Peekskill. FATTYS 14 POINTS 1. Art. 2. Avoirdupois. 3. Mandatory laughter. ' * 4. Freedom of the wheeze. 5. Book 'em while the booking is good. 6. Sweet a|e the uses of advertisement. 7. There are smiles that make you happy. 8. Open-faced laughter, openly arrived at. 9. One- good comedy turn deserves another. , 10. Always .leave 'em laughing when they say good-bye. 11. One laugh is worth a hundred groans in any market. 12. Send your audiences away smiling and they'll come back for more. 13. A comedy you've never seen is better than a bunch of jokes you've never heard. . 14. All the Paramount-Arbuckle Comedies are worth rebooking —any time. They're as full of laughs as the day they made their great success. Book f em and rebook 'em. It pays! evaalsjnnaj ft FAMOUS PLAYERS-LASKY CORPORATION trfmat' APOIPHZUKORJ>T«JBSSKLlASKTWTRna CECIL B.DE MOLE fnrfflr Cues* II* 9 % v- !