The New York Clipper (April 1916)

April 29 THE NEW _ YORK CLIPPER PICTURE PLAY REPORTS* "THE LOVE MASK*' PRODUCED BY LASKY. FIVE REELS. Released April ft. By Paramount. STORY—Western melodrama. Locale, California Days of '49. SCENARIO—Good, technical scenario. DIRECTION—Very good. Cecil De mile. ACTION—Interesting. SITUATIONS—Exciting, and convincingly played. ATMOSPHERE—impressionistic CONTINUITY—Even. SUSPENSE—Well sustained. DE TAIL —Accurate all through. COSTUMES—Consistent -with period of 1848. ACING—Good cast. Wallace Held and Cleo Kidg- ley featured players, both fitted with, congenial PHOTOGRAPHY—Excellent. CAMERA WORK—Shows master hand at the crank. LIGHTING—up to Lasky'a best standard of beau- tlful light effects. -* EXTERIORS—Beautiful and picturesque Western scenery. Artistically photographed from odd angles. INTERIORS—Natural and in accord with char- acter of story. BOX OFFICE VALUE—Good drawing card for al- most any tjpe of house. REMARKS. "The Love Mask" Is not a particularly good descriptive title for this finely produced "Western" of the California gold rush period. A fine degree of realism was attained by di- rector, actors and camera man in bringing back the halcyon days of the golden West. Gooa West- erns will always please the eye when produced with picturesque scenic locations, and "The Love JIask has the added merit of convincing acting, cot only by the featured players. Cleo Ridgely and Wallace Reld, but by a typical Lasky cast a3 well. Two or three situations which stand out are the Western saloon hold-up. the trial incident and the attack on the cabin. Wallace Reld has improved greatly In the past few months as an actor, and is growing handsomer and bigger every day. Cleo Ridgely, too. is rapidly forcing her way to the front rank of screen artistes. Eli. ATMOSPHERE—Well suggested. CONTINUITY—Not a break. SUSPENSE—Maintained without effort. DETAIL—Everything satisfactory tax thl» respect. COSTUMES—Consistent. ACTING—Edwin August and Orml Hawley fea- tured players. Supporting cast good. PHOTOGRAPlIY—Up to best standard. CAMERA WORK—Technical work good. LIGHTING—Several Interior light effects stand oat as artlstlsc examples of modern producing. EXTERIORS—Suburban exteriors show fine coun- tr y roads and residences. American locale. INTERIORS—Big, massive sets. Shows that no expense has been spared in this relation. Ail interiors in accord with story. BOX OFFICE VALUE—Good story Well produced, possessing added asset of first grade picture play star In Edwin August combines to make better than average drawing card. REMARKS. While this picture play. In its original stage form, undoubtedly antedates "Raffles," atlll Its theme is quite remindful of Hornnng's popular tale of the society burglar and his dual Identity. Edwin August, an actor of experience and /Incase, plays the double role in this case, and so doing adds considerably to his already fine reputation as a screen artist Orml Hawley is happily cast, and John Saln- solls takes full advantage of every opportunity for histrionic realism that comes his way. Good cast, good picture, all things considered. Eli. LOS ANGELES NOTES TBI Keanki.in Bbothkbs arc staging a tease drama In which Norma Taimadge is starred, and In which Ralph Lewis and Eugene Pallette have splendid supporting roles. Norma has the part of the wife of a crook who turns to the straight and narrow path, and she Is as capable and charm- ing as ever. ** »» THROWN TO THE LIONS. 1 PRODUCED BT RED FEATHER. FIVE REELS. Released April zL By Unlvertat STORY —Cheap and unconvincing melodrama. Denis with efforts of cabaret singer to follow the "straight and narrow** under adverse cir- cumstances. Original story by Wallace Irwin. SCENARIO—Written by Nobcrt Lusk. DIRECTION—Lucius Hendersen, director. Pro- duction lacking in almost every essential that would make for good direction. ACTION—Conventional. Many draggy moments. Action on a par with stuff Laura Jean Llbby used to deal out In Family Story Paper. SITUATIONS—Very ordinary and forced. Not particularly well played. Almost everybody In the cast overacts, ATMOSPHERE—Not convincing. CONTINUITY—Very uneven. SUSPENSE—A prize should be offered to anyone who can detect this quality, so necessary to all good picture plays. DETAIL—The ever present "bad men" inmates of the "dive" scenes are of the usual burlesque type so often seen In Universal underworld melodramas. COSTUMES—Not convincing. ACTING—Marv Fuller featured. PHOTOGRAPHY—Passable. CAMERA WORK—Up to standard, technically. LIGHTING—Ordinary. EXTERIORS—Nothing to speak of. INTERIORS—Not realistic. Do not suggest the scenes which they are supposed to represent. BOX OFFICE VALUE—Very doubtful. Might ap- peal to unintelligent class of patronage unused to the better sort of features. In other words, might get by in the smaller houses as a one day attraction. REMARKS. "Thrown to the Lions" sounds like one of those Jack Bonavlta thrillers, but it isn't It Is a very conventional and commonplace melodrama of metro- politan life. In whtch Mary Fuller strives hard to appear natural In the leading female role, but due to the absence of anything of value in a dramatic sense, falls dismally. This is a pity, as M!js Fuller is really one of our most competent screen actresses. . , About the best work In the picture play is done by Joe Gerard, who makes a natural and self- possessed villain, as Sullivan., and Augustus Phil- lips, who also takes things easy and profits accord- ingly, as tho District Attorney. Old fashioned production, about five years be- hind the times. ' SU. THE OTHER RAN. »» CuTii Roland and Hf nby Kiko are being eo- atarred again at the Balboa studios. This is mora good news, for tbc pretty actress and the man who put on and acted in "Little Mary Sunshine" are just suited to each other, as was amply proven la the "Who Pays" series. Their present vehicle was written by Will E. Ritehey, who also wrote the "Who Toys" series. "THE GOOD BAD MAN." PRODUCED B Y Fl fTB ARTS-GRIFFITH. FIVE REELS. Released April 20. By Triangle. STORY Western melodrama of the up-to-darte sort. SCENARIO—Douglas Fairbanks wrote the story for the screen. DIRECTION—Excellent. Allen Dwan, director. ACTION—Speedy. SITUATIONS—Tense. Good comedy relief also. ATMOSPHERE—Realistic. CONTINUITY—Even. SUSPENSE—Tense. DETAIL—Great. COSTUMES—Accurate. , __ ACTING—Great cast Bessie Love does splendid work. PHOTOGRAPHY—Standard. CAMERA WORK—Technically fine. LIGHTING—Beautiful. EXTERIORS—Great Western scenic views s-:rve as backgrounds, INTERIORS—Convincing and atmospheric. EOX OFFICE VALUE—First class drawing; card. REMARKS. "The Good Bad Man" 19 an excellent example of what a first class producer can do in the way of e!opIcting Western life, manners, customs, etc., on the screen as we like to Imagine It existed at cer- tain periods In the wild and woolly. Douglas Fair- banks Is the star of his own stoty, and covers him- self with glory, trklng full advantage of bis ninntr ous opportunities not alone in a histrionic way, but In an athletic manner aa well. The acting honors, though, must go In this pic- ture to a clever little girl, named Bessie Love, who la rapidly forging her way to the front a3 a Class A picture actress. In a scenic way '•The Good Bad Man" Is particu- larly picturesque, and oa the whole la a corl-.lng feature film of its kind. Jcllr. This is the arj.LT.T-TRtn.T Last wkek of "Ba- mona" at Clune's Auditorium, for "Salvation Joan" is announced for next week. "Ramona" has broken all records for the Coast both in point of continuous photoplay performance and as regards cash receipts. Wo are all glad here, for Mr. Clone deserves all he gets for hU pluck and foresight. Congratulations must also be extended to his astute manager, Lloyd Brown, and to Director Donald Crisp, whose producing- made "Ramona" the stand-out film It Is. We are looking for the trio back soon. Bessie Eauhiscale Is to be starred in a light comedy at Cuiver City, under the direction of Ray- mond West and Charles Bay will play the Icad:rg man's part. This Is mighty interesting news. Neither of those capable artists have played to- gether In comedy drama before. At THii Fine Acts Stvoior, Edward Dillon Is putting on a melodrama, lightened with comedy touches, in wul.-li Fay Tlucher, Tolly Marshall. Seena Owen and Chester Wltbey appear. Roy Som- xcervlllo wrote the story, and with such a com- bination it should be a hummer. The bots and antLS at Santa Barbara are already donning their bathing suits and spending their Sundays on the beach. Anna Little, Helens and Queenly Rosson, Juanlta Hanson, Art Acord, Cbtck Morrison, Larry Payton, Johnny Staeeban and several others meet at the baths snd bave all sorts of competitions. Last week William I). Tay- lor, of the Pallas Company: Richard Willis and Gus Ingils Joined them and bad a plculc on the beach. Lots of fun. "THE SOCIAL fflGHWAYHAN." PRODUCED BT PEEBLES*. FIVE REELS. Released April tf. By. World. STORY—Adaptation of play of the same name. Produced originally as a 6tage work by Rich- ard Mansfield. Romantic melodrama. Present dav period. SCENARIO—By Edwin August DIRECTION—Edwin August director. Story given artistic production. Romantic Interest well brought out ACTION—Swiftly moving snd always Interesting. SITUATIONS—Climaxes led up to easily. Dra- matic situations follow in even and natural sequence. PRODUCED BY KEYSTONE. released April tO. Bp Triangle. STORY—Keystone farce. Usual complications, thrills, etc. SCENARIO—Good. DIRECTION—(Roscoe Arbuckle, director. Compe- tent work. ACTION—Fast and furious. SITUATIONS—.Funny of course. ATMOSPHERE:—Right. CONTINUITY—Smooth. SUSPENSE—Great DETAIL—Proper. COSTUMES—Consistent. ACTING—Good cast PHOTOGRAPHY—Standard. CAMERA WORK—Fine. LIGHTING—Average. EXTERIORS—Varied. INTERIORS—Natural. EOX OFFICE VALUE—Good Keystone. Enough said. REMARKS. Fatty Arbuckle appears straight in a part of the picture, but later assumes the role of a tramp. In this character he manages to put over his customary high grade comedy In great shape and with the able assistance of Wtn. Jefferson. Al. St John, Irene Wallace. Lillian Shafner and a strong cast of Keystone favorites, keeps the laughs going at the rate of a mile a minute. Usual thrills, comedy situations, rough itu*. AH In an a dandy Keystone, and a comedy which will send them away tatting. R<k. A visit to the American studios last week die- closed the usual happy conditions of work at that studio. George Sargent, with Tom Chatterton, La- mar Johnstone and Jnanita Hanson, H galloping through the "Submarine" serial, and is getting some remarkable scenes. Ed. Slornan had iutt returned from the borders of Mexico where be baa been fairing scenes under adverse and dnDgeroua conditions for "Reclamation," lo which, Franklin Ritchie and Wlnnlfrcd Greenwood were appearing. FAMO US PU BftM «« i witmt f g r eas w asi ***** Chables Van Loan paid a visit to the Big U studios last week. Lola Weber remarked "We have grown some since you were here last." Van Loan ran his hand thoughtfully across his midriff and Miss Weber said "I do not mean you, this Uni- versal City corporation, not yonrs!" THE SYMBOL SCREEN SUPREMACY TO SIGN O? THE MGKOT AMD MOST CONSISTENT mOTOAAY STANDARD IN THE VOUA K*>a4*aa>*4 • **• s**i rTt—"-^-l-****** ^*"»»"iJP<M , »> EAMOUS PLStfERS FILM € ADsim zuko* mmmm «a«.L30 west saa a-mcrrT'iocw vo*«t