The New York Clipper (April 1916)

April 29 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER PICTURE PLAY REPORTS* "MOLLY MAKE-BELIEVE." PRODUCED BY FAMOUS PLAYEHS. FIVES BEKLS. RcUated April 10. By Paramount. STORY—Story la from the novel by Eleanor Hal- lowell Abbott. Fanciful story. Pleasing and pretty. SCENARIO—Technically excellent. DIRECTION—Searle Dawley. Competent directing is noticeable throughout. ACTION—Interesting and entertaining. Possesses a quaint charm. Plenty of romantic Interest. Finishes with pretty little love etory. SITUATIONS—Well played, ATMOSPHERE—Quaintly realistic. CONTINUITY:—Action moves smoothly from scene to scene, making for well maintained contin- SDSPENSE—No great Quality of suspensive Inter- est due to character of the story, Which Is more or less of a narrative. DETAIL—Fine. Railroad wreck scenes were ap- parently taken from scene of actual accident. A fine touch. COSTUMES—In accord with story. ACTING— Marguerite Clark featured. Never showed to Setter advantage. PHOTOGRAPHY—Good. CAMERA WORK—Technically up to best stand- ards. LIGHTTING—Average. EXTERIORS—Good variety of scenic locations tarnishes suitable backgrounds for action. American locale. INTERIORS—Scenes on the train especially con- vincing. Ballroom sets massive and well built. Expensively mounted picture. BOX OFFICE VALUE—Should be first class draw- ing card. Will appeal particularly to women and children. Should be good for a week in better class nouses If properly exploited by exhibitor. ' ;; _ ■ REMARKS. "Molly Make-Believe" Is a fantastic little nar- rative of the axoWtious,' whimsical desires and more or less interesting- adventures of its quaint little heroine. In this Instance the q. 1. heroine Is none other than Marguerite Clark, eminently fitted bo-h physically and temperamentally to do fall Justice W the role histrionically and otherwise. The picture has been beautifully produced, and tlie ensemble effect is more thsn satisfactory in every way. J. W. Johnston, as a railroad freight conductor, and Muhlon Hamilton as the young millionaire, who marries Molly, are excellent In widely different parts. A word of praise Is due Gertrude Norman, who lends dignity to the slight role of the chil- dren's grandmother. Helen Dahl and Edwin Mor- <Unint. contribute two well played minor characters. Master Dick Gray is a pretty little boy, bat shows no dangerous precocity as a child actor. A few early morning exercises In the art of self-re- straint and elementary pantomime would do this youngster a world of good. At present he Is un- doubtedly a very good looking little boy, but at the same time a very bad little actor. On the whole a dandy picture play of its type. FM. "ARTIE, THE MILLIONAIRE KID/' PRODUCED BT VITAGRAPBL FITS REELS. Released April 17. By V. L. 8. E. STORY—Comedy drama, with comedy predominat- ing. Conventional story. Very sketchy. Rather poor Imitation of Jack Barrymore type of pic- ture. SCENARIO—By William Courtney. . „ DIRECTION—Competent. In view of story's Rmi- tattons director did exceedingly well with ma- terial at hand. . . _. ACTION—Draggy. For the most part lacking In interest. SITUATIONS—Conventional comedy situations of ancient vintage. ATMOSPHERE—Good. ._ . . CONTINUITY—Very Jerky snd halting at times. SUSPENSE—Doesn't %nter into the proceedings at all. Story too obvious. DETAIL—O. fc COSTUMES—Right. ACTING—Ernest Truer featured, does not do him- self Justice in this picture nor uphold his well earned stage reputation as a light comedian. Cast of Vltagraph favorites support star. PHOTOGRAPHY—Average. LIGHTING—Satisfactory. Not much opportunity. for anything startling. EXTERIORS—Ordinary rural scenery. INTERIORS—Village store and real estate office convincing. BOX OFFICE VAOJB—At best only a passable feature, of doubtful drawing powers. REMARKS. "Artie, the Millionaire Kid" is ail about the ad- ventures of a stagey sort of college youth, who, after being graduated out of the back door of the seat of learning he Is attending, proceeds to show father whst a bright young man his son really is. Artie settles down In a small town, secures cont.-nl of a newspaper, buys a piece of land thro*i!/h which father eventually desires to run a railroad, and most naturally <:)eans up a big bundle of money. Maybe It was a million. Anyway, it was a whole lot. According to the general tenor of the story a hundred would h«.v<t seemed Improbable. A lot of alleged comedy Is Introduced at odd times, but falls signally to get over. _ At that ft might amuse the youngsters mildly, but even youngsters are a little hard to please when It comes to the laugh stuff. There Is a good ensi of actors. Including: John T. Kelly, Etlenne Glrnr- dot and Albert Rlcardn. That the comedy business of the picture fails to convince is no fault of theirs, as they strive des- perately to make the old fashioned stuff go. Too bad their worthy efforts are not crowned with suc- cess, but, nevertheless, sveh Is the case. "Artie, the Millionaire Kid" on the whole, is a very ordinary picture. Eli. "BY WHOSE HAND?" PRODUCED BY EQUITABLE. Released April 17. By World. STORY—Melodrama, with mysterious finish. Idea has been used before in pictures, but never so ■well produced or developed as in this instance. SCENARIO—Channlng Pollock and Rennold Wolf collaborated on scenario as well as writing original story. DIRECTION—Fine In every respect. Dramatic values of story particularly well brought out. James Durkln, director. ACTION—Exciting and absorbing from start to finish. SITUATIONS—Intense. Well played end directed. ATMOSPHERE—Realistic. CONTINUITY—Smooth. SUSPENSE—Properly sustained. DETAIL—Well attended to. COSTUMES—Consistent ACTING—Edna Wallace Hopper featured. Muriel Ostrlche and Chas. J. Ross offer good per. romances. PHOTOGRAPHY—Passable. LIGHTING—Average. EXTERIORS—In accord with story. Not many exteriors, but all are well photographed. INTERIORS—Fine sets, all natural and convinc- ing. Court room scenes exceptionally good. EOX OFFICE VALUE — Mystery dement can be utilized for advertising this feature. If this is done properly "By whose Hand" can be played up Into a good drawing card. REMARKS. The original title of this feature was "Who KUled Simon Baird?" and as a touch of novelty the question Is left unanswered at the end of the play. "By "Whose Hand" Is left to the discretion and Judgment of the spectators, a rather unusual exDed^ent^bu^not^rljnna^as^mlgb^besupjBosed inasmuch as several similar picture plays ware produced some five or six years ago when the single and double reelers were at the height of their popularity. The mystery element of "By Whose Hand" has been finely developed and brought to the fore by Director Durkln, who also Is entitled to credit for turning out a pleasing production as far as en- semble acting Is concerned. Edna Wallace Hopper does not show up well as n screen actress. She lacks authority and sin- cerity, and loses her stage personality to a great extent before the camera. Chas. J. Ross was emi- nently satisfactory In a difficult role, and Muriel Ostriche captured feminine honors In a rather well played role. Nicholas Doneaw, In a slight part, stood out as a first rate character delineator. Mi. "THE PRICE OF MALICE." ; PRODUCED BY ROIVFB. FITS REELS. Releated Uareh 1. By Ifsfro. ■-, STORY—Melodrama with picturesque scenic ac- cessories. Fair story. SCENARIO—Technically good. DIRECTION—O. A. Lund, director. produced screen i good picture. ACTION—Interesting. SITUATIONS—Well played. ATMOSPHERE—Realistic. CONTINUITY—iEven. SUSPENSE—Well maintained DETAIL—Very good. COSTUMES—alight. ACTING—Barbara Tennant capable tress, seen to advantage. PHOTOGRAPHY—Average. LIGHTING—Good. EXTERIORS—Scenieelly fine. INTERIORS—Convincing. BOX OFFICE VALUE—Fair picture. Passably en- tertaining. REMARKS "The Price of Malice" Is Just the average sort of feature picture, containing a story of ordinary Interest, which on the whole has been very well fioned. Hamilton Revelle la the featured mate player, and offers a smooth performance of • rather conventional role. Competent cast and effective producing methods, in which some excellent night photography stands out, help the story materially. Rik.