The Moving Picture World (September 1907)

LENA AND THE BEAUX. BIOGRAPH. THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD. 425 Film Review. his profession, impresses upon the maid Before they can arise they are caught and the fact that a few victuals would be grate- given a sound spanking. Thus ends the fully received. short but lively career of these "Three The actor accompanies her to the farm- Little Country Maids" who were stage- house, where she enters and immediately struck. . * Lena, a German maid servant, has a emerges with two more girls, to whom she ^~~ strong dislike for one of two admirers of introduces her new-found actor friend. He her mistress and sets about to arrange mat- produces from his pocket a poster, which LIFE OF A BOOTBLACK. ters to suit herself. While enjoying that he shows to them. It represents a ballet essanay. privilege of trying on her mistress* new dancer, and he informs them that they may A picture of this kind has , ^ ontfit, the unfavored suitor arrives at the become such if they will go with him to wante d by the film market and we think house and, m answer to his ring of the bell, the city. we have stepped in at the'opportune mo- recerves a pot ot flowers on his head. The maiden then requests that he meet ment with our new feature "Life of a Boot- Realizing that "faint heart n'er won fair them later at yonder hay-mow and he black." ' udy," he persists until admitted. Here he leaves for the appointed place. He is soon "Life of a Bootblack," as the name sig- saffers further indignities. The maid, joined by the three girls, bringing with them nines, depicts the type'of a street urchin treating him with extreme insouciance, fin- a basket of lunch for his especial delecta- wn o is blackening boots to keep his poor ally informs him that the object of his visit tion. He takes a pie from the basket and mother and drunken stepfather in the ne- is not at home. Such contretemps! Crest- proceeds to eat the same quite rapidly, and cessities of life. Our story opens with our fallen, he departs leaving his cane, which also starts a dance, the three girls follow- little hero running away from home not he had hung on a Japanese screen. Almost ing his motions. He instructs them the being able to stand the unwarranted abuse immediately the favored one arrives and meanwhile how to dance properly for the given him by his stepfather. We then fol- receives an effusive welcome. The rejected stage by constantly directing their atten- i ow him through his career, picturizing all lover returns for his cane and the maid tion to the manner in which he dances, the happenings that generally constitute the conceals the couple behind the screen. A But, alas! they had not counted upon the ijf e 0 f one f r0 m this walk of life, search for the cane discovers the party in farmer. He witnessed his girls leave the There is so much good stuff in this pic- hiding. Amazement! Twice in the same house with the basket and with his wife ture that it is useless to try to describe it place! Now furious, the unfavored one de- followed them. They come upon the danc- on paper. Suffice it to say that it is beau- parts haughtily. He out of the way, a stroll ers and begin beating the actor, putting tiful in its simplicity, full of heart interest is suggested and, while the mistress is out him to flight . , , in its story, dramatic in its construction of the room getting ready, the lover re- At nightfall the actor returns and from an( j very laughable in its comedy scenes, wards the maid with a substantial tip, to the rear of the house signals the girls to 3^3 above all it will prove very influential which the maid makes an osculatory re- come out They appear on the first story j n jt s moral, which is based on "Honesty sponse, just in time to be caught by her shed, to the edge of which he places sev- vVell Rewarded." mistress. It is now three and twenty for eral planks, forming an incline to the the hitherto successful one. The maid finds ground. The girls with their bundles, it up to her to straighten out the mess and slide down this improvised method of es- DISASTROUS FLIRTATION. tads the lover return pretending he has met cape, intent upon becoming actresses. Two coodfellow with a serious accident, and thereby play horses are pressed into service and with upon the tender sympathies of the mistress, two on each animal they proceed to travel. Picture of residential street Foppish The scheme works finely and Lena is de- The farmer, however, has discovered their dressed young man on one side of the lighted, feeling that she has played Cupid's scheme and follows. street and young lady passing in opposite understudy in the affair, and from behind The actor with the three recruits to his direction on the other. He now tips his hat the portieres watches them as the gallant profession arrives at the railroad station to her with a broad smile and strong ac- knight pours forth calorified air into the a nd boards a train for the city. The farm- tion, which the young lady ignores. When shell-like ear of his fair charmer. Her er vvjth his shotgun arrives too late, as the he catches the next glance of her she has pleasure is short-lived, for down come train is now moving away, and in great decided to tantalize him a little bit Wav- portieres, pole and all, and she is forced to ra ge he vows vengeance. ing her handkerchief at him, he imme- beat a hasty retreat ~ The story is well de- _ a short time later the farmer, with his diately starts across the street. The young fined, the antics and blunders of good- wife, visits a seaside resort, and while lady taking pity on her victim, still stand- natured Lena are funny in the extreme, there they enter one of the concert gar- ' n g on the sidewalk, splitting her sides making the film one continuous laugh. dens. A comedian, in whom we recognize laughing. Her actions do not seem to our actor friend at the farmhouse, appears bother him in the least, as he steps closer NEIGHBORS. on the stage, followed by three dancing to her and makes a date with her for later > i • girls. The farmer's wife, after viewing the on. The lady now passes from sight and BIOGRAPH. gi r l s for a few minutes, discovers they are he is left standing in the street bewildered A farce comedy from real life, showing the ones whose whereabouts have been as well as broke. He has invited the how easily a feud between two families may sought and she calls his attention to them, young lady to take an automobile ride be started. Two boys are having a friendly He immediately leaps upon the stage, fol- without first consulting his pocketbook, pull- bout in the art of self-defense, when one lowed by his wife, and the actor having ing his pockets inside out from his trousers, of their mothers appears and, thinking it then appeared, gets a good beating from With finger to head he strikes an idea, a genuine fight makes for her son's op- the irate farmer. The girls rush behind the A house in the background with a lawn ponent and belabors him. The other scenes with the farmer after them, while his in front The dude is seen walking down mother now mixes in, and the melee be- wife continues the beating of the actor with the street at a rapid gait until he comes comes a veritable maelstrom, when the her umbrella. The girls re-appear, leap upon a spot of grass on which there is a husbands appear and leap into the vortex from the front of the stage and escape to sign which read? Please. He lmmedi- of the battle. Things are humming and, as the street with the farmer in pursuit, joined ately takes off his coat, turns the sleeves their energy wanes, they realize the humor on the street by a policeman and an ever- inside out and pushing down the crown of oi the situation. Peace being restored, they increasing crowd. his silk hat and taking a pair of automo- go off to bathe their wounded feelings at The girls enter the attraction called bile goggles out of his pocket and turning the Fonut of Bacchus. "Helter Skelter" and slide down its irregu- his back to the passers-by, slips them over lar chute, then on to the "Inclined Slide," his eyes. Picking up a drinking cup, he STAGE STRUCK. and down this arrangement with the police- now sits down back of the 'Please sign man, fanner and crowd following and fall- and the game is working fine. The passers- EDISON - ing on each other in an amusing manner, by are chipping in their coin very rapidly. Walking along the railroad track carry- They next endeavor to lose their pur- The young, lady that he has been flirting Jg his grip, appears a forlorn Thespian, suers by jumping on the "Human Roulette with now passes by and also drops m her Wearied by his forced means of travel, he Wheel," and after various amusing actions mite, but does not recognize him. When stops, sets down his grip and mops the on it successfully elude their would-be cap- he thinks he has secured enough money he perspiration from his brow. He espies a tors, the latter being continually thrown walks around the corner and the picture arm-house and turns from the track to off this device in their efforts to catch the shows him back of a billboard turning his ■^e his way toward the object of his vi- girls. -coat right side out and putting the goggles «>n, but meets a country maid, to whom The girls continue their flight to the in his pocket and brushing himselt up in « bows and smiles. A few words are ex- beach, where a policeman standing at the general. He calls at garage and rents car panged and she learns to her delight that bathing line, raises the rope, which trips to fulfil his engagement, but as she enters M is an actor and while he is eulogizing the girls and throws them on the sand, the cab the money is seen to drop trom nis