Variety (October 1918)

«rtV>W"Mfc«ft*- BUY BONDS 49 / BATTLING JANE. "Battling" Jano Dorothy Dish Dr. Sheldon..' .George Nicbolla Mrs. Sheldon May Hall The Crook. Bertram Grasby Mrs. Pollen Adolphe Lestlna Charwoman Kate Toncray Dorothy OUb does some good work In "Battling Jane," a Paramount feature seen at the Rivoll this week, and gives a character- ization that.la both tunny and pathetic. .. She cornea Into the picture on her bicycle, grim .and uncompromising, lighting her .way ' 'through lite, thoroughly capable of taking care of herself. In HornetsvIIle she me eta the' poor woman whose husband haa deserted her, so Stays to take; care of the ^by" when the : . * woman dlea; « 7* Tbe story deals with her struggles to matn- .. tain the baby, together with some amusing romances which she fancies come Into her life. She la unable to buy a Liberty Bond, so branded as- a slacker on a public bulletin board. Comes the contest tor the moat per- fect baby and Jane wins It with her charge. The prize Is $500. Tbe father returns and .'tries to get the money, but Jane saves It at the point of a gun, and also- bags another crook who robbed her employer. Investing most of her money In Liberty Bonds and giv- ing the rest to the Red Cross, Jane becomes a heroine.. - The very excellent work of Miss Qtsh Is balanced by-a company which Is admirable In every way. Every character and every type Is good and the baby deserves special mention. • The direction and photography together with the attention that has been paid to detail all », contribute to the success of the picture. THE MATING! Nancy Pane. : Gladys Lesile Dick Ives : Herbert Rawllnson Mr. Fane Forest Robertson Bob Mr. John Thompson Betty Alda -Norton Mammy Prances Miller Grant A Vitagraph five-reel feature, starring Gladys - Leslie. It Is a homely story told In an Inter- esting manner. The characters are few, but all of them true to life and the whole theme Is pleasing in Jta simplicity. Outside of Miss Leslie, as Nancy, who takes tbe part of a "little mother," the feature is the fine performance of the three children. The 1 youngest is about four years, while the eldest brother cannot be over eight or nine. These - youngsters do not act, but go through their parts as children would. They were directed by Fred Thomson, and are not in Jbe least precocious, but Just kids. The photography, particularly the exteriors, Include a number of rural serenes and old- ~ \ fashioned colonial houses, which, although they have seen better days, are In keeping with the - theme of the story. Miss Leslie is ably supported by Herbert •\. Rawtinsoh, as Dick Ives, a poor, but honest, young magazine writer, who haa been left a » legacy in the shape of a dilapidated old house, adjoining the home of the Fanes, who are In poor circumstances. Fane senior being an in 1 ventor, has staked his all upon his Invention, meanwhile the family la living from band to month. Lots of amusing comedy, the children being the principal fun makers. The captions are well Written and contain a great deal of homely •....■, humor, much In the negro dialect. "The Mating" is a pleasing little program feature. .". „ ' hobbsTna hurry. ' '" i ■ 3. Warren Hobbs, Jr ....William Russell J. Warren Hobbs, Sr .Henry Barrows Helen Renshaw Winifred Weatover J Lord WlUoughby. Hayward Mack *'Xoula Wtltnughby Hayward Mack 'Angus MacDopaM..... ..". Carl Stocltdale "Habhs in a Hurry" does not hurry enough to avoid using Up six reels when tbe rather stupid story of which he Is the hern could bave been told In three. It is a Pathe pic- ture, and William Russell Is tbe star. „ ' One Hnbba' bas sold a worthless mine, to an Englishman named Wlllnughby. Later on, learning that It Is there after all, he sends bis son to buy It back. On tbe same train are his fiancee and ber father,, who is also Intent on ttuvlng the mine. * * Ynune Hobbs suffers set-backs and experl- ■ ences all sorts of adventures—oulte unneces- sary, except that they serve to pad tbe unin- teresting and faltering story. ■ Hobbs finally 'buys tbe mine while the twin brother of tbe owner, Impersonating his brother, sella It to the father of Ms fiancee. Young Hnhba la intended to be Impudent and denning, but bis exploits are ridiculous more than anything else. * Tf anything could redeem the picture It would be the photography, which is sharp and Clear. , a societFsensation. f : i Bydney Parmelee Carmel Myers Jim Fred Kelsey Dick Bradley .Rodolpbo De Vnlentlna Gnptnln Parmelee Alfred Allen := f ;^#-T'fotnf n y ry,5^-..v™..;vv.".vS vfViv: Harold ; Goodwin'' •^■rSVj 5 .: ■■•i'Captaln Parmelee, a fisherman, has • bal- ipS : ? raclnetlon that be 1« of noble blood and he wrj? '.'.-Brings up his daughter a* much as posMble gv£ - like a duchess. Hearing of this a Mrs. Green a---, brings the daughter' fOfeneri Myeri) to visit her. Introducing ber as a ducbeas and trying thereby to advance her social position. - Svd- Dfy, wbo Is very beautiful, becomes the &'?-? •' rage. This Is the story told: In "A Society Sensation," a Bluebird feature In which Miss Myers la the star. Dick Bradley, the son of a rich and climb- ing mother, falls In love with Sydney, to his mother's delight. But exposure comes and Sydney goes back to the fishing village. Here Dick follows her. In the meantime Mrs. Green, not to be outdone, bas paid" to bave a cast iron geneology made out tor the Parme- lees, and so Sylvia becomes a noblewoman, at least legally. And Dick marries her with his mother's consent, although he would have done so anyway. , It la a light, Improbable, hut entertaining picture. Carmel Myers makes an attractive and appealing Sylvia, and Rodolpho De Val- entlna a very American Dick despite the fact be la a fairly recent arrival from Italy. The scenes, taken on or near the water, are all cheerful and pretty. The support and direction contribute to the good result. THE GRAY PARASOL. Estelle Redding.. Claire Anderson Hamilton Hill Wellington Cross Edward Burnham Joe Bennett Rodger Irwin ,.'. Ed Brady Farraday Chllds William Qulnn "The Gray Parasol" (Triangle) la a timely story of German Intrigue, well told. Interest- ing and more or less plausible. Claire Ander- son is tbe star, and she la decidedly worthy of that position. Estelle Redding is waylaid by two men on ber way home from an umbrella mender's, where she haa Just had her gray parasol re- paired. Inasmuch as she has placed a docu- ment In a secret compartment of the -handle the Instant It haa been handed to her, and the proprietor has watched her in a mirror, It la not surprising that the spectator expects the worst. And he Is not disappointed. But Hamilton Hill, a young bachelor, puts them to rout, taking one, whom he bas knocked out, to his own home. Why Estelle Is allowed to- find her way borne alone with the other desperado in full possession of his faculties Is not made clear. Edward Burnham, the man whom Hill brings home, tells him that Es- telle is in the employ of tbe German Govern- ment and that they are after ber to secure tbe formula for Coalex, which she' 1 bas stolen and which the Government wishes tb buy. Coalex is a ch:ap substitute-tor coal. Hill, not convinced, goes to Estelle, wbo gives the ptrraeol to him for safe keeping. Returning home lie Is assaulted by Burnham and a com- panion, wbo find the parasol. In the com- partment Is found a piece of doggerel, which makes them realize that Eatetle is not so easy to deal with an they had supposed. It de- velops that Burnham Is Estelle'a-hnlf brother, and that through motives of financial greed ho wishes to get hold of the formula of Cob lex m tbe Interests of the coal magnates,' who would be Injured should Coalex bo put on the market. Estelle disappears, throwing her brother oft the scent by a ruse. German spies come to Estello representing themselves-as agents of the Government. She Is about to give them the formula when Hill bursts in, accompanied* by Burnham, who has experi- enced a change of heart when IiIb patriotism has been aroused. The formula Is saved for the Government and Estelle for Hill. Claire Anderson aa Estelle docs fine work, as does Wellington Cross, heretofore identified, with musical comedy and vaudeville. AH the' characters are well taken; The good direction la a feature, . , The majority of tbe Eastern film producing organizations are leaving for tbe coast for tbe winter, fearing a repetition-of last year's coal situation. While there is plenty of coat In sight.at present in tbe East they fear the Fuel Administrator may commandeer it. ■•s with LADY TSEN MEI <Ihe Screens' Only Chinese Star Conceived and Directed by IRA ML LOWRY who made the sensational earlier success of two seasons, "For the Freedom of the World." Booked on sight for its American pre-release atxthe great Stanley Theatre, Philadelphia/week beginning September 30. Contracted for or reserved by hundreds of exhibitors who cleaned up with "For the Freedom of the World." Recognized by exhibitors as a big profit-maker. Prints are now in all Goldwyn offices for inspection or immediate-contract bookings, Unusual lithographs and complete exploitation in the hands of all Goldwyn managers in twenty cities. Wire at once for open dates. COLDWYM DISTRIBUTING CORPOMTTON SAMUIlCOiOrilH. '>W*«< 16 East 42*/ Street Now York Cily