The Bioscope (July-Aug 1912)

vi. Supplement to The Bioscope, August 1, 1912. _ The Matrimonial Agency.—The film opens with Wiffles indignantly reading a letter from his uncle, who has stopped supplies because Wiffles has missed one or two advantageous opportunites of getting marricd. Wiffles is rather inclined to look indulgently upon an alluring advertisement of the Orange Blossom Matrimonial Agency. He goes to the agency, where he is interviewed by a passer but business-like lady, who puts him amongst her curious collection of would-be-Benedicts. Wiffles is introduced to one of the opposite sex, a gay American, who has come to the agency in a spirit of mischief. She is rather pleased with Wiffles, however, and he is, according to the rules of the agency, allowed to woo her between the hours of two and five every afternoon. The girl's father gets wind of the affair, and Wiffles has to beat a hasty retreat at the point of an American pistol. A few weeks later his uncle dies, and he finds himself well off. Ayain he thinks of matrimony. He goes again to the Matrimonial Agency, and finds, on account of his altered circumstances, he can now select instead of being selected, and he is shown all the beauties of the lady clients of the agency by means of the cinematograph. One of the pictures is of the pretty American, and Wiffles feels his old Jove revive. Whilst Wiffles has been experiencing some of the “ups” of life, the American girl has been experiencing the reverse, her father having ruined himself by speculation. This gentleman is, therefore, more inclined to be amenable when the Orange Blossom proprietress arranges another interview. He jibs once cr twice before he finally gives his consent, but everything is satisfactorily arranged, as advertised. (Released August 10th. Length 990 ft. : The New Servant.—Jim engages himself as manservant in a smaJl family, and is left alone to sweep the rooms. To him the logical method of sweeping a room, is first to pile up all the furniture. in order to have plenty of space for action. He proceeds upon this plan, and as all the rooms of the flat are adjoining. with communicating doors, it results that a long line of piled-up furniture is running from the front door to the end room. Jim hears the front-door bell ringing. | He scrambles through and over the furniture, as if he were mountain climbing, and finds, on reaching the front door, that the ring is a “runaway ” one. Back. he goes, swearing vengeance if the trick should be repeated. A second ring seems to indicate that it is, and Jim, with a pail of water in his hand. arrives once more at the front door. He opens it and jerks out the water, full into the faces of his master and mistress. Five minutes later Jim is looking for another job. (Released August 10th. Length 528 ft.) Cowboy Life in the United States.—Up in the early morning, with a douche of cold water over one’s head, from a cheerful pal, is the start. Then into the paddocks to exercise the horses, tame the wilder ones, and send them out to feed on the plains. The cattle have to be rounded up and driven out, which all means stiff rides and long days in the saddle. The life is a round of rough duties, cheerfully performed, and giving zest to pay dav, when the boys can canter away to a saloon some miles distant. Here they can spend their money and indulge in the songs and amusements they prefer. (Released August 10th. Length 478 ft.) The Flowers of Japan.—The opening picture is of the Garden of Kameido, not far from Tokio. The gardens are full of wistaria trained over trellis. Most of the wistarias grow on the border of a pool known as “ Pond of the Word Heart.” A semi-circular bridge leads over it to a large gate. The tea-gardens are also shown. Here the tea-drinkers sit. in the shade of the wistarias, and are entertained by jugglers and geisha girls. The next pictures have been taken in June at Horikiri, another favourite flower resort, famed for its irises. The scenes are typieal of those which are usually associated with tne flowerland of Japan. (Released August 10th. Length 280 ft.) Beauty Counted Second.—This is rather a good story of the courtship. of a Cgt paccopte as her future husband. an artist who idolises and_ idealises beauty. The girl’s father, a scientist, fears that what the artist calls love is only 4 strong admiration for his daughter’s beauty. Then the girl has a narrow escape from a bad accident through an explosion in the laboratory. She suffers no injury, but her father persuades her to tel] her sweetheart that her beauty has been destroyed for ever. Her face is hidden by a hideous mask, and the servants are consequently unable to undeceive the young man. He breaks off the engagement. At the end of a few weeks he feels he cannot live without the girl. He begs her to forgive him, and the wedding takes place, the bride’s head being shrouded in a thick veil. After the ceremony it is taken off, and the artist has the joy of learning that his wife is as beautiful as ever. (Released August 10th. Length €23 ft.) Majestic. Dogs.—Jones is called away from his suburban home and his wife and her sister are left alone. They become frightened at seeing a tramp, and the wife decides to buy a bulldog that is advertised for sale. She ends by purchasing all five. The tramp enters the house. He soon rushes out again followed by the dogs. He feeds them, and they become very friendly. Jones returns home. One of the dogs rushes after him. Then another spies him and makes a dash after him. He climbs a tree, until the tramp assures him that the dogs are harmless. Then he comes down, and the dogs follow him into the house. (Released August 7th. Length 982 ft,) The Marriage Game.—Nel] and Tom are in love. Nell’s father refuses his consent. Tom and Nell get together and think up a plan whereby they can make money and convince father that Tom is a business man. Tom opens a matrimonial agency, and Nell works as his typewriter A cobbler, Scardon, attracted by their circular letter, comes to the agency for a wife. Mrs. Jones, a hard-working washerwoman, arrives. Scardon selects her, and they are married. Mrs. Jones finds that she has to work twice as hard to support her lazy husband. However, when he comes in drunk one night, she and her two children throw him out. Pickle had expected his wife to love him and care for him, but she makes him do all the work, so he oes back to his tailor’s bench. However, Nell and Tom have made plenty of money out of their agency, despite the fact that it givcs satisfaction to none of the clients. Father, hearing of Tom’s success, is foroed to consent to the young people’s marriage. (Released August 10th. Length 98d ft.) Champion. The Merchant Mayor.—We see the home of a working man, into which enters the wife and daughter of the mayor, who are anxious to atudy the economic conditions of the industrious poor. About this time the financial magnates of the city are engaged in engineering: a: trust in connection with food stuffs. The price of provisions has become enormously inflated, and we see a hard-working man and his family reduced to a meagre fare of plain potatoes. This gives the workman and the rest of his fellows pause to think. He is inclined to ‘abuse the mayoress and his daughter as belonging-to a class which is sucking his life-blood, but she is sympathetic, and only too anxious to use her influence to bring about a better state of affairs. She talks matters over with her husband, who invites the vampire magnates to a discussion, in the course of which he pleads on behalf of the poor. But they lavgh him to scorn. The mayor is an extremely wealthy man, and: he adopts another course. He goes into the open market, and buys provisions from the growers direct. and sells them at practically cost price. This brings about a slump in the market, for food ‘stuffs will not keep indefinitely. Prices tumble, and the people of Indianopolis have every reason to be grateful and proud of their sympathetic and, what is far better, “just ” merchant mayor. O(ReleaseD August 7th. Length 997 ft.)