Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Apr 1923-Apr 1924)

——————————— CANADA’S MOTION PICTURE TRADE PAPER The Canadian Moving Picture Digest General Manager’ and Editor-in-Chief RAY LEWIS Subscriptions— Canada $2.00 United States $2.50 Foreign $3.50 / TEL. TRINITY 1481 TORONTO, CANADA VOL. 15, No. 44. Aon) an English picture captures the sum total of praise. “Mary Queen of Scots,” an Ideal-Educational production, fulfills all that we hoped and dreamed England might do when she really took the production of Motion Pictures seriously. Not that her attitude heretofor has been flippant toward this titanic industry, but despite the cry of “War Handicap,” England did not realize that the American Continent had accomplished as much in its relationship to Motion Pictures as the Old Country had achieved in its relationship to Literature and the other Arts. England realized that the Younger Country had far surpassed her in the expression and perfection of the “Younger Art,” Motion Pictures; and after considering the advisability of entering this field as a permanent institution, England looked at the facts squarely and started to produce pictures as seriously as she did her other “Works of Art.” “Mary Queen of Scots” is a recent excellent example. For sheer beauty, artistry and magnificence of settings, correctness of appointments, poetry and atmosphere of environment, for the convincing reality of locations, nothing that I have seen produced historically surpasses this picture. For perfection of detail, taking into the consideration the at-homeness with which the entire cast, including extras, wear the costumes of the Elizabethan period, I have never-seen the equal, save perhaps in the stage productions of like character given to us by Sir Beerbohm Tree and Sir Henry Irving; and then because of the limitations which the stage imposes, scenically, I must concede “Mary Queen of Scots” as standing alone for perfection. ’ Fay Compton makes a lovely and appealing Mary Stuart, especially in the scenes, when harassed by Fate and circumstance, her beauty, position, and sensuots . appeal victimizes herself, and all those who profess to ove her, from Darnley to ‘Douglas Douglas, tender and true,” an array of noble and ignoble lovers, who become involved, at the risk of life, with the “Unfortunate -Queen.” Ellen Compton, as Queen Elizabeth, gave an excellent interpretation of the stormy “Virgin Queen,” whose virginity must have turned to rancour, for after the execution of her lovely cousin, Queen Elizabeth, before -Whom stalked’ a “Ghostly and Beheaded Remorse,” . screamed forth “She was a woman, I am only a Queen.’ Gerald Ames as Bothwell made this vacillating character interesting and of importance, while Lionel D’Aragon as the Earl of Moray added a notable figure fo our list pe nistorical characters by wi@tars of. his interpreta =the y2008 i combining aati mate, oe ESTABLISHED | 1915 FOR EXHIBITORS Associate Editor HARRIETT M. BALL Published by Canadian Moving Picture Digest Publishing Company 289 Spadina Ave., Toronto Official Organ of the M. P. T. O. of Canada MARCH Ist, 1924. Mary Queen of Scots Best Historical Film all the essentials of success in a Motion Picture, Romance, Pathos, Action, Beauty and Simplicity’ without detracting from the artistic ensemble. The views of Edinburgh Castle, the old Scottish town of history and renown, of Hollywood Castle were delightful, as, were also the scenes enacted in France for which the Chateau Chantilly was utilized. ‘ More glorious castles, upon which we were permitted to feast the eye, were Stirling, Farnham, Allington, Bamborough, replete with romance and picturesqueness. For her costuming and make-up Fay Compton followed the painting by Francis Clouét’ in the famous Wallace Collection, while her sister took for her inspiration Gheeraedts Queen Elizabeth, National Gallery, Tt would be a misdemeanor to forget to mention the other four lovely Marys, ladies-in-waiting to the Queen of Scots. Such visions of loveliness one ‘can conceive Mahomet promised his faithful followers they would find among the Houris of Paradise; or to use a more earthly illustration we can say that. Ziegfeld has no lovelier maidens among his “Beautiful Follies.” “NAME THE MAN” is the kind of picture distributors love to handle, for it is one of the “cannot fail to please” scarcities. A Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan production it brought joy to the heart of Regal, who are fortunate enough to have its distribution. Victor Seastrom should be given a laurel wreath for his ability in picturizing all the vital “insides” of Sir Hall Caine’s masterful story. When an illegitimate child can live through the censors, you begin to realize how subtly and tactfully, how powerfully and beautifully Seastrom told Caine’s story upon the screen. There is so much tragedy, heartache in this story, so much that is human and possible, that we must concede to it first place for story-value upon the screen. Although modern in its handling it breathes forth all the quaint mysticism, or superstition, -perhaps traditions would be more apropos, of the Isle of Man. . Mae Busch as Bessie Collister, the tool of Natural Selection, according to the Impulse of Life, is at her best: and does some work which gives her first place among the stars of histrionic ability. Conrad Nagel can always be depended upon to make his character telling, as the Deemster’s son, Victor Stowell, he lived the part as Caine pictured him. Patsy Ruth Miller as Fenella, Hobart Bosworth as the “hard, but God-fearing stepfather,” Evelyn Selbie as the tormented and courageous mother, Creighton Hale as “Alick,” helped Seastrom prodigiously in creating a picture which can be numbered among thé sersen'classics. i APRAY LEWIS.