Cinema News and Property Gazette (1912)

XVI. FILMS.— Supple innt to THE CINEMA. September, 1912. POWERS. J. F. Brockliss, New Compton Street, W. " HIS DAUGHTERS LOYALTY."— Released October 2ndLength 997 feet. After years of ceaseless toil upon his electrical contrivance, the old inventor, Thomas Marvin, is unable to make it run properly and is forced to give up in weariness and despair. It is then that his daughter Jane, who has kept closely in touch with her father's work, discovers the cause of the difficulty and starts the machine running. Joyfully bringing her father to witness the triumph of his work, both are horrified to discover that he has gone blind. In consequence of his affliction Jane is now forced to take up the battle of life for them both. Jane goes first to the office of J. F. Ray, an electrical engineer and promoter, whom she interests in her father's invention. Besides the interest which he takes in the machine, Ray is filled with the greatest admiration for Jane personally, and through his assistance medical aid is provided for her father. The specialist, after examining Marvin's eyes, states that there is hope of recovering his eyesight but that any sudden shock is likely to kill him. Ray also places the invention before a large electrical company, who agree to give their answer, regarding its manufacture, in three weeks. The three weeks elapse and Jane not hearing from Ray, and believing he has forgotten her, consults another promoter named Gray. This man inspects the machine and at once realises its wonderful merit. He, however, has no intention of paying for it and tells Jane and her father that it is absolutely useless and leaves them heart-broken. He then plans to steal the idea for his own benefit, and returning later on slips into the house unobserved. Jane finally hears him and although realising the purpose of his visit, and being overcome with fear, bravely represses her desire to call for assistance, knowing that a shock of this nature may cause her father to drop dead. Marvin, however, hears the noise, also, and entering the room, impulsively tears the bandage from his eyes and discovers that he has regained his eyesight. Old as he is, he fearlessly grapples with the villain and a desperate struggle ensues. At this juncture Ray, who has closed the deal with the electrical company, arrives with the necessary papers for Marvin's signature. He of course, joins in the struggle and Gray is overpowered and ejected. Then all ends happilv. RELIANCE. Western Import Co. "CURFEW SHALL NOT RING TO-NIGHT."— Released September 7th. Length 995 feet. The story of " Curfew " tells of a soldier who deserted his post during wartime to keep a tryft with his sweetheart. Having left his post of duty he was considered to be a deserter and was courtmartialled forthwith. The soldier was condemned to die. His sweetheart endeavoured to intercede for him with the commanding officer, but the commander was firm and austere. To set the soldier free would have been a bad example, therefore he was condemned to die at the ringing of the curfew bell. Having exhausted all means of securing a pardon for her lover, the maiden resorted to a last desperate chance, which, though seemingly futile, was a chance. She climbed to the belfry of the tower where the curfew bell hung, and there, by hanging upon its huge clapper, prevented it from sounding when the old deaf bell-ringer came to ring the parting day. The bell-ringer had officially rung the bell, and yet it had not sounded. Therefore, the young soldier waiting to be shot was legally dead, although he still lived, when the old sexton had finished his work. REX. J. F. Brocki.iss, New Compton Street, \\ . "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST."— Released September 7th. Length 1,085 feet. He was ugly. His friends called him the ugliest man in the world, but there must have been something attractive about him in spite of his ugliness for she married him, though she could easily have had the handsomest man in the town if she had spoken the word. For sh; was beautiful. She was the reigning beauty of the season, and all the men were at her feet. She was the cynosure of eyes in every ball-room. She was the desire of youths, of middle-aged men, of old men. She was beautiful, and more, she was a womanly woman. She was very young, and perhaps she enjoyed the contrast between herself and the ugly man, who scarcely dared to utter the story of his love. Perhaps that was why she married him. Anyway marry him she did, nor was she unhappy in her marriage, though the papers called them " Beauty and Beast." He had political ambitions and put up for election. He was busy, and she was left alone rather more than she had been before. And she was one of those women who demand the utmost of attention from those they love, if their own love is to be kept alive. She had the leisure to look around her and notice the handsome men who still continued to pay her marked attentions. Perhaps, here and there, she heard an easily uttered little taunt about her husband, which he, being old and ugly, would have been too hardened to notice. Perhaps these little taunts did their deadly work. Anyway, she began to take more notice than she should of her husband's dearest friend, and one day she found herself clasped, unresisting, in his arms, with her husband coldly standing by. Neither of them had seen him enter, but he was there, and he understood that Beau'y was tired of the contrast. There was no scene ; no angry words ; no blows. He did what he thought was the only thing. He left the house and left her free to go her own way, plunging with renewed vigour into liis political work. But the world was hard. The scandal, though it was none of his making, spoilt his chances of success. He found himself cold-shouldered by his former friends, and he took to drink. One day, when he was rapidly sinking into that morass of despair from which there is no recovery, he received a letter bearing the postmark of some far-distant village. It was from the man whom he believed to be the destroyer of his happiness. It was a simple note. It just said that the writer had been loyal to his friendship, and had immediately gone far away, rather than remain near Beauty. The news put fresh heart into the disappointed man, and he went off to join his friend, to forget his sorrow in good, honest, manual toil. Together the two worked, with all misunderstandings swept away. ■ Together they were almost happy in their work. Together they found gold which would mean lifelong luxury and ease if they cared to return to the beaten tracks of life. But they didn't care to. Beauty had been left alone for months. Left alone to face that great ordeal which is woman's greatest pain and joy. For a baby came to Beauty, and with it a yearning to be held once more in the arms of her husband. So one day, when the two men in their distant encampment received a mail containing a newspaper, they found in it a small advertisement reading, " Will Beast forgive Beauty and come back to her and the Baby ? " Did he go back ? Well, love's a mighty funny proposition ; so he sank the past, saddled his horse, and rode back to the new love that was awaiting him. SAVORIA. R. Priuer, Film House, Gerrard St., W. " WOMAN'S WAY."— Released September 11th. Length 715ft. Joe is a smuggler, but this makes no difference to his sweetheart, who loves him sincerely. In vain, Robart, a young farmer, endeavours to show her how foolish she is in loving the smuggler, and she repulses all his efforts to win her affection with scorn. One day the smugglers are surprised at work, and Joe takes refuge in his sweetheart's cottage. His entrance is observed by his rival who betrays him to the coastguards. However, Joe succeeds in making his way down to the seashore, and swims out to one of the fishing boats, where he finds friends who lend him a helping hand. Time goes on and Joe is still at sea. Taking advantage of his rival's absence, Robart presses home his suit, but all in vain. He finally finds that Marie has dropped a letter from her lover, in which he tells her that he is coming back. Robart possesses himself of all the details contained in the letter and then places it on the ground. When Marie misses the letter later and finds it on the ground she does not realise that anybody else has read it. The day arrives for her lover's return, and Marie is seen welcoming him on the quay, but Robart is waiting close by, and he points out to the police the smuggler they have been waiting so long to arrest. Marie is broken-hearted when her lover is dragged off to prison. All a woman's hatred rises within her, and like a raging tigress, she turns upon Robart who steps back and falls many feet into the sea below where he meets with a fate he well deserves.