Cinema News and Property Gazette (1912)

October, 1912. FILMS.— Supplement to THE CINEMA. 34a undertake the task of her own free will, who puts matters right by suddenly alighting upon her husband's backsliding, proof of which is very clearly contained in a letter from Suzanne, Happily, this letter bears no name, and, to save his friend, the Viscount declares it to be his. Madame Lebardin is satisfied, and Suzanne, cured of all desire for flirtations, becomes a Viscountess. " THE THEFT OF THE ' MISSISSIPPI'S ' CODE BOOK."— Released October 9th. Length 939 feet. Lieutenant Watson, one of the " Mississippi's " officers who is popular with his subordinates, readily grants leave when asked by Jack Perks, a petty officer, for two days to see his sick sweetheart. Lieutenant Watson goes ashore at the same time, meets at a party Eva Anthony, to whom he instantly loses his heart. Beautiful and alluring to a degree, Eva Anthony is a spy in the service of a foreign power, and an emissary of the same power, who is also present at the party, bids her obtain possession of the "Mississippi's" code book, of which Watson has the charge. The young lieutenant promises to take Eva over the " Mississippi," and on the following day he calls for her. Infatuated with his bewitching companion, he points out the various items of interest aboard the battleship, and takes her into the saloon. Eva has been informed that the code book is in a fire-proof safe, and, with many charming smiles, she induces the young man to show it to her. With a playful gesture she seizes it and hurries away. The young lieutenant follows her, but she refuses to give it up and, persuaded that it is a mere whim of hers, and intoxicated by a kiss, he allows her to keep it for a few hours. Leaving the vessel she is met by Perks returning from his leave. He is arrested by something in her manner, and as soon as the lieutenant has taken leave of her he conceals himself on the footboard of her motor-car. Eva drives into the country, and is presently joined by her accomplice. Unaware of the hidden listener, she triumphantly details the success of her plan. Growing excited as she talks, she carelessly drops the bag over the side of the car, and Perks quietly substitutes a brick for the book as the car speeds along. At the first stop he drops off and hastens back to return the book to his superior. Eva's discomfiture may be imagined when she discovers her loss, just about the same time' that Watson learns from the lips of Perks how he has been fooled, and how dangerous has been his flirtation with Eva Anthony. " A MAN OF THE WILD."— Released October 5th. Length 2,410 feet. Red Fox, a cunning and crafty poacher, who was proud of his calling, walked swiftly until he reached old Martha's hut, where Liza was waiting to give him a bowl of soup. Liza was a pale girl, reminding one of the white, pure lilies of the valley. She was a clinging sort of creature, and this evening her tenderness annoyed him. He sent her away weeping at last, and was still more annoyed when old Martha whispered that he was a fool not to see that the girl was in love with him. Next dav Red Fox' hung about Bracken Farm in the hope of seeing Rosette. He was not disappointed. The girl came through the farm gate in company with her sweetheart, a young farm labourer. She was talking about the open-air dance which was soon to take place. Red Fox stepped up to her with some rough jest, and a demand for a dance on the festive night. The farm labourer interposed, and a sharp quarrel followed. The burly poacher swore that nobody should deprive him of the dance, and the girl, half amused at him, watched him intently as he swung away. On the festive night Red Fox claimed his dance, and Rosette gave it him in spite of her sweetheart's protests. Red Fox was beginning to fascinate her with his masterful ways. Liza's sad face, paler than ever in the light of the gaudy paper lanterns as she danced a wild sort of gipsy dance for the benefit of the merrymakers, could not prevent him from making love to Rosette. Next day Red Fox wrote his first love letter to Rosette, and she answered it with loving, tender words. Red Fox grew careless, and a few days later whilst poaching he was surrounded bv keepers, and caught with a couple of pheasants in his possession. With an ugly blow he felled one of the keepers, and stood silent and submissive between the fallen man's two companions. They prepared to lead him away, but suddenly one felt himself rolling backwards towards the edge of a deep pool. Red Fox, watching his chance, had sprung upon him at a moment when his companion had turned his head. With a migh:y effort he flung the man into the water, then turned to strike down the third man before it was possible for him to draw the trigger of his gun. And then he sped away until he was safe again in old Martha's hut. The matter was reported in the local newspaper, and after that Rosette promised to marry Vincent, her old sweetheart. Some days later, Red Fox, skulking in the woods, saw her with the farm labourer. He sprung out into the road and savagely attacked Vincent, whilst Rosette fled away along the road. The poacher after flinging Vincent to the ground turned back into the woods and thence to old Martha's hut. Vincent, painfully gathering himself up, raced into the village and gave the alarm that he had seen Red Fox. The tidings sprang from mouth to mouth, and keepers, police and yokels rapidly formed into bands to scour the forest. It was Vincent who at last thought of Martha's hut and directed the police to it. The hut was surrounded. Inside Martha rapidly clothed Red Fox in the old ochre-coloured shawl and tattered skirt. He opened the door and stepped out to answer the questions of the police in a croaked old woman's voice. They let him go and he hobbled away safe into the woods. Once in the woods, Red Fox discarded the disguise, and rushed to Bracken Farm. He entered it and sought Rosette. He found her in the kitchen, and bitterly, passionately reproached her. He turned suddenly, for the door had burst open, and Liza, her face strained with running, staggered in to gasp out a warning that the police were on their way to the farm. Police and gamekeepers came in a solid, compact mass ; but Red Fox, springing out of the window with his knife in his hand, faced them undaunted. The police raised their guns, a shot rang out just a second after Liza had rushed forward to protect the hunted man. It struck her and she fell without a moan. And in the horrified silence which followed Red Fox had no thought of escape. Rosette had deserted him, Liza had given her life for him, and he, like a trapped, exhausted animal, felt all zest of life and desire fall from him. The fox had had his run and the end had come. " THE MASSEUR'S RUSE."— Released October 5th. Length 908 feet. This film, rather curious, is really a very interesting example of Japanese production. Incidentally it throws light upon some curious native customs. Lotus Flower complains of severe muscular fatigue in the shoulder and sends her servant for a mas;eur, who is calling his profession in the street. Before the appearance of this man, Lotus Flower prudently puts her jewels into a curious little box, surmounted by a pillow upon which she is accustomed to rest her head. It being a condition sine qua 11011 that every masseur in Japan should be blind, those who are not so afflicted manage a very tolerable imitation. Lotus Flower's masseur happens to be one of the latter class, and on his patient falling asleep under the influence of the massage he steals the jewels from beneath the pillow. A false movement awakens Lotus Flower, but the man escapes by stifling her cries. When the alarm is given, the city is scoured by a policeman and a detective, attired in an extraordinary assortment of Eastern and Western garments. The masseur is traced by the efforts of this gentleman and has to take refuge in a tree. The detective climbs up after hi n and a furious fight takes place, which ends in the thief's arrest. "THE LAST PERFORMANCE."— Released October 9th. Length 1,964 feet. Rose Maitland is the star performer at the Bernard Circus. Her last gallop from the ring is always the signal for a crowd of men to gather around her dressing-room, and to press their adulation and gifts of flowers upon her. One night Rose finds she has a new admirer in the person of Lieutenant Hans von Hunter, who watches her closely during the performance. He gains an introduction to her, and the intimacy between these two people grows in strength day by day. Rose meets the lieutenant in the woods, and, splendidly mounted, enjoys with him many an exhilarating canter, followed by an exquisite little lunch on the terrace of a flower-embowered garden restaurant, where Rose confesses she at last knows love. Happy through the love he has gained, Hans asks for his father's consent to his marriage. The elder man, shocked at the thought that his son should disgrace him by marrying a circus performer, refuses to countenance the match, and forbids Hans to mention Rose's name again. Hans responds by throwing up his commission and joining th; circus after marrying Rose. He is a daring horse rider and becomes the darling of the public from his first appearance. Rose, at first delighted, soon finds she is put in the shade, and suffers the torments of professional jealousy. The sound of the clapping which greets Hans' appearance becomes hideous music to her, and the fulsome flattery of the women irritates her beyond expression. A climax to her torment comes when Han i introduces a new item into his performance. Tnisitem, called " The Platform of Death," consists in his ascending, whilst mounted on Lux, his favourite horse, to the roof of the circus, on a slowly moving platform only a few feet F