Cinema News and Property Gazette (1912)

34r FILMS.— Supplement to THE CINEMA. October, 1912. square. So great is the sensation caused by Hans' performance that Royalty hears of it, and one evening the circus management is honoured by the Royal box being occupied during " The Platform of Death " item. Rose finding her jealousy beyond control yields to a temptation to destroy Hans' prestige, and secretly injects a disquieting drug into Lux, to whose stall she gains admittance by stealth. Hans calmly mounts Lux when the moment comes for him to enter the ring and quietly steps on to the platform in the centre of the circus. The platform begins to ascend and Rose watches behind the curtains with dilated eyes. Lux is quiet. The platform mounts slowly whilst Royalty gazes admiringly. At the top of the roof the platform stops, and Lux, excited by the drug, becomes resitve. Hans tries to sooth him, but the influence of his caressing hand is suddenly nullified by the startling fireworks. Lux prances, plunges, and gives one terrified leap into the air. It is all over in a few seconds. A grotesque clown is the first to reach the still bodies of man and horse as they lie on the sawdust, and ringmaster and riders follow. Hans is tenderly picked up, and Rose, her jealousy changed in a second to terrible remorse, creeps along after the little crowd until she is able to fling herself across the dead man and sob out to her bewildered hearers her miserable, sinful part in the affair. " ENZO THE BRIGAND."— Released October 12th. Length 2,312 feet. In a lonely, mountainous district of Italy dwells Enzo, the brigand, and his gang of desperados. One night they hold up the diligence on its way to Rome, and robbing the passengers, carry away the mail bag and its contents. Far up in their mountain retreat they take stock of their booty, and one letter, in particular, arouses Enzo's interest. It is from a goldsmith named Umboldi, to Count Vitali. In this letter the goldsmith gives the address of a jeweller in Rome who has a valuable necklace that the Count has evidently been trying to purchase. Enzo resolves to have this necklace, and, to further his plans, he bids the youngest member of the gang to restore the letter to the postman in the nearest town. The next day Enzo, dressed as a gentleman of rank and leisure, leaves the mountains for Rome. On the outskirts of the city he rescues a young lady who has had a fall from her horse. The lady, who is none other than Elena Vitali, daughter of the Count, is impressed with the handsome stranger, and asks his name ; the brigand hands her a card on which is inscribed " Count Zarco." Unaware of her identity he continues his journey, and on entering the city he calls at an inn. Whilst he is sipping his wine, Count Vitali and a friend enter and seat themselves at an adjoining table. A postman brings the count a letter. Enzo recognises it as the one found in the mail bag, and, guessing he is in the presence of the Count, makes it his business to overhear the conversation. When the two men leave, Enzo follows them to the jewellers. Here, under pretence of buying an ornament, he watches the purchase of the pearl necklace by the Count. The two men, followed by the brigand, return home with their purchase, and Elena hears with delight that she is to be its owner. At night Enzo and one of his gang attempt to steal the necklace. They enter Elena's bedroom, but before they can get away the girl awakens and cries aloud. Enzo's accomplice seeks to silence her with his knife, but Enzo — recognising to his horror his fair unknown of yesterday — commands him to return the necklace. This the robber refuses to do ; a desperate struggle ensues; Enzo overpowers his assailant, and taking the necklace from him throws him over the balcony. He returns Elena the necklace and the girl in her gratitude hands him a white rose. The brigand departs, pressing it to his lips. Meanwhile, the accomplice, somewhat recovered, returns to the mountains for revenge. He denounces his leader and the gang form a plot to seize Elena. A note is dispatched to her in a bouquet asking her to meet "one who loves her" at an isolated spot called "The Devil's Chair." Elena, her mind filled with the image of the handsome stranger, keeps the appointment and is carried off by the brigands to their retreat. When Enzo returns to the almost inaccessible lair in the mountains he is informed by one of the gang that a wealthy girl has been taken prisoner. He commands her to be brought before him in his quality of chief, and the men silently obey, concealing Elena from his view until the last moment. The shock to Enzo is a terrible one. He pleads to his men to release the girl, but they refuse him, and Elena, realising the profession and habits of the man about whom she has woven a romance, lashes him with her scorn. Enzo, goaded by her words, at last flings himself upon the man who has denounced him. But the odds are too unequal, for a dozen hands are quick to drag him away from his fhtended victim. Less quick are they, however, to prevent him from seizing a dagger and plunging it into his heart. The blow strikes deep, and the brigand, his fingers clutching at the rose which he has carried in his breast, falls at the feet of the woman he has loved for so brief a span. RELIANCE. Western Import Co. " DEATH BEFORE DISHONOUR." — Released October 26th. Length 2,000 feet. Virginius is a Roman citizen who lives happily with his wife, Servia, and their daughter Virginia. Virginia is courted by Icilius, a young Roman soldier. Their troth is plighted before Virginius and other relatives, and in due time the two young people are married. At this time Appius is the Roman dictator. Some time after the marriage he notices Virginia in the street and becomes attracted by her beauty. Having autocratic power, Appius directs his soldiers to seize Virginia and hold her as one of his slaves. Virginius is brought to trial for having had a hand in the defence of his daughter. He appears before Appius and is condemned to die. Before being led away, however, he plunges his dagger into the breast of his daughter Virginia, thereby thwarting Appius. Virginius is placed in a cell and soon becomes a madman. The tide of public opinion turns against Appius on account of the tyranny and destruction he has wrought. Later he, too, is thrown into a cell. It is the same cell occupied by the demented Virginius, who, finding himself face to face with his dastardly foe, chokes the breath from his body with his strong hands. SELIG. Gerhard Street, W. "THE MILLER OF BURGUNDY."— Released October 6th. Length 1,010 feet, Meunier, the miller, lives with his daughter Louise in comfort, until M. Bontemps offers to buy the mill. Receiving a refusal he sends his son Charles to start another in opposition. He meets with an accident, and is carefully tended by Louise. His father suffers likewise and awakens to the realisation of his greed, and the film ends in " the old, old story" — love. "THE MAN FROM DRAGON-LAND."— Released October 24th. Length 997 feet. All the boys in the town are "daffy" over the Widow Riley, Pete -and Red especially. Failing in his efforts to attract her attention, Pete decides to try letter-writing as a means of secretly undermining Red's influence, But letter writing comes very hard to Pete, and he bethinks himself of Hop Wing, the laundryman, who writes out his washing bills in English with apparent ease, therefore showing that he is fairly conversant with the art of writing. Pete hands Hop a dollar to become his scribe, and Hop proceeds to paint a love letter on apiece of brown paper, addressed to the widow. While Hop is at work on this, Red and the rest of the boys invade the laundry to get their washing. While Hop is doing up the washing, the boys find and read the note. They are angered that a Chink should thus address a white woman Despite his denials they burn his laundry and take him out to be hanged. But wounded, Hop escapes and takes to the woods. There he hears cries of distress from the Widow Riley, who, with her child, are besieged by wolves. In spite of his own wounds Hop goes to her rescue. He is found later by his pursuers and is barely saved from their hands by the widow, who recounts his bravery. "OFFICER MURRAY."— Released October 13th. Length 910 feet. Officer Murray, of the Barry Street Station, is a big-hearted, well-thought-of patrolman. He incurs the enmity of Joe Slattery, a rascally reporter on the Evening Times. Slattery watches Murray and secures his revenge when the officer is bested by a crowd of young hoodlums whom he is trying to discipline. In the mix up Murray loses his star. Slattery gets his paper to print a false story, which results in Murray being discharged from the force. Slattery's poor old mother, who has often been befriended by Murray, induces the ex-cop to secure a job in a candy factory. Murray does so and is soon beloved by all the employees. One