Educational film magazine; (19-)

By GLADYS "OVER THE HILL" A PRODUCTION which is sure to please many non- theatrical audiences as well as theatrical ones is Over the Hill. The following extracts from the producer's introduction sets the by-note for • the performance and Oier Ine Hill is indeed what Mr. Fr>x represents it to be: "\)Vill Carleton, upon whose two poems, 'Over the Hill to the Poor-House,' end 'Over the Hill from the Poor- House,' this produclion is based, is known as the 'Farm VfOTHER, as interpreted by Mrs. Mary Carr in tlie Fox picturization ■^'^ of Will Carleton's "Over the Hill to the Poor-House," is one .of the few genuine character portrayals on the screen which will endure. It would have been so easy to succumb to the temptation to make her a hiehly sentimentnlized victim of misfortune, but Mrs. Carr was too much of an artist to fall into such a fatal trap. Poet.' He sang of the homely things of life—the things with which you and I are intimately familiar. Nor li.is rny poet ever revealed a keener knowledge of the inner workings of the hearts and minds of just Pain Folks." In Over the Hill and its companion piece he touchrd upon the same subject which caused Absalom to break the heart of his father, David, King of Israel, and which evoked from King Lear his immortal plaint, "How Sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child " I: is a subject which will wrest songs from poets of all the generations yet to come. Tliis play is the story of a mother whose heart never faltered in the performance of her loving care of her six children, nirough the years of childhood she tried to deal justly with thenu siiielflinji; always Johnny, "the wild one," who needed especial understanding and support. The father of the family was a weakling, and added to her other burdens was his inadequate support. Her days were long and arduous. Childhood passed and twenty years later" Mother is a burden. Johnny, wlio has served a prison sentence in order to shield his father wlio has stolen horses, provides for her financial support, but his money finds its way inste.id to a rascally brother's pocket. The various forms of ungrUteful treatment offered to Mother and her patience under them end when lohnny returns from the West and straight- ens out matters. The acting and direction of this picture are to be most highly praised. Mary Carr, who plays Mother, has created a very genuine, sympatlietic mother whose virtue is that BOLLMAN she is the typical mother of thousands of everyday homes. Her interpretation is not overdrawn and not idealized; she is just an ordinary woman of the poorer classes, one of those "ordinary" women who are so extrsfordinary, and so plentiful. The direction also is most excellent and restrained with one or two exceptions. One continually expects poor Mother to have a shock after submitting to the boisterous affection of her Johnny, but she no doubt was rightly considered a sturdy old lady. And the drag- ging of the villainous brother is reminiscent of the earlier days of the photoplay. But that is only one scene among many better ones. Over the Hill is a sad picture because it is a true pic- ture. But we are more optimistic than Mr. Fox and hope that there will not be so many generations from which poets will "wrest" songs on this subject. For we hope that Mother will have a better chance in the future. Surely if all the Dads present and future could see this picture and take heed, the Mothers might have a better chance from the start. And if all the children could see it the Mothers who didn't get a fair start would at least get their share of gratitude for what they did do. Over the Hill. Produced and distributed by Fox Film Corp., ISO West 46tli Street, New York, and branches in most large cities. Not available for the non-theatrical field at present. 8 reels. ^ mi] "BUNTY PULLS THE STRINGS" T EATRICE JOY is just the lass to play Bunty—a wee bit managing and more than a wee bit wheedling, a lass who can put her arms akimbo and look fetching in a checkered apron. For clean entertainment Bunty will fill the bill. Bunty •pHAT pillow flght In the prolog to Over the Hill was a Joyous . riot of youth Mow well the director Hnrrv Millarde understood Imyish dellRht in sleeping late in a warm bed, the sudden awakening, the brief but fierce encounter of the pillows, and the feathers—oh, the millions of feathers. pulls enough strings to keep her people acting every minute, and their ignorance of the fact that they are Bunty's pup- pets keeps one in a quiet glow of amusement. Bnnty is the daughter of a stern Scotchman, Tarn Biggar. She keeps house for him and softens his tyranny over the younger 16