Educational film magazine; (19-)

k»-l. t V-«-« X A ■ REVIEWS OF FILMS :^H0 •n £ -. FEATURE PICTURES OF SPECIAL APPEAL By Mabel G. Foster w .-ic'irr ,v HILE making more or less of a general appeal, some pictures lend themselves with particular distinction to definite groups of spectators. Here are four such sub- jects, of which The Snob is mentioned first. "THE SNOB" Kathleen's mother has social ambitions and has trained her daughter to be a snob of the most exaggerated type. The girl becomes attracted to a college football hero, not knowing that he is working his way through college. When she discovers that he wails on table at student commons, she snubs him, whereupon his chums, young men of means and prominence in college af- fairs, undertake to teach her a lesson. It is a shock, but sterling qualities underlie the false ideals, and Kathleen rallies to a realization that the truest nobility expresses itself through a spirit of service to others. This clean, charming little story stars Wanda Hawley and carries an excellent post-war message especially di- rected to young girls but applicable to all. Football scenes and a college dance in a real gymnasium, create an atmosphere of youth and joy as contagious as it is constructive. "THE LOVE LIGHT" Persons who love Italy and honor the part she played in the Great War will be especially attracted by the bubbling happiness which marks the opening scenes of The Love Light, in which Mary Pickford interprets the merriment of a little peasant girl living on the Italian coast. Joy begins to fade as the storm cloud of war bursts. The girl's two brothers are called to the front and one of them is killed. She contracts a secret and tragic mar- riage with a sailor washed up by the sea and claiming to be American. The sailor jumps to his death upon being proven a German spy, but not until he has used Mary's love message flashed to him by the lighthouse light she tends, as a signal to a submarine to sink a ship loaded with Italian soldiers. Among these is Mary's younger brother. An appealing tragedy of the humble then unfolds itself during which the peasant maiden loses the rougishness which has characterized her in the earlier portion of the story and wrings our hearts by the pathetic motherhood which comes to her. Her baby is taken from her because she is not considered perfectly sane, but her heroic and successful effort to save it from shipwreck is rewarded with the rapture of having it once more in her care. To this happiness is added the sub- dued joy of taking to her heart as her husband the war-blinded friend of her brothers, over whom she broods tenderly. In the closing scenes of the story are well illiistrated the fortitude and success with which the blinded men of the late war manage to take up the details of everyday living. There is a decided ques- tion as to whether the strict marriage laws of Italy would permit of a secret marriage such as is herein shown even in war time; and one can scarcely imagine a priest of the Church who would have performed it. "PARTNERS OF THE TIDE" The storm scenes in "The Love Light" are particularly impres- sive; the lure and mystery of the sea is strong. Equally is this the case in the picturization of Joseph C. Lincoln's novel, Partners of The Tide. It is a story of ship-wreck "and salvage, the episodes having been very successfully rearranged from the book for pur- poses of continuity and climax. The deep-sea scenes furnish climatic material full of suspense and interest. An elderly lady with no understanding of business secures the support of herself and her granddaughter frorn an old schooner which becomes unseaworthy. Her lawyer pursuades her to put ' matters in his hands, then arranges with the captain of the schooner to run it on the rocks before the insurance policy has expired. Upon the first attempt, the ship is saved by the young mate who is also a deep-sea diver. For doing this, he is dis- charged. The second attempt to sink the ship is successful, whereupon the mate is engaged by the insurance company to investigate the sunken hull for evidence which may prove that the ship was intentionally sunk. The crooked lawyer employs a diver who is to prevent the hero from coming to the surface wi h the damaging report of the open sea-cocks. This second diver shuts the first in one of the ship's compartments from which he is rescued before it is too late. Cut title "Knocking hell put of the lighthouse." "MAROONED HEARTS" Another picture which savors of the sea and is well-fitted for presentation before groups interested in medical and surgical matters is Marooned Hearts, featuring Conway Tearle. It is the story of young Doctor Carrington, selected by an old hospital surgeon to be his successor. To avoid spoiling a picnic, Carring- ton's sweetheart selfishly witholds until too late a telegram sum- moning him to a life-or-death operation at the hospital. Chivalry prevents him from defending himself, and his professional career is ruined. He goes to a small island in the West Indies to perfect a serum by means of which he hopes to continue his work for humanity. His death is reported. His repentant sweeJheart, re- fusing to believe him dead, comes to the Caribee in search of him. She is shipwrecked and in escaping from a drunken sailor, finally drifts to the shore of the doctor's' island. Vowing that he will not allow her again to interfere with his work, he treats her with only common humanity and civility, but finally protect- ing her from the further unwelcome attentions of the sailor who has also made land, he realizes his love for her is not dead. The serum being perfected, the doctor and the girl return to civiliza- tion, having learned some severe lessons. The Snob. Distributed by Realart Pictures. 5 reels. The Lore Light. Distributed by United Artists. 8 reels. Partners ol the Tide. Distributed by Pathe. 5 reels. Marooned Hearts. Distributed by Selzniok. 5 reels. THE THRILLER OF THRILLERS LYMAN H. HOWE'S Ride On A Runaway Train is quite in the same class witli The Race of the Age as an unparalled production of its kind. It is a tliriller of the most unqualified type and represents a trip one would rather take hy movie than in reality. Beginning with pleasing mountain scenes from car window and observation platform the camera is suddenly moved to the front of the engine just as the train begins to run down a steep grade. Bridges are crossed, tunnels are passed through at terrific speed, until suddenly a solid wall appears across the track and the train dashes at it. Comedy touches in the form of cartoons are intro<iuced here and there by way of relieving the tension. A Ride on a Runaway Train can be recommended to those persons not subject to car-sickness and whose nerves are strong. And to others for th* fpw^ is worth the candle. Distributed by Educational Film Exchange. Inc., »ro Seventh Ave., New Yoi-k. 11