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Sunday, April 24, 1921
!■!
AILY
Mi 13
Makes Too Obvious a Play for Sympathy
Vivian Martin in
"MOTHER ETERNAL"
Ivan Abramson Prod. — State Rights
DIRECTOR Ivan Abramson
AUTHOR Ivan Abramson
SCENARIO BY Ivan Abramson
CAMERAMAN John S. Stumar
AS A WHOLE Mother love overworked for
appeal; production is adequate but quite
ordinary STORY Told in two parts with the first the
much better of the two DIRECTION Fair; tells story smoothly but at
times lacks judgment in handling players
PHOTOGRAPHY Satisfactory
LIGHTINGS Some poor
CAMERA WORK Average
STAR Does best work in first episode but is
capable of much better performance
SUPPORT Adequate; none distinguished
EXTERIORS Few
INTERIORS All right
DETAIL Suffices
CHARACTER OF STORY Mother about to
end her unfortunate life is saved by son she
gave away in infancy
LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 7,500 feet
With "mother love" as the basis of his theme, Ivan Abramson has written and produced "Mother Eternal," starring Vivian Martin, and perhaps because of the fact that it makes such a strong play upon the heart strings, it will be fairly well received. But on the other hand, no one will be greatly impressed and it isn't the sort of story that will cause any gulps in
the throat. "Mother Eternal" is so obviously fictitious that it doesn't sink very deep.
There is nothing objectionable in the theme so there can be no complaint on this score and the story is told in a straightforward fashion. It is in two episodes, the first being the better of the two. The second half is weak, not only from a story standpoint, but poorly acted as well. Also the direction here could be much improved upon. The characters do some very peculiar things, and coincidence plays a prominent part in bringing the story to a conclusion.
Vivian Martin is suitable as the young mother who gives her infant away because she is too poor to care for it. But her appearance as the mother in the second episode, after a lapse of twenty years, will never gain her any laurels. Neither does she look nor act the part and her facial make-up is so poor that in close-ups she looks as if she were made up for a clown role. Later close-ups in the same episode show her with practically no old lady make-up. They had better eliminate close-ups entirely in this half of the picture.
Alice's spoiled daughter makes life so miserable for the old mother that she decides to leave her daughter's home. Intending to end it all, Alice tries to drown, but is saved by Edward Stevens, Jr., who turns out to be her son. When the child was born Alice, because of her poverty, consented to the physician's suggestion of allowing Mrs. Stevens to believe the child her own, though in reality her's had died. The elder Stevens is so shocked by the disclosure that he at first puts his "son" out of his home but later begs him to continue as his son and have his mother live with them.
Victor Georg Maker of
PORTRAITS BY PHOTOGRAPHY
formerly at THE BLACKSTONE, CHICAGO, and recently with MR. D. W. GRIFFITH, announces the opening of studios at 152 WEST FIFTYFIFTH STREET, NEW YORK CITY, where private sittings can be arranged by Appointment.
"I cannot tell you what a delight it is to see photographs like yours, and I congratulate you upon the real artistic impetus which you have given to portrait photography in this country." Frank Crowninshield, Editor, "Vanity Fair."