The Film Daily (1918)

Sunday, July 14, 1918 DAILY 25 Slender Story Made Entertaining by Characterizations Roy Stewart in "BY PROXY" Triangle DIRECTOR .' Cliff Smith CAMERAMAN Steve Rounds AS A WHOLE Very slender story depending upon characterizations rather than action; contains enough good moments to slide it over satisfactorily. STORY Improbable western comedy without any "shootinV Characterizations and some good titles make it pleasing as light entertainment. DIRECTION Kept the comedy element uppermost and gave acceptable western atmosphere. PHOTOGRAPHY .Satisfactory though not artistic. One shot registered as "night" was not tinted and showed strong shadows. LIGHTINGS Generally too uniform with no attempt for effects. CAMERA WORK Routine STAR Very pleasing in this and smiled as though he meant it. SUPPORT Maude Wayne pleasing; Perry and Chink great. Others true to type. EXTERIORS Kept to atmosphere INTERIORS Acceptable DETAIL Good CHARACTER OF STORY Pleasing and wholesome, playing for laughs all the way. None of the rough stuff we have come to expect in westerns. LENGTH OF PRODUCTION About 4,500 feet IP you play Triangles regularly and your audiences liked ' 'Little Red' Decides" they will no doubt be just as enthusiastic over this as it is much the same type of story. Although there isn't a kiddie in this, there are plenty of laughs, the comedy element having been kept uppermost all the way without any of the thrills, shootin' or wild stuff we usually get in westerns. Roy Stewart certainly registers his smile in this, but dog-gone it, he puts it across with such sincerity that you get to like him better every time he grins instead of feelin' that he is playing to the grandstand. Instead of bein' a bold bad-man in this, Roy is pre sented as a rugged puncher with a biff heart and when he tries to arrange a wedding for Walter Perry and finds that he has brought the wrong girl, he up and marries her himself to keep peace in the camp. The "gel" is played by Maude Wayne, who is a school ma'am in a neighboring cow-town and when the trustees inform her that her services are no longer required, she figures that the last resort is for her to become a dancehall girl, which is certainly a funny thing for an innocent school-ma'am to figure as the only way out. In the meantime, Walter Perry, a love-sick puncher who plays a "gittar," has seen the woman of his dreams and Roy. rather than see him wilt from loneliness, starts out for the "gel" after Walter has told him where she lives. Roy arrives just in time to intercept Mollie's initial try-out at the dance-hall and after comparing Roy's smiling face to wicked Bill Dyer's, who owns the dancehall, she decides to accompany Roy, although she does not know what it is all about. In the meantime, back at the ranch, the Chinese cook, who has all the money in camp, has accepted the boys I. O. U's for their poker debts, their clothes being Sing's security. Sing can't see the percentage in them retaining the security so that night, while they are asleep he makes off with their clothes, and appropriating Walter's horse, starts for the next town. There is some funny business when the boys awaken to discover their loss and start in pursuit clad in their western B. V| D's. They arrive at the next town just as Roy, the "gel" and a preacher are about to return, and then it develops that Mollie ain't the dame that Walter had seen, and he produces the picture of his lady-love to prove it. You see, Roy had stopped at the wrong house, but having become infatuated with Mollie in the meantime, he proposes and she accepts him. While in town, Roy had found a buyer for his cattle, so the Chink cook is paid off and all ends happily. Harry Yamamato, as the Chink cook, was very good and the scenes where he cleans up at poker after insisting that he "No Savvies" how to play, will bring a bunch of laughs. Walter Perry, ns usual, puts over his characterization in great shape as the cow-camp Romeo and Maude Wayne is quite acceptable as the "gel." Others who appeared were Wilbur Higbee and John Lince. The titles, as a whole, were very good and will bring many laughs. E.k.LINCOLN "Lafayette We Come" Leonoe Percets Patriotic Pr oduction .vV m