The Film Daily (1918)

Sunday, October 6, 1918 Willi Ml— IIWIIHIIMI imiii 27 ■M — c Beautiful Star in Appealing Story Given Artistic Production Bessie Barriscale in "THE HEART OF RACHAEL" Bessie Barriscale Prod. — Hodkinson Distrs. MANAGER OF PRODUCTION Robert Brunton DIRECTOR Howard Hickman AUTHOR Kathleen Norris SCENARIO BY Jack Cunningham CAMERAMAN Clyde de Vinna AS A WHOLE Pleasing personalities in wonder= fully artistic production; holds all the way. STORY Has good twists and human situations brought out by capable direction, atmosphere and cast. DIRECTION Kept this decidedly classy all the way and developed characterizations effectively with many little touches registered throughout. PHOTOGRAPHY Distinctive and artistic LIGHTINGS Exceptionally fine with many effec= tive bits. CAMERA WORK. . . .Excellent; mat work wonderfully effective and composition pleasing. STAR Delightful and appealing personality SUPPORT. . . .Excellent throughout; some cute kiddies EXTERIORS Classy and distinctive INTERIORS Lavish and convincing DETAIL Many effective touches CHARACTER OF STORY Problem play intelligently handled; for any audience. LENGTH OF PRODUCTION s,ioo feet MY HAT is off to the producers for this one. It has all the qualifications of a production that should go over with a bang anywhere and if you can't do some real business on it you ought to go out and have a talk with yourself. It's been a long time since I've seen an offering that checked up so well from every angle as this one does. The star is wonderfully appealing, the direction is intelligent, the cast is excellent and the artistic lightings and atmosphere combined with a truly interesting story make this check up about as near 100 per cent, as any production can. Miss Barriscale is presented in this as the wife of Herschall Mayall, a widower, being little older than Ella Hall, Mayall's daughter by his first wife. Unable to stand the indifferent attitude of both, Bessie divorces Mayall and marries Herbert Heyes, their family physician, whom she really loves. Later, when Ella elopes with Edward Coxen, a worthless adventurer, Mayall kills himself. As time passes, Heyes becomes infatuated with Gloria Hope, an actress, and his love for Bessie gradually dwindles. Six years pass and we find Bessie the mother of two children. She learns of her husband's affair with Gloria and tells her that she may have her husband and that she will not contest the case, whereupon Heyes turns Gloria down and leaves for Europe. He returns later but does not see his wife and finally they are brought together by an accident to one of the children, Heyes being the only surgeon in the vicinity who can save the child's life. After the successful operation, Heyes begs forgiveness and they finish with the clutch. We had some wonderfully effective rain scenes where Bessie takes the child to Heyes' residence in her limousine and the operation was exceptionally well handled with the suspense as to whether it was successful or not effectively developed. The lightings, photography and camera work on this were about the most artistic and effective I have ever seen and I want to compliment the cameraman particularly on the mat effects registered all through this. This was an elaboration on the regulation closeup with the spot shifting from one character to another and still leaving both characters in the picture, the scene surrounding the spot being dimmed by a mica screen. The general effect has been used before but I have never seen it as effectively handled as we got it here. Miss Barriscale was truly beautiful and appealing and the effective lightings helped to make this register as probably the best work she has done. The cast was excellent throughout and Director Hickman gave us many effective touches and some delightful bits with Ben Alexander and Mary Jane Irving, the cute kiddies who appeared. Charles Ray