The Film Daily (1919)

.. t •ank Reicher 'RODUCER OF EATURES fllgeussion as to who origisl open bookings is like, |.v old is Ann." The exhibi■mself opened it just as the wolf stuck its front paw thru mix office door. henU-C Wt) Musicians on Strike rouis. — Practically all of the icture houses are likely to be t music during the summer as t of the exhibitors League reto meet the demands of the ins union for a $10 a week in and the right to dictate the r of musicians to be employed Igth of working hours. k/fffvs Soys: '•"t&eyHAoWo iSSue TO K OtTHAT IS *ONG /o-Hreft Fz.o/?6fVCf,,> C.rMf?«.es Vtcnens' T)0fi\8FyAND &>f/M afcpt DAILY Friday, May 9, 1919 English Meller Is Given Fine Production. Undersea Stuff Helps Maurice Tourneur Presents "The White Heather" Tourneur Prod. — State Rights DIRECTOR Maurice Tourneur AUTHORS Cecil Raleigh and Henry Hamilton SCENARIO BY Chas. Whittaker CAMERAMAN Rene Guissart AS A WHOLE Artistically produced melodrama containing some unusual underseas scenes; has popular appeal. STORY Adaptation of renowned Drury Lane melodrama. DIRECTION. . . . Marked all through by fine touches which help to make the characters seem human. PHOTOGRAPHY Excellent LIGHTINGS Many atmospheric effects which add materially to the beauty of the produc= tion. CAMERA WORK Composition of scenes good; undersea fight photographed with the Wil= liamson submarine tube. SUPPORT Well balanced cast with Ralph Graves as the hero, H. E. Herbert as the willun and others who give adequate performances. EXTERIORS Locations well chosen to carry the impression of landscapes in Scotland. INTERIORS A number of impressive sets; al= ways in keeping with the atmosphere. DETAIL Care was shown in securing the right costumes for people living in Scotland and England; Director Tourneur deserves credit for avoiding anachronisms. CHARACTER OF STORY English meller of the old school that makes strong picture material LENGTH OF PRODUCTION 6,ooo feet HERE is .-in instance where the screen has much the better of the stage in the presentation of a melodrama for a modern audience that would laugh at the Old tricks of meller production, which were good enough to get by in the theater a quarter of a century ago. Bui you can bet that the very same so phisticated crowd won't laugh at the tricks in Maurice Tourneur's picture version of "The White Heather." They will marvel at the undersea stuff as something novel, startling and a remarkable photographic accomplishment, and they will find the story human and interesting, even if it is based on the old wrongwife-neglected -< hi Id theme. The treatmenl accorded the subjeel by Director .Maurice Tourneur accounts for its success, lie had ordinary enough material to work with. I > 1 1 1 he dressed it up in a truly artistic production ami the result la a technically excellent picture, which has enough human appeal to make it popular with folks who look first of all for stories containing heart Interest. Also it possesses a novel sensation in the undersea scenes worked into (he climax. There is Utile new to give fans in the way of fights between hen, ami willun when both have their feet firmly planted on the land, but to find deep sea divers struggling in the wreckage of an old ship at the bottom of the ocean, sure does provide a fresh sensation This encounter, terminating with the death of the •willun and the finding of the precious marriage document, provides the bin dramatic novelty of the film, but Director Tourneur did m.l rely upon it alone to give interest to his picture. Right from the start, when the action opens in the banquet hall of the Scottish manor preserved family seat by t,he aristocratic Camerons, the picture, from a production angle, has class. Interiors, wherever necessary, are richly furnished, the costuming is above reproach and the exteriors might pass for paintings of landscapes in Scotland. No less line in their way are the scenes supposed to be enacted on the London stock exchange, where the father of the wronged wife meets a tragic death after he has been ruined and disgraced, and in the courl loom during the trial that goes against the woman because she can produce neither the document nor a witness, and here there is a chance to iuirodueo some Angus. The director has succeeded in giving animation and the appearance of actual life to scenes utilizing many people. one of the strong qualities of the picture is its variety in locale and characterization. From the homes of aristocracy, the spectator is led to the haunts of the underworld in following the search for the missing witness, and here there is a chance to introduce some effective slum characters in surroundings indicating a suitable degradation. While the story is admittedly melodramatic, the acting is generally kept in a natural key. which helps to strengthen the sentimental passages and heighten the sympathy for the wife, sincerely acted by Mabel Ballin, and for her two faithful lovers, one of whom sacrifices his life on her behalf. The child is introduced frequently to strengthen the heart appeal. In the cast are Ben Alexander. Jack Gilbert, Spottiswood Aitken and others. Has Appeal for Varied Tastes. Play Up Submarine Photography Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor As already indicated, the artistic value of this production is high, but more important to you exhibitors who have to worry about the box office, it looks like a genuinely popular film with any sort of a fan crowd. Those that are particular about the fine points of a picture, in photography, setting's and the like, will find their tastes gratified; the gang that merely wants a story with a hero, a willun and a wronged shero. won't be disappointed, and folks that crave something fresh and startling will get it in the undersea stuff. Figure it out for yourself and you will find that "The White Heather" strikes a mighty high average as a money-making proposition. A picture containing such a variety of appeal may be classed as a safe bet. There are a number of advertising angles that you may hit, but the strongest seems to be in playing up in a sensational way the fight under water, telling your folks that it is a marvel of submarine photography and giving a big display to pictures showing the action in which the two divers figure. Although underwater photography is not new on the screen, there no doubt are many people who never have seen any of the films in which it has been used, at all events. not as a part of a dramatic story. Then it should be worth while to emphasize the fact that "The White Heather" is a picture version of a Drury Lane melodrama. Of course, comparatively few picture patrons know anything about "The White Heather" as a play, but anything carrying the Drury Lane trademark sounds exciting. Be sure to credit Maurice Tourneur with Inning made the production, referring to his last picture, "Woman." Reichenbach on Trip Harry Reichenbach, special representative for Macauley's "Whom the Gods Would Destroy" leaves on Saturday for a week's trip through the East. He will visit all First National exchanges to boost the production. Tivoli on Market Montreal. — The Tivoli is reported for sale. Sam Freed, owing to the death of his father-in-law, will take over the business formerly conducted by the latter. The property is held at a valuation of over a million, including building and site. Barring 10 Cent Shows Milwaukee. — H. J. Fitzgerald, First Natl., is refusing to allow any of their productions to be shown for less than 15 cents in his territory. He is urging exhibitors to charge 25 cents for all First National attractions, and 50 cents for Mary Pickford.