Views and Film Index (1910)

6 THE FILM INDEX. =1 Advance Descriptions MANUFACTURERS’ BULLETINS CALENDAR OF THE WEEK’S LICENSED RELEASES MONDAY, JAN. 31, 1910 — 1 REELS. BIOGRAPH — The Cloister’s Touch, dramatic, 993. LUBIN — Bill’s Boots, comedy, 300. Too Much Protection, comedy, 600. PATHE — Collee Culture, industrial, 508. Dick’s A Winner, comedy, 453. SELIG — Shooting An Oil VV^ell, industrial, 715. TUESDAY, FEB. 1, 1910 — 3 REELS. EDISON — .1 Japanese Peach Boy, Japanese ta¬ ble with Mile, Pilar Morin, 940. GAUMONT (laeine) — The Golden Lily, dra¬ matic, 703. Ascending the Jura Mountains, scenic, 253. VITAGRAPH — The Skeleton, comedy, 440. Caught In His Omti Trap, comedy, 503. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3, 1910 — 4 REELS. ESSANAY — A Voice From the Fire Place, dra¬ matic, 486. The Wrong Man, comedy, 554. KALEM — The Stepmother, dramatic, 980. PATHE — The Postmistress, dramatic, 981. URBAN-ECLIPSE (Kleine) — Sheltered In the Woods, dramatic, 806. The Might of the Waters, scenic, 167. THURSDAY, FEB. 3, 1910 — 3 REELS. BIOGRAPH — The Woman From Mellon’s, com¬ edy, 988. LUBIN — Senthnental Sam, comedy, 300. It Might Have Been, comedy, 585. SELIG — Politics, comedy, 1,000. FRIDAY, FEB. 4, 1910 — 3 REELS. EDISON — His Just Deserts, dramatic, 365. The Surprise Party, comedy, 365. The Bad Man From Riley’s Gulch, comedy, 265. KALEM — The Little Old Men of the Woods, fairy story, 945. PATHE — Roller Skating In Australia, spoi-t, 366. The Model Drama, dramatic, 781. SATURDAY, JAN. 5, 1910 — 4 REELS. ESSANAY' — Sensational Logging, industrial, 1,000. GAUMONT (Kleine) — Civil War, military drama, 940. PATHE — The Critical Situation, comedy, 623. Adam II, trained animal, 354. VITAGRAPH — Twelfth Night, comedy, 970. BIOGRAPH COMPANY. "THE CLOISTER’S TOUCH.’’— In the olden days when the common man was his feudal lord’s slave, many were the outrages perpetrated upon them with no redress save that which came from the hand of Providence, and tardy though the reckoning seemed, it was, nevertheless, inevitable. This subject shows a peasant family comprising the father, mother and little boy child. They are happy in their own sphere until one day several courtiers of a hunting party stopped at the humble home for refreshments. The men are particularly struck with the beauty of the young wife, and as their Duke is in the depths of bore¬ dom they suggest carrying her off to court. However, they think it best to first consult the Duke, who in the extreme of ennui, is most agreeable to the plans. Hence, the poor wife is torn from her husband and child and taken to court to he made a lady by the Duke. Here she has all her heart could wish for, as the Duke has fallen deeply in love with her. Still the one thing she longs for is her child. The Duke finally consents that she may go and get it. Back to her old home she is taken, only to find it deserted, her husband having, meanwhile, accepted the refuge of¬ fered by the monks and become a postulant at the monastery, taking the boy with him. From the fruit¬ less journey she returns despairing, and through grief, her reason is shattered, so the Duke has pre¬ sented other children hoping that her mind may be restored, but she is not appeased, and her grief finds surcease in death. The Duke is plunged in the deep¬ est despair at the outcome of what he now acknowl¬ edges an outrage, and would have atoned with his own life, but that the cross-handle of the dagger with which he was about to perform the dispatch suggests another course, and determining upon a life of pen¬ ance, he goes and offers himself to the monks. Here in the same monastery where all are equal he also becomes a postulant and he comes face to face with the outraged husband. There is a start and a slight inclination to rush at each other, but under the shad¬ ow of the cross they breathe those words of Christian charity “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them who trespass against us.’’ And as they pass into the chaped to vespers the sound of “Amen" reverber¬ ates. “THE WOMAN FROM MILLIONS.’’— Love will al¬ ways find a way, and though conditions may seem desperate and obstacles unsurmountable, still Master Cupid and Dame Fate will conspire to bring together two hearts if they in turn, have the audacious daring to hearken to their suggestions, for their slogan is “Faint heart ne’er won fair lady.” The plan evolved in this biograph story is most unique. Harry Town¬ send, a young stock broker, is in love with the pretty daughter of James Petersby, a Wall Street magnate, and as Harry is a very promising fellow, he gives his consent to the match. Harry, however, is hard hit by the panic, and loses practically all. This changes the color of things and the young lever is forbidden the wealthy man’s house. Despairing he goes to look for employment, and in answer to the “Ad" of a de¬ tective agency, he finds the chief an old friend of his, hence he gets the job. He then goes to see his sweethart to inform her of his success; but the father catches him and puts him out, suspecting they are planning to elope. Petersby then writes a letter to the Mellon Detective Agency to send to his house a reliable strong woman as guard and companion for his daughter whom he suspects is bent on eloping. This happens to be the agency with which Harry has connected and he prevails upon the chief to be al¬ lowed the assignment. He then procures the ward¬ robe and shaving off his moustache appears at the Petersby mansion the most attractive looking damsel you would meet in a day’s journey. Now Mary is re¬ bellious and the fact of being watched is extremely repugnant, so she avows that no woman shall watch over her, but she cannot help herself for she cannot stir without having the lady from Mellon’s at her side. That she hasn’t recognized her is due to the fact that she has never looked at her, her aversion being so in¬ tense. Finaly she bursts into tears of anger and then Harry discloses his identity. They, however, carry on the little farce, and the father becomes quite smit¬ ten with the fair stranger. Besides flirting with him he gives out valuable stock tips, which Harry makes good use of and recoups his fortune. Thus far, every¬ thing goes well, but the old gent is getting serious and suggests that they elope. “Good Heavens!" So Harry exclaims to Mary, “Hurry up! If you don’t elope with me your father will." So away they go, just as papa enters ready to fiy with the fair charmer. Learning of their departure, he follows and traces them to Harry’s rooms, where he is prevented from entering while the marriage ceremony of his daughter and her lover is performed. There is nothing left but to make the best of it, which he does, realizing what a fool he has made of himself, and this is the only means of relieving his own embarrassment. EDISON MANUFACTURING CO. “A JAPANESE PEACH BOY.” — The original story of this picture comes out of the long forgotten past. Its origin, though Japanese, carries it bask to the early days of Christianity. For thousands of years Japanese children have heard the wonderful story of the boy who was found in the heart of a peach. The story was arranged from this ancient source and the principal roles are played by Mile. Pilar Morin, two factors which, taken by themselves, will indicate a picture of the very highest class. The story begins with the finding of a wonderful peach which comes floating down a small stream and is brought to shore by a little Japanese woman, who takes it to her home. It there transpires that she and her husband are still mourning the loss of a baby, and the wonderful peach when it is cut brings healing to their sorrow, for as the father’s hands separate the two parts of the lucious fruit, between them mi¬ raculously appears the figure of a tiny baby. It is a real Japanse baby (which no one could by any chance mistake for a doll) and the parents’ joy is very great. We next see the boy grown to eight years of age and the object of the loving affection of his parents. He helps his mother carry the washing and shows that he is all that a loving mother’s heart could wish; but here the adventures begin. On their way home from the same little river, down which he came floating in the peach, they are forced to pass a cavern inhabited by Japanese ogres, mon¬ sters of most tearful mien, half-human and half-ani¬ mal. The young mother and the boy are attacked by the ogres, and the boy draws his tiny sword and vig¬ orously defends her; but even though he cuts off the tail of the lion they are overpowered, and the mon¬ sters are carrying him away to their cave, when the mother sees a pile of stones and uses them with such good effect that the monsters are driven off and she and the boy make their escape. But he has lost his little sword in the fight, and when we see him in a later scene at the ripe age of eighteen, he is an¬ nouncing his determination of going back to the cav¬ ern, conquering the ogres and recovering the weapon. His father and mother suggest that he will shake so with fear that he will be unable to carry out his pur¬ pose, but, becoming convinced of his son’s bravery, the father loans him his own “honorable sword.” On the way to the cavern the boy meets three friends (at least they seem to be such), each of which, on being promised a part of the food from the boy’s basket, agrees to fight for him. The three friends are the ape, the pheasant and the dog. But when they reach the gateway before the cav¬ ern’s mouth the first two desert him, and only the dog remains, as always, the faithful one. With his master, he bursts through the gate and they descend into the cavern. Then we are shown a scene of ex¬ ceptional beauty, for the cavern is a wonderful place, in spite of its uncouth inhabitants. Its floor is lit¬ tered with the spoils of many robberies, and among them the boy sees his little lost sword. But now the monsters appear, their leader a sort of wild man of remarkable agility (the part is played by a wonderful Japanese acrobat). He attacks our small hero and a typical Japanese duel ensues. Of course, virtue and courage are triumphant, and when the wild man lies slain his fellow monsters creep back into their holes in the rocks. Meanwhile, the dog, ever on the alert, discovers a wonderful box, to which he calls his little master’s attention. When it is opend the youth starts back at the sight of a huge snake, but when he brave¬ ly takes it in his hand it transforms before our eyes into a magic wand and the box is filled with gold and jewels. With such success our hero returns to his parents. Their joy at his safe home-coming is turned to wonder when, producing the magic wand, he waves it and transforms their humble cottage into a glitter¬ ing palace hung with Japanese lanterns through the door of which is seen a lake with swans upon its sur¬ face, while dancing Geisha girls appear in mystic figures of the Japanese dance and suddenly disappear into thin air. This transformation scene is beautiful beyond description. ’The picture is one of the most elaborate productions that the company has yet put out and the great artist who plays the role of the little Japanese mother, and later of the boy, finds herself surrounded by beautiful scenic vesture and effects. The appeal which the pic¬ ture makes should be to all lovers of mystic lore, to all who delight in beautiful pantomime, and to the children who love youthful heroes, ogres and other fairy story accessories. It should prove one of the most popular and one of the most beautiful art pro¬ ductions of the winter. “HIS JUST DESERTS.” — The scenes of this picture are laid among the workers in a Southern iron foun¬ dry, and the piece is full of what is called atmosphere, as well as action. The first scene shows a young moulder and his bride finishing breakfast, and his start for work. He has hardly gone when a fellow moulder, one of the men who prides himself on his powers of fascination, tries to get up a flirtation with the young wife. She closes the gate in his face, gently at first, and then with a decision which brings a laugh from his fellow workers, who appreciate the