Motion Picture Classic (Jan-Aug 1919)

MOTION PICTURE CLASSIC Favored by the Stars 'T'L is a little secret kingdom every i nCTC woman knows — her intimate toilet table. There she arranges certain special treasures. And first among these "the woman who knows" will place Boncilla Beaiitifier. ]\fay Allison. A Skin Joyous to See A radiantly clear, beautiful skin — joyous to see — magic to touch — may be yours. From the very first application you will note the improvement. BONCILLA BEAUTIFIER lifts the lines out — removes I'he blackheads — closes enlarged pores, and clears the complexion. In a few minutes after applied you will feel the gentle pat, pat . . . the lifting, smoothing sensation that assures you that it is starting its good work of youthful restoration of the face as follows: Lifting out the lines and blackheads. Bringing back into place the sagging skin and muscles of the face. It gives renewed strength to the relaxed, flabby, weakened tissues. BONCILLA BEAUTIFIER is entirely different from all creams or liquids. It is in paste form, which you apply twice a week until you get t^ face in beautiful condition “then occasionally to keep it so. If your dealer cannot supply you, send $1.50 for full-size jar. Results guaranteed. Money back if not satisfied. Send 12c Additional for Dainty Beauty Box Containing samples of Boncilla Cold Cream, Boncilla Vanishing Cream and Boncilla Face Powder. iu The Crown Chemical Company Dept. 64C, Indianapolis, Indiana V’/^rtA VI7DC How would you like to get a 9 x 11 enlargement of your best negatives free? Drop us a card now asking about it. Films developed 10c per roll. Prints 3, 4, and 5c each. FORD'S FOTO STUDIO, EUensburg, Washington Write the Words For a Song Write the words for a song. We revise song-poems, compose music for them, and guarantee to secure publication _ on a royalty basis by a New York music publisher. Our Lyric Editor and Chief Composer is a song-writer of national reputation and has written many big song-hits. Mail your song-poem on love, peace, victory or any other subject to_ us today. Poems submitted are examined free. BROADWAY COMPOSING STUDIOS 107-F Fitzgerald Bldg., Broadway at Times Square, NEW YORK ments — almost all strikingly successful — which “Broken Blossoms” makes in the realm of “art photography.” The softfocus is used with great beauty in the close-ups of the Chinaman, and with immense emotion effect in those of the girl. It reaches a staggering power when the tortured thing is twisting and turning and flinging desperately about in the closet while her father beats on the door. The effect of mad terror is shattering. Only — did you catch the disillusioning contrast when Griffith flashed to a longer shot and let you see for an instant a sharply defined and comparatively emotionless glimpse of her face? Obviously it is necessary to handle transitions in and out of the soft-focus with tremendous care. In “Broken Blossoms,” Griffith carries the soft-focus, his newest and in some ways his greatest contribution to screen technique, even farther. He uses it in a number of long shots, such as scenes in the temple, on the Chinese river and in the opium den. In every case it is beautifully successful. Not only does it emphasize the qualities of light and composition, but it gives much more of character to these scenes, much more of the sort of emotion which we would get from paintings or etchings of the episodes. The future use of this departure by other directors will make very interesting watching. Of course, behind and above all the tricks and technical improvements of “Broken Blossoms” is the manner in which the story is arranged and acted. This is faultless, absolutely faultless. The narrative flows smoothly and convincingly, without distortion and with entire emotion directness and clarity. So far as loyalty to character and story go, Griffith and a few other directors could have done this long ago — if they had had the courage or the foresight to believe in true art instead of specious entertainment. Griffith now believes again, as he believed in the days of “The Avenging Conscience,” and this time the answer of the public is favorable. Consistency is indeed a jewel, and truth a thing of rare price. But there is something more to be said about Griffith on the score of “Broken Blossoms,” and it is not so easy to say. Unquestionably it is a terrible, brutal, almost sadistic photoplay. It wrings your heart with pity for the abused child, but the physical and spiritual cruelties to which it makes you witness are so terrible that somehow you leave the theater with a feeling that the moving picture is in perilous danger of becoming the Roman Coliseum of the twentieth century. The art of Griffith is immense, undeniable and unapproachable. But are these horrors, these brutalities, thpe physical and spiritual tortures, which stretch thru his plays from “The Escape” onward a temperamental weakness in a great artist, or the ultimate, inevitable goal of the wordless art of pictures ? The problem is a grave one indeed for the future of the screen. Avalanche of Entries at Contest’s End {Continued from page 45) has had no stage or screen experience. Adair McDonald, of the Chandler Bldg., Boone, Iowa. Miss McDonald has captured a prize for her oratorical ability and she has appeared in amateur theatricals and recitals. She has blonde hair, blue eyes and is just a bit over five feet in height. Shirley Blackshaw, of 260 Laurel Street, Manchester, N. H. Miss Blackshaw submitted a large number of snapshots which seem to reveal an unusual ability to catch appealing poses. She is five feet two inches in height, and has brown hair and brown eyes. The most interesting days of the whole contest are those just ahead. Fame and fortune — in every sense of the words — are waiting some lucky young woman or man whose picture has been accepted for one of the honor rolls. Today he or she is practically unknown, a year from now his or her name will be known in every land of the earth. Three magazines — The Motion Picture Magazine, The Motion Picture Classic and the new Shadowland — will combine to make her world-famous. Two years’ publicity in the three magazines is guaranteed to the winner. This, as has been explained before, will include interviews, articles, pictures and even color covers. It will be the sort of publicity that cannot be purchased at any price. Moreover, the three magazines will procure an initial position for the winner and give later aid if necessary. Now a word upon the return of photographs : As far as has been possible, considering the thousands of pictures received almost daily, the portraits to which stamps were attached have been returned as fast as the judges considered them. However, if you have not already received your pictures back, after having stamps attached to them in accordance with the rules, do not write to us. You will receive them as soon as they can be handled. Portraits to which no stamps were attached will not be returned. It is also impossible for the contest staff to handle requests to return these now, even when postage is forwarded. It is utterly impossible to go thru the tremendous mass of unstamped portraits to seek out any special pictures. The judges regret that this rule must be adhered to, in order to facilitate the closing of the contest and the awarding of the final prize. In the cast of Cecil De Mille’s “The Admirable Crichton,” based on the Barrie play, is Bebe Daniels, long a foil for Harold Lloyd. Bebe has a small role, and others in the cast are Gloria Swanson, Lila Lee, Thomas Meighan and Theodore Roberts. Madge Kennedy is New Yorking. Norma Talmadge and her husband, Joseph Schenck, reopened their summer place at Bayside, L. I., early in June. Constance Talmadge and Mamma Talmadge occupy a home nearby. (Eighty-four)