Motion Picture News (Jul-Oct 1914)

THE MOTIOX PICTURE NEWS 6i completes ""John Ranee, Gentleman," they have caught some of the wonderful scenes near the \ itagraph studios at Santa Monica, Cal. ■'The False Shadow." (.Lubin. Two reels. Thurs., July 23.) — Here is a story that abounds in dramatic moments, and with the able players that are cast for the parts, the production is in every way a strong one. The new science of eugenics forms the central idea. A physician makes a wrong report on the young man who is about to marry the girl that he, himself, is in love with. The girl falls sick, the physician confesses what he has done, and finds the lover for the girl, the sight of whom restores her to health. "The Apple." (Vitagraph. Thurs., July 23.) — The apple in this picture is not an Albemarle Pippin,' although there are two girl pippins in this little drama of the East Side. The apple is the apple of discord. But Aunt Sophia uses her woman's instinct, so that Hugo finds that his wife is the finer pippin after all. "His Sister." (Vitagraph. Mon., July 27.) — How a tomboy sister stands by her brother who has shot a man in a quarrel that arose out of gambling. She makes the sheriff's posse follow her while the brother escapes to the border. There is pictured some wonderful riding across vast plains and over the slopes of lofty mountains, all of which are photographed with extraordinary clearness. "Gwendolyn, the Sewing Machine Girl." (Biograph. Split reel. Mon., July 27.) — A burlesque comedy that turns things out of their natural course. The sewing machine girl drinks champagne, her lover is a bootblack in evening clothes, three hefty furniture movers are "'perfect ladies." The landlord kidnaps the girl, but she is trailed by the flowers dropped from her bouquet. "Search, the Scientific Detective," is on the same reel. "Search, the Scientific Detective." (Biograph. Split reel. Mon., July 27.) — This is a curious picture, but it has fun-provoking qualities. It reminds one of the very first motion pictures which showed persons and things disappearing at will. The detective has this strange power, and by means of it and other scientific devices he tracks his criminals, finds the star actress and her precious pearl necklace. With "Gwendolyn, the Sewing Machine Girl." "A Clash of "Virtues." (Essanay. Tues., July 2S.) — The moral of this picture, and it is earnestly presented, is that somebody has to lose what somebodv else makes on the Stock Exchange and suffer hard for it. But the young clerk who has been drawn into the net is saved by his sister, who weds the son of the "power of the Street." and a tragedy is averted by this sweet turn in affairs. "The Question and Answer Man." (Lubin. Tues., July 2S.) — Bob Johnson writes the "Advice to the Love-lorn"' as Madame Leonora's column. Bob's advice is not always fruitful of results, as Freddie Xix learns when Bob gets the girl that the latter has been wearing his heart otit for. The decrepit grandfather serves no comic purpose in the picture, and it would have been better if he had been left out of the cast. "Muff."' (Selig. Tues., July 2S.)— This is a Roy McCardell picture that is not a comedy. It is a story of a foundling, who has been left by his father, a circus rider, at the door of his aunt's cottage and is raised by her. Later he falls into the company of his father, who is about to lead him into criminal practises when the relation of the two becomes known. The meeting of father and son is too artificially contrived. "The Bingleville Fire Department." (Kalein. Fri., July 2i.) — A rollicking comedy of a funny town, funny fire department, and funny police force. The heads of the last two love the daughter of the honorable mayor of the town. They do not win her, losing to a young sprig of a fire-extinguisher drummer, who beat them both in saving the mayor's house from burning. "A Traitor to His Country." (Lubin. Fri., Tulv 24.)— The scene of this picture is in the Philippines, during the rebellion against the United States Government. A voung insurgent reveals the secrets of the rebel camp in order to protect his sweetheart. The circumstances of this treachery make a powerful human interest story. •The Substitute Heir."" (Selig. Fri., July 2i.) — In which a purchased heir acts as a boomerang, and has exactly the opposite effect from that contemplated. The widow of a wealthy man needs a child to secure his fortune in the courts, but the one she gets turns out to be of a dusky color. The situation is led up to with sharp surprise in Roj' !McCardell's best manner. "The "Winning Trick." (Vitagraph. Fri., July 2i.) — This sounds as if it might be about a card game, but it is not. The trick was played upon a young lady by the man who loved her, in order to win her for his wife. It was a clever trick to cure her of her romantic socialistic ideas about not wanting to marry a rich man. He becomes poor long enough to prove that she doesn't like it. "The President's Special." (Edison. Two reels. Fri., Aug. 7.) — Through overwork the station agent goes to sleep at his post and allows a picnic train lo go by when he should have sidetracked it. In a vision he sees the terrible results of his negligence. But his wife also sees the train and realizes that it should have been stopped. She jumps in an automobile and overtakes the train in the nick of time. The race between the automobile and the train is slightly too long. Charles Ogle and Gertrude McCoy lead the cast. "A Change of Business." (Edison. Split reel. Wed., Aug. 5.) — On the same reel with ""Faint Heart Xe'er W on Fair Lady." To win the charming widow of the town Jones changes from a bartender to a soda fountain keeper. This comedy is rather slow but will furnish amusement for those who like this variety of parlor comedies. May Abbey and Frank A. Lyon are the principal characters. "Faint Heart Ne'er "Won Fair Lady." (Edison. Split reel. Wed., --^ug. 5.) — On the same reel with ""A Change of Business." By persistently addressing his much-desired father-in-law with, "I love your daughter. Will you let me marry her?" the suitor finally wins the girl. A number of comical situations are introduced. Edward Boulden and Bessie Learn lead the cast. "One Touch of Nature," (Edison. Sat., Aug. S.) — One of the best one-reel dramas produced for some time. The perpetual crank comes in touch with a little boy fishing. The friendship of the boy causes Kim to re-enact scenes of his childhood and his bad character leaves him forever. "A Tango Spree." (Edison. Mon., Aug. 3.) — One lone man in the town is adverse to the tango, but when his mother takes it up he falls in line. Dan Mason plays the lead in this enjoyable comedy. "The Man -with the Glove." (Kalem. Tues., July 28.) — A drama showing the instincts of cruelty, selfishness and revenge in full play. A banker has been marked with the word coward, and since his schooldays is forced to wear a glove to conceal the mark. Later in life he gets his chance for revenge upon the man who thus disfigured him, but the sight of the latter's suffering makes him relent, and kindness takes the place of revenge. -\ dramatic but hardly logical piece, acted with forceful reality. "The Deadly Battle at Hicksville." (Kalem. Thurs., July 31.) — Xo one likes to see the incidents of our Civil War travestied as in this picture. Of course it is funny in a way: the characters are so ludicrous in appearance and the action is so ridiculous that the picture cannot but be funnv to certain kinds of audiences. But it is distasteful to many to read "General Flea" and "Union soldiers do not work after 5 o'clock." "The Indian Agent," (Kalem. Two reels. Wed., July 29.) — A picture of life on the plains a couple of generations ago, with grizzled trappers, wild Indians, brave women. There is a caravan of prairie schooners attacked by Indians, and we are given a fair reproduction of the ensuing battle. "The Identification." (Kalem. Two reels. Mon., July 27.") — The somewhat gruesome and repulsive life of a cocaine fiend is revealed with uncommon realism. The uncontrolled craving for the drug discloses the secret of the young attorney to the girl whom he wishes to marry. The luxurious surroundings of fashionable life are varied with prison scenes, and punctuated with pistol shots and mortal scufHings. An automobile is caught turning turtle. For those who like this sort of film, it is a powerful picture of its type. UNIVERSAL PROGRAM "Troublesome Pets." (Sterling. Thurs., July 30.) — A good comedy, but not as good as the majority of this brand. His wife owns a parrot which her husband doesn't fancy, and he throws it down a well. The whole village is aroused by cries of "help"' emitting from the well. A monkey is also introduced which adds to the fun. "A "Wild Ride." (Sterling. Mon., July 27.) — The Sterling kids minus Billy appear in this comedy. The feature of the picture is a wild ride taken by two of the children in a scenic railway car with the burlesque police force following in the next. The picture is good throughout, but this last event is a crackerjack. "The Dupe." (Eclair-Universal. Two reels. Wed., July 29.) — Helen Marten, Mildred Bright and Bob Frazer play the leads. The story continually commands the attention. An honest man finally triumphs over a group of dishonest business sharps. His sweetheart is a great aid to him. The story will appeal to all except the very young. "Tribal "War in the South Seas." (101 Bison. Two reels. July 2.5.1 — A picture made in the South Seas by William Clifford in which there are numbers of natives and many typical scenes. Several good fights are staged. The storj' itself is clean and interesting, possessing a number of unique features. A girl, stolen by a rival tribe, is regained after many fierce encounters. There is much realism throughout. "The "Wooing of Bessie Bumpkin." (Joker. \\'ed.. July 22.") — \A'illiam Wolbert and Bess Meredyth are the principa s in this comedy, which is somewhat slow in places. Two fooiish men are in love with Bessie, but neither wins her and she is left without a husband. "Irene's Busy "Week." (Victor. Fri., July 24.) — A different kind of comedy with Irene Wallace and ^^'alter Miller in the leading parts. Irene is to marry her guardian, who is old and disagreeable. Her favored lover succeeds in smuggling her oft the large estate in a cartload of apples. A very enjoyable and pleasing picture. "CTniversal Ike, Jr., in "His City Elopement." (Universal Ike. Tues., July 2S.) — • JIuch fun is furnished by the actions of the characters in a sleeping car. Ike elopes with the hotel waitress, but is forced by the proprietor and his wife to return. Robert Fuehrer and Louise Glaum are the principals in this highly amusing picture. "An Indian Eclipse." (Nestor. July 30.) — Paul Machet is the producer of this excellent Indian drama. A white man wrongly accused of murdering an Indian squaw proves his innocence to the Indians by pretending to invoke an eclipse of the sun. He. of course, knew when it was due to occur. ""Wifie's Busy Day." (Joker. Sat., Aug. 1.) — The usual side-splitting niix-up results when a man tries to pass off the wrong woman as his wife. r\Iax Asher plays the lead. A lot of rough slapstick work takes place which will surely create laughter. "Some Cop." (Crystal. Tues., Aug. 4.) — Xot as good as Vivian Prescott and Charles DeForrest are able to do. Charlie is a hobo, finds a cop's uniform and dresses himself in it. He captures the man of the house instead of a burglar and creates a general disturbance before he is arrested. "That's Fair Enough." (Joker. Sat., Aug. S.) — Max Asher and Louise Fazenda in a comedy and its sticcess is assured. It's the old story about father's choice and her own. but it has many new twists that keep one in a continual roar of laughter. "The Storm Bird." ("Powers. Tues.. Aug. 4.) — This picture is rather disconnected and somewhat hard to follow in places, but it contains a lot of fast action which will please. Ray Gallagher, Edna Maison and Bert Lawplay the leads. The dissolute sea captain who attempts to win a young girl by force is at length routed by her sweetheart. "The Mind's Awakening." Frontier. Sun., Aug. 2.) — The story is a little obscure in nlaces.' Dolly Larkin, Arthur Allardt and Joe Franz head the cast. There is a stirring fight