Motion Picture News (Apr-Jul 1915)

May 1, 1915. MOTION PICTURE NEWS 81 t^J':'" !'! .!! ; . : Him ■ ■ ■ '! u= INTERESTING FILM REVIEWS 1 PRODUCTIONS FROM ALL PROGRAMS | iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiii GENERAL FILM PROGRAM "The Children's House." (Biograph. Mon., April 26.) — The famous Montessori method of caring for young children is shown in this picture, which depicts children at work and play in one of the "children's houses" patterned after the ideas of the Italian educator. The picture is to be a part of the New York exhibit at the PanamaPacific International Exposition. As suggested by the makers, the film is one which offers exhibitors a good chance for publicity by interesting the local Board of Education in the methods shown. The child players are also of unusual interest. "Adam Bede." (Biograph. Two reels. Tues., April 27.) — George Eliot's great novel is dramatized in this picture, which is the thirty-fourth of the maker's two-reel productions of wellknown stories. The story is one of peculiar pathos, despite the fact that it deals with a situation world-old. A girl loves a man above her class, and as a result loses her virtue. Thinking to do what is for the best, she kills her child and is sentenced to death. She is pardoned, and before, she dies brings together her honest carpenter friend and former suitor, Adam Bede, and a girl who loves him. This is a mere skeleton of a strong story. It is a costume play with the action taking place in England about the end of the eighteenth century. Franklin Ritchie plays the title role, Louise Vale appears as the unfortunate, Hetty Sorrel, and Dinah Morris is portrayed by Gretchen' Hartman. "Fool's Gold." (Biograph. Thurs., April 29.) — This is a Western story of a dull old school which is slowly dying out. It includes all the elements, battle, murder, jealousy and romance. Joseph McDermott and Mary Malatesta play the leading parts. "His Poor Little Girl." (Biograph. Fri. April 20.) — The troubles of a poor girl at a fashionable finishing school are the basis of this fantastically absurd story. Of course, there is the hero who deserts the snobbish misses who have snubbed the poor girl, and marries her. In the cast are Rea Martin, Gus Pixley, Irma Dawkins and Jack Mulhall. "A Double Winning." (Biograph. Sat., April 21.) — Tiresome as the theme is, there seems no end of pictures showing a wealthy city clubman who for some foolish reason finds himself in the heart of the wilds, and there wins the affections of a country girl. This picture is one built on this badly frazzled plot. In the cast are Charles West, Harry Carey and Helen Bray. "The Idle Rich." (Edison. Tues.. April 27.) — William Wadsworth and Arthur Housman appear in this comedy as "traveling men" of the side door Pullman sort. A bank messenger drops a $1,000 bill, which they find. This leads them through some surprising adventures, during which there is a large amount of. slapstick work. Thanks to their activities a boob detective manages to stumble onto a discovery about the lost money. "Count Macaroni." (Edison. Wed., April 28.) — This is the familiar old story of introducing a fake count in order to lessen the popularity of a visiting nobleman. The nobleman is really a street cleaner, and the arrival of his wife and family results in some lively and amusing complications during the course of an evening dance. Gladys Hulette is the heroine. "Poisoned by Jealousy." (Edison. Two reel' Fri., April 30.) — The improbability of this stoo robs it of much of the interest which might attach to it if a little more care had been given to the plot. Two Italians are suitors for a girl in Italy. After her marriage her husband goe= to America to seek his fortune and by a lucky accident becomes a successful opera singer Meanwhile the jealous rival in Italy withholds all the communications which the couple send to each other, and at last sends word to each that the other has died. An accidental meeting when the singer revisits his old home leads to a Delated happiness and punishment tor t h" raise friend. Bessie Learn is seen as Dolce the Italian girl. The two men are played by Larlton King and Harry Beaumont. "His Convert." (Edison. Sat.. May 1.) — A clubman jeering at the work of a Salvation Army preacher lays a bet that he can go out on a street corner and make as many converts as the real minister. He meets with a startling sort of success when he discovers that he has converted a girl of the underworld, who as a result of his earnest exhortations decides to forsake her ways and seek righteousness. The impromptu preacher is enabled to help her in her decision and to save her from the man who has been exercising his baneful influence over her. In converting the girl he converts himself. A strong picture, but very improbable. Marc McDermott is seen as the hero. "On the Dawn Road." (Essanay. Mon., April 26.) — Albert Roscoe, Beverly Bayne and Lester Cuneo appear in this drama, by H. Tipton Steck. It shows how a young reporter, after an exciting fight, thwarts an unscrupulous financier's plot to get control of a railroad. Incidentally he rescues the daughter of the heaviest stockholder in the road from two hired crooks and wins her love. "Blindfolded." (Essanay. Two reels. Tues., April 27.) — Reviewed at length in another part of this issue. "The Fable of a Night Given Over to Revelry." (Essanay. Wed., April 28.) — In this George Ade comedy, Mr. Dubley. of the class of '88, counts on having a good time at the jolly college dinner. Now the main idea at such a function is to get a flying start. It was to be a dry dinner, so most of the sons of Bohunkus were doing what a camel does just before crossing a desert. When at 8:15 the crowd was herded into the banquet hall, the oysters had been warming up since 6:30. Fortunately the soup was not hot enough to scald the thumb of a longshoreman who had been brought in as an extra waiter. The menu included cold storage fish, a petrified auail and some head lettuce guaranteed by a standard rubber firm. At 11:30, the first speaker still held the floor and the cocktail brigade was dying on the vine. Then the oldest living graduate told the history of Bohunkus. He was past 90 and looked feeble, but at 2:30 a. m. he was still holding forth. They carried Mr. Dubley out on a shovel. "The Undertaker's Uncle." (Essanay. Thurs., April 29.) — As usual in this Snakeville comedy, Slippery Slim and the Undertaker are rivals for Sophie's hand. The Undertaker hires a poor hobo to impersonate his wealthy uncle, and after Sophie is impressed with his riches, the hobo plays dead. All would have gone well had not Slim got wind of the plot. He conceals himself beneath the coffin and pricks the hobo at the crucial moment. "The Tie That Binds." (Essanay, Fri., April 30 ) A baby left upon the door-step of a wealthy home arouses the mother instinct in a society loving wife and reunites her with her husband who was about to get a divorce. G. M. Anderson is featured in this drama, assisted by Marguerite Clayton. "Frauds." (Essanay. Three acts. Sat., May 1 )— Zclda Dunbar, a girl detective on the trail of two notorious blackmailers, offers herself as tl eir accomplice in hiring Kendrick. a wealthy bachelor, into svhat might be construed to be a vfolat on of the Mann Act, When the blackmailers offer to clear Kendrick upon the receipt of $2 000, Zelda has them arrested. In he meantime she and Kendrick have fallen in lovc^ At excellent cast including Edna Mayo, Bryant Washburn and Thomas Commcrforcf play this drama. "The Haunted House of Wild Isle." (Kalem. Two reels Mon., April 26.)-Highly improbable c this storv is there mav be some audiences who wil fke i 5 because of the slender .thread o f excitement. A doctor lives with his ward in a l0HeydKrages visitors and is aided in this by suddenly appeal through a hole in the wall of a r°Hl; finally discovers that the rifle »M.i» jhe i. £ Tf the Girl's father, who instead of being SSdfbM become unbalanced mentally and is shut up in a wing of the house by the doctor who thus obtains control of the estate. The fight with the older man results in an injury to his head which causes a return of reason. There is a happy reunion, and the doctor is captured. "The Phoney Cannibal." (Kalem. Tues., April 27.) — This is an extremely poor specimen of the Ham comedies. Ham and Bud seeing a missionary exhibiting a cannibal and taking up a collection, disguise themselves as a similar pair. The result is not entirely happy. 'The Tattooed Hand." (Kalem. Two reels. Wed., April 28.) — By means of a faked tattoo mark a gangster seeks to throw the detectives off the trail when he assaults a policeman. He is captured by a band headed by the girl detective, who shows no more intelligence than in any of the preceding stories of the series. She does, however, expose herself to danger in a useless and silly way. The usual cast is seen. "The Destroyer." (Kalem. Three reels. Fri., April 30.) — Solomon in his "Proverbs" was far from the first writer to point out the destruction which overtakes the man who gives himself over to a scarlet woman. It is this great lesson which is driven home in "The Destroyer." A young man of unusually bright prospects sinks to the lowest depths of poverty stricken degradation as the result of his folly. The presentation of such a story may have a good effect. The evil and the good woman are played with effectiveness by Alice Hollister and Anna Nilsson. Harry Millards is seen as the ruined youth. "The Box-Car Trap." (Kalem. Sat.. May 1.) — Helen Holmes continues in the "Hazards of Helen" in this picture. The principal thrill is supplied by the wrecking of a large freight car which jumps the tracks and pitches down a steep embankment. A crook, who has stolen from a man who helped him in time of need is hiding in the runaway freight car, and meets his death in spite of Helen's heroic attempt to rescue him. "The Spy's Sister." (Lubin. One reel. Fri., May 7.) — One of the numerous Civil war stories showing the struggles between love and duty of a Southern girl who has met and learned to love a Northern officer. In this case Joy Fulmer tries to save her brother, the "boy spy," from capture by her Northern sweetheart by pretending to be false to the Northern man, and claiming her disguised brother as her secret lover. In the end the brother is killed and the true lovers are reunited by the fall of the Confederacy at Appomatox. The part of Joy and Bob Fulmer, the Southerners, and Lieutenant John Gladstone, the Northerner, are well filled by Tustina Huff, Arthur W. Matthews and Edgar Jones. The latter also does the directing. "Scenario by Elizabeth R. Carpenter. "The Busy Bell Boy." (Lubin. One reel. Sat., May 8.) — This farce is full of action, and gives Pat Rooney the chance to show his brilliant dancing, as well as that of his co-star, Marion Bent. How a soda-water mixer falls in love with Marion Bent over the counter, impersonates first a bell boy, then a waiter, and last a guest, in order to be with and dance with her at the hotel, gives a chance for much comedy of the slapstick order which most people find so diverting. Clara Lambert, Gilbert Ely and George Trimble arc others in the cast. Produced by A. D. (Totaling, and written by Lawrence McCIoskcy. "Road o' Strife." (Lubin. Five reels. Mon., May 3.) — Will be reviewed elsewhere. "Curses! Jack Dalton." (Lubin. Tues.. May 4.) — This is a cartoon by Vincent Whitman snowing two rivals for a fair maiden's hand, who, in true cartoon style, assisted by a stork, ■ battleship, a submarine and other objects, fight for the girl all over the screen. She is finally won by Jim Dorney, who hurls curses at Jack Dalton. "The Twin Sister." (Lubin. Tues.. May 4.) Telling how the stranger and more determined of twin sisters, Nancy, cures Bill Bolton of rooster picking bis wife and her twin, Eva, by substituting herself for Eva unknown to Bill during a few hours. This is all right in slapstick comcdv. but in real life there is always ^,,"ir way by which a husband must know his wife from her twin. Mae Hotley is the twins, and Babe Hardy the husband.