Motion Picture News (Jul-Oct 1915)

July 10, 1915. MOTION PICTURE NEWS 71 "THE WHITE SISTER" (Essanay — V-L-S-E — Six Acts; REVIEWED BY WILLIAM RESSMAN ANDREWS VOLA ALLEN has an opportunity to display her ability to act emotional roles in this screen version of the popular novel by the late F. Marion Crawford. The scenes of the story are laid in Italy. The lighting effects in many instances deserve special notice, and the photography was clear in the majority of the episodes. The white costumes of the nuns proved particularly effective against the dark interiors in the convent scenes. The rescue of Giovanni from the ruins of the powder magazine after an explosion gave the producers a chance for a tense situation. Numerous interviews between the principals under distressing circumstances served to maintain interest in the fortunes of two THE RECOGNITION persons seemingly far from all prospects of a happy consummation of their desires. Donna Angela Chairomont, in love with Giovanni Severi, a young officer in the Italian army, is deprived of the fortune left her by her father, through the machinations of her crafty aunt, who upon the announcement of her brother's death destroys the dead man's will. The industrious aunt, leaving no stone unturned to carry out her plans for wealth and a title, loses no time in making it known that her niece has no claim to the Chairomont estates, as there was only a church wedding between the girl's parents, without the civil ceremony necessary for a compliance with the Italian law. Angela bears up under the shock of her sudden misfortunes in the consoling thought of her coming nuptials. Giovanni, however, is suddenly ordered to depart for service with his regiment in Africa. Shortly afterwards she receives a report of his supposed death, and to forget her grief enters the Convent of the White Sisters. Five years later the officer, who has escaped from captivity at the hands of savages, returns. He tries to persuade the White Sister to renounce her vows and re-enter the world. But she resists his importunities, until a ,high official of the church, who had been watching with sympathetic interest the affairs of the unfortunate couple, obtains a special dispensation from the pope, and she can conscientiously leave the sisterhood for the man waiting to make her his wife. "MINERVA COURTNEY IN HER IMPERSONATIONS OF CHARLES CHAPLIN" (Metropolis — Two Reels) REVIEWED BY PETER MILNE THE Metropolis Film Manufacturing company are issuing a series of two reel comedies starring Minerva Courtney as an impersonator of Charles Chaplin. Miss Courtney has succeeded in imitating the renowned comedian from his genial feet to several of his laughable incidental tricks that have aided in making him famous. In makeup, too, she closely resembles Chaplin, and let it be said to her credit that she has completely mastered his ridiculous walk, and the swing of his cane. The comedies should certainly prove successful with the many Chaplin fans, because the pictures are truly funny, and then the impersonations are admitted imitations of Chaplin, not veiled char acterizations produced with the assertion that Miss Courtney is the original and only player. In one of the two reelers the Essanay comedy "The Champion" is reproduced with Miss Courtney appearing in Chaplin's original role. This is a very humorous subject, very cleverly produced too, with the exception that the boxing bout is slightly drawn out. Another entitled "Putting One Over shows the manner in which a girl completely hoodwinked the inhabitants of a country town by dressing as Chaplin and paying them a visit. Still another shows Miss Courtney in the guise of Chaplin acting as assistant to a Chinese laundryman. In all these numbers the situations have been cleverly worked out and besides Miss Courtney has been furnished a capable supporting cast, whose only fault is that the members are completely subordinated to the star. But in their entirety these comedies should take in any house that knows Chaplin and that class includes about every house in the country. "WHOM THE GODS WOULD DESTROY" (Lubin — Three Reels) REVIEWED BY IRENE PAGE SOLOMON "TV/HOM the Gods would destroy they first make mad." The VV whole quotation is applicable to the chief character in this photo drama, for no sane person could have acted as does John Strong and reasonably expect to get off scot free. The scenario by Clay M. Greene is exciting and melodramatic. The suspense is kept up to such a high pitch that the uncritical spectator will fail to notice the inconsistencies of the plot. The cast is particularly strong, an unusual number of Lubin stars, for a three-reeler, twinkle through this interesting feature. Joseph Smiley does unusual good work as director and fills acceptably the part of John Strong. George Soule Spencer as James Rice the partner of Strong, whom the latter kills with a box of poisoned candy, gives to the death scene a naturalness and realism that will enlist the sympathy of the apdience. Lillie Leslie as Laska Ayon betrothed to Rice makes an interesting figure of the girl, determined to revenge her sweetheart's murdr. Francis Joyner and Ruth Bryan are well cast as the younger couple, Tom Rice and Nell Strong, who afterwards marry. Rosetta Brice does her usual good work in the small part of Lucille. Others in the cast who act creditably their several characters, are Percy Winter, John Smiley, William Cohill, Florence Williams and James Cassidy. Two partners, John Strong and James Rice, the former a spendthrift and roue, in spite of wife and family, kills his partner, a widower, just as the latter is about to marry Laska, because a THE TOAST clause in their partnership gives the surviving partner a large sum of money and Strong is on the verge of bankruptcy. The rest of the story is taken up with the efforts of Laska to fix the crime on Strong, she alone suspecting him. Before Strong is caught he kills the druggist who sold him the poison, and as the detective is about to arrest him, he escapes in an automobile only to be killed as the machine is struck by an express train.