Motion Picture News (Jul-Oct 1915)

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72 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 12. No. U "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN" (Popular Plays and Players — Metro— Five Reels) REVIEWED BY PETER MILNE THIS is by all odds the best melodrama that the past year has seen. The story is virile, the acting superbly characteristic to the last degree, while for spectacular and photographic effects its equal will have to be long sought for in pictures of the same length. The book, by Frank L. Packard, has been ideally adapted for the screen and equally well directed. As they say in motion picture lingo it is crammed full of "meat." We are given a series of thrilling scenes showing the revolt and desperate attempt at escape by the convicts. We are given one of the most realistically executed fire scenes . that the writer has ever witnessed. And we are presented with the spectacle of a schooner at sea being struck by lightning and blown to atoms. The story is so full of human and heart interest, so strong that the most hardened reviewer of the lot that witnessed the private showing of the picture, breathed hardly a word while it was in progress, save a few exclamations of admiration. It literally gripped one from the moment of the murder until the terminating scene, which is gripping approximately for five thousand feet. The words from the bible, "Greater love hath no man than this ; that a man lay down his life for his friend" are so fixed in the mind of the man, Varge, that he assumes the blame for murdering his adopted father, when the guilty man is the real son. He gives himself up to the police, is tried and sentenced to life imprisonment. After a short term in prison he is made a trusty. As gardner to the warden he meets and falls in love with his daughter. He saves her from a disastrous fire which completely destroys the house. Then unable to stifle his love for the girl any longer while in her presence he runs away. He ships on a tramp steamer, is VARGE PROTECTS THE WEAKLING wrecked. He meets the girl as she is staying at the shore. She asks him to elope with her, but he refuses and returns to prison. Later his adopted mother is dying and she asks for Varge. He goes to her, and after her death the son pleads with him not to tell. He is heard by others, his guilt revealed, and Varge is at last free to marry the girl he loves. The acting of Emmett Corrigan as Varge stands out above the rest. As the man resigned to an undeserved fate because of his unselfishness Mr. Corrigan performs with great skill. Crauford Kent makes the character of the real murderer noticeable for its weakness, while Mary Martin makes a most sympathetic figure of the warden's daughter. Mabel Wright does fine work as the mother. The warden is played by William Morse while others in the cast are Albert Lang, Lawrence Grattan, Edward Hoyt and Thomas Curran. Some of the prison scenes it might be remarked were undoubtedly made in a prison. Realistic is hardly a comprehensive enough definition for them. The photography is perfect in every scene. And just a word more, if Metro goes on like this there will be not the shadow of a doubt as to its ability to "keeping it up." , "MOUNTAIN MARY" (American — Two Reels) REVIEWED BY T. S. MEAD WITH the scenes laid in the backwoods this picture offersideal material for the exhibition of wonderful photography and a happy selection of tinting effects which make it a?, work of beauty. MARY BRINGS THE FEUDISTS TOGETHER Vivian Rich is given the role in which she appears to best advantage, that of a shy barefoot girl of the forests. The otherplayers are equally well cast with Jack Richardson and CharlesNewton as the two grizzled old men of the mountains and with Joseph Galbraith as the artist son of one of these mountaineers. The story tells how Ivan Doone returning to his forest homeafter a long absence finds his old father wounded as a result of a long existing feud with a neighboring family. He plots revenge by concealing his identity and making love to the daughter of this family, with the deliberate intention of betraying her. The plan miscarries, for Ivan falls victim of the charms of this maid of the forest and after a series of misunderstandings, one of which comes near to resulting fatally for Ivan,, the two are happy in each other's arms. Thus their children bring the old feudists together, and the bitter enmity of yearsis buried in a hearty hand clasp. "COLONEL CARTER OF CARTERSVILLE" (Burr McintoshWorld — Five Reels) REVIEWED BY PETER MILNE FHOPKINSON SMITH drew a most attractive and delight• ful personality when he conceived the character of Colonel Carter, the central figure of his book, "Colonel Carter of Cartersville." With the presentation of this work in picture form, Burr Mcintosh assumes the role of the eccentric and! genial southern colonel. His sincere interpretation of this part rendered with a complete understanding of its many pleasing; possibilities is by all odds the most meritoriously prominent incident in the production. It must be said that the clever work of Mr. Smith has not lent itself with any remarkable adaptability to the screen. In: the first place, the story is distinctly divided into three portions,, either one of which could stand easily without the aid of theother two. This defect, however, is partially eliminated by the subordination of two of the stories to the one concerning thecolonel, the one which creates more interest by far than the others. Then there is the rather pardonable confusion arising from the introduction of the characters. Their relationship with one another is difficult to establish until toward the end of the picture. In our opinion this fault can be remedied by one or twotitles added before the picture's release. The stories are centered about the Civil war, which has giventhe director, Howell Hansel, an opportunity to introduce several battle scenes, which will create no little excitement. The first story commences before the war and pictures the romance of Nancy Carter and Robert Gill. The two are secretly married. Robert gives his pledge to Nancy that he will drink no