Motion Picture News (Jul-Oct 1915)

92 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 12. No. 7. "Ethel's Burglar." (Big U. Thurs., Aug. 19.) — A young girl reforms a burglar who had years ago saved her life. This subject is extremely weak and not well developed at all. Murdock Mac Quarrie and Marjorie Beardsley lead the cast. "The Dread Society of the Sacred Sausage." (Powers. Thurs., Aug. 19.) — Duck and Baffles again respectively protecting and threatening a Chinese prince. Duck wins as usual. The humor well predominates in this farce of the burlesque series, although it fails to measure up to some of the very good ones. MUTUAL PROGRAM "The Right to Love." (Majestic. Tues., Aug. 10.) — There is nothing startlingly original or new in this reel, but the story, though old, is interestingly presented. A newsboy gives _ shelter to a starving little waif, who is later injured by a Wealthy man's automobile. Luck is against the newsboy, when the motorist realizes, through a note in the paper that his car has done the damage, and hastens to make reparation. George Stone and Carmen De Rue are pleasing as the children. Violet Radcliffe, Edwin Harley, Jack Cosgrave and Jack Hull complete the cast. "Gussie the Graceful Life Guard." (Falstaff. Fri., Aug. 13.) — Announcement as "a seashore comedy, starring Peggy Burke," this picture "makes good" on every promise. It is a real comedy, full of the fun of the salt air, and the big outdoors, and Peggy Burke's work, as Daisy, the hotel cashier, fully justifies the starring. Ted Jerrold meets Daisy while on his vacation, and she takes a. great interest in him. He gets a telegram from his employers saying changes are being made at the office, and he need not return after his vacation. Daisy uses her influence to get him a job as a lifeguard, and as he cannot swim, induces her brother to do the real work. Things go swimmingly, until Ted's head is turned by the flattery of the summer visitors, and Daisy's jealousy is aroused. Then her brother upsets the fake life guard and a fair companion who are rowing, and Ted's inability to swim nearly costs him his life, and does cost him his job. George Renevant is funny as Ted, and Carey L. Hastings, George Welch and Kenneth Clarindon complete a capable cast. "The Noon Hour." (Reliance. Wed., Aug. 11.) — Impossible, but interesting, which means it would be highly satisfactory to the average audience. Florence Elmore, as aunt Sarah, the crack shot, and the friend of the persecuted sweethearts, is a strong, vigorous character, but the idea of backing an unwilling parent up to a preacher's residence with a shot gun, and covering the whole party, minister and all, until the ceremony is performed, strains the credulity, except in burlesque comedy. The story tells of the troubles of a young couple, and how Aunc Sarah, drawing from the experience of her own loveless life, brought about their happiness during the noon hour at the factory. "Billie" West is attractive as the girl. The cast also includes O. MacDiarmid, James Cosgrave, Cora Drew and G. M. Blue. "Shorty Inherits a Harem." (Broncho. Two reels. Wed., Aug. 11.) — Shorty, lost in the jungle of India, while traveling with a wild west show, aids a dying Maharajah, and in return is made heir to the kingdom. A part of the inheritance is a trifling harem of forty dashing wives. Shorty takes it all in good part, especially the youngest member of the harem, with whom he becomes infatuated. Fatimeh, the former favorite, commits suicide in her despair, and Shorty, in conformity^ to the laws of the land, is sentenced to be buried with her. The cowboy files his objections in the form of a general shooting up of the palace, during which he makes his escape. The action is rapid and the settings elaborate. Jack Hamilton, as Shorty, is supported by Lorena Gross, Diana Corillo, Robert McKim and R. C. Smith. "The $100,000 Bill." (Domino. Two reels. Thurs., Aug. 12.) — Lively action on shipboard results from the search of a band of crooks for a $100,000 bill which one of the passengers is known to possess. Guy Roberts, an Alaskan prospector, gets the bill in exchange for gold at Nome, and ships for Seattle. The band of crooks drug Roberts, but cannot find the money. Later the prospector pretends to give the bill to the skipper's daughter, with whom he has fallen in love, but again the thieves are unable to find it. After the band has been captured, Roberts tantalizes them by showing the bill pasted under a label on his trunk. Walter Edwards is Roberts and Ethel Ullman is Ruth Duncan, the skipper's daughter. Others in the cast are Robert Kortman, Leona Hutton and Lewis Durham. "Weighed in the Balance." (Thanhouser. Fri., Aug. 13.) — John Hastings, a boy from the country, is weighed in the balance by his uncle, who has given him a position in his office in the city, and found wanting. The weighing was made necessary because of John's association with a band of counterfeiters. The great test comes when a poor scrub woman is arrested for having received some of the counterfeit money from John, and unable to see her led away to a cell, the young man confesses his part. His uncle finds the lad was only a dupe of the gang, and makes an upright man of him. Highly improbable, but interesting. Claude Cooper is John, and others are Morgan Jones, Mrs. Palmer and Sam Niblock. "Over Secret Wires." (Kay Bee. Two reels. Fri., Aug. 13.) — This is a dramatic tale of warspies on the Pacific coast, which will be especially pleasing to pro-Germans. Thomas H. Ince, the author, has made a rather trite use of natural forces, and uses a bolt of lightning to strike the English spy dead just as secret service agents are about to seize him as he works in an old mission tower. These secret service agents are working to discover the source of wireless messages sent from the Oregon coast to British warships, and trace them to Ralph Bell, a supposed artist, who pretends to be sketching the mission of Santa Rosa. They find him sending out his messages to the fleet at, night, and as a result of his information, the Germans are being defeated. The agents climb the vines and are about to seize Bell, when the lightning arrives and helps them out. The scenes are spectacular and there are plenty of real thrills. "The Way of a Mother." (Reliance. Two reels. Sat., Aug. 14.) — A touching and excellent drama, showing that an actress is a woman, and actuated by the same principles and ideals as women in any other profession or occupation. A country boy comes to the city and becomes infatuated with an actress. A man about town, jealous of the youth, writes to his mother, who comes to New York to "save" her boy from the danger. She finds the actress caring for her sick child and the two women are immediately attracted to each other. The mother helps along the wedding, which follows. "The Kinship of Courage." (Majestic. Two reels. Sun., Aug. 15.) — An appealing story of the wayward son of a high official in Arizona. Carlos Dunning (W. E. Lawrence), is associated with a gang of lawbreakers until he meets Olive Temple, a girl from the East. He resolves to reform, and gets eager assistance from his father. But his former companions will not let him alone, and he is slipping back to the old life, when he is sent to New York to begin life over. There he again meets Olive (Francelia Billington). Shadows of the former life arise between them, they are estranged, and Dunning is discouraged in his efforts to lead a better existence, until suddenly the clouds are blown away, and Dunning and Olive are happily married. A fine storv, well told, and elaborately set. Wilbur Higby, William H. Brown. Walter Brown, Mildred Marsh and Violet Wilkey are also in the piece. "The Fatal Finger Prints." (Komic. Sun., Aug. 15.) — The finger prints are those of a quickworking young burglar, who has entered the town, won the affections of another man's fiance, set the wedding for the next day, and stolen a necklace belonging to the girl's aunt, and intended as a wedding gift, all in one day. The prints are on the cheek of the bride to be, who in the darkness attempted to prevent the robbery, without recognizing the robber. The thief realizes that the aunt must be prevented from recognizing the necklace, which he has given to his intended bride, and he attempts in vain to recover, it. Eventually he is exposed, and the girl returns to her real love. Fay Tincher is the bride, and others are Edward Dillon, Max Davidson, Jennie Lee, Eleanor Washington and Frank Darien. "The Big Brother." (Reliance. Mon., Aug. 16.) — This is the story of Lillian Watkins, a worker among the slums, and is well and truly told in an excellently executed film. She induces her sweetheart to act as Big Brother to "Scraps," a twelve-year-old expert trouble maker. Frank, the sweetheart, finds it necessary to make a few reforms himself in order to be the example which Lillian desires, but he does it. Some time later Frank's firms books are short $500, and he is suspected. Then Scraps comes to the rescue, and by means of his expert knowledge, digs up a famous crook, who finally admits having altered the books. Francelia Billington is excellent as Lillian, and is ably supported by Frank Bennett as Frank, and Bobby Feuhrer as Scraps. Others in the cast are William Brown, George Beranger and Ben Lewis. "Providence and the Twins." (Majestic. Tues., Aug. 17.) — The twins arrive for a visit to Aunt Abagail in time to discover that an unprincipled man has promised to marry her, then has mduced her to invest her savings in a shady "deal" which he has explained to her as a great business venture. They exchange the roll of money which she has for investment, for paper dolls, and when the deceiver tries to spend it he finds paper dolls are not negotiable, and is arrested. Gladys Brock well, Elinor Stone, Joseph Henabery, Ninon Fovieri and Beulah Burns compose the cast. "The Crogmere Ruby." (Thanhouser. Sun., Aug. 15.) — An exciting yarn revolving around the theft of a famous ruby in England, and the attempt to smuggle it into this country. The real thief poses as a Sherlock Holmes on the ship, and casts suspicion on a young couple, who are found, on arrival, to have a ruby concealed in a cake of soap. At the suggestion of the young woman the ruby is tested and found to be glass, and the real gem is found in "Sherlock Holmes' " pipe. The girl then proves to be a Scotland Yard Inspector. "A Marvelous Marathoner." (Falstaff. Mon., Aug. 16.) — Athletics play the leading part in this comedy. ^ The father of the girl, himself an old athlete, insists that the man cannot marry her unless he shows himself an athlete by winning the Marathon race, about to be run. The suitor trains in vain, but is game, and enters the race. As the runners are about to start, a spinster, to whom he has proposed in error, appears and insists he carry out his contract, and his fright is so great that he starts off with the others and easily wins the race. Boyd Marshall, Ruth Elder, Justus D. Barnes and D. Hegeman compose the cast. "The Battle of Ambrose and Walrus." (Keystone. Two reels. Mon., Aug. 16.) — Chester Conklin and Mack Swain are aides to an insurrecto general, and both fall in love with his daughter Dora, who brings her father's lunch to camp. Conklin hides important papers in Swain's boot, and the latter is taken off to the guard house Dora changes clothes with him, and he escapes in this disguise. Dora, recognized, is released and Swain is recaptured, and placed at the brink of a grave to be shot. He dodges the bullets, jumps into the grave, and hastily throwing up breastworks, seizes firearms which he finds in the grave, and routs the forces. There is a lot of powder-burning, and a wealth of ridiculous comedy. 'When Hungry Hamlet Fled." (Thanhouser. Two reels. Tues., Aug. 17.) — Pretty Lorraine Huling plays a charming part throughout this comedy. The story concerns a village dramatic society, which press an itinerant actor into service as stage manager and hero of its production. The sweetheart of the leading lady is denied a part, and his revenge on the actor is to disarrange all the settings and properties just before the performance, so that everything goes wrong. The garden gate is nailed shut, the stage horse parts in the middle and throws his rider, the villain's pistol is plugged, and the performance breaks up in a shower of garden products. Great attention has been paid to maintaining the atmosphere of the typical amateur production, and the company is capable. Claude Cooper, Frances Keyes, Harry Benham and Winifred Lane are also in the cast. "The Lighthouse Keeper's Son." (Domino. Two reels. Thurs., Aug. 19). — This is a story full of thrills and sentiment. It has to do with a young artist, who wins the heart of a beautiful girl in the fishing village, where he is spending the summer. They are married, and go to the city, leaving Owen Hanby, son of the lighthouse keeper, broken hearted. Later the girl discovers her husband's faithlessness, and returns to the village. Owen renews his suit, but learns that the girl still loves her worthless husband. She is about to become a mother, and the doctor tells Owen her only chance for life is to see the artist again, so Owen goes to the city after him. The artist is unwilling to visit his wife, and the lighthouse keeper's son kidnaps him, and starts back on his sloop. A terrible storm arises, and Owen gives the artist the only life preserver on board. With this he makes the shore, and aroused • to his better self through the sacrifice of Owen, he returns to the girl and they are reconciled. The cast includes Jerome Storm, Elizabeth Burbridge, Jack Nelson, L. J. Dowling and Ethel Ullman. "The Girl from the East." (Broncho. Two reels. Wed., Aug. 18.) — The exciting story of an Eastern girl, who. left alone by the death of her father, starts for her uncle's ranch in the Southwest. She is lost through missing train connections, and is captured by a desperado, who takes her to his secluded shack, but is rescued by a young hold-up man who is fleeing from the sheriff, and who kills her captor. The hold-up man is taken by the sheriff, and in the night the girl steals his handcuff key and frees her protector. After reaching her uncle's ranch she receives word from , the young road-agent that he has decided to lead a straight life. Nona Thomas. J. W. McLaughlin, Robert Kortman, Walt Whitman and J. P. Lockney compose the cast. "The Root of All Evil." (Majestic. Fri., Aug. 20.) — A delightful story of how sudden wealth parted the "most happily married pair in Nevada." Farmer Billings and his wife each get $10,000 as