Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)

August 5, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 791 |i|il||.ilH|i|M|WI,'ll|1|''|IH!l »'Sll!iiiir«!i«"''ll"|il!!'f«Pji|]!l!W!flH|ilflf*!'!!?^^ Tabloid Reviews for the Busy Exliibitor PRODUCTIONS FROM ALL PROGRAMS GENERAL FILM PROGRAM "The Fatal Wedding." (Biograph. Three reels. Reissue.) — Most exhibitors are thoroughly acquainted with this picture, an adaptation of an old stage play. A cast composed of Irene Howley, Charles H. Mailes, Millicent Evans, Walter Miller, and Jiquel Lanoe interpret the principal roles with enthusiasm, which very often results in overacting. The strong situations of the play have been brought out with considerable force, and no doubt the appealing character of the plot will cause the picture to meet with still further success when reissued. "A Sailor's Heart." (Biograph. Reissue.) — Supposedly a satire on the many sweethearts of the sailor, each one being " the only girl he ever loved." While there are a few laughs in this reel, it contains so many similar situations that it becomes tiresome before its close. The ending, which shows the sailor happy with one of the many girls, is hardly in keeping with the body of the picture. Wilfred Lucas, Claire MacDowell, Blanche Sweet, and Bess Meredyth are the principals. " A Brother's Loyalty." (Essanay. Re-issue. Two reels. Tues., July 25.) — This re-issue not shown for review, the story follows : Hal neglects his wife and small child, having fallen in with an idle crowd in a cheap pool hall. Counterfeit bills are prevalent in the pool-room and Hal unwittingly passes one of them. A detective finds him at the home of his brother, Paul, a minister. The minister persuades Hal to change indetities with him for the sake of his family. The detective sends the minister to prison. Hal takes his place as a preacher, and goes into the pool hall to distribute religious tracts. By accident he discovers a counterfeit plant in the basement, and the policemen raid it. Hal reveals his identity, and his brother is pardoned. Thereafter Hal and his wife are among Paul's most devout parishioners. The leads are taken by Francis X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne and E. H. Calvert. " Canimated Nooz Pictorial, No. 13." (Essanay. Split reel. Wed., July 26.) — This new installment of the series burlesquing the canimated weeklies shares the thousand feet with Western scenic. " Repentance." (Essanay. Three reels. Sat., July 29.) — Not shown for review. The story follows : Helen Neal does not believe in God. Arthur Bennett, a missionary, is a boarder at her home. While they both love each other, he feels that he cannot marry an atheist, and so goes to India. Months later an epidemic of plague breaks out in Helen's town. She nurses many of the aflSicted, including Bennett's mother. In the meantime, Bennett has been through the same experience in India. When he comes back, he finds that Helen, through all the suffering she has witnessed, has become converted, and so no obstacle now remains to prevent their marriage. The principals are John Lorenz and Anne Leigh. " The Chimney Sweep." (Essanay. Two reels. Tues., Aug. 1.) — This will make an admirable juveuille picture because the principals are young people, and the plot is one that will interest the younger generation. The film will get by with adults as well. In the attempt to cut down excess footage, the action is at times speeded up too rapidly, but this fault is infrequent. The players taking the leading parts are much more convincing in juvenille roles than when called upon to impersonate grown-ups. Jojxe Fair, the featured principal, is excellent, and the support given her by Tommy Harper, John Cossar and Fred Malatesta, is very good. Jimmy, a waif who cleans chimnies, falls in love with the daughter of one of his rich employers. Jimmy is adopted by a wealthy man, and' some j'ears later is a prosperous young business man. He writes an annonymous note to the little girl he has loved, telling her. that he will make known his identity to her in a short time. A false friend of his, who also loves the girl, tells her that he is the former chimney sweep, but Jimmy overhears this piece of perfidy and entering the room claims the girl. " Vernon Howe Bailey's Sketch Book of Petrograd." (Essanay. Split reel. Wed., Aug. 2.) — These moving picture sketches of Russia's largest city, share the reel with 500 feet of Westem scenic. " The War Bride of Plumville." (Essanay. Three reels. Sat., Aug. 5.) — Reviewed at length elsewhere in this issue. " Ham's Whirlwind Finish." (Kalem, Tues., July 25.) — This. Ham and Bud comedy starts off with good speed, and maintains it. Ham and Bud, achieving a reputation as men whom dynamite will not harm, get jobs as cooks in an Italian mining camp. They flirt with pretty Bombino, and the Boss becomes so angry that he calls out his Black Hand men and they prepare a bomb for the two. The bomb is stuffed into a mail box which Ham is carrying around in t'ne hope of catching valuable letters, and this time the dynamite does its work. All Bombino can find are pieces of shoes and coats. Lloyd V. Hamilton, Bud Duncan, Ethel Teare, and A. Edmonston are the cast. "A Mix-Up in Art." (Kalem, Wed., July 26.) — This is the last release of the Ethel Teare comedies. In it Ethel plays the part of a bride, whose aunt wishes on her a career in painting. The groom's uncle wants him to become a musician, and aunt and uncle advance each of the two $200 for study. The money is invested otherwise, and when uncle and aunt call to inspect progress, the young counle call in an itinerant artist and a hurdy-gurdy to make things seem right. They are discovered in their deception, but the investment prospers just in time and everything: comes out right. Victor Rottman, Myrta Sterling, and Gus Leonard assist. "A Plunge from the Sky." (Kalem. Sat., July 29.) — An aeroplane, the old railway bridge, and " the plans " all make their appearance in familiar places in this " Hazard of Helen " episode. Plans for a new aeroplane are stolen by foreign agents, who escape on a locomotive. The inventor enlists Helen's aid, and she flies with him to head off the engine and prevent a collision by opening the drawbridge. She does this after a thrilling leap from the aeroplane into th« water, and a swim to the bridge. The villains are overtaken, the plans recovered, and Helen makes her escape by air. " Local Color." (Selig. Sat., July 29.)— This is a Western comedy full of exaggerated burlesque, but redeemed by the well-known cowboy stunts of Tom Mix and his cohorts. It ought to go well in audiences fond of Western atmosphere and deeds. Supporting Tom Mix are Victoria Forde, Joe Simpkins and Joe Ryan. Vicky Hoskins, a would-be authoress from the East, visits a Western town to get local color for a story. The cowboys decide to give it to her in bunches. They hang a dummy, telling her that it is a story writer. When Vicky recovers from her fright, she makes love to the foreman to see how he will behave. To carry the joke further, the cowboys force Vicky to take part in a. mockmarriage ceremony with the foreman playing the groom. It is then discovered that the man who performed the ceremony is a real minister, but Vicky has fallen in love with the foreman and, therefore, is not too much provoked. " The Old Man Who Tried to Grow Young." (Selig. Three reels. Mon., July 31.) — The plot of this release is luridly melodramatic, involving many incidents that challenge belief. This brand of story, however, makes possible many tense and swift moving situations that compel the attention. This picture ought to go well with audiences that like excitement at the expense _ of reality. The cast is uniformly adequate, being made up of Al W. Filson, Charles H. _ West, Vivian Reed, Harry Lonsdale and Eugenie Besserer. The directing was done by T. N. Heffrom. The settings and photography are both satisfactory. Graves, a millionaire, and Harding, his secretary, are both in love with Doris Keene. Graves wishes for his lost 3'outh, so that he may win the girl. Dr. Ceneri, a charlatan, capitalizes Dr. (Jraves' longing, and sells him a solution of morphine, calling it the much-sought elixir of lite. While under the influence of this drug, Ceneri dyes the hair and mustache of the millionaire. When Graves finds out that this rejuvenation does not soften Doris's heart, he plans to ruin his successful rival, Harding. He putssome money in the young man's suitcase, andthen has him arrested for theft. He then promises Doris to obtain Harding's release if she will marry him. This she does, and after the ceremony is over, he tells her of his treachery. His confession is overheard by the butler. A few minutes later Graves dies of heart disease and the testimony of the butler is enough to secure Harding's release. Doris finds she has inherited a million dollars from her dead husband. " An Angelic Attitude." (Selig. Sat., Aug. 5.) — Not shown for review; the story follows: Grace Williams, a young artist, goes West to make some sketches. Daniel Miller and his son Tom both fall in love with her. Grace loves Tom, but their amours are constantly interrupted by the susceptible old man. Grace persuades Daniel to pose as an angel, and hangs him from a rope tied to the limb of a tree. She and Tom then rtm off to get married. The leads are taken by Tom Mix, Victoria Forde and Joe Ryan. " The Conflict." (Selig. Three reel. Mon., July 24.) — The well-chosen cast do much to counteract the effect of a time-worn plot. While the action and finale can be prophecied from the very beginning, many of the episodes introduced are sufficiently novel to liven up the intervening conventionalities. Fritzi Brunette is particularly good, presenting a sympathetic and convincing piece of characterization throughout. A well supporting cast includes Jack Pickford, Chas. West, Vivian Reid, Frank Clark and Harry Lonsdale. William Daly directed. Paul Gilbert, a minister, is engaged to Alice Morgan, the sister of Harold Morgan, a young club man. When he refuses the rectorship of a fashionable church to take charge of an humble water-front mission, Alice breaks the engagement. Gilbert's strongest competitor is a saloon owned by Nell Gail. Harold Morgan becomes very much interested in Nell, and finally persuades her to close up her saloon. That night a man is murdered and circumstantial evidence points to Morgan. Nell and Gilbert together collect evidence to show that Morgan is innocent. This re-awakens Alice's love for Gilbert, and results also in Morgan's proposal to Nell. A double wedding precedes the final fade-out. Selig-Tribune, No. 58. (Thurs., July 20.)— Naval recruits aboard U. S. S. Virginia off Charleston, Mass. ; summer sports at Falmouth Heights, Mass. ; submarine M-1 tried out at Provincetown, Mass. ; picture theatre opened for French prisoners, Frankfort-on-Main, Germany ; rejected army recruits form regiment, London, Eng. ; county fair attended by society at Lake Forrest, 111. ; Elks convene in Baltimore, Md. ; racing revived at Chicago, and other news. Selig-Tribune, No. 59. (Mon., July 24.) — Search for sharks, Matawan creek, N. J. ; Michigan national guard on border ; Walter Hagen wins open golf championship. Garden City, L. I. ; Thomas Osborne greeted by convicts on reinstatement to Sing Sing, N. Y., and other events of localized interest. MUTUAL PROGRAM "The Dyspeptic." (Mustang. Fri., July 21.) — In " The Dyspeptic," one of Karl Coolidge's latest stories, William Bertram has cleverly interwoven pathos and humor to a high degree, making this offering very acceptable. Tom is in love with Agnes, the daughter of Connell, an elderly millionaire. Tom has been told hy Connell that he must not woo his daughter until he has proved his worth. The test to which Connell subjects Tom is in the business field ; he stipulates that Tom must get some of the millionaire's money away from him Fate brings Tom to the West, and there he learns that Connell is suffering froin chronic dyspepsia and is on his way West in his private car. Tom decides to board the Connell's car as a bandit, wearing a mask. He compels the frightened occupants to go with him into the mountains to a secluded spot, where there is no possible chance of escape, except by passing a fierce Mexican. Agnes learns that Tom is the bandit, and of course helps him with his deception. As time passes Connell becomes strong and well with the exercise and open life that he is