Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

September 30, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 2057 without any great measure of success. Guy Longstreet, a Young American inventor, devises a new gun whereby he can control wireless emanations of electricity. He tries to sell it to his own government but it refuses to consider it. He then goes to Europe and interests one of the warring powers. The Baron Rogniat is commissioned to come to this country to investigate, with power to purchase. The president of one of the other warring nations commissions the Countess Sonia Varnli to prevent the sale. The Countess causes her maid to impersonate her while she comes over in the steerage. By a set of incidents she attracts the attention of both Longstreet and the Baron, the latter offering a place in his household as a maid. In this manner she is able to learn all of the details of the manner in which the sale is progressing. The Baron determines to cheat Longstreet not only out of his money but to take his life as soon as the secret of the gun is discovered. Sonia warns him and they are able to circumvent the Baron and his minions. During the course of their acquaintance, romance has been getting in its deadly work and this last adventure serves the purpose of disclosing their mutual love. Frank Lloyd has staged the picture in a most capable and efficient manner with due attention paid to the demands of realistic detail. In most cases he has kept the action moving at a lively tempo and has kept the interest well sustained. Cecil Van Auker handled the part of the young American inventor in an able and convincing manner, while Howard Davies made a most favorable impression as the Baron Rogniat. Others in the cast were Herbert Standing, Florence Vider, and Paul Weigel. The photography was most excellent with several scenes of especially meritorious work and the lighting was in every case acceptable. Exhibitors will make no mistake in booking this attraction. It has a star who can be widely advertised playing in an attraction that will hold the interest of the audience and send it out of the theatre pleased with that which it has seen. "THE DARK SILENCE" (PeerlessWorld — Five Reels) REVIEWED BY THEODORE OSBORN ELTONHEAD KEEN admiration must be expressed for the manner in which Paul West has developed and treated this story. It starts off in a familiar stereotyped manner and so continues for about three reels. Then suddenly it changes and becomes transmogri Love Interrupts Painting fied from the ordinary into the unique and original. This is indeed admirable work and as such deserves commendation. The story opens in the Latin Quartier of Paris and discloses Mildred Snow, an attractive young art student, being rescued from a burglar by Dr. Martinez, a celebrated eye specialist. Later he introduces his friend Derwent Ainsworth, a titled young Eng lishman, studying sculpture. Mildred and Derwent fall rapidly in love and the day is set for their marriage. Then Derwent receives word from his sister Sibil that his father is dying, and leaving a note for Mildred with his friend Martinez, hurries home. Martinez, madly in love with Mildred, withholds the note and intercepts her mail, so that she is led to believe by the wily Spaniard that her lover is faithless. Too unhappy to care what becomes of her, Mildred agrees to go away with Martinez. At this period Derwent returns and hearing that his sweetheart has deserted him, joins the army, after effectually beating up Martinez. Mildred returning from the railroad station, finds out the truth and joins the Red Cross. Several battle scenes are shown and then the inevitable happens. Derwent is wounded in action and loses his sight. Mildred under an assumed name nurses him back to health. The visit of his sister Sibil shows the foolishness of her former suspicions. Then Derwent insists on taking his nurse, with whom he has fallen in love, home to England with him. Shortly they are married, Mildred maintaining her silence and being married under a false name. Now comes the unusual part, the redeeming thread of originality. Dr. Martinez has achieved great success in restoring the sight of soldiers blinded in action and Sibil appeals to him to save her brother. This he consents to do as an atonement. Mildred is torn with a great struggle fearing that if her husband discovers her identity he will turn from her. Still she urges Martinez to go ahead and restore his sight if possible. This he is able to accomplish. He then confesses to Derwent and the accepted reconciliation follows. Clara Kimball Young in the leading role pleased as usual. For an accomplished actress of her calibre the work she was called upon to do was not of the character to tax her energies. She was pleasing at all times and rose to the emotional climaxes with a spontaneity and realism that was most effective. The two male roles were handled by Edward T. Langford and Paul Capellani, the first as the young hero, and the other as the villain. Capellani was also the director of the production, and it is unfortunate that he is not as good an actor as he is a director. Much of his work as an actor he would not accept as a director, were some one else playing the part. Nothing but praise can be vouchsafed for the manner in which he staged and produced the picture. He made realism the keynote of his settings and locations and in addition displayed his artistic judgment to great advantage. His detailing was good and he also managed to get the best that was in his cast registered on the screen. Others in the cast were Jessie Lewis, as Fifine, a model, and Barbara Gilroy as Sibil, both of whom handled minor parts well. The photography and lighting were up to the average. Taken as a whole it is a human appealing story well staged and acted, a picture that should prove successful both from a box office and artistic standpoint. " INHERITED PASSIONS " (Hamilton — Seven Reels) REVIEWED BY PETER MILNE ttlNHERITED Passions" was produced by Gilbert P. Hamilton * with Dorothea (once Dot) Farley in the role of principal importance. Mr. Hamilton's productions will be remembered as being one of the chief mainstays of the old Warners' Features program, and if one goes further back he will find his name dowi\ as producer for Biograph, Essanay and other companies. " Inherited Passions " was made for the masses and in another period not so long ago it might have been labeled " The Curse of Drink." Miss Farley herself prepared the scenario from a newspaper story by Jack Wolf. The story sticks close to detail and outlines with sensational realism the life of a girl who inherited her father's passion for liquor as well as his terrible brutality. That element in the father's makeup is impressed upon the spectator several times, the two most furious being when he beats his wife into such a pulp that she dies shortly afterwards and again when he maltreats his daughter into a state of unconsciousness. The life of Masie, the daughter of the drunkard, is not happy and therefore Mr. Hamilton has introduced few humorous or light touches throughout the picture's duration. He has some very fine western scenes incorporated in the picture which act as the only relief from the tragedy of the girl's life. Plunging into the middle of it we find her as ai cabaret dancer who has met a cowpuncher. The cowpuncher wants her to be his wife