Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

2398 MOTIONPICTURENEWS Vol. 14. No. 15 " THE GIRL FROM 'FRISCO " (Kalem-General Film — Two Reels) REVIEWED BY THEODORE OSBORN ELTONHEAD ONE of the pleasing facts about this series of two part modern western dramas is the fact that they have up to the present utilized such a diversity of material. The stories do not, as is so often the case, hold to one particular class, but embrace all classes. Possibly this is one of the reasons why the series has been so well received. The title of this episode is " The Reformation of Red Dog," and tells in a delightfully amusing manner the way Barbara Trent succeeded in reforming a rough western mining town when all other means fail. The cowboys and rough element of the town had a habit of periodically shooting the place up and destroying the Kalem"s " Girl from Frisco " Company. Showino: Director James W. Horne and Marin Sais in Front of the Number Plate of the Locomotive property of the railroad of which her father was president. Barbara takes the place of the station agent and by her winning ways soon has every cowboy worshiping the ground she walks upon. In order to keep them away from the tough saloon and gambling hall she starts a game in the box car she uses for a house and by cleverly manipulating the cards soon wins not only all of their money, but takes their promises to pay for large amounts. The keeper of the gamliling hall, now that his profitable trade has been taken away, resolves on revenge. His assistant hearing a train order over the telegraph instrument locks Barbara in the freight car so that she cannot execute it. There is danger of a head on collision. Barbara blows the door off the freight car with a stick of dynamite and owing to the peculiar construction of the railroad is able to ride across countrj' on horse back and thus avert the accident. Barbara gives the cowboys stock certificates in the road for their I. O. U's and thus making them part owners averts trouble for the future. The picture was well worked out in every detail, direction, acting and continuity. Marin Sais and True Boardman in the leading roles pleased as usual and the lighting and photography was up to the usual standard. The supporting cast was made up of Frank Jonasson, Ronald Bradbury, Edward Clisbee, Steve Murphy, and Jack Wilson. '• THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME " (Patriot Film Corporation — Five Reels) REVIEWED BY PETER MILNE THESE pictures dealing with the long and terrific battle of the Somme in France which are offered by Charles Urban, are without doubt the best war pictures ever projected. " The best," however, does not aptly describe them. They are really the most terrible, because never before to our knowledge has an actual charge been made right before the camera and never before have we seen men double up and fall dead. There is no fake charge there. The men don't make the motion picture director's fall. There is no clasping the hands to the breast, wheeling around in mid air and then falling gracefully on the back. The fall is no waj near so dramatic. The men just fall — flat on their faces. And there is no fake, we repeat — you know its real. And there is another dark side to the picture and that is shown in scenes which were taken after certain battles, after the Germans had retreated from their first line trenches. In those scenes we see the field covered with dead. And we see the bodies being buried by the Allied soldiers. The sight is enough to make a Mars a pacifist for life. So much of Mr. Urban's picture is new to the films. The rest concerning army routine, marches, encampments, the tending of the wounded, trench life and the like is all vastly interesting, although it has been shown in other pictures. That, however, does not detract a whit from Mr. LVban's series of views* They are arranged well, intelligently subtitled and every once in a while comes a scene scattered between the rest that makes your heart sink at the thought of it all — some scene showing a prisoner caring for a wounded comrade — or a dog or a horse dead on the field of battle. If one has time to realize that he is seeing a motion picture, he will marvel at the nerve of the cameraman. He got the charge and a man dropped not many j'ards from the camera. And other times he had it peering over the top of a trench to catch the effect of the British shells on the opposition trenches. The photography is clear enough to permit the picture to be followed without undue disturbance. If you want authentic views of the war which go far into the real tragedies of the conflict, " The Battle of the Somme " is not easily to be surpassed.