Motion Picture News (Jan-Mar 1917)

118 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol.15. No. 1 illllilll I Illillilllilllilll Ililllllllllllllll illlllillllllilllilli mil lllllllilDllllilllllllllilllllllll Illlllllllllllllllllllll I lilll!! HIIIIIIIIH^^^^^ IIBIIIillliliB^^ I TABLOID REVIEWS FOR BUSY EXHIBITORS \ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! . ill General Film Service "The Girl God Made for Jones." (Essanay. Screen time, 33 minutes. Comedy drama.) — Synopsis — Jones, searching for the girl he wanted did not know she was beside him, but in a railroad wreck where he is pinioned he hears a voice and believes he could love the owner of such if he should live. On his recovery he starts a search for the girl and on the suggestion of a newspaper man he writes his vivid account of the wreck The editor to whom the story was sent directs Faith (Jarland, his secretary, to take further dictation from Jones and m this secretary Jones discovers the girl Cod had made for him. Released Tues., Jan. 2, 1917. " A Dollar Down." (Essanay. Comedy. Split reel ) Synopsis — A vaudeville actor vanquishes all comers in the lone game at Banana Harbor all on account of his " dollar down " attire, and is about to become a subject for violence at the hands of the stevedores when he resorts to a grotesque make-up that scares them all oft and he has the Field to himself, and so wins the queen of the Settlement. The reel is shared by 500 feet of scenes, taken in Yosemite Valley. Released Wed., Jan. 3, 1917. ■•When the Man Speaks." (Essanay. Synopsis Drama. Screen time, 29 minutes.) — James (iordon, having killed a man and got away with it, resolves never again to lose his temper and his unwillingness to fight thereafter is construed as cowardice, and his actions disgust Irma Alvord, a social butterfly, now his wife. She makes no secret of her feelings, so that Gordon, driven to a frenzy by the taunts of his wife and friends, breaks his resolution. He invades a party in his own home and " cleans house," hurling guests right and left, and so wins back Irma's love and respect, and the regard of those who had formerly sneered at him. Released Sat., Jan. 6, 1917. " Rival Romeos." (Kalem. One reel. Comedy To be released Tues., Jan. 9)— This reel is chock full of the Ham and Bud uniqueness in comedy. The situations, though based on an old theme, are cleverly worked out and their attitude on discovering that both have been duped by a matrimonial agent is really laughable. For rough and tumble comedy with a true vein of humor " Rival Romeos " should find favor wherever Ham and Bud have been introduced. "That Terrible Tenderfoot." (Kalem. One reel. Comedy. To be released Tues., Jan. 2.) ■ — -A cleverly conceived burlesque of the socalled bad men of the West. The " Screaming Skulls," a band of bad men, ride into town, driving everything before them and incidentally shooting up everything in their path and then the whole bunch are cowed by one man, and this one man in his turn is subjugated by Bud, although the latter has to resort to strategy to perform the trick. Nevertheless he gets away with it, and wins the plaudits of " the proud beauty of Blazing Berry Gulch." A good picture and bound to be well received by lovers of satire and travesty. "A Mission of State." (Kalem. Grant, Police Reporter, Series. One reel. Drama. Fri., Dec. 29.) — It is really remarkable the way interest in this highly exciting serial is maintained. Up to the present there has not been a dull moment passed or a commonplace incident recorded in the versatile career of Grant, Police Reporter. And this latest is no exception. Ever on the alert for news items. Grant's inquisitive nose leads him into many escapades, most of which call for ready wit and readier action. Here, after an exciting automobile race to recover certain papers of international importance, which might involve our country in war," he drops from a bridge into a rapidly moving automobile, where he has a strenuous struggle with Paul de Graf, accomplice of the Countess (OUie Kirkby), who stole the papers by the substitution of a wallet. He brings them both to justice. The photography of this reel is consistently clear and even and the surf scene is especially commendable. Grant has already made an enviable record for himself and this episode will not detract one iota from it. "The Mogul Mountain Mystery." (Kalem Hazards of Helen Series. One reel. Drama. Released Sat., Jan. 6, 1917.) — Helen Gibson as Helen, the operator at Lone Point, still risks her one neck and all her limbs in her almost unbelievable stunts to protect the interests of her employers and incidentally to thwart the evil designs of various malefactors. In this instance, she is swung from the cross arm of a telegraph pole into an open freight car which has been turned loose on a down grade. Guaging the time to the fraction of a second, we see the lineman swinging Helen by the wrists and then as she drops in a heap, dazed and bruised in the car, it is but the work of a few moments to collect herself and bend her energies toward stopping the car before it comes into collision with a Special being run over the long discarded tracks to preserve the conditions of the charter. The car is brought to a standstill within a fewyards of the Special and so a great catastrophe is averted, for a large case of Trojan powder has been placed aboard the car with evil intent Helen, of course, is congratulated on her bravery, complimented for the service tluis rendered and once more proves herself worthy of the enconiums of her employers and the ardent support of her many film admirers. Mutual Program " Fickle All Around." (Vogue-Mutual. Two reels.) — Rube Miller directs and leads in this picture, which does not come up to his best work. His plot is frazzled and the lone is not what Mrs. (Srundy would call high. Of course. Rube Miller is always funny, but that cannot be said of " Fickle All Around." A woman buys a coat with money she has received from Rube. Then she pawns the coat and tells her husband that she found the ticket, and asks him to redeem it. He gets the coat and gives it to another woman, v/ho happens to be Rube's wife, and tells his wife that the coat was no good so he tore up the ticket. His wife is afraid to explain, but soon sees the coat on the other woman and such a hair pulling scene follows as we sincerely hope never to see again. See America First, No. 67. (Gaumont. One reel.) — In this reel picturesque scenes in Virginia are shown — Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson ; Staunton, the birthplace of President Wilson ; beautiful orchards where the famous pippin apples grow; and distant views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Reel Life, No. 34. (Gaumont. One reel.) — " Food Products of Soudan," is an instructive film, showing how Karite nuts grow and are piepared for food; millet and its uses arc clearly explained. " Pork and Beans " are shown in every detail; gathering the crop, carrying, threshing, cooking, making the cans and filling them. Even putting in the slice of pork and the tomato sauce, and sealing the cans are not left to the imagination. " Building Sailing Vessels " shows the out-of-date craft in the making. In " Rufus Rastus Rides the Road," a smiling darky is seen traveling in a flivver of his own invention. A pair of old wheels and somebody's discarded furnace are made to run along the coun try roads. The price of gasoline has no terrors for Rastus ; when the power gives out he chops logs by the roadside, feeds the furnace and goes on his way. Mutual Weekly. No. 103. (Gaumont.) — New York's blind receive annual Christmas aid : the government vessel Sumner caught in the shoals oflr Barnegat; Sir William Dunn, the new Lord, Mayor of London, is seen in the famous LorJ' Mayor's show ; the new ice skating rink at the Biltmore with demonstrations in fancy skating: King George reviews troops in London ; more troops are seen landing at Salonica. and the British ship Strathaby strikes a mine oflf the coast of Ireland. " Grouchy." (Mutual. One reel.) — Elijah Snow, the neighborhood grouch, after shooing away would-be tenants who have children, from the house he lives in, and getting struck on the head with a base ball, insures his life and makes out his will in favor ot a bachelors' home. Coincidently he receives an invitation to visit his married niece. Anxious to know if there is any one who really cares for him, apart from his money, he decides to take the trin. He is horrified upon his arrival to find there are two children, and is about to return, but the young couple show great disappointment. He tests their sincerity by telling them that he has lost all his fortune. It makes no dift'erence: they oft'er him a home. After hearing two of the cutest children mention him in their prayers he is completely won over and tears up the un signed will. This picture is a capital climax for an evening's entertainment. "Within the Lines." (Mutual. One reel.) — Tliis picture is better than many stories of the war. Paul Parnane finds letters from his wife in the pocket of a wounded soldier. Among the man's papers are some war despatches. The injijred husband decides to deliver the messages himself and leave his treacherous comrade to the mercy of the enemy. Meanwhile other French soldiers apjiear, to whom Maurice, the wounded man, declares that Paul has robbed him of his despatches to sell them to the enemy. The papers arc found in Paul's pocket and he is arrested. His own home being the nearest place, his trial takes place there. He is sentenced to death. His wile tries to atone for her folly. She uses all her arts to wring the truth from Maurice. Believing that they are to elope, he writes a confession that clears Paul. The wife does some fine riding and arrives at the place of execution in time to prevent the shooting of her husband. "Jealousy." (Mutual. Two reels.) — FeaturinR Ethel Grandin as a trained nurse who marries the chief surgeon (Warren Richmond) in the hospital, after a mild affair with one of the internes (Lawrence White). Her husband is insanely jealous and picks upon the young doctor ever after. His wife's attendance at the latter's sick child's bedside through all of a night brings about a crisis and she returns to her profession. Later her husband is summoned to operate on a patient there. When he finds it is none but his medical rival, and that he is attended by the much abused Ethel, he turns away in a frenzy, but is finally brought to the operating room by a recollection of the ethics of his profession. There he inadvertently learns things that prompt him to welcome her back to his home and promise to suppress his jealous instincts ever atterward. An operating room scene is rather morbidly staged, but it is realistic indeed. Mutual Weekly, No. 103. (Gaumont. Wed., Dec. 20.) — This number shows scenes in Washington, D. C. Uncle Joe Cannon, to judge from the screen, is as alert and active as ever. School children of Washington co-operate in coilectioft waste paper. They are shown in an end!es> chain on the way to a paper mill to dispose t> bundles, varying in size from a handful of new.papers to |)ackages as big as themselves. Thresh ing Lima beans is made interesting by an ingeni ous contrivance that mows and gathers the l>ean = at one end and threshes them at the other. Pathe Exchange "The Last Volunteer." (Three reels. Kt issue.) — Originally offered as a five-reel featur*" some seasons ago, this has been trimmed down and now presents a three-reel story with action aplenty. It was a big money maker in the past and while in the matter of production present day pictures have advanced the plot is able to achieve just as big a hold on the spectator to day. The story is laid in a mythical kingdom where romance comes to the king and a peasant girl. The match can never be. War breaks out and the Last Volunteer is the girl who dashes from the inn and raises the signal flags which save the day. The deed exposes her to the enemy's fire and when the king arrives victorious she is breathing her last. Irving Cummings and Eleanor Woodruff are the principals. The former poses too much in many of his scenes. Robert Broderick and Paul Panzer also appear. "The Shielding Shadow." (Astra. Two reels. Last episode.) — " The Final Chapter " sees Jerr>' at last restored to Leontine. preceeded by numerous revelations as to his miraculous escapes in the past. There is a particularly good scene showing Jerry fighting with the octopus on the ocean's bed. Sebastian meets a villainous finish. When it comes to a choice of giving himself over to the law, or jumping over a precipice, he takes the latter course and is killed by the fall. A lavish wedding is staged in the last scene which will no doubt impress. It looks like the grand finale of a musical comedy. '■ Luke's Lost Liberty." (Rolin.) — A burlesque on prison reformers is this comedy, an average reel starring Lonesome Luke. The convicts sit around, smoke goo<l cigars and imbibe rare wines, while others less fortunate serve them dutifully. There are a few excellent gags introduced. The company has been offered in better stories.