Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

October 5 , / p / A' 2185 Attractive Stage Setting of the Palace, El Centro, Cat. outdoor scene with a temple in the hackground. There are two hanging Chinese lights, and the whole atmosphere that John Wenger has given the setting is perfect. Miss Leeta Corder is seated Chinese fashion on the floor and begins to sing "China Dreams." Near the end of the selection the members of the quartet, who are seated in the orchestra and unseen by the audience, join with her in the closing bars. Then comes the delightful feature, "Laughing Bill Hyde," with Will Rogers playing the name role. There have been few features shown at the Rivoli that have pleased as well as this one, and, after the show, when Mr. Rothapfel introduced us to the star, we were mighty glad that the audience had given it such a big reception, for Mr. Rogers is just the happy, care-free, unassuming, genuine sort of a fellow that "Laughing Bill Hyde" proves to be in the end. And the Rivoli audiences do not hesitate to show that they like the feature. There are two themes used in the musical score, "Valentine" for "Laughing Bill" and "Wayside Flower." The score opens with "Symphonette," which is played until the appearance of "Laughing Bill," when the music turns to the chorus of "Valentine," followed by "Who Is Who," and then during the attempt of the prisoner to have his chum we have "Mountain Music" No. 3 up 'to the point where the doctor's sweetheart is shown, and then we have the second theme introduced, *' Wayside Flowers." Then we get back to the first theme when we are shown "Laughing Bill" reaching the coast, and there follows through "Chiffonette" and "The Valley of the Poppies," without introduction, and then two choruses from "Valentine" as we are shown "Laughing Bill" at work among the other passengers' baggage. "Only a Year Ago," "Zephyr" and "Lily" are played up to the point where Bill picks up the picture of the doctor's sweetheart, and then we have "Wayside Flower" again. Shortly after that the organ takes up the music until the girl arrives and goes to the cabin of the doctor, and then we have "Wayside Flower," with the organ and one violin, most effectively done. Then follows one of the numbered selections and, at the title "Bill Was Not Accustomed," we get the last eight bars of "Valentine" and then "Told at Twilight," followed through with "Valentine" twice as Bill is playing the trick, and then numbered selections until the moment Bill sells the "salted" mine to the crook, when we have "Valentine" once more, followed by a special arrangement of "Isle of Palms" and then "Love Bells" at the end. This description does poor credit to one of the most pleasing scores that we have heard and one that fits this delightful production perfectly. Selections from "The Pink Lady" follow, and here we have the main dome in pink, the proscenium arch in blue. Of course, we are not expecting a special setting here, but just toward the end of the number the curtains part, showing the wood, with nouyeau art effect, slender trees with wisteria hanging from them and at either side of the stage the outlines of larger trees. And now comes the thing that we spoke of at the start of this article, and, in our mind, one of the cleverest things that has ever been done in a motion picture house. The comedy that follows is one of the old Biographs, featuring Fred Mace, which has been revived at the request of a number of patrons. Now, just before this starts on the screen, there is just a bar of "Auld Lang Syne" — just enough of it to recall the words " Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot," and no more. You see the immediate effect. It is one of the delicate little touches that make a presentation stand out. "Pucciana," representing selections from the best works of Puccini, forms the pleasing overture at the Rialto, and it is played with the lights of gold. "Through the Fjords of Norway," a Beacon film, follows, and "Rhapsodie Norwegienne" is the music used through the many beautiful scenes. With all the lights red, Sascha Fidelman, concert master of the Rialto, then plays Vieuxtemps's "Polonaise" as a violin solo. Rialto Animated magazine includes a few of the same pictures that are presented at the Rivoli, but the arrangement of them makes it appear entirely different. It opens with the celebration of California's birthday in San Francisco, and the pictures of the marching men stir great enthusiasm. Here "Liberty Bells" is played, continuing through Gaumont views of the visit of the Italian journalists to the Mare Island Navy Yard. As Screen Telegram shows billions of fish being sent out to kill mosquitoes we have "Vivienne," this also being used for the pictures of the ugly duckling that follows. The growth of the ducks is cleverly shown by the camera, being shifted from pen to pen as the birds appear. Then come Screen Telegram scenes from the funeral of Cardinal Farley, and here "Come Back to Erin" is used on the organ with the tolling effect of the chimes. Gaumont then presents pictures of the weekly line-up at one of our aviation fields, and here we have "Air Queen" used. We are shifted to France, with Gau mont pictures of "Our Boys Over There," and the orchestra plays "Over There" as they are shown landing from transports and moving forward in lorries. Then with the view of the Hun . prisoners captured by the Marines at Chateau-Thierry, then the group of boys who took them, and the review by Brand Whitlock we have "Semper Fidelis" swinging into the "Marine Hymn." Hearst-Pathe shows pictures of President Poincare visiting the wounded, and "Sambre et Meuse" becomes the music and continues through Hearst-Pathe pictures of the veterans of the Foreign Legion visiting New York. Screen Telegram then shows us pictures of the way that Kewanee, 111., is obeying the proclamation of the mayor calling for a moment of prayer each day, and there could be no more fitting music with this than "Old Hundred." There is a smashing end to the Animated with a cartoon effect that shows Austria seeking peace, and then coming back battered with the "Nothing Doing" label. Then we get a quotation from the statement of Lloyd-George, and the answer of President Wilson, and you can imagine what applause that brings forth, especially with "La Pere de la Victoire," counterpointed with the national airs. With the lights all in blue, and before the Byzantine setting. Miss Eldora Stamford then sings "The Star," and the feature, Marguerite Clark, in "Out of the Clear Sky," follows. "When You're Away" is the theme, but most of the other music consists of the Rothapfel numbered selections. The audience is delighted with selection from " Floradora." "Sleuths" is a typical Mack Sennett comedy, and gives the orchestra a chance for some of its clever efforts. The selection, in the order that they are played, are: "Hezekiah," "When a Maid Is Knockat Your Heart," "Your Wife," "I May Stay Away," "Go Get 'Em," "Who Is Who ? " "Down in Zanzibar" and "Hop Along."