Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

2252 Motion Picture News "THE VELVET HAND"— UNIVERSAL Not Quite up to Bluebird Standard THERE is too much dagger displaying and stabbing to suit the average picture patron with this offering. The picture is based mostly on revenge. It will hardly have a universal appeal. The heroine gets no sympathy for the reason that she tries to make the wrong man pay for the death of her brother. Most of the story is woven around this point. As the murder is committed in self defense, the murderer does not draw the ill feeling due to a villain. It doesn't seem reasonable, therefore, that he should feel remorseful, under the circumstances. To any one acquainted with Italian aristocracy, the marriage of the Prince to a dancer will appear absurd. Such a thing could happen, and possibly has happened, but it would be an isolated case only, and is therefore not convincing. It is not a suggestive offering. — Released Sept. 30. — Length, 5 reels.— P. S. Harrison. THE CAST Featured player : Fritzi Brunette. Cast includes Fred Turner, Eugene Corey, William Conklin, Wedgwood Nowell, Carmen Phillips and Nicholas Dunaew. Author: Edith Bernard Delano. Scenario by F. McGrew Willis. Directed by Douglas Gerrard. CATCH LINES Fritzi Brunette in a vital, pulsating drama laid in Italy, the land of romance. By Edith Bernard Delano, author of a number of Mary Pickford pictures. A drama of love and hate staged on the shores of sunny Italy. She had planned to break the heart of the man she thought killed her brother. Instead, she found she loved him. All the passion and temperament of a Latin race entrancingly portrayed on the screen. She took an oath to avenge the murder of her brother but discovered herself in love with the guilty suspect. She found the man she loved standing over the dead body of her brother, a dagger in his hand. By Edith Bernard Delano, author of many best sellers. Love overcomes hate in a fierce battle for supremacy in a girl's heart. Featuring Fritzi Brunette, an old favorite, supported by a specially selected cast. AD TALK When Gianna discovers Count Trovelli standing over the body of her dead brother, a dagger in his hand, she immediately took oath to avenge herself on him. In order to make him suffer as much as she herself suffered when the sight of the prone body of her brother met her eyes, she mapped out a terrible plan. She followed the count to Naples and there, by practicing all her arts on him, soon saw, with joy, that he was desperately in love with her. Then little by little she made inroads on his fortune and at last had the supreme satisfaction of witnessing his approach to the rocks of bankruptcy. Then, the man broken in fortune and spirit, she had planned to take his life even as he had taken her brother's. But one day, the terrible truth dawned on Gianna. She found herself passionately in love with this man she had driven so close to ruin. See the Universal picture, " The Velvet Hand," when it comes to the theatre on — of week and witness the dramatic solu tion of Gianna's harrowing predicament. The climax to this thrilling tale of love and hate is the best of its many merits and is well worth a trip to the theatre. The management feels confident that its patrons will find much to entertain them in this picture, which has been most attractively staged by Douglas Gerrard. Mr. Gerrard is well suited to handle the picture of this type. In temperament and attainments of the past, he has proven himself an artist. And in this drama of a man and a woman, laid in sunny Italy, he has done a thoroughly artistic piece of work. Fritzi Brunette makes the character of Gianna a living, breathing woman and her supporting cast was selected with special regard for its fitness to Latin roles. THE STORY In southern Italy Russo Russelli, an old violin maker, toils to accumulate enough money that his two children, Russino and Gianna, may study dancing. Gianna loves her brother dearly. They often dance together on the sands of the shore. One day Netta Seganti, a countess of doubtful reputation, comes to the village. She flirts with Russino and he, easily susceptible to her charms, falls in love with her. Then come to the village, Count Paul Trovelli and a companion, a prince, to search for a villa. In Netta the prince recognizes an old love and he loses no time in renewing the affair. They are seen together by Russino, who, in a jealous rage attacks the prince. The latter stabs him to the heart with a dagger thrust and then flees. When Gianna discovers the body of her brother, Trovelli is standing over it, the dagger in his hand. The girl immediately believes that he committed the murder and takes an oath to herself that he shall be made to pay for the deed with his own blood. She follows him to Naples to carry out her plan, and so great is her hatred for the suspect that she decides to make her vengeance more terrible by attracting Trovelli to her. She succeeds, and in short time the count is desperately in love with her, unaware of the fate she has planned for him. Here she makes great demands on his finances and little by little he draws closer to ruin. Then, at the height of her success, Gianna wakes up to the fact that she really loves the man. She is torn by conflicting emotions — whether to fulfill her oath and kill the man she loves or bury the past and accept his love. Happily, however, her predicament is solved by an outside force. At the very moment when Gianna has decided on the tragic course, the truth regarding her brother's death is revealed to her, so all ends well. ADVERTISING AIDS PAPER: — Two one-sheets, two three-sheets, two six-sheets. LOBBY DISPLAY:— Selection of scene and star stills of different sizes. ADVERTISING ELECTROS :— Prepared advertising in various sizes procurable at Universal exchanges. SLIDES, MUSIC CUE, WINDOW CARDS. SUGGESTIONS While this production lends itself to sensational advertising, in that it deals with the vengeance planned by an Italian girl on the supposed murder of her brother, it has a romantic angle that can be featured before audiences that are not tempted by the other stuff. Its author, for instance, has been responsible for many novels of a purely romantic nature. Many of these have been adapted for the screen and produced with some of the best-known stars in the leading roles. Notable among these are Mary Pickford and Marguerite Clarke. Consequently, if you cater to a family clientele use Miss Delano's name in newspaper advertisements, as the author and, if desired, let them know who has appeared in other of her works. Fritzi Brunette is a reliable player, though not a well-known star. She has, however, been in pictures for many years and doubtless has a number of old friends among the fans. As she gives a deserving performance, her name might be prominently displayed. The picture has Italy as its setting and this fact opens an avenue for a good line of " atmosphere " advertising. Everyone still looks on Italy as the land of romance even though the war has proven she has wonderful grit. But get this romantic atmosphere in your advertisements by the use of such a line as "A pulsating romance of Italy — Italy, the land of sunshine." " PALS FIRST " (Continued from page 2248) CATCH LINES Harold Lockwood in his first Screen Classic production. " Pals First," uttered three times, the speaker's hand above his heart, is the password of the underworld. If the signal is not returned, then he knows he confronts an enemy. They still speak of the fight in " The Spoilers," but " Pals First " has a little racket of its own that will long be remembered. A popular star in a picture version of one of the most popular plays ever enacted on the boards of the stage. It was plain that he was an imposter. The sheriff had been summoned and recognized him as a well known convict. There stood the girl he loved broken in spirit over the revelation. The sheriff demanded that he bare his arm. A certain scar would send him behind the bars again, perhaps for his lifetime. He rolled back his shirt sleeves and there ADVERTISING AIDS PAPER — Three one-sheets; three three-sheets; one six-sheet; one 24-sheet. Paper has been reproduced from scenes suggesting both the humorous and the serious side of the production. All of it is attractive. NEWSPAPER CUTS— There are four one-column and four two-column available on this production. These also suggest either the humorous or the serious angle of the picture. It remains for the exhibitor to choose which side he desires to accentuate. ADVERTISING CUTS— One single-column; two double-column; one three-column and one four-column. LOBBY DISPLAY— A hand-colored lobby display on the same style as " To Hell with the Kaiser " and other Screen Classics has been arranged. There are 22 x 28 star photos; 8 x 10 screen photos and 11 x 14 scene photos, these last in black and white. Title cards and synopsis cards are also furnished. Other advertising and accessories on " Pals First " include special lithograph window cards, special heralds and plain heralds, slides and music cue sheet. SUGGESTIONS The exhibitor has a good " special " in this six-reel production. It is a Screen Classic and a good thing about this brand is that it has always been fastened on only the best of pictures. If you have used the brand name in the past don't neglect it this time, for it will mean real merit. Lockwood is a star and " Pals First " will go a long way towards establishing his position on a still firmer basis. It is a production with much good comedy, melodrama and a real surprise ending. You might make this ending the feature of your advertisements if you write them yourself. In order to emphasize its importance run a line on this order in your announcement : " This picture has a complete surprise ending and in order that you may get the full benefit of it we advise you to make your entrance to the theatre at precisely any one of the following hours, ." Give in this blank space the hours, afternoon and evening, at which you start each performance. This is always an excellent idea and is in general practice throughout the country, but with the case of " Pals First " it is additionally imperative that it be put into use. Any one seeing the ending first wouldn't enjoy the rest of the picture nearly as well as the man seeing it straight through.