Motion Picture News (Oct 1913 - Jan 1914)

INTERESTING FILM REVIEWS Educational — Industrial — Scenic — General THE Troublesome Telephone. — Kalem. Oct. 17.) — A comedy which presents several new features which are clever and productive of mirth. Something of a burlesque on real life. A dentist is annoyed by his wife's continuous telephoning. He is always having to leave his work and answer her calls. Most of them are merely assurances that "baby is not fretting." or "baby shows signs of getting her first tooth," etc. Finally when he has a patient firmly ensconced in the chair, and has administered gas to him, he has to go home and get rid of an annoying rat. The story is sure to amuse. The Boston Floating Hospital. Kalem. (Oct. 17.) — This interesting picture is on a split reel with "The Troublesome Telephone." Boston, ever a city of innovations, has here set a precedent which might be carried out by all the other cities, so successful has it worked. The Kalem Company states that it is the only hospital of its kind in the world, and for this reason it should be most interesting. There are two classes of nurses in the hospital's employ, the "shore" nurse and the "floating" nurse. One follows up the work of the other. Both the mother and child are looked after by this hospital, and when they have been nursed back to life and happiness and are again sent ashore, the shore nurses follow up the good work by showing the people how they should live to be conducive of good health and morals. A most philanthropic labor which is appreciated by all whose good fortune it is to get in their care, instead of going to the regular hospitals. Fire drills and other safeguards are demonstrated. A Stolen Identity. Powers. — This opening paragraph is not intended as a "knock," for "A Stolen Identity" is really a good story, but why certain companies on the Universal program will always use the engravings representing the "Roman Ruins'' of "The Coliseum." I don't know. Whatever the interior scene is, it seems these decorations are bound to crop up. Of course they are standard pictures, etc., but are there not others? As before mentioned, this is not a "knock," merely a kindly suggestion. "A Stolen Identity," although a most improbable story, is one of great interest, and holds the atten tion of an audience right through. It is the tale of two men who are so exactly alike that one steals the identity of the other in order to get some property in the other's name. Just as he is about to receive the money, however, the rightful owner intercepts him, having broken lose from his prison. A very thrilling automobile ride against time is one of the featured parts. Very cleverly acted in duplicate by Edwin August. Jealousy also has much to do with the story. Wynona's Vengeance. Bison. — A tale of the Indian warfare in the West, probably about the time of General Custer. The Indians are on the warpath massacring everyone, until they are stopped by the soldiers, who fire their village. Wynona is adopted by the Colonel's daughter and sent away to school. Her father, the Chief of the Indians, in an encounter with an officer of the fort disfigures him for life, thus turning the man's hatred forever his way. Wynona, on her return some years later from school, inherits this hatred and is badly treated. The chief, her father, insists on the whites giving up the girl, and upon their refusal attacks them. The fight is going against the whites when Wynona, in order to avenge herself for the insults she had received, blows up the fort and all within it. The story thrills with action and excitement, the finale particularly being very good. Lasca. Bison. — A clever and pretty effect is gained in this picture by having the sub-titles enclosed in boxes made of bark and moss. The story is a very beautiful one in poetry and tells of the love of a man and its result. An old ranger is supposed to be telling the tale of two companions. He had once loved a girl and been dearly loved in return, so much so that when he roused her jealousy she had stabbed him. Later they are on the desert when a storm breaks and drives a herd of cattle on a stampede. The two of them ride away on one horse, but are unable to keep ahead of the herd. When they dismount the horse gallops away and the girl, Lasca, forcing him to the ground, lays on top and protects him from the hoofs of the galloping of the cattle, losing her own life in the attempt. A pretty story and well told. The Buccaneers. Bison. — The third and last of an interesting historical series of the Bison brand, dealing with the lives of "famous pirates." The stories are all historically correct, and are most interesting. Capt. Jean La Fette and the notorious Blackbeard are the subjects of this last effort. They are rival buccaneers, but the latter is defeated by La Fette, so they join hands and form a terrible alliance. On one of their marauding cruises La Fette adopts a little boy. The years pass by and John is forced to take a part in their looting, but refuses to kill anyone, though there is a reward out for his capture, as well as that of his masters. His manhood finally awakes, however, through the persuasions of a girl, and he refuses to take any part in their future transactions. The two are captured through the treachery of Blackbeard, but La Fette escapes, and when he hears that John is to suffer through the maliciousness of Blackbeard, he returns and tells them that John had been forced to take a part in the work of the pirates and John is let free. As he finishes his tale La Fette is shot by his rival and dies in the courtroom. The Dread Inheritance. Victor, Two-Reel. — A splendid story, well told and dealing tenderly with a forbidden topic. It is something on the order of "Damaged Goods," but is so told that young people in general will have difficulty in understanding the subject. The reviewer believes it to be safe to show anywhere, and it should have a big tendency to produce good results. A father in dying imparts to his son the knowledge that there is a possibility that he (the son) may have inherited a terrible disease from him, as in his youth he was rather wi'd. The son goes aghast at the news and breaks off his engagement with his fiancee, deeming himself unworthy to associate with her. He is examined by a doctor, who is also his rival for the girl's hand. The medical man withholds an opinion, thus leading the younger man to believe himself afflicted. Prayer finally accomplishes what other efforts would not, and he knows he has miraculously escaped. The mother of the girl seemed a bit young for the part, but played it well. J. Warren Kerrigan and Jessylyn Van Trump played the leads.