Motography (Apr-Jun 1916)

1054 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XV, Xo. 19.. was written and directed by that master mind of picturedom, Maurice Tourneur. The production was photographed by John v. d. Broeck, whose work is altogether praiseworthy. The plot is worth relating in brief. It tells of a young physician and his uncle, also a physician, both of whom are experimenting on a cancer cure, but lack funds to make the proper progress. A certain clubman owes the young doctor money, and the uncle goes to his rooms to demand it in behalf of his nephew. It seems that the uncle has a mania for watching people die. He poisons the clubman, and after he is dead shoots him a couple of times with his nephew's revolver, and leaves it there to give the appearance of suicide. The revolver is easily identified, and the young physician is sentenced to die in the electric chair. Meanwhile the insane uncle is called upon by House Peters, whose heart is bothering him a little. The crazy physician tells him he has heart disease in the worst form, and has only six months to live. The information is entirely false, but House Peters decides he will beat nature by committing suicide. Miss Tennant being told by her uncle that the man would probably commit suicide, hastens after him and stops him just in the act of self-destruction. She persuades him to confess the murder with which her brother is charged, inasmuch as he cannot live long anyhow. He does as the girl wishes, and her brother is released. Peters is duly sentenced to the electric chair, but is horrified to learn after it is too late, that he has a perfectly sound heart. He is caught like a rat in a trap, but Miss Tennant is working tooth and nail to find the real murderer. It does not develop until near the end who the murderer is, because the witnesses cannot be found, but in the end it turns out to be the old uncle. The way the suspense is sustained in this picture is truly remarkable. The producer has done this without once showing the stereotyped details of a courtroom or of Mr. Peters strapped in the electric chair. He shows everything about the courthouse except the courtroom, and he shows everything about Sing Sing prison except the death chair. These he leaves to the imagination, and the imagination easily supplies the rest. As a feature it is going to be a knock-out. Nothing more original or better directed has been seen this season, and nobody would ask to see a better production. 'The Crippled Hand" Bluebird Five-Reel Drama Released May 1. Reviewed by Genevieve Harris THE method of presentation of this story is especially interesting. That ever-popular fairy tale, "Cinderella," is beautifully picturized, together with a simple but rather unusual modern version of the story. The producers have shown skill in producing a certain atmosphere and in sustaining it throughout five reels without monotony. The lighting effects and the camera work are excellent. Ella Hall is a pleasing Cinderella in each story. She is a poor little girl who lives in an attic somewhere in a city. At night she reads fairy tales and, looking over the lighted city, dreams of the interesting things that are taking place there. These are beautiful pictures of the city streets, and above them, in the clouds, appear the visualized dreams of the little girl. In the day time, the girl works in a department store and to her the haughty saleswomen seem like the proud sisters and the stepmother in the fairy tale. Their actions are exaggerated a bit for they are shown as they appear to the little girl. In the meantime, in "The Land of Make-Believe," which is stageland, a wealthy man is backing a musical comedy company, whose leading lady is in love with him. As an advertising stunt for the play, which is a Cinderella story, they offer a part in the production to the girl who can wear a tiny slipper they place on exhibit. The girl, who has lost her position in the store, chances to hear of the contest and in it she becomes the winner. She is given a part in the chorus, and though she is not wonderfully successful as an actress, she wins the heart of the rich man. An outcast with a crippled hand is introduced early in the story, but his importance is not shown until near the end of the play when it is revealed that he is the husband of the actress and was formerly a musician. Although it was by her that his hand was injured, thus putting an end to his career, she had deserted him. On the opening night of the play, he tries to kill lur, but is prevented by the little girl. Instead he forgives her and the two are reconciled. And as the rich man turns to the little "Cinderella," the modern scene is replaced by a scene from the fairy tale and the play ends with the lines of the fairy tale,. "They lived happily ever after." There are a number of very pleasing pictures from the fairy tale throughout the drama, in which we meet the fairy godmother, see pumpkin and rats changed into the coach and horses, and have a glimpse of the prince's ball. The production^ which was directed by Robert Leonard and David Kirkland, is light and imaginative in tone throughout. There are touches of humor in many of the modern scenes, particularlv in those of the shoe fitting contest and in the stage scenes. Robert Leonard plays the rich man, Gladys Rockwell theactress and Kingsley Benedict the man with the crippled hand. "The Chain Invisible" A Five-Part Equitable Release for April 24th. Reviewed by Hugh Hoffman CTORIES of a ship wrecked man and woman being thrown. ^ together on a desert island, have a great fascination for playrights. They find in that situation a convenient vehicle to bring out the fact that, with civilization removed, a man becomes savage and is apt to go about his mating a good deal as his caveman ancestor went forth with a club and proved his love to his future wife by hitting her over thehead, and carrying her home with him. This story is not exactly that kind of a story in its general circumstances, but it becomes that kind of a story once the man and woman are thrown together on the island. Such stories as this are mostly intended to remind us that human nature has not changed one iota since the world began. The argument of them is, that were it not for the laws made by men, we would all quickly go back to the Adam and Eve style of living, which argument is basically sound. This story differs from the usual run of desert island stories, because the man in this case is a savage before they ever get to the island. He is a backwoods lumberman who has sold out to the trust at an enormous figure, and has. tried to get into society without any result. From an ocean liner he throws the girl of his heart overboard and jumps in after her to the rescue. This was the only way he could get her, because she had resented his lack of manners previously and had engaged herself to a designing nobleman. He found a piece of floating wreckage, and they finally arrived on a desert island according to his plan. On the desert island, the author has dwelt upon the fact that nature will take its course. In time the woman comes, to love the man, and in the course of time a child is born to them. A searching party finally comes to the island, and the woman and child are rescued, but the evil suitor of her former days, reports that her companion lias fallen over a cliff and lost his life. The woman returns to civilization, and in time marries the nobleman. About four year afterward the father of the child returns to civilization, after being rescued from the island. He afterwards finds the mother of his child. Her evil husband commits suicide rather than face the consequences of his treachery. It is a mighty absorbing tale and one that is skillfully produced and finely photographed. Bruce McRae is so admirably masculine in his portrayal of the uncouth lumberman, that he is powerfully convincing at all times. Anyone