Motography (Jul-Sep 1916)

August 26, 1916. MOTOGRAPHY 501 or pathos. "Hell to Pay Austin" will be considered a real treat by all those fortunate enough to see it. It is one of those rare productions which make you feel that you would like to see it again. Ralph Lewis is particularly good as the minister, and Mary Alden gives a commendable performance as Doris Valentine, the adventuress. Eugene Pallette, James O'Shea, Marie Wilkinson, A. Sears, William H. Brown and Tom Wilson complete the cast. The subtitles are praiseworthy, the staging artistic in all details and the photography all that it should be. "Hell to Pay Austin" puts one in a happy frame of mind; it is a mighty good picture. "The Patriot" Triangle Release From Ince Studio. Reviewed by Thomas C. Kennedy WILLIAM S. HART and the stars and stripes are the mainstays of "The Patroit," a melodrama by Monte M. Katterjohn, produced under the supervision of Thomas H. Ince. The vastly popular interpreter of western characters and the flag divide close-up honors, with the decision favoring the flag. We counted eight close-ups of the National Standard and some few less for Mr. Hart. "The Patriot" will of course please the many ardent admirers of Mr. Hart and the patriotic spirit of the piece will appeal to the entire audience. It takes no second sight to picture the response in hand-clapping after the fading scene, a vision of the flag with Mr. Hart in double exposure in its center, from an audience which has been standing while the piano or orchestra played "The Star Spangled Banner." George M. Cohen has not lived in vain. Leaving aside the leading actor and the Hip-Hip-Hurrah elements, one finds "The Patriot" a picture presenting some finely produced scenes of the mountains and an army camp, in addition to some stirring moments such as when the erstwhile informer to the Mexican bandit risks his life to stave off an attack upon a colony of women and children. The play itself is of no particular merit. It is a vehicle for Mr. Hart and like most vehicles it leaves much to be desired. If you are enthusiastic about the actor, "The Patriot" is a good picture and if you are not it is only agreeable entertainment, and this mostly because of an effective production and high-class photography. "The Patriot" tells of a widower who works a mine in New Mexico. He has a little son and to insure the boy against the hardships he has endured Wiley is determined to "pan every grain of gold out of the mountain." A crooked land agent accepts a bribe from a banker and makes representations to Washington which rob Wiley of his claim on a technicality. While away fighting this condition, his son is left in charge of an old Indian and Wiley returns to find his boy dead. He is now bitter against the country he had so idolized. A year later he joins a Mexican outlaw in a scheme to raid a border town. After arranging it all, circumstances, the tents which glow white fading at intervals as the lights are extinguished, is a very effective bit of motion picture "stage-craft." Georgie Stone appears as the boy and adds much to the human element. Joe Good-Boy is a real Indian, Roy Laidlaw a vicious greaser, and Milton Ross and P. D. Tabler are villains who look as though they were born and raised in a motion picture studio. "A Million for Mary" Kolb and Dill in American-Mutual Comedy. Reviewed by Genevieve Harris AUGUST 21 is the release date for the first five-reel American-Mutual comedy featuring the popular vaudeville comedians, William Kolb and Max Dill. Aaron Hoffman has supplied them with a story, and Rea Berger directed "Rags," William S. Hart and little George Stone in "The Patriot." in which a little boy who reminds him of his dead son figures, lead to Wiley's conversion and how he fights to save the town from the marauders takes up the rest of the film. The panoramic view of the military camp at night, with Mike, Louie and the dog, Fritz, appear before St. Peter. the filming. Stars, author and director are to be congratulated on the success of the production, for a success it will undoubtedly be when shown to the comedy loving picture patrons. . rru The picture is of high standard in every respect. Ine featured players have adapted themselves to screen requirements admirably. They prove to be excellent actors, and possessing the facial expressiveness so important in pictures, have little difficulty in making their work effective. In addition, they are cast in sympathetic roles and prove very likeable. As the two kind-hearted old chaps who adopt a dog and then a little girl and who have a drug-store and trouble wished on them, they are truly delightful. There is a spirit of kindliness and gentleness throughout the story which is extremely rare in comedies of this kind and which will appeal to the more intelligent class of audience. A commendable feature of the story and direction evident from the first scenes is that, instead of burlesquing ordinary scenes, unusual scenes in themselves funny have been selected. There is still plenty of slap-stick scenes to delight small boys and others whose sense of humor is elementary, but much of this slap-stick stuff is new and individual. . , . , T The story begins with a street scene in which Louie, a vendor of "hot dogs," and Mike, a sandwich man advertising tents, hurry to the rescue of a dog being tormented by street urchins. When the dog, dubbed Fritz, is found to be injured, the men carry him to a nearby drug store for treatment. This store is a hangout for dope fiends and is in bad repute with the police. Since he has been warned that it will be raided, the owner leaves in haste, telling Mike and Louie that they may have the store if they will stay and take care of his little daughter, Mary. Mike and Louie are soon brought before the police in a raid. They are proved innocent, and the father having been killed in the raid, the store now belongs to little Mary. For about two reels, the play deals with incidents, funny in themselves and aided by well worded and well placed subtitles, in the career of Mike and Louie, druggists. Dodo Newton, as the little girl, and the adopted dog add many bits of fun to the situations. In the latter part of the play the story proper is developed. Mary, now a young lady (played by May Cloy), is