Motography (Jul-Dec 1917)

44 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XVIII, No. 1. "Parentage" Hobart Henley Production, Six Parts, Offered State Rights by Frank J. Seng. Reviewed by George W. Graves A FILM that has an indisputable moral significance, that casts **■ its bread upon the waters to do good, besides entertaining its audiences is sure to be welcomed by patrons of the moving picture. People seeking amusement but finding merely a dry moral preachment ill cloaked under this name are usually dissatisfied. They feel rather like the man who attends an illustrated lecture, only to find that he must, for the greater part of the time, listen to a dry dissertation on some moral or religious subject, and that the pictures were more or less a bait. In other words, a man who goes to the dramatic screen to be entertained, may feel imposed upon if he discovers that some film maker is taking advantage of this opportunity to preach to him. While "Parentage" contains a powerful, convincing moral argument — as powerful without doubt as any yet finding its way upon the screen — the film does not stop here by any means. As it stands the moral aspect of the offering stands second to the dramatic and entertaining qualities, although it might have easily been otherwise under less talented handling. The story is one of contrasts. Its theme, stated by a number of subtitles right at the start, is that the parental thought, attitude or regard towards children is an enormous factor in shaping their desires, habits and the course of their mature lives. An "unwanted" child, like "a tender flower born amid Alpine snows," is more apt to give up the struggle altogether or lead a life of dissipation or crime than to survive the terrible odds and gain an equal footing with the fortunate child, whose embryonic thought has been modeled into noble life motives and purity amid the sunshine of parental love. So two instances are taken — one, an "unwanted" and the other the idol of a happy household. The course of the two 3'ouths' lives becomes more of a contrast as the story moves on. The story is simple, yet impressive and dramatic, working up to the situations of power, but most important of all, adhering to its theme. Those in the cast are so well typed that the picture stands out as one of widely diversified human types, and this is a large part of the secret of the successful contrasting to be found in the story. To counterbalance the sombre side we find much cleverly conceived comedy. The sequence showing the jubilant father making a mad rush for home to see his first-born does not occupy a bit too much footage. Everybody in the horse-car, including the driver, knows the excited father's secret ere much pavement has been traversed. Some excellent comedy in a schoolroom, in which a large number of unaffected, spirited child actors hold the center of attention, occupies a large piece of footage, but nobody is likely to cry quit. The passing of notes with such familiar inscriptions as "I love you," etc., eating fruit behind copybooks, covertly copying lessons, pulling girls' hair and all the et cetera of time-hoary schoolroom pranks, make for the most pleasurable kind of entertainment. The story, by Martin G. Chandler and Hobart Henley, well fulfills its purpose of entertainment. Mr. Henley also directed. In the cast are to be found excellent players. Bert Busby, Barbara Castleton, Gilbert Rooney, William Welsh, Anna Lehr, Mary Grey, Master Matty Roubert, Master Frank Goyette, and others make up an aggregation of histrionic ability such as is seldom found in the same picture at the same time. "Parentage" should be a real sensation in the state rights field. Reviewed 'The Car of Chance" Bluebird in Five Parts Released July 9. Lapearl Waggoner WILLIAM WORTHINGTON has directed a nice, ordinary, take-the-whole-family picture with a keen photographer behind the camera. Young people, especially, will like Brownie Vernon as the pretty daughter who would like to defy her parents, and who almost does. They will like, too, the smiling, go-lucky hero, with more good humor than sense, as portrayed by Franklyn Farnum. Honorable mention should most certainly be made of the work of H. J. Bennett, as the millionaire of position, but no scruples. A wholly satisfactory offering; not thrilling, but just pleasant. The Story — Mrs. James Bennett has money and a pretty daughter. She wants social position and she is quite willing to trade daughter for it. Mr. William Mott Smith has the position and some more money and is more than willing to take Ruth. Ruth, loving Arnold Baird, a harmless, happy young bachelor, left at the death of his father with nothing but a touring car, has a mind of her own and uses it. When Arnold goes to ask Papa Bennett's consent he is told to come back when he has a hundred thousand dollars. His getting it by organizing a jitney bus company during the street car strike, said street cars being owned by Pater Bennett, makes Ruth love him more, wins dad's consent, and makes the audience admire him. Re 'The Stolen Paradise" Five-Rreel World Film Drama Released June 18. viewed by George W. Graves CTHEL CLAYTON is here seen in a role of big appeal, — ^ as a woman who, though wronged by her husband and another woman, seeks not to avenge herself by returning evil for evil but with true womanly charity and love actually Ethel Clayton in "The Stolen Paradise protects her husband and the woman from the wrath of the latter's husband. Thus it is that fear teaches its lesson and eyes of the erring wife and the heroine's husband are opened to the real character of their own mates and the folly of departing from the bounds of law and reason. Miss Clayton makes the part that of a really noble woman and one of big sympathy and appeal. The story is hardly substantial enough for five reels, but it is for the most part entertainingly developed and the scene toward the end where the wife protects her husband and the "other woman" from the murderous design of the latter's husband is quite tense. By acting and pretending that the woman has not been in the house she "stalls" the infuriated husband off and gives the erring wife a chance to escape. The picture was given very good production by Harley Knoles. The work of the cast is one of the essential worthy things of the offering. The players are: George MacQuarrie, Robert Forsyth, Pina Nesbit, Edward Langford, George Cowl, Lew Hart, Edward Reed, Edwin Roe and Ivan Dobble. The notable features of the picture are a well played lead, good support and good production. The offering makes an estimable program number. "On Trial" Essanay Version of Stage Play a Successful Picture. Reviewed by Genevieve Harris *THIS stage play, which drew its inspiration from motion picA tures, with their "flash back" system, proves to be excellent material for a motion picture. James Young has directed it, in seven reels, with a well chosen cast of players, fine photography and adequate settings. The story and the arrangement form one of the most interesting and entertaining picture plays imaginable. It is a smoothly told drama, and unified. There is no drop in the interest and there is no difficult} in following events. One doesn't think of the time taken or wonder how much longer the film will run. The seven reels seem like one. The picture is a trial scene, the witnesses' stories being visualized. Director Young has made that court-room a very real place to all who see the picture. Well chosen types of "extras" and cleverly introduced bits of humor and human touches, presented easily and naturally, make it so.