Motography (Jul-Dec 1917)

July 21, 1917. MOTOGRAPHY 127 'BETTY BE GOOD" Captain Leslie Peacocke Supports Jackie Saunders in New Mutual Play, Released July 16 — Production is Unusual Miss Jackie Saunders, one of the younger screen stars who have developed original lines in motion picture productions, is happily placed in her latest offering, "Betty Be Good," released by Mutual, July 16, a play that permits full display of Miss Saunders' fascinating frolics of the tomboy type. She is supported by (/apt. Leslie T. Peacocke. "Betty Be Good," is a Mutual-Horkheimer feature written by William M. Rjtchey, one of the best known scenario writers in the United States, author of "Who Pays?," "The Unseen Hand" and many other screen dramas. The play was directed by Sherwood MacDonald, "The Man from Yale," who was a successful lawyer, before he entered the picture field and who wrote "Just in Time," "The Goal," "Straws in the Wind," "Rose Among Briars," and many other well known screen successes. Miss Saunders portrays the character of Betty, madcap daughter of Jonathan Brownlee, a retired capitalist— a role that suits her admirably because it calls for full display of her prankish tricks and keeps the supporting company in fast action. Miss Saunders took a personal hand in the construction of "Betty Be Good." She put a couple of fast motor cars and a lot more people into the play before it went into rehearsal. In the completed production "Tomboy Jackie" is seldom still a second and she drives the somewhat sedate Captain Leslie T. Peacocke into bursts of activity that cause that distinguished Britisher to elevate his eyebrows in pained deprecation, despite which he toddles right along in the fiery trail of the star. Sherwood MacDonald, director of "Betty Be Good," began work as a director after he had worked with some of the best known directors in the country in an advisory capacity. Among well known productions Mr. MacDonald has directed are "Ill-Starred Bobbie," "Message From Reno," "Adventures of a Madcap," "Rose Among the Briars." "Web of Crime," "Straws in the Wind," "Maid of the Wild," and the Tackie Saunders feature productions, "A Bit of Kindling," "Betty Be Good," "The Wildcat," "The Checkmate," and "Sunny Jane." Capt. Leslie T. Peacocke, formerly of the famous "Betty Be Good" is the mighty good title of this new Hork heimer-Mutual play, featuring Jackie Saunders. "Connaught Rangers," who served with his regiment in India and South Africa, and who is one of the best known writers of photodrama in the world, aids Miss Saunders in "Betty Be Good." Captain Peacocke is a splendid actor and his characterization of Jonathan Brownlee is real art. Another distinguished member of the "Betty Be Good" caste, is the leading man, Arthur Shiely, the handsome Australian. Battle Scenes in "For France" Every day for a week Andre Roosevelt, production manager for Vitagraph, and Wesley Ruggles, director, were busy at Huntington, Long Island, making battle pictures which will be incidental features of "For France," a Blue Ribbon production in which Edward Earle and Betty Howe are to be starred. "For France" is a romantic drama and the war element will be only negligible in the picture, but Director Ruggles has spared no expense in getting his atmosphere perfect. Every uniform, accessory and gun is an accurate copy of those used by the armies in Europe and even the soldiers were chosen according to their nationalities. Through the influence of Captain Johnston, Mr. Ruggles obtained the services of a large number of regulars from Fort Totten and also the Third Battery of the Second Field Artillery of Brooklyn. One of the big thrills of the picture will be a battle in the air between two aviators, one of whom is Edward Earle. The scene was made Independence Day at the Huntington aviation field and is said to be most realistic, the camera registering the machine gun hits on the defeated plane and showing the machine tumbling to the ground. In making these scenes, Wesley Ruggles rode with Edward Earle, and acting as his own cameraman, took close-ups of the battle while in the air. A Good Educational "The Magic of Motive Power," was the title of the Selig feature film released in General Film service on July 9. This production is said to be intensely interesting, presenting as it does the evolution of transportation from the coming of Columbus to the epoch of the deadlv submarine. Willard Louis, who has contributed many delightful comedy bits to the William Fox dramatic subjects, in addition to the "straight" parts which he has had, has been added to the roster of players for the Foxfilm comedy program.