Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

April 20, 1918. MOTOGRAPHY 747 Scenes in "The Girl from Beyond," a Vitagraph Blue Ribbon feature with Nell Shiftman and Alfred Whitman, released April 15. 'The Girl From Beyond" Released April 1 5 New Vitagraph Blue Ribbon Is Adaptation of Cyrus Townsend Brady's Widely Read Novel, "A Texan Romance" ALBERT E. SMITH, president of the Vitagraph company, announces the release on April 15 of "The Girl from Beyond," adapted from Cyrus Townsend Brady's widely read novel, "A Texan Romance," and starring Nel Shipman with Alfred Whitman. The scenes present a variety of exterior and interior settings from the palatial Eastern home of a young Texan millionaire to the oil fields of his native state. The picture, which was directed by William Wolbert, opens with an unusual situation which is said to take an immediate grip upon the interest of the spectator. In a beautifully furnished boudoir is seen a transparent Japanese screen. Behind it, in silhouette, is the figure of a woman in negligee. She lifts her lips to a small vial and a moment later crumples up on a chair. A maid raps on the door of the room and, receiving no response, enters, passes behind the screen and makes an appalling discovery. The brother of the girl, the young Texan, is summoned at once. He finds the inert figure of his sister and on the dressing table a note telling him that a man was the cause of her suicide. He sets about the punishment of the culprit and in so doing is imprisoned for five years on the charge of criminal assault with intent to kill. Upon his release he goes back to his oil fields where under another name he commences a career of degradation. He is lifted from his sordid rut by admiration for a girl, only to find that he is not capable of inspiring her respect. Through a series of incidents, woven by fate, the man and the woman are brought to understand their own mistakes and to set about the search for happiness. Nell Shipman and Alfred Whitman, who have been gaining popularity in such Vitagraph plays as "The Home Trail," "The Wild Strain" and "Cavanaugh of the Forest Rangers," are said to be provided with even greater opportunities for a display of their dramatic talents than in their previous features. Throughout the picture, Director Wolbert employed many new photagraphic effects, similar to that of the opening scene. One of the most impressive takes place at twilight in the oil regions, with the great scaffolding of the wells towering black against the sky. "A Pair of Sixes" Catches On George K. Spoor's latest feature production, "A Pair of Sixes," featuring Taylor Holmes, is now playing to first run houses in several of the largest cities of the country. An unprecedented number of bookings is reported by the Kleine releasing offices and the picture bids fair to be even more popular than the stage play which had a long run on Broadway and later throughout the United States. The play, written by Edward Peple, is unusually well adapted for the screen, and is declared by critics to be the best of the Taylor Holmes' pictures. There is an all star cast and Taylor Holmes is ably assisted by Maude Eburnc, Alice Mann and Robert Conness. Maude Eburne, who played the same part in the original stage production, is one of the strongest characters v "Rich Man, Poor Man" Has Drawing Power New Marguerite Clark Picture to Follow the Story in Magazine and Book and Production on Stage IN these days of modern exhibition, when the theatre owner scans each release for its box office value, the Paramount picture starring Marguerite Clark, "Rich Man, Poor Man," released April 22, bids fair to be seen upon the screen under auspicious circumstances. Marguerite Clark admittedly has a large following of admirers and the vehicle in which she makes her next appearance is known to millions. "Rich Man, Poor Man" was published serially in the Saturday Evening Post, after which it was issued in book form and extensively advertised. Maximilian Foster was the author. The dramatic value of the story appealed to George Broadhurst, the playwright and producer, and he adapted it to the speaking stage with eminent success. The motion picture version follows the stage piece. The picture was staged under the direction of J. Searle Dawley, who has produced a long string of successful Paramounts in the past. In the supporting cast are found names well known to Paramount audiences, including Frederick Warde, the tragedian who was at one time one of the most prominent figures on the American stage, and Richard Barthelmess, George Backus, J. W. Herbert, Donald Clayton, William Wadsworth, Augusta Anderson, Ottola Nesmith and Mary Davis. This combination provides exceptional advertising possibilities