Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

1014 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIX, No. 21. The Story of the Picture SYNOPSIS OF CURRENT RELEASES Artcraft OLD WIVES FOR NEW— (Five Reels)— May 20.— A Cecil De Mille production of the David Graham Phillips novel, adapted for the screen by Jeanie Macpherson. In a little village Charles Murdock, a young man of promise hastily weds "a handsome woman, but many years An incident in Charles Ray's latest Paramount feature, "His Own Home Town." later, she has developed into a fat, lazy, slovenly housewife in whose presence her husband," still youthful in sentiment and bearing, finds little comfort or enjoyment. He meets another woman and when he contrasts her daintiness of manner and intellectual charms to his slatternly wife, his soul rebels at his legally enforced companionship with the latter and he seeks relaxation in the society of the younger and handsomer woman. The slovenly wife soon realizes that her husband's love for her has waned, but it is only when she learns the truth that her jealousy is aroused. She brings an action for divorce, a step her husband rejoices in, and she is aided in this contingency by her husband's private secretary under whose influence she now finds herself with the result that a mighty transformation takes place within her. She becomes a votary of fashion, but as far as her husband is concerned, her rejuvenation comes too late, for he is hopelessly in love with the new woman whom fate has cast in the pathway of his career. So it transpires that when the husband is badly injured in a railroad accident and when this young woman coming from nowhere nurses him back to life, his love for her reaches the crucial stage. There is a murder, and the young woman's name is coupled with the crime in a slanderous manner. To protect her reputation, the mismated husband takes a third woman to his heart and thereupon the wife obtains a divorce and weds the secretary. The young woman follows the divorced husband abroad and after a series of intensely thrilling incidents they are united and find happiness in their love. Selfish Yates — (Five Reels) — Ince — May 20. — Featuring William W. Hart, who also directed the picture. Story by C. Gardner Sullivan. The scenes are laid in the town of Thirsty Center, Arizona. Yates is a dive keeper and saloonist. He prides himself upon the fact that he is the most selfish man in the country. He thinks of no one but himself, and his motto is to look after his individual interest first and let the devil take the hindmost. Mary Adams, with her little sister, Betty, drives into Thirsty Center in a prairie schooner. Yates is greatly annoyed at their intrusion and when Mary appeals to him for work he contemptuously refers her to his Chinese cook who puts her to work as a scrub-woman. While scrubbing in the dance hall, early one morning, Mary plays "Nearer My God to Thee" on the organ. The music awakens Yates and causes him to angrily upbraid her. She turns from him in contempt and he is unable to analyze the peculiar sensations that overcome him when in Mary's presence. Mary is the object of "Rocking Chair" Riley's loathsome attentions, and he resolves to make her his prey. A young man is shot while attempting to rob a Mexican of a flask of whiskey, after liquor had been refused him by Yates, and the body is brought into the dance-hall where the funeral takes place. Under the compelling eye of Mary, Yates officiates at the service, and he realizes suddenly that he loves the girl madly and the knowledge renders him furious. Enticed by a ruse from her shack by "Rocking Chair" Riley, Mary goes ostensibly to meet Yates and when he discovers the ruse he follows and finds her struggling with Riley. A desperate battle follows, Riley is badly beaten, while Mary faints as the result of an injury inflicted by Riley and is carried to her cabin by Yates. She pleads with him not to injure Riley and when the miners hear of the attack and are about to lynch Riley, Yates saves him. He returns to Mary's cabin, finds the light burning for him in the window and now realizes that Mary loves him and all ends happily. Bluebird $5000 Reward — (Five Reels) — May 25. — Featuring Franklyn Farnum. Gloria Hope plays opposite. Douglas Gerrard directed. When Dick Arlington married, it was with the utmost misgiving. His wife was the daughter of the farmer for whom he worked, under an assumed name. Dick finally decided to tell Margaret that he was a fugitive, accused of the murder of his rich uncle. With perfect faith in him, Margaret set out with Dick to return to the city where the crime was committed, and though Dick did not look for any help from his arcadian wife, it was she who finally solved the mystery which had puzzled the police for nearly a year. For Tracy, Dick's lawyer and confidant, who had advised him to run away in the first place, was inveigled by his sudden infatuation for Dick's wife into a full confession of the crime. Then it was Dick's turn to doubt his wife, for Dick had been doubting some one all through the picture. First it was the strange secretary that his uncle had hired, and whom he suspected of the crime. The secretary had now turned out to be a noted detective. Then it was Tracy, in whom he had put the most implicit confidence. He had turned out to be the actual murderer. And now it was his wife. How could she have fooled him so grievously? "It was a plant," said the secretary. "She did just exactly A fore-glimpse into "Sporting Life," Maurice Tourneur's first independent release