Moving Picture World (July-Dec 1909)

88o THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD COMMENTS mm FILMS "The Death Disc" (Biograph). — A glamor of romance attaches to life in Cromwell's time which makes all stories of those days, and all pictures, too, for that matter, interesting. Perhaps the reality was more stern and uncompromising than the stories make them appear, but whether it was or not the intense interest aroused by the hero or other tales dealing with that age cannot he denied. The Biograph Company has selected a dramatic incident as the basis of this picture, and they have told the story well. Discovering three soldiers who adhere to Catholicism, Cromwell decides they must draw lots, the one receiving the death disc to die, while the others could go back to their comrades, lie orders that the first child they meet shall draw the lot. It chances to l>c a child of one of the soldiers, and, child-like, she gives the prettiest disc, which means death, to her father. Rut Cromwell is so pleased with the little one that he gives her a signet ring and promises to grant any request made upon presentation of tins ring. The mother invokes its aid to secure her husband's pardon. The costuming is historically correct, and the staging is as sumptuous as the occasion requires. The picture is replete with dramatic situations, and these are developed to the full in each instance. While the subject is one with rather complicated historic features, it holds the interest of an average audience and some applaud when the mother presents the ring and reminds Cromwell of his promise. Surely it offers at least a suggestion of a softer side to Cromwell's nature than history has yet accorded him, and in this way the film is beneficial. "An Indian Wife's Devotion" (Selig). — The Western stories offered by this house nearly all have a convincing quality about them which causes one to wonder at the fidelity to the facts and the careful acting which makes the picture appear like a bit of real life picked up on the plains and transferred to canvas. This picture clearly depicts the despicable characteristics of the average half-breed, and undoubtedly represents him as he is, a dangerous and treacherous foe. The wife's devotion is represented by allowing her husband to escape in her clothes, and the ranch owner refuses to prosecute her. The real culprit, cringing with fear, accepts her proposition and is too far away to be re-captured when his escape is discovered. It is not a pleasant story, but the writer can say from personal experience with many such cowardly characters that the film is accurate in its delineation and gives a fair reproduction of some of the unpleasant experiences men have when dealing with half-breeds. "The Cub Reporter" (Lubin). — A funny story of a cub reporter assigned to an insane asylum story, and with a friend is captured by the inmates and has all sorts of a time until rescued. The picture is funny and the absurdities represented do not seem in the least impossible. "From the Egg to the Spit" (Pathe).— A beautifully colored picture showing the biography of a chicken from the incubator to the roasting spit, illustrating the methods followed in the Furanolle avitories in France. A chicken freeing himself from the egg was the most popular picture, and when the little fluffy ball of black and yellow disengaged himself and stood upright the audience, which filled the theater, broke into applause. The educational value of this type of films has been described before, and this particular picture is no exception to the general rule. And evidently average motion picture audiences like these films. They nearly always applaud them, and they seem to enjoy them better than some of the love stories which are offered them. More good educational films could be easily digested by the average American audience. "A Cask of Good Wine" (Pathe).— Probably this film has interest for French people who are accustomed to using wine, but it must not be forgotten that the average American family does not use wine and consequently a gift of a cask of wine means nothing to them. And the long drive of the drunken teamsters, while the wine drizzles from the spigot is tiresome, even though the photography is perfect. The only funny scene in the whole is where the recipient tastes his wine to discover that the barrel has been filled with water. "The Ladies" Companion" (Pathe). — A drama of love and jealousy, with the story of a will interwoven, a disinheritance scheme worked out by a jealous lover who thereby endears himself to a rich marchioness and becomes her beneficiary when she disinherits h< son who has married against her will, or rather has married her companion without her knowing it. The beneficiary does not know that the old lady has changed her will because of her granddaughter and pours poison in the old lady's glass. Fortunately the granddaughter sees him and upon her testimony he is arrested and punished, while her father, who was charged with the murder, is red. These little stories are all interesting and they please many people. Sometimes a story like this, which is easily understood, seems to satisfy even better than the more elaborate pictures which are matters of considerably study and comparison before they are understood. "The Engineer's Daughter" (Selig). — An interesting bit of melodramatic work, which has the usual vigor displayed by the Selig pictures. It is easy for the city-bred hunter to win the affections of the simple country girl, but later, after she receives the money from her father's life insurance, the real character of the lover is disclosed, and, shaking Kate off, he goes to another point and seeks to win the hand of a wealthy young lady. Her father dead, her brother a cripple, her money gone, it becomes necessary for Kate to seek employment. She finds it in the very house where her false lover i^ trying to secure the hand of the heiress. Kate eventually denounces him and he is given the alternative of either returning her money or going to jail. He chooses the former and Kate returns to her home triumphant. This sounds simple enough in telling, yet it is in reality a powerful drama that moves one when it is seen and causes one to want to seize the scamp by the throat and choke the life out of him. It may be that no stronger praise could be bestowed upon the picture than this. If it arouses such resentful emotions it must portray the characters with unusual strength. Photography and staging are quite in keeping with the subject and the picture as a whole is quite satisfactory. "She Took Mother's Advice" (Lubin). — A comedy from this house which represents graphically what occurred when a young married woman undertook to manage her husband as her mother directed. The film contains several funny situations and seems to be, in a way, a fresh version of the time-honored mother-in-law joke. "He Wanted a Baby" (Lubin). — Yes, he did, and his love for little people led him to undertake all sorts of curious stunts, but he got all he wanted when his wife presented him with triplets. Assuredly his cup of happiness was overflowing. But apparently there was a fly in his syrup somewhere, because, judging from his facial expression, he was anything but pleased with the result. Perhaps others would have exhibited the same indications of disappointment under similar conditions. Like all of Lubin's comedies, this is funny and the audience appreciates it. "The Three Neighbors" (Pathe). — In America few men commit suicide, or attempt it, because they can't have the girl they want. They either carry off the one they do want, despite the attempt of the parents to prevent it, or they go find another. Abroad suicide or some equally desperate deed seems to be the usual stunt for disappointed lovers. In this particular instance, after the young man had been thrown out by the irate father, he attempts to hang himself from a hook in the ceiling. The whole thing comes down and he discovers that he has unwittingly broken into the hiding place of the thief who carried away his prospective father-in-law's wealth. And so he gets the girl for finding the money and all are happy ever after. "Forced Into Marriage" (Pathe). — While this picture is overflowing with melodramatic action and the rush and whirl of life on the plains, it must be admitted that it lacks the convincing quality which appeals to one and seems to make a picture a verity. It seems plain enough why the girl was carried off, and even the shooting up of the deserted cabin and the execution of the two desperadoes is sufficiently plain, but to see the girl made the wife of one of the three kidnappers without a struggle of some sort is a curious anomaly, and leads to the conclusion that she was not altogether unwilling. There is plenty of life and action, and the film does not lack interest. The story seems a bit mixed in the telling, or else one becomes so accustomed to what may be termed conventional ways of doing things that any departure gives a species of shock which is surprising, though not unpleasant. "The Geisha Who Saved Japan" (Kalem).— One of the best that has come from this company. In addition to its being a true story of the life of Marquis Ito, Japan's greatest statesman, showing how he was saved by a little Geisha girl, it enjoys the distinction of being staged and costumed in real Japanese properties, while some of the actors are Japanese, too. The film tells the story graphically and the action is spirited and convincing. It was an ambitious undertaking,