Moving Picture News (Jan-Dec 1911)

THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS ing to the dentist's, where the united efforts of manj' fail to pull the molar. He then dashes off to the train, where a woman asks him to hold her child. The train leaves, taking him. liis toothache and the baby. ( Why a man, such as he was, ever traveled in that class on an Italian railroad is a poser), ^\'hen he arrives at home and faces his wife, the child raises ructions. Fortunatel}', its mother arrives and gives him such a slap the tooth comes out! Parts are amusing and parts are photographically worth} of the hrm. Tweedledum Tries Winter Sports — (Ambrosio). — Of course this tunny fellow makes everj one laugh. His antics, skating, tobogganing and skiing are comic. What he contrives to do is simply marvelous. The snow scenery amid the mountains is exquisite, so realistic one expects to hear the swish, whizz, crunch of the snow and ice. The split would be a beaut}' with no story. How Mary Met the Punchers — (Melies). — Marj^ came from Boston. Don't forget that — and so with the high superciliousness of that academic citj treated the punchers with loftj scorn. When a gentleman with a title from the next ranch arrives, she's all smiles. The two go riding and are chased by a gang of drunken Indians. They hide behind the ruins of a shack. Sir Granville fixes up a dummy on a horse, but has to borrow Mary's skirt. (Business.) The Indians chase the dummy. Sir Granville goes for help. He never appears again. Cowboys come to Mary's rescue, bringing her skirt. (More business.) Mary then shakes hands — with the left hand — with her rescuers. I know not whether it is my cerebellum or cerebrum that's out of order, but my brain cannot grip these things. Alary comes from Boston. Boston! At once she's in a divided skirt, can ride splendidly and, moreover, use her pistol as to the manner born. The air out there must be wondrous potent. The punchers" lasso work is interjected. The Poor Sick Men — (Biograph). — Bravo, BiographI You certainly got out of the rut this time, and made everybody laugh and laugh, and then laugh some more. I'm very much afraid some of us, running in double harness, knew something of the situation from personal experience. Two men. father and son-in-law, make out they're sick, and so cannot go to the theater with their wives. So soon as the ladies go, each, without the other's knowledge, sneaks off to play cards. They meet, more fun. The club's raided, they slip up the fire escape, and one gets a kid's clothes, the other a policeman's. Their escapades on the way home are unique. Their changing clothes and fixing the sore foot and aching head to meet their wives is side-splitting. The innocent wives condole — here wink the other ej'e! Every theater where this is shown will feel like shouting "Encore!" The Disinherited Son — (Eclipse). — The stage settings are of a high order. They are real, not faked, tawdry, makebelieves. The story is innately French and pivots upon French customs. A young man loves a girl who works in his father's factory, and will not marrj' the girl chosen hy his parents. He is disinherited. He seems to have done well. He's about to leave the country, but wishes to see his mother (man-like) and to bring his wife and boy. They all meet in the home garden. The hoy strays, meets his grandfather — who does not know him — and makes him assist in the manufacture of mud pies. Of course, the child brings about reconciliation. That the acting is of the highest goes without saj'ing. Parisian "stars'" filled the roles. The mother's part calls for the highest in dramatic art — she fills it. Bumptious as Romeo — (Edison). — I imagine it would have been a pleasure to all concerned to hear the Union Square Theater audience laugh, as this reel was shown. Real wholesouled laughter. Bumptious sees Romeo and Juliet played and determines to show how it ought to be done. His endeavors to be Romeo, his extensive and clinging love making and his final catastrophe in upsetting the scenery, broad farce. As he sneaked out of the "star"s" dressingroom and then in his rooms destroyed all evidence of a dead ambition — even smashing the immortal Will — he told and told well, the old story of thorough and complete disillusionment. Maid or Man — (Imp). — .\ young fellow gets a gray head to go to a prize fight. Gray head's actions there cause disturbance. The fight is raided, and the two after a strenuous flight get home, dishevelled, tattered and battle scarred. The woman comes to the rescue and the yoimgster dresses in his sister's robes, plaj'ing the maid to an incoming policeman. He plays his part in his flirtation %vith the "cop'' to the dot. The old man in his joy at the "'cop's" departure falls upon his son's neck — that is the pseudo-maid's. Just then in comes the mother — hysteria and so forth, till explained. The Fourteenth Street Theater was filled with merriment over this well conceived and worked out reel. Good for you, little sister, and also ditto for you, brother; I didn't know j-ou could so adequately fill that class of work. The Escape from the Tuileries — (Pathe). — A stirring, vigorous, well-told story from the Reign of Terror in France. The tale does not bear condensation. Educational films are much spoken of; here is one. What men and Vv'omen did and suffered for conscience sake. The stage settings are just what is required. The outpourings of the red caps, mixed with the forerunners of the petroleuse, are vivid, and acted as only Parisians can. The scene where the lady in her bed treats with the bloodthirsty mob — whilst the count is under the mattress — reveals that unbreakable spirit so often to be seen in those days. The other side of the picture some folks forget — mayhap don't understand. Historicall}-, photographically and theatricallj' of that excellence I like to see Pathe produce. CORRESPONDENCE A SCHOOL BOY'S OPINION OF M. P. SHOWS New York, Feb. S, 1911. Dear Sir: — I was talking to a friend about moving pictures and vaudeville and he said: "Moving pictures and vaudeville have sprung up over night, and will not last long." I asked him why he thought so, and he replied: "Because the public will not stand to be made a laughing stock of all the time and no good can come from them." Well, it looks to me as if the public were enjoying being made a laughing stock of. I will admit that they have done harm, but they also have done good. There are any number of houses in the city that give a good clean show and treat their patrons with respect, and charge a small admis sion fee. But there are others that ought to have their doors nailed closed. But there are good and bad sides to all things in business and pleasure, and it is so with moving pictures. Moving pictures are not a thing of the past; in fact, the}' have come to stay. It is one of the many products of American genius by which thousands of people are amused every day, but they have also brought about abuses which have grown to serious proportions. Many people wonder if there is a way to stop these low houses. "Yes, as the old saying is. Where there's a will, there's a way. If the people would stop patronizing these houses they would be forced to put on a cleaner show or go out of business entirely. Faithfully yours, WALDO GORDON VIELE. MOVING PICTURES, LIKE BUNYAN'S "PILGRIM'S PROGRESS," REVEALED IN A DREAM Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 11, 1911. Friend Saunders: — The iiighly interesting communication of j\Ir. C. Francis Jenkins in "The Moving Picture News ' of February 4th regarding Edison's connection with the "invention'' of the "Vitascope" reminded me of a tale I was told some six years ago m Washington, D. C. I then made the acquaintance of an interesting Scotch woman holding a Government position at the capital and commanding the respect of all her associates and acquaintances. Among other topics we discussed moving pictures and to my astonishment she said: "Perhaps you would not credit it, but I am the real originator of moving pictures as we now understand them." She then went on to tell me that one night many years ago she had a dream, and in her dream she saw the figures from a painting in her room step out of their frames and seat themselves at a table just like human beings, and after transacting their business they retired to their frames again and became still pictures once more! This dream she had more than once and it set her thinking; not the first time, by the way, when great works and deeds have been originated and suggested by the subconscious mind in sleep. She further told me she had a very clever friend in Washington at the time (which was the early nineties) and she went over this dream with him in detail, and so impressed him by it that he did not rest until he solved the secret and invented the moving picture, for which (as she said then) others, including Edison, had been given undue credit. Either Mr. Armat or Mr. Jenkins can no doubt verify this story. The lady is now living in Scotland and is an occasional correspondent of mine so is available should any controversy arise. It is at least an "incident" that I think should be recorded in your authoritative paper, along with all the other news relating to the origin of motography. Respectfully yours, JAMES D. LAW.