Moving Picture News (Jan-Dec 1911)

THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS 17 storj-, ever new, is being learned by Lettie. Earl paints her portrait, giving promise of talent as an artist. It is the awakening and Earl musters up courage and kisses her. They walk away happy, oblivious to all else save their great love. Lettie and Earl are next shown as adults. The course of true love has run smoothly. With others the minuet is danced on the green. The party is a merry one — contented pairs of lovers without a cloud to mar their happiness. It is quite natural that Earl should have a rival. One develops in the person of Ashton Orcutt, a debonair, handsome, carefree j'oung man who sees Lettie and is smitten. His is the bold impetuous way and he attempts to kiss the girl by force. The opportune arrival on the scene of Earl cools his ardor and a bitter quarrel ensues. In the Colonial days an insult inevitably resulted in a meeting on the field of honor. A challenge is given and accepted. The young men fight and the duello is in accordance with the code. The weapons used are rapiers and Ashton is slightly wounded. Earl is satisfied; the girl being a horrified witness to the affair. The marriage of Earl and Lettie is a joyous occasion. They go forth from the church with the blessings of their friends — a happy party with a bright future in prospect for the bride and groom. Their union is blessed with a child, Edward, th^ pride of the doting parents. They are seen walking with the boy and a game is in progress in which the elders are childish in the romp with their offspring. Sadness comes with the death of the father. The grief of the widowis intense. Edward, a youth of fifteen, is all that is left for the good mother to lean upon. They are led from the bedside by kind friends, bereaved. The scene reverts to the grove. Mrs. Jackson awakens from her reverie, saddened by the memories. Her face is tearstained and her body convulsed with sobs. Edward and Polly approach and she turns to them joyfully. She again takes the young girl in her arms and clings to her, admonishing Edward to cherish and protect her. Edward is embraced and extolled as a dutiful son. The young people receive the blessings of the parent, the story closing with a pretty tableau. SO SHALL 7E HEAP Imp Belease, March 30 Aida Travis, a mother but not a wife, finds her child a burden and, losing her mother's instinct, abandons the infant by secretly placing it on the steps of the dwelling of a wealthy man. The butler finds it and, fearing to incur the displeasure of his master, carries it to the chapel door of Father Jules, the priest of the parish. The priest, with the assistance of his servant, cares for the little girl, whom he names Vera. The venerable Father is quite awkward in his ministerings to its wants but takes supreme delight and interest in its welfare. The child is christened in due form. Sixteen years elapse and Vera is a beautiful girl budding into womanhood and is beloved by her companions. She calls on the priest and together they go to service in the chapel. Aida, who has become a gay woman of the world, has preserved her beauty and she revisits the scenes of her early shame, attired in the height of fashion. She impresses all by her beauty and at a gay party she meets Harlow Ellsworth, a liandsome young American, who is touring the country on pleasure bent. Harlow leaves the party to go on a jaunt and meets \'era as she emerges from the chai>el. He is immediately impressed with her beauty and innocence and is interested. He accosts her politely and she is not averse to his well-meant attentions. He walks with her to her home and she poses at the gate for a photograph to add to the collection of the tourist. They part with an implied understanding that they will meet again. Aida, in her room, is quite overcome with the memories of the past, and her mind reverts to her child, of whom she dare not make inquiries. She produces a shoe worn by Vera and is griefstricken at the sight of a tiny dress which she fondles — all that remain to remind her of the child she abandoned. Harlow and Vera go rowing and he shows her the proof of her photograph and then tells her he loves her. They halt near Father Jules, who is sleeping. He awakens in time to see them depart, arms entwined, and he is fearful of the consequences, as he has always loved the child. Father Jules meets Vera and sternly commands the girl to tell him of her love affair. She does so and he is satisfied that the attentions of the young American are honorable, but he is racked with conflicting emotions. He feels the lover should be appraised of the parentage of the girl, and yet he does not wish to ruin her happiness. Harlow again meets Aida, the mother, with a party of gay companions, and he accidently drops the photograph of Vera. Aida picks it up. She immediately recognizes the likeness of her child and questions Harlow, who does not reply, preferring to keep his secret to himself. She follows him, leaving her companions abruptly, as he goes to join his sweetheart. He finds Father Jules instead, and the venerable man of God conducts him to the chapel and points to the stone on which the child was found sixteen years ago. As the story is ended Aida approaches and takes in the situation. She intuitively divines that Vera is her daughter. The girl approaches and is sent to Harlow. The mother confesses and the young American is called and presented to her. Harlow denounces her bitterly. She bows her head in assent. The priest emphatically refuses to allow her to disclose her identity and tells her to seek consolation in God and commends her to the care of two nuns. Vera, not understanding, turns to Harlow, who takes her in his arras. Father Jules enters the chapel following the sorrowing mother. HER MOTHER'S FIANCEE Yankee Release, March 31 When a woman, especially a widow, sets her cap for a husband, it's a case of "All is fair in Love and War." Mrs. Radcliff, a wealthy widow, had been engaged for some years to a titled foreigner. They plighted their troth while the widow was abroad educating her only daughter, and the prospective bridegroom was expected daily to attend his nuptial ceremony. In honor of his arrival, the widow had prepared a garden fete to introduce her prospective husband to her friends and intimates. The step from girlhood to womanhood is small — separated only by the difference between short and long dresses and wearing the hair down the back or on top of the head. When the widow first met the Count her daughter was a little girl in short dresses — now, returning from boarding school with her long skirts she was a very attractive young w-oman, which the mother with her worldly experience was quick to realize. A woman may be as old as she looks — but not so when she has a grown up daughter in evidence; therefore, the daughter was requested to temporarily return to her short skirts for the Count's benefit, but when she was also informed that little girls could not attend garden fetes she rebelled, but the mother was obdurate. The daughter met the Count as a little girl and acted the part, for she played many a kid prank upon the two lovers, much to their embarrassment. The night of the fete arrived and so did the daughter, but in her proper garb, where she met the Count and where that observant person realized that the daughter was even more attractive than the mother. Moonlight on the water has been the result of many a romance. That was the result of the Count's and his prospective step-daughter's boat ride on the bay. The Count was a poor oarsman — he lost both oars and the wind and tide did the rest — the couple were marooned on a barren island far from shore and not rescued until next morning. The night was cold. The Count first protected his charge with his coat — then his arms — the result was to be expected, the widow gained a son-in-law instead of a husband. THE FAKIR'S NEW SERVANT Great Northern Release, March 25 A trick film of novel character. Our hero becomes the servant of a wonderful magician, and helps him in his entertainments. The magician produces all kinds of astonishing effects with his magic wand. He transforms a rose into a beautiful damsel; he places on the floor two dummy figures which, at his command, become animated ■V and indulge in a boxing and wrestling match. He next 2 produces a table and causes various refreshments to appear ^ on it, and also produces a little party to partake of same, ^ which they lose no time in doing. On the return to the magician's apartment, our hero decides that he would like to see once more the damsel who so recently danced and disappeared. With a few motions of the wand he manages to produce her, but she doesn't like it, and slaps his face. Our friend then thinks he would like to see some boxing, but the boxers pummel him immercifully. The table cracks him on the head, and then the magician appears. He dismisses him in wrath for interfering with his mysteries after first magically adorning him with a set of donkey ears. TROUBLES OF A TRIP The jovial Jones and his wife decide to take a trip to town. Jones makes up his mind to take advantage of the opportunity by having a good time on the sly, and lays his plans accordingly, but unfortunately for him his better half discovers his game, and interferes with a vim, just as he has commenced to enjoj himself in the midst of his hilarious friends. THE BACHELOR'S OLD MAID Champion Release, March 29 Because her Uncle Peter never embarked in the matrimonial sea is no argument why she should not do so, opines Mary. So she holds a clandestine meeting with John, a dashing young cowboy, to whom entrance to the house was forbidden. On coming home unexpectedly, Peter surprises the young couple together, and after dismissing John and forewarning him against repeating the offense on pain of being shot, he tries to please and pacify his wilful niece, whom he really loves, by giving her an agreement, upon her taunt that if he only had a chance he'd marry too, that should Mary ever catch him in a love affair he would grant his consent to her marriage. Soon the minds of the two young folks set to work planning with the following result: John, who resides in an adjoining town, has a maiden aunt of whom he is very fond, and when he pathetically appeals to her to lend her assistance towards gaining the girl of his heart, the Old Maid acquiesces. Upon his dictation she pens a love note to old Peter, whom she has never seen, asking him to meet her at a designated hotel, to which John is to take her. Peter receives the note, and becomes all a-flutter in his frantic efforts to dress appropriately and makes off with all speed to the rendezvous. Soon after his arrival, Peter is badly smitten and falls for the Maid's ardent symptoms of love attack. The affair is capped when she manages to get his ring before he leaves, which is in accordance with the lovers' plans. When John espies the ring, he becomes assured of success, and he has his Aunt taken to Peter's home. Poor Peter is in a dreadful state when the old maid calls and he attempts a denial of having ever seen her before, but she displays the ring he gave her, which she still wears, and the proof is conclusive. Therefore, in fulfillment of his agreement, he must give his consent to her engagement to John. This he is finally prevailed on to give, and peace is sovereign once more. (.Continued on page 19.)