Moving Picture News (Jan-Dec 1911)

42 THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS MANUTAGTUr^riS' WHILE THERE'S LIFE THERE'S HOPE Imp Release, April 24 Ethel Sinclair is seated in the garden adjoining her home when her lover, Alfred King, enters. She has just finished a letter she has written which she gives him, then leaves the garden in company with another young man. The letter is a cruel one, informing King the engagement that has existed between them is terminated on account of King's poverty. King sees her enter an automobile and drive away with his rival and he repairs to a park and tears up the letter. The scene shifts to the office of Samuel Morton, an aged broker, who is desperate on account of financial reverses. He receives a letter confirming his worst fears and he resolves to end his troubles in suicide. He enters a room in a hotel and writes a farewell letter to his friends. King also decides to take his own life in his wretchedness and he engages apartments in the same hostelry and writes a note to Ethel. The scene changes from one room to another in the hotel. Morton produces a revolver to shoot himself and King resolves on the poison route. King overturns the bottle of poison and Morton hears the noise and seeks another mode of shuflling. In turn King and Morton repair to a high bridge and are about to jump over when a little girl appears and frustrates their plans. She comes to Morton with a teddy bear and he leads her away, leaving the bear on the wall. King appears and is about to throw himself over when the child returns for the doll and her mother joins her. King loses his nerve and follows .them. Morton returns to his room and takes out his revolver. King enters the adjoining room, removes his hat and coat and then turns on the gas to end his life by asphyxiation. He falls from his chair, overcome by the fumes of the gas, just as Morton is about to shoot himself. Morton hears the noise and goes into the room of King and takes the young man into his (Morton's) apartment, drags him to the window and revives him. Morton gives King a bit of advice on hearing his story. Tells him there are plenty of women in the world. King finds the letter that plunged Morton into despair and he tells the broker to buck up, that "While there's life there's hope." Both agree to begin the battle of life anew and to be brave. They leave the hotel and walk away with the light of new hope shining in their faces, their troubles lightened by the recent experiences. THE SCARLET LETTER Imp Release, April 27 A dramatization of the story by Nathaniel Hawthorne of the same title. The treatment of the tale is delicate in interpretation without improper suggestion, a preachment being the intent. Hester Prynne has left Holland in advance of her husband, Roger, to join the colonists in Salem, Mass. Roger follows her to the new world, but upon landing in New England is captured by Indians, and Hester waits for him in vain. There has never been much love in their marriage, Roger being an old man and she a comely young woman. Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale, the handsome young minister of the Salem community, is revered and beloved by his parishioners. He meets Hester clandestinely and an unlawful love is the result. When Hester is discovered with a baby — a mother but not a wife — she is arrested, tried and condemned to stand upon the public pillory with her child and for the remainder of her life to wear conspicuously on her breast the letter "A." ^ , , As she stands on the raised platform, the governor of the colony commands her to divulge the name of the father of the child. She refuses. The Rev. Master Dimmesdale is asked to persuade her to reveal her secret. He addresses her, and tells her if she thinks it for the best, to do so. She again refuses. , . , , j , Roger, her husband, has been released by the red men and he appears in Salem on the day of her public disgrace and recognizes her. He signals for hhr to be silent, as the recognition is mutual. A silence for silence is agreed upon. He takes the name of Roger Chillingworth and, being a physician, is called to prescribe for the suffering minister, knowing him to be the father of Hester's child. ., , . , ^ , , ., The child. Pearl, grows into a beautiful girl and the governor decides that Hester is not the proper person to rear her. Hester, in her gnef, appeals to the minister and he in turn prevails on the governor to allow her the custody of the child. _ , • . j-, As time passes the minister is growing weaker and weaker in bodily strength and the guilty secret gives him no peace of mind. Meeting Hester and little Pearl by accident, he tells the woman of his terrible punishment. She, in love and pity, tears the letter from her breast and proposes that they leave the country together to begin life anew. Little Pearl finds the letter and restores it to Hester and they realize they cannot escape the consequences of their sinning. • , , . On a holiday the minister preaches a powerful sermon in the church on the sins of the flesh and the penalty for evil doing. As he appears in the market place he is cheered by the members of his congregation. He is overcome by emotion as the awful truth is brought home to him that he is a hypocrite. Seeing Hester and little Pearl standing near, he pulls himself together by a mighty effort and resolves to confess his sins publicly. Taking thPm by the hands, he slowly and deliberately mounts the pillory. with Hester amazed, and then, to the astonishment of his flock and the loungers standing near, proclaims Pearl as his child and arraigns himself as a sinful teacher. The members of his church are appalled and dumb with astonishment. They cannot comprehend it. Hester smiles through her tears. She will no longer bear the burden of shame alone. The moment has arrived when she is partially vindicated by the self-sacrifice of the sharer of her degradation. The final effort, coupled with years of intense suffering, proves too great a tax on the strength of the minister and he falls dead at the foot of the pillory. Hester supports his head, with tears coursing down her cheeks. The vindication has come, but with it has gone the man she has loved in secret while being subjected to the jeers of her fellows. HERODIAS Eclalre Release, April 24 Herodias, wife of Herod, the Tetrach of Galilee, is scathingly denounced by the great and pious Prophet, John the Baptist, for her profligate life; but the woman resents his fierce accusations, and endeavors in every possible way to put an end to his threats. John the Baptist, however, bravely continues to heap contempt upon her, and at last, Herodias prevails upon the Tetrach to throw her prosecutor into prison. Shortly afterwards Herodias brings Salome, her daughter by her first marriage, to dance before the Tetrach, at a great festival in honor of Herod. Herod becomes dazzled by the grace and charm of his stepdaughter, and vows to give her anything she may demand at his hands. Salome, directed by her mother, claims tlie head of John the Baptist, the denouncing Prophet! Herod is staggered by so ghastly a request, but he is bound by his vow, and is obliged to comply with her desire. At a blow of the executioner's sword, the wish is fulfilled! Thereupon, Herodias abandons herself to savage joy, but Salome, appalled by^ her own heinous crime, falls in a swoon, at the sight of the severed, bleeding head! A DAUGHTER OF THE REVOLUTION Rex Release, April 13 There were heroines in the days of the revolution as well as heroes. Women who displayed as much fortitude, who underwent as much silent suffering and offered as many sacrifices almost as the sturdy men on the firing line. What is called the romance of war is generally only death, despair and devastation, but sometimes even in the holocaust of struggle, there figures a genuine little skirmish of cupid and young hearts. Dorothy Payton, a pretty rebel, the daughter of Judge Payton (a stout old Tory), loves James Hamilton, a young patriot. Captain Smith of the British army, also loves Dorothy, even putting his passion above loyalty and honor. Harnilton risks his life to save his sweetheart, penetrating the British lines in disguise. He escapes detection and a spy's death only through Dorothy's self-sacrifice. To assure his escape the girl allows herself to Ibe convicted of treason. Captain Smith is detailed to escort her to New York. On the road he offers to desert to the Americans and save her if she will promise to be his wife. Sturdily, well knowing the consequence of her decision, she refuses. Later, the party is attacked and conquered by the Americans under Hamilton, who at first totally misconstrues Dorothy's presence, but who soon learns the truth. Dorothy is taken to the American camp and Washington himself gives away the bride, when she and Hamilton are married. THE STOLEN LEGACY Great Northern Release, April 22 This is an e.xceedingly powerful detective story. Sherlock Kolmes is in make-up a lifelike presentment of Conan Doyle's famous character. A Count, who feels that his end is near, makes a will in favor of his wife, and it is deposited in a safe. The noted criminal, "Dr." Morse, is . masqerading as the Count's medical attendant, and deter. mines to get possession of the will. Hexjtherefore, takes 12 a wax impression of the keyhole of the s^e, sending the 5 skeleton key to a woman accomplice who is nursing the 5^ Count. When the Count's death occurs, the nurse quickly secures the will and hands it to "Dr." Morse when he arrives in response to an urgent message. The loss of the will is soon discovered, and Sherlock Holmes is consulted. He observes an emissary of "Dr." Morse's outside his chambers, so gets a friend to go out dressed as himself (Holmes), thus throwing the watcher of the scent. The Countess meanwhile drives away in her carriage; she is pursued in a motor car by Morse and his confederates, captured after a valiant defence by. her coachman, and taken to a lonely cottage. Here she is bound and placed in charge of a horrible little hunchhack, whom Morse tells to kill her on the stroke of midnight unless other instructions are received. Then Morse goes to Sherlock Holmes's chambers and makes a forcible entry. Holmes is there and holds him up. Morse laughs, and says if he is not back at the cottage in half an hour, the Countess will be killed. So Holmes lets him go and accompanies him. A trap to kill him fails, and the Countess is saved from death. Morse escapes by throwing pepper in two police constables'^ eyes, but is captured eventually, through going out of bravado to Holmes's rooms.