Moving Picture News (Jan-Jun 1912)

THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS 43 owner's daughter, whom he had hoped to win himself. He attempts to force his attentions on her, but finds them unwelcome, and when he carries it to the point of rudeness her father interferes, thereby gaining his foreman's enmity. In order to retaliate for his suffered grievances he stirs up the cowboys with whiskey and talk gleaned from socialistic meetings. Under his leadership the boys are ready to fight, and in this dangerous mood the foreman leads a delegation to the ranchman with a demand that he divide his wealth equally among them. Reasoning and argument do not avail, and the ranchman finds that of all his employees Jack Williams is the only one that remains loyal. Finding that their demands are not complied with, the cowboys prepare to fight and a desperate battle takes place between the gang and the ranch owner and Jack. The wife and daughters witness the fight, and see the father wounded. Jack leads them all to a pit, where they will be safe and continues the fight alone. A stray bullet strikes the foreman, and without a leader the cowboys soon see their folly, and hostilities cease. And Jack finds that his brave defense of her father's home has convinced the girl that he could defend one of his own, and they make their plans accordingly. "CHECKMATE" American Release, April 8 When jolly, good-natured George Grey invited his old college chum, Jim Blackwell, to Chicago, George, of course, had but little idea of the radical change that the years had made in Jim's nature or the fact that Jim had become decidedly handsome. So, one day, fresh from the East, Jim blew into George's office, and a grand old reunion took place. George, of course, wanted to show Jim all the sights of his city and, naturally, one of the chief sights was George's best girl. They telephoned to a little French restaurant to hold a table for them. They then repaired to George's rooms, where full dress suits were donned, and the two old friends made straightway for the home of George's best girl, Grace Harcourt. Here they were received with much pomp by the charming Miss Harcourt, who welcomed them into the library. George did not quite like the way in which Grace looked at Jim. When Jim offered to play, and when Grace stood over him at the piano, and they together sang sentimental songs, George's patience began to ebb. This unfortunate state of mind was further augmented when Grace refused to answer his questions, and became so interested in the conversation of his chum that she seemed obvious to anything else in the room. After several desperate attempts to introduce himself into the conversation, George seized his hat and coat and fled in dismay and disgust. Meantime, Jim and Grace progressed nicely. Jim thought of the table reserved at the French restaurant, and insisted that Grace and he carry out the engagement. At the same time George was suddenly seized with an idea. He entered a telegraph office and wired a message to Jim, in care of Cafe Noir. Jim and Grace, reaching the cafe, were in the midst of a most loving tete-a-tete when the head waiter unexpectedly handed a telegram to Jim. He opened it, gasped in amazement and fainted dead away. Grace, thinking some serious calamity had befallen him, grasped the telegram, and read the following message: "Twins arrived to-day. Your wife doing well." On the same reel: "RANCHMAN'S MARATHON" Charley Wacher and Bob Culver were both madly enraptured with pretty Polly Daniels. They did not take young John Beverly into consideration, but Polly certainly did. When approached on the subject, Polly complained that both Wacher and Culver were much too old — ^that they were stiff in the joints, aged and infirm. This so wrought up Culver and Wacher that they decided to do a marathon. The one who could run the longest was to receive the hand of the gracious Miss Polly. So they started. Meantime young John Beverly seized the elusive Polly and rushed her away to the minister. On their return, they met the two marathon runners, and informed them of the marriage. 'OH! LISTEN TO THE BAND" Lux Release, March 29 A very amusing trick film, involving much humor. The leader of the Blue Hungarian Band is about to be married, and invites all the members of his band to attend the ceremony. The band turned up to a man, but leave their instruments at home. As the instruments also desire to be present at the ceremony they march off in single file. Their passage through the streets is highly amusing. When the bandsmen decided to have a tune, by way of celebrating, they find that their instru. .,_ ments have wandered off. Sitti"g down in despair, the bandsmen realize how much they love their instruments, but it all ends happily when the cornet, the trombone, the kettle drum, the big drum, and the flute come trooping back with a host more of their comrades. On the same reel: "BILL BECOMES A FAVORITE WITH THE LADIES" A Billesque, showing the amusing efforts of "Merry William" to win the affections of his ladylove. She shuns him. He seeks the magic spell, and through the misuse of same brings the affections of nearly every other lady tumbling around his little heart. The magic spell consisted of burning a lock of the lady's hair. Well, how was a poor, innocent little male _ thing like Bill to know that a lady's hair is not always "home grown"? "BILL BECOMES MENTALLY DERANGED" Lux Release, April 5 Bill suddenly becomes childish and delights in all the old pranks of his boyhood days. His wife calls a doctor in, and it is found that poor Bill has water on the brain. A sensational operation is performed, and comes off successfully mid much fun. The childlike innocence of silly Bill is a masterpiece of splendia comedy acting, and will cause shrieks of laughter. On the same reel: "AN ENJOYABLE RIDE" A young wife is suddenly seized with grave misgivings as to her husband's fidelity. She follows him only to have her suspicions confirmed. She exchanges clothes with a lady cab driver, and waits outside the restaurant which she observed her husband enter in company with another lady. When hubby comes out and calls a cab and takes his lady friend for a drive, he is made to feel the weight of his wife's wrath, by being driven over the most uneven of roads it is possible to find. The whole terminates in wifie finding that she has made a slight mistake. Fortunately the good gentleman and his companion are feeling too queer to give vent to their feelings. "THE WITCH'S NECKLACE" Solax Release, April 3 This is a stirring story, laid amidst beautiful surroundings, and has a sustaining interest. A touring party composed of wealthy people explore the beautiful country around the worldfamous Garden of the Gods, Colorado. They use packmules, donkeys and other accessories. After visiting all the v/onderful places in the neighborhood, including the Balanced Eock, and the canyons, the guide leads the party to a witch's cave. The witch has a weird-looking abode, the site of which instills the feminine contingent of the party with shrinking terror. Several of the women in the party are not afraid, however. One has her fortune told, and another of the party develops a liking for a mysterious-looking necklace which the witch has suspended from the neck of an oriental God. The girl determines to purchase the necklace, but her father wouldn't have it. The girl is piqued and sulky. When the explorers proceed, she runs off and manifests her displeasure by spending the rest of the afternoon alone, reading a novel. She falls into a trance, and imagines that the witch has presented her with the mysterious necklace. As soon as she puts it around her neck she is guided by an irresistible force into wild and unknown regions. She wanders on and on and on, aimlessly, and without direction. When almost dying with exhaustion, she is awakened by a member of the party, and told that the expedition is about to move on to the next town. "BILLY'S TROUBLESOME GRIP" Solax Release, April 5 Billy Quirk starts out in the morning for his office. Billy has important papers in his grip and important matters on his mind. Knowing his predilection for matters fenainine, Billy's wife cautions him to curb this weakness if he at all appreciates peace and a good home. But Billy, innocently enough, gets into all manner of trouble before he gets to his office. Poor Billy, he didn't do a thing, and after it was all over he vowed he'd never do it again. The trouble starts when Billy takes a car and in his hurry, when he reaches his destination, he grabs up a grip similar to his, but which happens to belong to a woman of an uneven temper and unsympathetic nature. When Billy discovers to his horror that his grip, instead of containing valuable papers contained lingerie and false hair, he nearly collapses. In his confusion, before risking detection by his wife, Billy tries to get rid of the grip, so as to prevent being found in a compromising position. In the meanwhile, Mrs. Uneven Temper discovers her loss and goes with clenched fists for the mere man who presumed to rob her of her appendages and rightful possessions. Naturally, when Greek meets Greek there is a tug of war. This refers to Billy's wife and Mrs. Uneven Temper. Billy, however, is not Greek. He ran for dear life, and in doing so complicated things still more. Photographic trick work is a feature of the picture. "A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES" Gaumont Release, April 9 Amorous Algie and L/^A (persevering Percival . ^N^/.^r^^ are both terribly in %\v)l!«l4(y/X love. Algie's fair Im^"^^V"^ ogene has sent him an -^^1^ ^-^V" invitation to dinner, <f^O/lfnnnT:k. whlle Perclval's CleoVjQUIllUI/L-^ patra has given him •♦^Ir >L^^^ shoulder right. 4_Tk. ^y^^^^J So deeply does Percy ^/r)f^y^(n^/\% take to heart his sweet'^Ayjl^-^ heart's jilting that he r decides to commit sui cide and writes his dazzling Cleopatra to that effect. Algie, happening along, goes to mail the mysterious letter, but drops it from his pocket along one of the avenues, where the noted Fuddleall, detective, incognito, observes its fall, reads it, and, mistaking Algie for its writer, decides to follow and watch him lest harm occur. _ The comical situations that follow form a jolly, hilarious, prolonged laughter that will claim every member of the audience. Poor Algie, certainly is made to suffer for Fuddjeall's mistake, even unto losing his own fiancee. On the same reel: "JIMMIE CAPITULATES" Tiny Jimmie bears all the ear-marks of developing into a strong woman-hater when he reaches the age of an adult. In fact, he scorns the weaker sex in general, but his sister in particular. To him, little girls seem absolutely valueless and good for nothing. In bravado fashion, Jimmie dons his soldier's uniform, strides his broom-bodied battle steed, unsheaths his pine sword, and spreads terror to his little sister and Julie, the nurse, taking advantage of the absence of his mother. But, alack ! our might3' warrior trips over a humble little rug and bruises his face most rudely upon the kitchen floor. He forgets his bravado, and weeps most cowardly. Little sister forgives her brother's contempt for females, and ministers his every need while in such pain. This brings Jimmie to his proper senses, whereby his views on woman-kind are entirely altered. In fact, they are Heaven's blessing in his estimation ever afterward. "THE PRAIRIE ON FIRE" Gaumont Release, April 12 Yellow Feather, the fierce implacable Indian chieftain of the Ojibway Indians, has just received a wrist wound after an encounter with the government reserve agent over the affairs of his tribe. Although the agent's wife heals the wound, the warrior nourishes a deep-seated grievance. In revenge he sets fire to the prairie surrounding the camp of the cowboys, who hurriedly round HI) their horses and cattle, pack their prairie