Moving Picture News (Jul-Dec 1912)

THE ^[OVIXG PICTURE NEWS 27 the crowd who demand chat she, an aristocrat, die also, and she is thrown into prison. After pleading in vain in her behalf, Vigot finally determines to rescue Beatrice at any cost. By bribery he achieves his purpose, but Beatrice,' although tilled with gratitude, cannot love him, and the two part, never to meet again. Her escape soon becomes known and Vigot, after a short trial, is condemned to die at the guillotine. Alas! he has sacrificed bis life on the altar of love KAY-BEE ON SECRET SERVICE (Two reels) (Nov. 1). — Messrs. Kessel and Baumann make the lirst release of the Xew York Motion Picture Co. under the trade-mark of Kay-Bee with a sensational war story, in which everything possible in military sensationalism and dramatic situations, conceivable in a military production, has been included. It is a wonderful story of the Civil War, with amazing battle scenes, booming cannon, bursting shells, terrific explosions and realistic battle scenes. There are scenes of melting tenderness and self-sacrifice; scenes of carnage and death, with hundreds of men engaged in conflict, and scenes of sensationalism, with madly galloping horses in lightning charges. Anna Little, playing the part of the Southern girl whose brother is a spy, makes a wild ride to save her brother; a cannon is blown up with dynamite; Ray Meyers, as the Southern soldier, is making a sensational escape when his horse is shot and turns a complete somersault backwards, and there are many other scenes of startling interest. Fred Martin is a Southern spy, working between the lines, and daring death every moment. His changes of clothing and uniforms are kept in his negro mammy's shack. A Xorthern despatch bearer is captured, and the signature to his messages is forged and Martin sent in the dangerous mission of luring the Xorthern troops into an ambush. He accomplishes this, and a terrible battle results in which the Federals are driven back. The work of Martin is so damaging to the Xorth that plans are laid for his capture, and John Bruce, a secret service man. is assigned to the task. He goes to Martin's home town and presents a forged letter of introduction to the Martins, purporting to be signed by Fred Martin. He is welcomed into the home and, to further his ends, makes love to Anna ilartin. winning her heart and her confidence. While in the Martin home the Xorthern troops surround the house and Bruce, fearing that his plans to capture Martin will fail if the field is not left clear for him to return, is compelled to make himself known to the Xorthern officer Fred ilartin is expected on a visit that night, so Bruce shows his credentials as a secret service man and instructs the soldiers to secrete themselves about the house. In bidding good-bye to Anna he drops the passport, and she learns the awful truth. Anna has been expecting her brother, and has given the signal — a candle in the window — that the coast was clear. Gun in hand, Bruce awaits Fred, and the anguished girl sees the spy in the moonlight, crouching behind a bush. Galloping towards home. Fred is surprised on a bridge by two X'orthern sentries. Dismounting, he nonchalantlv hands them a pass, hoping they will be deceived by the Xorthern uniform he is wearing. They scan it closely, however, and he realizes that the situation is critical. In swift succession he delivers crushing blows upon the faces of the sentries, and they tumble off the bridge into the water and. leaping on his horse, he gallops away. With swift strokes one of the sentries gets to shore and. leveling his rifle, takes a quick shot at Fred as he goes around a bend in the road, little thinking it will hit the mark. Fred's horse is struck, and leaping into the air it turns a complete somersault backwards and falls on Fred. (This scene is actually shown in the film.) Crushed and hurt. Fred extricates himself from the dying animal and painfully crawls away. The delay has saved him. for the X'orthern soldiers awaiting him give him up in the early hours of the morning, and when Fred drags himself to the door he is unobserved. Anna and her mother put Fred to bed. In his wounded condition he is helpless, and .\nna realizes that he must be captured unless she saves him. Attempting to leave the house, her way is barred by a X'orthern sentrv. Returning to the house, in her anguished fear for her brother's life. Miss Little does some remarkable acting. Donning her brother's clothes she manages to effect her escape and, leaping on a horse, gallops awav. Bruce has determined upon a bold stroke and, impersonating Fred, he goes to the Union colonel and tells him a detachment of Southern soldiers is nearby, and attempts to lead the Xorthern soldiers into an ambush. In the meantime -^nna is making a wild ride, sparing neither the horse nor herself, and she arrives in time to bare Bruce's plot, and accuse him. On her part, Anna has fallen desperately in love with Bruce, and he has lost his heart to the brave girl, but each buries personal feeling for the sake of their respective countries. Bruce is arrested and quickly tried and convicted of being a spy. He is led out in the field, and a dozen soldiers face him with leveled rifles. Anna sees the impending execution and with an agonized scream dart across the field, but the rifles thunder a volley and the man she loves falls dead. The picture ends with Anna sobbing over the dead secret service man — a most pathetic scene. SOLAX THE OLD LOVE AND THE NE'W (Nov, 6). — The boy is a bachelor of thirty who. by diligence and perseverance, is on the road to success. He comes of a poor but hardworking family, his mother being a plain, old-fashioned home-loving body. She has devoted her life to her son. The boy's success gains him introduction into fashionable and aristocratic circles. He meets the girl and falls in love with her. She is selfish, proud, snobbish, and has a great contempt for her social inferiors. The boy presents her with an engagement ring, and tells her that he '^ants her to meet his old love, his mother. After many excuses, she finally consents and accompanies him to his mother's cottage. There she views with haughty disdain the humble surroundings and the plain and simple mother, who does everything in her power to win her future daughterin-law's affection. The girl treats the mother like a servant, and rebukes her severely when she accidentally spills some sugar on her dress. The old mother bursts into tears. ^ The boy resents his fiancee's treatment of his mother. She is furious that he should take sides against her, and in a rage demands that he choose between them. He hesitates a moment between the old love and the new, and then folds his old mother in his arms. The girl tries to make amends but the boy has discovered her true nature and points to the door. With a haughty toss of her head she passes out of his life forever. Like a little boy, the boy sinks to the floor and lays his head in his mother's lap. She bends and kisses him on the brow. JUST HATS (Nov. 8).— Billy is a boy who is long in imagination and short in sense. His parents give him up as a good-for-nothing idiot. Billy, on a certain evening, incurs the displeasure of the household by ruining the hat of his sister's beau. The next evening idiotic Billy puts the family in a turmoil. He comes. rushing in from the yard, upsets two buckets of water, and sends things flying around the room just because he happens to see a strangelooking hat on the scarecrow. His parents are disgusted with Billy and turn him ovit of doors — believing that a little hardship will make a man of him. Billy goes to the city and has a series of ludicrous adventures, and each of his misfortunes are brought about by troublesome hats. Finally, Billy gets a job in the store of a long-lost cousin. His cousin is a retail hatter, and Billy's importance depends on his ability to deliver hats to customers. Billy sets out. carrying about ten boxes. He has quite a time trying to make connections with cars, ferry-boats and omnibuses. Then Billy gets an idea! Having seen his cousin fold up some opera hats, Billv decides that all hats could be telescoped. He immediately proceeds to dispense with the boxes, and crushes derbys and silk hats into pancake shape and puts them all in one box. Billy then finds fault with liimself because h» hadn't thought of the idea before. Later. Billy is at a loss to understand whv folks don't take their hats and why they kick him down stairs. LUX OH! MY PIPE (Nov, 1). — These four comical scenes only go to prove how dearly every smoker cherishes his beloved pipe. Sraithson is taking home a new clay pipe and, even after being flattened out by ' a massive steam roller, his first thoughts are for the safety of his pipe. On the same reel HENPECKED'S BID FOR FREEDOM. — Henpecked decides to escape from the tyranny of woman's rule. At first he contemplates suicide, but after casting off his hat and coat he comes to the conclusion that it would be unwise to ruin a life so precious. He therefore decides to go and make a night of it with the B'hoys, who are delighted to see him. MAJESTIC ■WEARY'S REVENGE (Nov. 3).— Farrner Da^"is desires Amos Keaton. a neighboring land-owner, for a son-in-law, but Lindy wants Frank Reed, a poor but worthy lad, whom her father refuses to permit in his house, with the consequence of secret meetings. One morning, Amos, a man of mean and evil nature, being tormented by Lindy, vents his temper by brutally w'hipping a farm boy. -A. passing tramp interferes, gets the worst of it, and departs with vengeful feelings. That same afternoon, Amos, dressed in his best, starts for Davis' farm to pay Davis a mortgage, that day due. With satchel in hand Davis is about to depart for town, but stays to write Amos a receipt. He thrusts the money into a desk drawer, locking it with a key from his key ring, which he returns to his pocket. Slapping Amos on the back, he bids him remain to find and woo Lindy, after which he hurriedly departs, dropping his keys unnoticed. Amos, picking them up. deliberately opens the desk drawer, taking out the money just paid and receipted, making a stealthy exit. On his homeward way he stumbles and falls, seriously spraining his ankle. There the tramp finds him, a helpless victim. After venting his hatred, the tramp pulls from Amos his hat and long black coat, replacing them for his rags. When Amos sees the coat containing the mortgage money depart with the tramp, he groans in anguish, but 'Sir. Tramp, unconscious of his new'ly-acquired prize, might have been a richer man had he not been tempted by the pies placed to cool outside Farmer Davis' pantry window. Cook discovers him in the act and her shriek sends tramp racing through the fields, followed by two farm hands. He sees no way of escape until, turning a bend, runs into a scarecrow". An idea. He strips off its long storm-worn coat and hat, replacing them by the ones just taken from Amos. When his pursuers turn they see no one but a peacefully sleeping hobo, whom they kick off the farm, unable to find the black-coated culprit. Meanwhile, Davis discovers the loss of his keyring. He turns homeward, where Lindy and Frank, taking advantage of his absence, are occvipying the sitting-room. Hearing her father's step, Lindy pushes the forbidden guest behind some draperies. Davis, searching impatiently, brushes aside the curtain, causing Frank to make a dash out and through the door. Davis is a mad man, but when discovering the open drawer and missing money he at once accuses Frank. It looks rather hard for the boy, as Amos, delighted at his rival's predicament, remains silent regarding his stolen coat, and the scarecrow is dumb. A few days later Lindy, w-alking through the fields with her dog, passes the scarecrow. Rover pulls oft" its coat, shaking it in play. Lindy, pulling it away, discovers the mistake. Searching the pockets she finds the lost keyring and the stolen money. The receipted bill proves it to be Amos'. '\\'hen she confronts her father with these proofs of Frank's innocence, the puzzled man makes for Amos' farm, where he succeeds in extracting a confession. So, in disgust at Amos and contrition toward Frank, he w-ithdraws his opposition. CUPID ON THE JOB (Nov. 5).— "The \A"oman Haters' Club" is composed of seven dashing young fellows who have been disappointed in love. "The Man Haters' Club," composed of seven beautiful ladies, hire a house next to the men's club. L'niversal hatred of the opposite sex is cultivated until sweet little Cupid wakes up one fine morning and goes forth from his leafy bed in the woods, bent upon mischief. Ethel starts from a nearby city to visit the w-omen's club but misses her train and arrives late at night. Cupid arranges things so that she gets into the cellar of the men's club by mistake. She is discovered by the butler and escorted by the horrid men to the w-omen's club. Cupid sees his chance and works like a beaver. He succeeds in arranging the couples to his liking and, after four days of hard work, drives them all off to church in a body. Cupid finds the minister w-orking in his garden and w-hispers a message in his ear which causes him to get very busy and finish up the mischief which Cupid began.