The Moving Picture Weekly (1920-1921)

THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY 9 Publicity Page for '^Under Crimson Skies" ADVANCE STORY NO. 1. At the Theatre next , theatregoers of this city will have an opportunity to see the latest Universal-Jewel production, "U n d e r Crimson Skies," featuring the Colossus of the Screen, Elmo Lincoln. "Under Crimson Skies," is an original story by J. G. Hawks and is reminiscent of the virile tales of the sea by Jack London and Robert Louis Stevenson. It tells the story of Yank Barstow, master of the Southern Cross, who is sailing to a South American port with a cargo of pianos. Clayton, owner of the cargo, and his wife and baby daughter are the only passengers aboard. Clayton is in reality a gun runner, taking a shipment of rifles and ammunition to be used in a rebellion, and the firearms are stored in the empty piano cases. The second mate and part of the crew are in his employ. During a storm at sea Captain Barstow discovers that he is carrying contraband, and when he threatens to put Clayton in irons the crew mutinies. He is forced to shoot the ringleader, and Clayton's wife, who arrives on the scene too late to witness the mutiny believes Barstow's action due to sheer brutality. When the Southern Cross docks at the Latin port, Clayton and the crew accuse the captain of attempted manslaughter on the high seas, and he is tried by a marine court martial. Keeping silent on account of his love for Clayton's wife and baby, he is sentenced to prison, from which he esca]»es and becomes master of a band of beachcombers after vanquishing the leader of the lawless mob. How the revolution starts and threatens to engulf the conspirators, how Barstow and his gang of beachcombers come to the aid of the besieged Americans at the consulate and how he regains his liberty and reputation are told in a series of intensely interesting scenes. Rex Ingram directed the production, which engages the services of many clever players and which is rich in artistic photography. HISTORIC WRECK HOUSES DERELICTS Rich in the traditions of the South Seas is a skeleton of an old gunrunning sloop half buried in sand on the beach far down the coast of Lower California. According to the belief of the Pacific mariner, the sloop was scuttled forty years ago by her master, who ran a crazy course dowTi the coast in the teeth of a storm and threw his vessel, against the rocks in a fit of rage. It is said by old sea-faring men that FOR THE HERALD The Southern Cross, a small coastwise vessel commanded by Captain Yank Barstow, cleared a north port with the good will of the custom's authority and a spanking breeze abaft. In the snug little cabin were Vance Clayton, a commercial traveler, his wife Helen, and their little girl. In the hold was a consignment of boxed pianos, being shipped for Clayton. Little did Barstow know that Clayton was a gun-runner and that in his harmless looking piano box he had rifles and ammunition that would set one South American country at the throat of its neighbor, and cause the loss of innocent life. He finally discovers them but is confronted by a mutiny, fostered by Clayton. To divert suspicion from himself, Clayton tells the American consular agent at their port of landing, that Barstow is an attempted murderer. Barstow is arrested. Because of the regard in which he holds the wife of Clayton, his lips are sealed. To deny the charge would be to disclose Clayton's duplicity. He escapes from custody, however, makes his way to an abandoned beach, and because of his strength, is placed at the head of a band of beach combers. With the rifles that Clayton has smuggled into the country, a rebel band rises up against the American colony and puts the flimsy dwellings to the torch. At the head of his motley crew of beach combers. Captain Barstow goes to the rescue. What becomes of Helen, the lovely woman for whom Barstow suffered imprisonment to save? The unexpected happens, resulting in happiness for all but Clayton, who went to a miserable death. The story is being told at the Theatre in "Under Crimson Skies," the Universal-Jewel photodrama in which Elmo Lincoln, the Colossus of the Screen, affords the silent drama a new type of manhood. the skipper lost his pilot's papers through drunkenness at sea and that he carried his sloop to the rocks in his suicide. The boat was discovered by Rex Ingram, a Universal director, and used for several scenes in "Under Crimson Skies," a Universal -Jewel photodrama starring Elmo Lincoln, the Colossus of the Sci'een. "Under Crimson Skies" will be shown at the Theatre. Supporting Lincoln are to be seen such favorites as Mabel Ballin, Harry Van Meter, little Nancy Caswell, Frank Brownlee, Paul Weigel, Dick LaReno and Noble Johnson. REGARDING THE STAR Elmo Lincoln, star of "Under Crimson Skies," the Universal-Jewel photodrama of the South Seas, is internationally known as the Colossus of the Screen. Because of his tremendous strength, Lincoln has aroused world-wide interest as an exponent of right living. Elmo Lincoln was born in Rochester, Indiana, thirty years ago. His father was a well known physician and surgeon of that place and intended that his son complete his college education and emerge into one of the conventional professions. Instead of that Elmo ran away from home when he was seventeen and went on the stage. He appeared in many stock companies throughout the West and eventually drifted to Southern Califoniia, where he entered motion pictures. Standing at the gate of the old Biograph studio six years ago on one hot sultry day, Lincoln inflated his mighty chest with enough fresh air to blow up a tire. D. W. Griffith saw him and cast him for a small role in a photodrama requiring the presence of a modem Hercules. After considerable preliminary work with some of the smaller producing units, Lincoln turned toward Universal City. He is remembered for his remarkable work in support of Rupert Julian in "The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin," in which he played the role of the blacksmith of Lovain. As Tarzan, in "Tarzan of the Apes," he aroused universal admiration by his splendid physique and dramatic ability. Immediately before work began on "Under Crimson Skies" at Universal City, Lincoln completed the serial, "Elmo, the Mighty." He later enacted the serial "Elmo, the Fearless," and at present is appearing in a third, "The Lightning's Eye." GIFTED ARTIST WINS SCREEN FAME Mabel Ballin, who supports Elmo Lincoln^ the Colossus of the Screen, in his Universal-Jewel photodrama, "Under Crimson Skies," is well remembered as a popular player of the speaking stage. Before Miss Ballin entered motion pictures, she was on the Keith & Proctor Vaudeville Circuit and with the Charles Dillingham Theatrical Enterprises. In addition to being an unusually gifted photoplayyer. Miss Ballin is also a painter of note, having painted the portraits of many celebrities in the United States and on the Continent.