Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1912)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 45 "ECONOMICAL BROWN" (Solax). When the motion picture shall have become like the newspapers and the magazines, the mirror of our times, it will have attained its highest educational merit. To reflect from the screen all the frailties of human nature; to show graphically the ambitions and the machinations of society should be the ambition of all good scenario writers and producers. Only in such a way can the motion picture become a force for good. The trend to-day is in those directions. In the Solax production of "Economical Brown" is reflected a peculiar characteristic often discernible in many American husbands. This characteristic is one of extreme extravagance outside of the home and absolute parsimony on the inside. In other words, there are men who never stint themselves when they are "out" with the "jolly bunch" having a good time, but as soon as they cross the thresh THe f WO SljQ^^^tF if^NOM IfiAL B ROWi*r old of their own homes they are seized suddenly with a wild desire for economy. Usually the wife is the sufferer. "Economical Brown" is just such a man. Good cigars, taxicabs, high-class tailors and good wines are not too good for him, but his wife, he insists "must economize." Brown's wife is too clever for him, however; she soon shows him how truly wrong are his principles of economy. In fact, she has such convincing arguments for him that he finally loosens up and "comes acros-" with a three-figure check. Miss Fanny Simpson, the clever comedienne of the Solax stock company, plays the part of the wife, and Miss Simpson plays it very acceptably, and not only "puts across" all of the comedy situations, but injects into her work the buoyant spirit of a young wife with a sense of humor. A very pleasing likeness of Miss Simpson was printed in the World of December 30. "THE BEST POLICY" (American). Ever watch a dress rehearsal? Then you remember that the stage director spent much of his time in tearing his hair and shouting, "Give it more snap! Don't die on the scene. Action!^ Action! Action! That's what I want." Action! There is the keynote of the American release for January 29, entitled "The Best Policy." The picture opens with a spicy bit of action and the scenes are carried along with a snap and go to the very last picture. Those persons fancying the typical Western comedy heavily surcharged with constant laughter and incessant shifting of plot and scene, will enjoy "The Best Policy." That it was a study in pantomimical facial expression was the remark of one critic, caused, no doubt, by the fact that all scenes are staged in dense underbrush and the characters are moved so close to the camera as to practically fill the entire curtain. The story is breezy, decidedly new and novel in thought, and delightfully executed. Three gentlemen looking somewhat the worse for wear, are seen forcing their way through the thick semi-tropical growth of Southern California. Caution is expressed in every movement, for be it known, these gentlemen are seeking rest and freedom from excitement. If the bag of loot they are carrying between them does not ably express this thought, the subsequent scene showing the sheriff and a determined-looking band of rangers, posting a reward notice for the capture of three train robbers, certainly does. The dilapidated trio bear the respective and respectable names of Boggs, Briggs and Boswell. Boggs is almost twice the age of his companions. He has seen many a tiresome day wind to a sunset close, through the gossamer steel web of a San Quentin prison window. "I-for-me-me-for-I" is the sound logic of his creed, rigidly adhered to. They camped. They slept — or pretended they did. Boggs and Briggs determined to appropriate all they had, thus leaving Boswell free to mend his way and clear his conscience. But Boswell overheard and while the older robber went away to place the treasure in a hollow tree, Boswell bitterly upbraided his companion. So, Briggs relenting, the pair decide to give the old man the double cross. Proximity of the rangers prevented Briggs and Boswell from retiring very far into the underbrush; hence old Boggs overhears and decides to double cross both of them. So he leaves the treasure in the tree and places in his vest a false package. Then Briggs held him up and secured what he thought was the treasure. Finding it all his own and deciding that a whole loaf is better than a half, he sees no necessity for sharing it with Boswell. A chase ensues, Boswell catches Briggs, sits upon him and removes the loot quite handily. And then — horrors of horrors! they discover the gross fraud perpetrated upon them! Meanwhile, Boggs has lodged himself comfortably against a tree. He draws from his shirt the real loot and examines it, long and earnestly, looking up with a pleasant smile just in time to sight down the wrong end of a gun barrel. The law catches tight hold of poor Boggs' collar and Briggs and Boswell are left alone to speculate on the folly and futility of material things. "The Best Policy" is well acted from start to finish. The story is largely told in facial expression and the pantomime is considerably above par. The photography is excellent. It will be released January 29. INCREASED DEMAND FOR DIRECT CURRENT ECONOMIZERS. The recent discussions in the columns of this paper on the subject of direct current economizers and motor generator sets has awakened widespread interest. A large number of exhibitors did not know that Mr. J. H. Hallberg, "The Economizer Man," has had direct current economizers in successful operation in various parts of the country for over three years, although the fact has been generously advertised in the Moving Picture World. Mr. Hallberg reports that his factory is very busy, especially on 220 volt direct current economizers. THE COTTON INDUSTRY. On January 13, the Imp Films Company releases a special film illustrative of the cotton industry in the Southern States. Everybody in the world should be interested in the film, as everybody puts cotton into practical use for some purpose or other. First of all we see colored laborers at work in the field; then the cotton is packed, ginned, sampled, and sold. The panorama of its local progress is completed by the reception of the great bales of cotton onto an ocean liner, in which it is conveyed to Europe. The center of the world's cotton manufacturing industry lies in the north of England, where there are innumerable mills devoted to the work of spinning. The cotton grown in the American Southern States supplies the larger demands of the foreign market.