Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1912)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 393 ncture which is substantial, exciting and healthy. The old bookkeeper, >layed by this company's well-known, short, elderly player, is the center of nterest. ' He was so charitable that he could save no money; but he was ;o friendly that everyone made friends with him, except the new office maniger whom the employer left in charge and the landlady. He soon found limself out of work and homeless. Seated, shivering on the steps of his employer's home awaiting his return, he hears burglars enter and bravely goes m to protect his employer's goods. He gets into difficulties. The rescue -nakes a thrilling climax after a well-handled suspense. "A JUST VERDICT" (Lubin), January i8. — A melodramatic story played by the Lubin second company. It is interesting and, at its end, ^ome in the audience applauded. The story is neither very original or very strong, yet neither has it any marked weakness. A sleep walker stumbles Sver the body of his host in the library, dead by suicide. Before he Awakes, he places Mnconsciously the last letter of the deceased in his pocket. On awaking, he is horror-stricken and rushes back to his room where betakes bff the dressing robe and returns to the library. The police are there and have found the weapon. It is owned by the lover of the girl of the house A-ith whom the dead man had quarreled. No one knows how it came there and the lover is accused of murder. The note is discovered in time to save ihim. It is dramatic and well photographed. It is of full length. Will be m acceptable filler. "MERELY A MILLIONHEIR" (Selig), January i8.— A comedy in ivhich Mr. Hobart Bostworth plays a double part with the contrast that ies between a society man and a dirty, ragged tramp. The only weak fealure in this reel, full length, is poor photography. It keeps hold of the comedy spirit all through and is both fresh and very amusing, Mr. BostWorth being well supported by his eniire cast. The audience laughed and fseemed much pleased. The millionheir promised his friends that they iwouldn't know him at the mask ball as he was coming as a tramp. He finds (a tramp who looks just like him and, in a spirit of fun, sends him. He forgets that his fiancee is to be there. The tramp arrives and acts the part. He wins the big silver cup, prize for his costume. The fiancee gets him jout into the moonlight and doesn't understand why he won't kiss her; but, though a tramp, he is at heart a gentleman. He makes a date, four o'clock the next afternoon, and promises her j kiss then; he also makes a date, the Same hour, with the club's champion boxer with a promise to knock his tblock off, and he makes a date with everybody to give them good booze at the same hour. Next day, at four o'clock, there's a jolly gathering at the Imillionheir's. The last scene shows the tramp by his camp fire. It is commendable as a leading comedy. "A COMPROMISE" (Lubin), January 20. — A very short farce that never falls down from start to finish. The idea is fresh and in the atmosphere of a farce, amusing and it is handled as was proper. It is bright and laughable. "A BOARDING-HOUSE ROMANCE" (Lubin), January 20.— A farce of about 600 feet showing a boarding-house love affair with the usual concomitants, coyness and jealousy. One can not say that it is very amusing. It surely isn't very fresh in anything. The audience that watched it was small and there were no laughs. The last scene is a hugging match. "MAKING HAY" (Lubin), January 20. — A very interesting agricultural picture showing the newest wrinkles in hay making. The photographs are up to Lubin standard in all the three pictures on this reel and it will serve as a good program filler, 'BRUTUS" (Cines), January 20. — This sumptuously produced picture of Shakespear's "Julius Caesar," was reviewed on page 193 of the Moving Picture World for January 20, 1912. Il needs no further comment. 'THE BANDIT'S MASK" (Selig), January 23.— A melodramatic pic ture which has little thrill and not much originality. There is, however, one moment when the action, which takes the form of a struggle on the tip of a precipice, becomes tense; that is the only thrill in the picture. [The backgrounds are Mexican. There are two Americans, one is a bandit and the other is suspected. The suspected, innocent man is pursued, but icludes the Mexican posse at the edge of a cliff. The heroine, a Mexican ,girl, hides him. He is captured at her house; but at the moment when they [are going to hang him, the real culprit is brouglit in and the innocent (lover is freed. The iihotographs are good pictorially, but have a blurred jeffect that interferes very much with clearness. One can't distinguish ifaces of players who are riding. It is a filler, "THE STOiLEN NICKEL" (Edison), January 23.— A delightful, heartinterest picture of a typical small boy. It is very well played by Yale Boss. His parents didn't let him have any pocket money at all. He chanced to pick up a nickel on the sidewalk. He knew whom it belonged jto; but the temptation was strong and he spent it. He then suffered all the poignant repentance that such a youngster would be likely to feel. He saw the necessity of returning the money and started to earn it, one penny |at a time, so that he could make the restitution. The state of mind that Med up to this resolution, the difficulties he encountered in making the money, the inter-reaction of the boy and all the characters with whom he came in contact and the effect on them when his repayment disclosed the jsitualion are all very dramatically and skilfully shown. It is a good fea Iiture picture, well photographed, excellently acted and of full length. "JEAN INTERVENES" (Vitagraph), January 23.— Jean is the Vitagraph black and white collie and those who watch the pictures closely will _ remember that a few months back Jean was pictured as coming between Itwo lovers. That picture was much more believable. This picture shows Jean as exhibiting human traits of sympathy and intelligence that the spectator can not accept. Miss Turner and Hal Reid play the leading parts; are the two lover? who quarrel over Jean, the lover being somewliat jealous of the collie, and whom Jean In the end brings together again. Miss Edith Halleran and Wallace Reid play important roles as a married couple, friends of the lovers. Miss Turner's acting, and as far as that goes the acting of all the principals, gives more than one pretty moment to the picture, which, however, doesn't afford her any real freedom. It is not shown to fair advantage. The plot, the story itself and even the backgrounds, which appear disjointed, keep the picture from rising very much above commonplace. The camera work is fair; it is of full length. A filler. "FATHER'S BLUFF" (Edison). January 24.— For a long time father had compelled his family to perform all the manual labor about the premises, threatening suicide if they did not instantly carry out his instructions. A young man appears on the scene to make love to the daughter. Father objects for he foresees that one of his willing assistants may depart. They decide to call his bluff, so the young man unloads a good line of death dealing appliances, headed by a large keg of gunpowder. When next father threatens to shuffle off he is not restrained. Instead, the family lead him to the woodshed and show him the collection of apparatus. Father is nonplussed, but he doesn't like to give up. He sits on the keg, and suddenly discovers to his horror that the fuse is lighted. Then he beats a precipitate retreat and when next he is seen he is laboring with the bucksaw, a pleasure in which he had not indulged for many moons. He apologizes and the young lovers proceed with their own affairs. "ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN" (Kalem), January 24.— A young man, with store clothes, of which he is proud, and an automobile, or which he is prouder, meets an old school friend and invites her to ride. She accepts, much to the disguist of her sweetheart, who has no store clothes and no automobile. All goes well until the machinery goes wrong. Then comes one of those scenes which are common enough; the sweetheart appears with a wagon and after refusing once takes the girl in, but will not allow the young man to ride. The picture closes with the stylishly dressed young man hauling the machine home by means of a rope over his shoulder. "HOW JIM PROPOSED" (Kalem), January 24.— A delightful bit of comedy which relates with some detail Jim's difficulties in attempting to propose. The girl was willing, but something always occurred to prevent his saying what he wished to say. These troubles, together with the way he did propose, furnish the basis for this interesting picture. "CAPTAIN BARNACLE'S MESSMATE" (Vitagraph), January 24.— This old favorite has not been seen of late, but once again he appears, this time to help his old friend. Captain Bunce, out of a very tight place. Bunce has met some friends on shore and as a consequence finds himself in a strange town with a very small supply of money. He seeks the lodging house of Mrs. Mulligan and engages a room. She wants payment in advance, but Bunce can't do that. However, the widow is anxious to marry a second time and sees in poor Bunce an easy victim. Once he escapes, but she brings him back and then takes his hat and shoes so he can't go again. He finds means to acquaint his old friend Barnacle with the facts and the latter comes to his •rescue. While apparently sympathizing with the widow he is in reality getting means of escape to Bunce. Then ostensibly he locks him in his room and goes down to bring the minister. Instead, he goes into the back yard where Bunce is letting himself down by a rope. They start for Barnacle's boat. The widow gives chase, but they manage to reach the boat and the picture closes, Bunce smoking his pipe in peace at his mess mate's fireside. It might be proper to remark that Barnacle gives Bunce a sound berating for permitting himself to get caught in such a plight. It is a fair feature, well photographed and acceptable. "THE HEART OF A 'BOSS'" (Lubin), January 24.— The interest in this story lies in the fact that a banker remembered a newsboy and when opportunity came helped him to rise. Eventually the boy becomes a political boss. The banker is arraigned for alleged misuse of funds and a pardon by the governor is the only possible release. The boss learns the situation and succeeds in applying the proper kind and quantity of pressure to secure it. At the next election both the governor and the boss are defeated. The banker has been reinstated in his position meantime and learning of the boss' defeat calls upon him. The defeated politician is very much dejected and gladly accepts an offer which the banker makes. Eventually he falls in love with the banker's daughter and there is an open way to the church at the close of the picture. "THE BRAVE DESERVE THE FAIR" (Cines), January 23.— It is natural to expect patriotic war stories from Italian picture makers just now. This is a good war tale and has a very dramatic struggle, including a leap over a cliff. This follows a well-suggested battle scene and is between the Italian hero of the picture and a determined Turkish soldier over a Turkish banner. The story has a romantic theme. The old Italian soldier won't let his daughter marry anyone but a brave man, so her lover enlists and goes to Africa with his regiment. By capturing the Turkish flag, he wins a medal given only to brave soldiers and is sent home badly wounded, to be welcomed by his father-in-law of the future with open arms. The photographs are good, the acting is acceptable, but the war pictures are excellent. They suggest modern warfare very effectively. On account of this, as well as the artistic travelog on the same reel, it may be counted a safe feature picture. "ARTISTIC VENICE" (Cines), January 23. — A picture giving artistic vistas of Venice. It is often very beautiful and all of it is very acceptable. Independent. "THE MORMONS" (.\merican). January 25. — The Mormon prophet sent out a young man whom he greatly loved to ascertain the fighting strength of a small party of Gentiles, a settler, his wife and two daughters, who were on forbidden land. He falls in love with settler's daughter. He hears the prophet send out the men to kill the man settler and to capture the women for the prophet's wives. He begs for the daughter; but is refused, so he joins tlie settler. There is a fight, with odds greatly ir favor of the Mormons; but the presence of the young man saves the day and the settlers escape. The picture has no special strength, nor any noticeable weakness except the result of the battle. It will serve as a filler. "OBJECTIONS OVERRULED" (American), January 22.— A romance and comedy of La Mesa, Cal., and of last week, perhaps. Dad was rich and his boy had nothing to do but smoke cigarettes, so Dad sent the boy out to the West to be made a man of. The boy fell in love with Daredevil Anne and the picture shows the stages — the boy as he was and the man she made of him. Dad, of course, didn't know Anne. When he heard her name for the first time he was a bit put out. The lad had become so independent, though, that Dad had to hike out to La Mesa, where he too learned something new. He grows to like Anne as much as the spectators like her. It has a picture of awkward riding and there is also one or two brisk gallops in it for fun. It is not quite a feature picture. It affords several good laughs and has a pleasing freshness.