Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1913)

536 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD "BEAUTIFUL CATALONIA" (Patheplay), July iS.—On the same reel is this excellently photographed scenic, containing interesting pictures of rural Spain, including some ancient bridges. "THE YELLOW STREAK" fVitagraph), July 18.— A picture that is unpleasant; it is not good entertainment. It is not often in real life that a man, speculatively bent, is when on the verge of or already ruined handed by his sister $10,000 with whic'i to buy her a ranch. It is assumed that "thru" is intended for "through." The picture is well made and well acted, the burglarious husband who is mistakenly shot by his wife being played by .\le.\ander Gaden. There is a good Stock Exchange scene. ■*TO ABBEVILLE COURTHOUSE" (Edison), July iS.— This picture. which was photographed in Georgia, will interest on account of the locality, or rather on account of the backgrounds, because there is nothing in the film to indicate where it was taken. The action is slow, the story it?elf does not arouse interest. "WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED" (Kalem). July 18.— Very thin comedy. There are one or two laughs, the kind that seemed to be automatically bestowed on a stout person. "THE CONCRETE INDUSTRY" (Kalem), July 18.— A short picture on the same reel as the foregoing. One of the views is of 76,000 tons of rock being dislodged by a blast of fourteen tons of dynamite; another is of a cement plant with a capacity of 40,000 barrels a day. It will interest. "GRANNY'S OLD ARMCHAIR" (Selig). July 18.— A story of a grandmother, who in order to show her gratitude to a grandchild bestows on him by will her old armchair. It is only later, when the chair is damaged by reason of a fire in the house, that the child discovers projecting from the upholstery of the piece of furniture a note indicating that there is a fortune inside. Which it will be conceded is rather a risky way to leave money or \'aluables. But perhaps Granny knew that sooner or later the house containing the chair would burn and the chair be scorched just enough to reveal without destroying the note. "A MORO FISH DRIVE AT JOLO" (Selig), July 18.— On the same reel is this short but rather interesting bit photographed in the Philippines. "THE ROSE or SHAROiN" (Essanay), July 22.— A picture containing sentiment and pretty scenes. The story is of a man who becomes an officer in the Northern army who is in love with the daughter of a. Southern officer. Before the Northerner goes away he writes a note to the girl asking her, if she feels for him affection, if she will the following day wear a. rose. He calls on the girl; the two kiss most affectionately. The man when the girl is out of the room puts the note inside the girl's handbag; she does not find it. Twenty years later she receives a note that the man is coming to town and wishes to see her. The message begins: "Dearest Althea" — although presumably the writer has not seen her in the twenty years. Althea arrays herself in the garb of the old days, even taking out of the trunk the handbag, which she places on the piano. Of course the caller finds the note where he had placed it and all ends happily. It is possible the young man had no right to construe the demonstrative kiss as an indication of the girl's affection; but even if this was insufficient to endo^v him with courage to ask Althea point blank he might have put the note where it would be certain to reach her. "A GREAT METROPOLITAN NEWSPAPER" (Edison), July 22.— A picture that will interest those unfamiliar with the making of a newspaper. To the initiated there will be regret that the attempt was restricted to the mechanical department and completely ignored the gathering <ind writing of the news and tracing of its course to the printer. "THE BENEFACTOR" (Lubin), July 22. — Arthur Johnson here porlaughs as the worm turns and the whip falls into his hand. Bradley a wealthy man. turns out of his house his son and bride — he does not like the girl. Gedney has made arrangements to endow a library. The son and wife, in poverty, are helped by the Socialist, who rooms next to them. The Socialist finds on the stoop of Gedney's mansion a suit of the owner's clothes containing money. He places them in the room of his neighbors. The son finds his father's name in the coat and believes the suit and the money were sent by his father. He goes to thank him. Approaching the house he is arrested. Taken back to his home, accompanied by his father and the detective, the Socialist hears the arguTnent and enters the room; he declares that he took the clothes. W'hen the father asks the Socialist if he knew the man to whom he gave the clothes was his son he replies. "No. but your actions and your idle wealth are a discredit to you." Gedney comes to a realization of his shortcomings and forgives everybody. The situation will not appeal to thoughtful persons. It is not logical; it is forced. The telegram received by Gedney signed "Gedney & Co." indicated he was no idler. No Socialist will be inclined to accept the story. The antis should welcome it. The picture is well acted and staged. "THE PIOvPOCKET" (Vitagraph), July 23.— Flora Finch does fine work in this suffragette comedy. Her excursions into feminine politics leaves husband Bunny in the lurch. There "will be many hearty laughs as the worm turns and the whip falls into his hand. Bradley Vandawater writes the script and George D. Baker produces it. "THE SEXORITA'S REPENTANCE" (Selig), July 22.— A story of the desert and of the ordinary sort. "IN AND AROUND SCUTARI AFTER ITS CAPTURE" (Patheplay). July 22. — A picture showing the horrors of war. There are views of battered buildings and fortifications, of abandoned guns and ammuntion. The scene of the refugees leaving the town after the capitulation is real drama — ^the side of conflict not thought of when one views the pomp and glcry. It is a rare film. "IN WEIRD CRIMEA" (Patheplay). July 22. — On the same reel is this unusually interesting scenic. One of the most striking views is of a dead village, inhabited three thousands years ago. It is on the side of a great cliff. There is another village of caves which will hold interest sharply. -THE NE'ER TO RETURN ROAD" (Selig), July 19.— This story by Mrs. Otis Skinner will hold throughout. Contributing to this result will be the &tory itself; also the direction, the acting and the photography. What stands out, however, is the work of Lillian Hayward. Her part might well have been written for her. There is splendid support. The excellence of the photography in a couple of the interiors was responsible for showing up indifferent scene painting. The reason given by the mother to her husband for the aiding of the escaped prisoner who was also the murderer of their son, was to "forgive trespasses," etc. It is possible a more human touch would have been given to the scene and a far more reasonable one, had the mother said to the father: "Would you not have done the same as this man, had your happiness been assailed by another as this man's was by our son?" This, however, is immaterial. The two reels are worthy of high praise: there is a grip at »he end which rriany may find uncomfortable, especially where the picture is fortified by such music as the writer heard here at the Savoy Theater. "JIM'S REWARD" (Lubin), July 19-— A Western melodrama that is not at all artistic; but this is no great drawback, for the spectators to whom this kind of offering appeals most strongly are not very critical, so long as the story gives them thrill and excitement. It will also make an appeal to many, because of its human situations, though these are not strongly acted at all times and are more or less artificially arrived at. It is by Wilbert Melville. The photography is clear and good. "DURING THE ROUND-UP" (Biograph), July 19.— The discharged Mexican gets his friend (Henry Walthall) to apply for the place left vacant on the ranch. It is just at round-up time when it is easy to rob the house and get off with rtioney. The daughter (one of the Gish girls) of the owner is loved by the foreman who, at first, is jealous of the stranger. After the robbery, the girl jumps into the wagon and. hidden, is carried away by the thieves to be rescued by the foreman, galloping after. The object is to provide a sensational rescue — the foreman catches her safely from the wagon after the villains have been disposed of and does it from horseback at speed. There are interesting backgrounds and some fine views of a bip iicrd of horses. It is pretty well photographed. "THE SMUGGLER" (Kalem). July 19.— .\ picture with many scenes on shipboard and that has, for its chief interest, a duel of wits between a crafty' woman smuggler (Alice Hollister) and a detective. The man is deceived and suspects not the maid, but the mistress, who is entirely innocent and ignorant of .the real character of her servant. To end the picture, after the smugglers have been brought to justice, with a love story is, of course, conventional; many people seem to like such an ending. It is not a convincing picture and, therefore, does not affect, us deeply. The photography is only fair. "RIVER LIFE IN HONG KONG, CHINA" (Vitagraph). July 19.— Some pictures of junks; it is very interesting and clearly photographed. There arc only a few feet of it. "THE TAMING OF BETTY" (Vitagraph), July 19.— It is asking a good deal of a producer to require hi.m to visit a new country, so different from ours as China, and put out in the new backgrounds a melodrama that will be convincing and human. This offering has plenty of novelty, but, as a story, it isn't effective. Betty (CTlara Kimball Young), asked to marry the son of her mother's old friend (William V. Ranous) goes out into the Chinese city, where her mother is living, to help her missionary friend. Her brother (James Young) to cure her, makes up, very well indeed, as a Chink and scares her. She does not recognize him; is frightened; is rescued by the young man (Maurice Costello) whom her mother wants her to marry and we have a happy ending. The photography is clear. The author is Eugene MuUin and the producer Maurice Costello. "THE FRIENDLESS INDIAN" (Patheplay), July 19.— In this situation there is a noticeable punch; in this development it is not quite so strong. The friendless Indian is refused a home by his kin and, though he has rescued a white man's little girl, is also refused a seat at the white man's fire. The punch comes from the fact that the settler refuses him in a country where hostile reds are plentiful. These attack and, in the skirmish, the settler's mule runs away with the child in the wagon and the friendless Indian once more rescues her, just before the runaway mule, trying to negotiate a steep bank downward, falls so that the wagon runs over him. The ending scene doesn't really 'belong to the story; it is a wonderful sunset picture — truly a marvelous photograph. "BARCELONA, THE LARGEST SEAPORT IN SPAIN" (Patheplay). July 19. — On the same reel is this series of not very clear views of an old and interesting town. "A TARDY RECOGNITION" (Edison). July 21. — On a day when there are no very strong offerings among the regular releases, this seems to be the best. Its theme is old and it makes some difference, even though it is acted and produced fairly well. There are three unnecessarily crude moments in it — when it is to be shown that the old father is being neglected, a newspaper is snatched out of his hands. He is seated at the tafble and his daughter doesn't like to see the paper and, like many other wives and daughters, in pictures, snatches it. Her refusing to pour the coffee a bit later changed from the character who would snatch the |;apcr; it would have been better to have had the old man want to pour for himself and have had her make a fuss. Then the emotion natural to the climax was lost by the leading woman's turning back to her husband when she has recognized her father whom she has not seen for years and lost track of. That tourist's hat didn't pass at once for a park workman's hat. The story is human and fairly believable. The characters are, for the most part, natural and .the photography of the interior is clear. The author is Charles M. Seay. "THE SH0RT.STOP'S DOUBLE" (Selig), July 21.— No one will be likely to believe that a kodak fiend would be permitted to take snapshots of strangers drinking in a cafe. It is done in this picture and one cannot say that any of the picture is strongly convincing; but it does tell a story in which either one character plays two parts in absolute perfection, so far as illusion goes, or two men appear who look so much alike that no one can distinguish them. This is likely to interest. The photography is clear. The script, by Arthur Hankins, was produced by Charles H. France. "THE ACTOR'S STRATEGY" (Lubin). July 21.— A Western melodrama by Wilbert Melville. That these pictures have a wide appeal is sure and this offering seems a bit better than usual for pictures of this kind. 1 lie story is quite clear; is straightforward and not overambitious;