Moving Picture World (Jan - Feb 1919)

114 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 4, 1919 to cross a stream in his automobile and discovers Ann bathing. She is attired in a bathing suit, but has suffered the embarrassment of having her clothes stolen by a plavful canine. Ted assists her in recovering them. The scene changes to the city, where Ann, struggling to make a living with her voice, is forced to sing in a cabaret. Ted discovers her, and asks her to marry him. He introduces her to his parents, and the girl, finding herself the victim of persistent snubbing, proceeds to burlesque some of the fashionable dames about her in an effective and amusing way. The break with her lover which follows is afterward repaired. The number was adapted by Rex Taylor from a story by Hope Loring and directed by Douglas Gerrard. Others in the cast are Ashton Dearholt, Carmen Phillips and Harry V. Meter. "WHAT LOVE FORGIVES" Five-Reel World-Picture Presents Interesting Problem Story By Gardner Hunting. Reviewed by Robert C. McElravy. THE plot interest in this five-reel subject, "What Love Forgives," released by World-Pictures, is stronger than the presentation. The story, which was adapted by George D. Proctor from the original by Gardner Hunting, and directed by Henry Vekroff, has one rather novel phase at least, in that it introduces John Bowers in the part of the hero, David Knox Endicott, as a young man with a conscience The situation with respect to this could have been made much more dramatically effective than it appears in this offering, which tends too much to a strictly narrative style. David Endicott is a young man born and bred in a New England home, and most carefully reared by his mother. The latter is astounded to find a genius for songwriting breaking out in her son, and urges him to forsake the frivolous, popular style of songs for more serious work. David then writes a song from which the story takes its name, "What Dove Forgives." He is induced by some college boys to play it one night in the theatre for an actress in the "Blue Moon" company, named Dorothy Deal. He does this reluctantly, and afterward meets the actress, who proceeds to draw him into intimate relations with herself. She later lays a moral claim upon David, after he has fallen in love with another girl, but her blackmailing tactics are of no avail. The situations in this are rather broad, but should not give offense. Barbara Castleton and Muriel Ostriche play the part of the two girls. Others in the cast are John Hines, Bobbie Connelly, Florence Coventry, Joe Smiley and Hazel Coates. "THE HOPE CHEST" Paramount Presents Dorothy Gish in an Adaptation from Mark Lee Luther. IT being quite the mode to give attractive stars plays which could not stand on their own merits, Miss Dorothy is handed another of the poor girl who wears beautiful clothes "after all." There is nothing else visible in the story. Her father is a vaudeville actor; she works in a candy store of the "Ballantynes," and young Ballantyne, who amounts to nothing whatever, the stupidest kind of an inanity, runs away with the little girl and marries her. There is some faint objection on the part of the parents, such as there might be in any country where people are supposed to be divided into classes, but the elder Ballantyne says to his son in the end: "You have done just as I would have done," and that is all there is to it. Out of this weak and wobbly old vehicle, the kind that tires the audience and injures the star's reputation, Miss Dorothy emerges gleefully, almost tickled to death that she can appear in such a play and manage to be Interesting. A more perfect type of the sweet and spoiled little tomboy than Dorothy will be hard to find, expressive in every motion, particularly with the eloquent little feet of hers. The director seems to know that her tootsies are the most interesting thing in the play — which gives an idea of about how much the "play" itself is worth. Dorothy is the only thing in it. "THE POOR RICH MAN" Hushmnn mid Bayne Star in Speedy Metro, Good Entertainment Resulting. Reviewed by Walter K. Hill. THERE will be no question but what partisans of Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne will be pleased with the result of their appearance in this Elaine Sterne story. The outcome would be good entertainment even if less skillful players were concerned in the transaction, but with Bushman and Bayne leading the last ounce of possibility is extracted from A. S. Le Vino's scenario under Charles J. Brabin's direction. "The Poor Rich Man" is a comedydrama compiled for entertainment only. To be sure, there is a mild exposure of selfishness and a mean bit of trickery to contrast the clean-cut endeavors of the hero to win his way to happiness and fortune. It is early decided that Mr. Bushman shall be the idol of Miss Bayne's heart, hence there is no suspense in the heart interest. The issue deals with a young "spender who is left to redeem himself within six months with only a tumbled-down road house to build upon. This property he converts into a resort of fashion and charges regular profiteering prices. Then the young male who threatens to fall heir to Bushman's rightful fortune takes a tip from an actress friend and wrecks the reputation of the road house, but matters turn out in satisfactory detail and all ends well. It will not be through force of the story that "The Poor Rich Man" will most please; it will be for the reason that Bushman and Bayne put their best effort into the swift-moving circumstances and thereby bring a generous measure of entertainment to apply. Above all things, there will be nothing to jar the sensibilities of the most exacting; there is a refreshing hour for screen fans who have had their fill of war plays, problems, deep villainy and general tribulation. will be followed with compassionate interest. Put briefly, the plot of "The Heart of Wetona" relates how an Indian girl who has been educated and reared as an American girl gives her heart to a white man only to be betrayed. When she is chosen as the vestal virgin of her tribe, she reveals her secret, and the chief, her father, tries to force her to tell the name of the guilty man. Wetona will not speak, and the chief is led to believe tnat Hardin, an Indian agent, is the one. To save the girl, Hardin offers to marry her. The rest of the story is devoted to showing how Wetona learned the true character of her betrayer and the worth of Hardin, who has always loved her. The production was made principally in the West, and the locations are all beautiful and in perfect harmony. The acting of Fred Huntley as Quannah, Thomas Meighan as Hardin and Gladden James as Anthony Wells give these characters their full measure of interpretative skill. The fine photography is due to the ability of David Abel. "THE HEART OF WETONA" Norma Talmadge Reveals Deep Feeling in Fine Production of Select Picture. Reviewed by Edward Weitzel. ONCE more a combination of story, direction and acting in which all three . elements are intelligently and artistically handled points the way to successful picture production. An error in one division of the work serves to emphasize the excellence of the other qualities of "The Heart of Wetona," a screen version of George Scarborough's stage play, which has been put into scenario form by Mary Murillo and directed by Sydney A. Franklin. Norma Talmadge has the title role. The picture is in six reels. Condensed into five thousand feet it would be more direct and gain greatly in dramatic force. The finish is retarded to the disadvantage of the story. Aside from this fault, which is easily remedied, "The Heart of Wetona" takes rank with the best of the Norma Talmadge Select productions. As for the star's share of the labor, none of her impersonations has revealed deeper feeling or a better understanding of the art of acting. There is never the slightest doubt in the mind of the spectator as to what Norma Talmadge is trying to convey. And on the other hand, she never oversteps the demands of the situation. Her acting is always clear and concise, and dominated by a fine sincerity. As Wetona, the child of an Indian chief and his white wife, she is picturesque and beautifully human, and the story of her adventure before she finds her real mate "I WANT TO FORGET" Five-Reel Fox Subject Presents Evelyn Nesbit in Story of Secret Service. Reviewed by Robert C. McElravy. SUCH drawing power as this five-reel offering entitled "I Want to Forget" exerts will be chiefly due to the public interest in Evelyn Nesbit and her son, Russell Thaw. The story itself, written and staged by James Kirkwood, is a most ordinary spy yarn, and disappointing from a dramatic standpoint. Evelyn Nesbit has some effective poses at times, but the production has been overloaded with closeups to trie detriment both of the star and the drama itself. The heroine, Varda Deering, is a girl who has played fast and loose with life, and is known as a repentant butterfly when she meets the hero. Lieutenant John Long. The lieutenant at first recoils from her, though charmed by her personality. Later, when he sees her kindness to the chauffeur's son, and learns of her general sweetness of disposition, he falls in love with her. When the war reaches America, Varda is ready to serve the Allied cause, but a German secret agent named August Von Grossman holds the whip hand over her for a time, threatening to expose the fact that she had once lived in Vienna. Varda remains in his power but a short time before she makes a break for liberation. She tries to stab Von Grossman, but fails. Later the German locks both herself and the lieutenant in a large safe, and they almost suffocate, but are providentially saved. Henry Glive has the role of the hero. Others who appear are William R. Dunn, Jane Jennings and Russell Thaw. "EVERY MOTHER'S SON" Five-Reel Fox Production Features Charlotte Walker in War Tale of Mother Love. Reviewed by Robert C. McElravy. CHARLOTTE WALKER gives a vivid picture of a fond mother's emotions as she watches her three sons go to war in this story, entitled "Every Mother's Son." A mother's pacifism is not to be confused with pro-Germanism or pro-anything-else, but simply the fear of seeing her son's life lost. Many mothers have undoubtedly taken just the stand assumed by the woman of this story in the early part of it before she had finally learned that in the battle between right and wrong all men must fight until right eventually conquers, as it inevitably must. The story opens with home scenes in the lives of Franklin Gilbert and his family. At the beginning of the war they burn all books and music written by German artists, and are ardently for the allied cause. But when the call comes to America to send her sons the mother weakens. She sees the first and second sons leave