Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1911)

630 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1 hat's almost literal— of being killed for it. He is saved from his own men by the sheriff's attack and the sheriff's daughter gives him her horse and revolver to escape. This will be commended by young people anyway. There's no kissing, no sloppy sentimentality and no passion. The producer has guarded the sheriff's daughter from doing any thing that would lessen our admiration for her. Of course, in the fight between the posse and the fleeing bandits there's a good deal of shooting with much smoke and every shot a miss; but everybody in the picture keeps stepping lively and in the excitement this isn't noticed. One especially well planned scene is where the last two bandits are cornered and driven into the pool where they hope to hide in the rushes and sedge. The pursuers are too close upon them and they surrender. They come out stepping lively — it is just the kind of walk that was needed to give the proper illusion. Again, as a closing scene, in a beautiful perspective, well photographed, we see in the distance the posse with the two captured bandits. They plainly are wasting no time and there is something in it that makes us realize that there will be no monkey shines with that sheriff. There is no brutality and the men are plainly not going to be lynched. The scene shows a thoroughly American, business-like sheriff. Western pictures are not the highest form of art; but pictures like this are valuable, even necessary to people living sedentary lives or lives lacking in healthy excitement out of doors. It's a refreshing, good picture. "The Victory of Love" (Great Northern), August 19. — In this story a girl, even though she has a lover, consents to marry a man in order to release her father from a serious financial obligation. But the lover does not consent and his griefwhen he discovers the real situation is sufficient to make her father resume his resolution and get out of his difficulties as a man should. "Grandfather" (Reliance), Aug. 19. — Here is a picture which will attract for two reasons, first, it is well acted, the story having some element of novelty in that the childishness of, an old man is used as the basis of the plot. There are some exceptionally good scenes in which the leading actors, Henry Walthall and Mace Greenleaf, as the rival lovers, do creditable work. The father favors one, but the girl the other, and the plot turns upon the fact that the one the girl loves becomes insanely jealous because the other gives her a little attention and is in turn accused of stealing a sum of money which the old man has secreted. The sheriff is called and it looks dark for the unfortunate lover. But the old man has a touch of returning memory aroused by the tumult about him, goes to the hiding place and takes the money out. The crooked ways are all made straight and the lovers are happy with father's consent. "An Indian Love Story" (Bison), Aug. 18. — Here is a variation of the eternal triangle by making it a quadrangle. There are two Indian couples, all of whom are dissatisfied with their partners and want to change. After considerable fighting and the near execution of one at the stake there is a re-adjustment in which the misunderstandings are forgotten and each woman goes away with her former lover. No white people appear in this contest. "The Squaw's Devotion" (Powers), Aug. 19. — There are a number of exciting incidents in this film. Perhaps quite the most so is the contest between the trapper and the two Indians when he vanquishes them both in the water. It is the story of an Indian girl whose gratitude to a hunter gets him into trouble with her lover. He captures the trapper and only by her intervention does the man escape through the burning brush. A shot intended for the trapper hits the girl, which turns him into a demon and the canoe chase and water fight follows. The trapper then brings the girl ashore to regain her health and strength. "As a Boy Dreams" (Imp), Aug. 24. — This picture has something of the same spirit, though it is not so poetic as "Peter Pan." The picture of the dream that came to the boy who was very fond of reading of pirates is given very much as a boy dreams. The pirate story's interest is small except as a dream and the picture of the boy and his father might have been drawn more typically. The picture is acceptable. ESSANAY FOUR REELS EVERY WEEK Tuesday — Thursday — Friday — Saturday GET EVERY ONE OF THEM "The Battle of the Wills" (Imp). — A very Mephistopholeslike villain i-, pictured on this film as attempting to come between two lovers. J J < uses hypnotism and seems to have subdued the girl's will so that she has the appearance of loving the dark-m.istached, mysterious stranger. It seems that his cunning plans will prevail for, when the hero leaves the girl to make preparations for the wedding, the villain ap5 and the girl is about to go away with him when the hero comes back. Now ensues the battle of the wills between the two men. The girl between them seems drawn one way and then the other as the hero's or the villain's mind gains a momentary advantage, but at length the hero is victor. Such a situation is not only humanly impossible, quite; but it instills erroneous ideas regarding the human will and hypnotism, wrhich are not healthy. This delving into the morbid for picture subjects is not wholly commendable. "Love in a Tepee" (Imp), August 21. — There was some laughter as this reel was projected; it was mostly at old Bad Eye, the Indian with a heavy jag. The situation which rises out of Bad Eye's determination to have Hyacinth, his daughter, marry a Mexican when she wants to marry a cowboy is not very interesting. Bad eye in a drunken sleep under a blanket is picked up by the Mexican and carried off in his arms under the supposition that he is carrying little Hyacinth. It is not very funny nor is the Mexican's discovery of Bad Eye a very amusing situation. "Castles in the Air" (Rex), August 24.— These castles are Bedelia's, w'ho is a strapping cook and has been drinking more than was wise. She dreams that she has an immense fortune and that the family are her servants and she being courted by a noble lord with a most ridiculous crown on his head. The picture is of course farcial, but now and then it is amusing. When we see the great heiress fallen into the river we feel that the dream is drawing to a close. The next scene lands squarely in reality. Bedelia is again in the kitchen and being spattered with water from a broken pipe. "Bill Follows the Doctor's Orders" (Lux), August 25. — This rough and tumble picture didn't impress this reviewer as being either novel, except one scene, nor funny. "The Power of Devotion" (Yankee), August 28. — A madman is the hero of this sensational picture. We see him going mad from overwork; we see him when he is mad, which isn't pleasant, and we see him cured by a fall. "Retaliation" (Yankee), August 25. — The older brother spurns a woman and later she retaliates by making the younger brother, a dramatist, fall in love with her and then makes him suffer. It may safely be described as a barnstorming melodrama. "A Great Wrong Righted" (Yankee) September 1. — A complicated plot doesn't keep this very well photographed picture of sailors, afloat and ashore, from being clear, but it is not at all powerful nor even convincing. The characters are not well chosen. The hero as "made up" is no sailor, never could be, nor is his well-to-do father a seaman. The son is drunken, but has decided to reform. He catches a burglar in his father's house and is knocked on the head so that his memory leaves him, and when he comes to he no longer knows who he is, and wanders off. His hat, found near the empty safe, makes his father and wife think that he has stolen the money and fled. The hero in his wanderings gets another blow and recovers, and the ending is happy. "The Candle of Life" (Ambrosio), August 16. — This film is fascinating, yet there is a sense of the wierd and unreal about it which makes the onlooker glad when it has passed. A woman, disappointed in love, retires to a convent. Before the altar of the Virgin she sees in a candle flame a series of visions which tell her of her life. With the last flicker of the candle the woman dies and her spirit is seen to leave the body. Some will question whether a subject of this character is advisable, yet probably it illustrates nothing that most people do not believe, in one form or another. The photography is excellent. "The Dread of Microbes" (Ambrosio) August 16. — This poor man is a prey to the fear of microbes and the things he docs to escape their direful ravages furnish a few minutes of good sport. "A Sioux Spy" (Bison) August 15. — Another picture in which no white man appears. It is the story of an Indian war. A Sioux spy is sent out to learn the strength of a Cheyenne tribe. He feigns illness and is taken into the village. Immediately he falls in love with the chief's daughter. Then begins a conflict in his soul which is well expressed in his acting. Another spy is sent and learns the reason for his dilatory tactics. The Sioux swoop down upon the Cheyennes and the spy refuses to fight against his own people. When the father of his sweetheart is in danger, however, he