Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1912)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD i*55 " Undine" (Thanhouser) Reviewed by G. F. Blaisdell. FOR a year and a century the romance of Undine has been the possession of the reading world. When Friederich Fouque, the Baron de la Motte, penned the lines of this singularly dramatic story, this weaving together of the imaginary and the real, this tale of the spirits and the mortals, the noted German poet could not have hoped to reach for an audience more than a few, comparatively speaking. His best was to paint a picture of words, in cold type, leaving to the varying imaginative powers of his readers the conception of the settings, the scenes, the participants. Could the Baron, like the Spirit of the Brook, be summoned back to earth for a view of the delightful, the artistic, interpretation of his masterpiece that has been produced by the Thanhouser Company he would probably take pleasure in confessing that he had builded better than he knew; he would see his audience increased by tens, by hundreds, of thousands. It is in such plays as "Undine*' that the advantage of the screen over the stage is greatest. The mechanics of motion pictures are as easily adapted to the portrayal of spirit as of mortal life and habitation. The Thanhouser company has won an enviable reputation for careful portrayal. "Undine" will measurably fortify that reputation. It is a production that will particularly appeal to followers of the motion picture— to those who see many pictures, the product of all groups, domestic and foreign. The action throughout the two reels is uniformly smooth; there is never a question as to who is who or what is what. If this most desirable result in any measure may be ascribed to the plenitude of subtitles they will thereby serve as their own justification. The photography is on a level with the general production — it is finished. It is of course plainly apparent to thoughtful persons that in a picture of this description, wherein pictorial effects figure so largely, the great credit for results must inevitably go to the director. Flo La Badie takes the title role, and she is charming. William Russell plays the Spirit of the Brook, and he is dignified and impressive. His work stands out. James Cruze has the part of the knight and Marguerite Snow that of Bertalda. The entire company is at its best There is a wealth of incident to grip the attention of the beholder. The initial scene is a bold conception. It serves to awaken the interest. A half dozen or more maidens are sporting about a mass of rocks. Suddenly they plunge into the sea and swim to a lone boulder only the top of which is visible. Undine swims back to shore and with curious gaze closely watches a pair of lovers who are strolling about. She decides that she wants to live on the earth. Back forthwith she goes to the caverns of the deep and seeks. permission to return. Old Neptune grants it. Undine, i^n l]er unacquaintance with the world, appeals to the Spirit of the Brook, and that servant, who so faithfully waits on her throughout the drama, guides her to the home of the fisherman. As the two are crossing a brook at the foot of a series of waterfalls the Spirit vanishes. Undine is received with open arms by the fisherman and his wife. She becomes one of the family. We see her at sunset as she goes down to the sea and affectionately greets her foster father as he conies ashore in his dory — a charming picture. In the imperial city, standing by a great open air staircase, surrounded by finely costumed men and women, a knight wagers with Lady Bertalda that he dares not ride into the enchanted forest at night. The Lady Bertalda is in love with the knight. Huldbrand sets out. As night descends the horseman is beset by fear of the strange creatures that inhabit the trees. He seeks shelter at the cottage of the fisherman. It is Undine who responds to the knock. She converses with the knight, who explains his situation. Undine calls her foster mother, who bids the knight enter. It is interesting to watch the bearing of the water sprite as she talks with the stranger. For many days the knight lingers at the cottage by the sea. It is the old, old story. Undine goes to the brook to seek the consent of the Spirit to become the bride of the knight. At the appearance of the apparition the suitor oi Undine assumes a very unknightly demeanor. He is badly frightened. The consent is granted. The knight takers Undine in his arms across the brook in front of the falls and Scene from "Undine," a Two-Part Thanhouser Feature.