The Moving picture world (February 1920-March 1920)

1116 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD February 14, 1920 herself begins to understand that she already loves Tom. Tom takes up the dangerous task of ridding the country of a band of cattle, thieves, headed by Hepburn, foreman of the H. C. ranch. In this he is succesful after exciting conflicts and Ive wins the love of Jane. Program and Exploitation Catchllnes: A Rough Riding Picture Which Tells a Whirlwind Story of the Round-up of a Band of Cattle Thieves. Western Romance with Buck Jones — The Screen's Latest Cowboy Hero. Story of a Cowboy Who Changes a Tenderfoot Cigarette-Smoking Eastern Girl Into a Typical Western Lass and Wins Her Love. Buck Jones — A New Western Star — See Him in "The Last Straw" — A Rough Riding Story of Ranch Life. Exploitation Angles; Play up the new star and then link him up with Miss Rich. Do a little extra exploitation work to get the new name over. Work in with the story, using such lines as "A moral cowboy and a new woman boss." "He didn't believe In a woman drinking cocktails — and he told her so." Don't give too much of the story. Merely hit the high lights. "The Right of Way" Metro Presents Bert Lytell in a Powerful Story of Multiple Personality from the Novel of Sir Gilbert Parker. Reviewed by Louis Reeves Harrison. OF tremendous power in centering attention and holding interest is "The Right of Way" as produced by Metro. The big note is man, noble in reason, infinite of resource, yet perpetually on trial for his baser instincts. The finest aspirations of his soul impel him upward and onward — his native appetite drags him back and downward. Such in general is the motif of the Metro six-reel feature as brought out in the characterization of a noted criminal lawyer, Charley Steele, impersonated by Bert Lytell. At no time can Steele reconcile the wrong, injustice and cruelty shown to him in a thousand horrible forms, with the idea of an all-powerful and compassionate God. Not an aggressive atheist, he cannot take the religious view of a power beyond all our present comprehension. So dominating is the character of Charley Steele that other people, no matter how strong in temporary interest, can dwindle away to insignificance as the story moves on. Bert Lytell catches the sphinx-like mood of the character he interprets, and he holds it undisturbed to the end. He piques the curiosity of the spectator by his attitude of supercilious disdain toward men, even in the midst of serious danger. In all departments of production, Metro has worked sincerely and skilfully to give "The Right of Way" consistent dignity and power. Backgrounds are rich and complete. The types are well chosen. We are at the edge of the mystery of life while we are watching Charley Steele sent drifting out into the flood of circumstance. There is enough of the emotional to suit primitive minds and an abundance to be enjoyed by the great majority of minds not primitive. The Metro version of "The Right of Way" should prove a big winner with all classes everywhere. Cast. Charly Steele Bert Lytell Joe Portugais H. Gibson Gowland Rasalie Eventurail Laetrice Joy Kathleen Steele Virginia Caldwell "Billy" Wantage Antrim Short The Hills for Yours," Says Bert Lvtell in his Metro, "The Right of Way." Paulette Dubois Carmen Phillips The Seigneur Frank Currier The Cure Henry Harmon Capt. Tom Fairing Larry Steers Story by Sir Gilbert Parker. Adapted by June Mathis. Directed by Jack Dillon. Length, Six Reels. The Story. "The Right of Way" goes to a man when he is at his best. Charley Steele wins a great criminal case in Montreal by the inordinate use of stimulants. He despises himself immediately thereafter. When Joe Portugais, the lumberjack accused of murder, turns to Steele with gratitude for saving his life, Steele waves him away with contempt. "You're as guilty as Hell," he explains. Steele as easily wins a beautiful girl from the man she loves and marries her. He reasons that when man can pervert nature to his will and cause a great miscarriage of justice, the role God plays is not one of great significance. Steele believes as little in God as he does in human nature. He has married into a religious family, but he discovers that his wife's brother has forged his name for a large sum to cover crooked dealings. Sickened of puritanical pretense, Steele goes to a tough resort some miles from Montreal and there joins the lumberjacks in a carouse. His Indifference to danger and his contempt for the rough element leads to a furious revolt against him. He is beaten Insensible and thrown for dead in the river. Steele is saved and cared for by none other than Joe Portugais, but when the eminent criminal lawyer recovers consciousness his past Is a blank. Joe Portugais alone knows him, and he keeps silent. As he recovers, Steele takes up the simple life in a village and finds contentment through faith in human nature, but he cannot reconcile his thoughts to an ideal of the Almighty. Later on, when his wound Is cured and consciousness of hi.? past returns, Steele decides to remain in oblivion. His wife has married the man she loves. He has been forgotten as a degenerate member of society. He goes to work for a fanatical old tailor, whose weak mind goes wrong from horror of Steele's atheism. To give the atheist a sign, the crazed man brands him with a red hot cross. One suffering follows another now, Steele growing gentler and sweeter, until the final tragedy that reveals to him one beautiful thing on earth — human love. Procrram and Exploitation Catcbllnea: "The Right of Way" — A Compelling Story with MAN as the Theme. He Held Disdain Toward Men — He Was a Man That Would Not Believe — See Bert Lytell in This Ever Inspiring Drama of Multiple Personality. Powerful Story of a Criminal Lawyer Who, After Winning His Case, Degenerates and Is Then Cared for by the Man He Saved — One Suffering Follows Another and Finally His Hardened Mind Is Made to Realize the One Great Thing — Human Love. Exploitation AnglMi Play up the star, but make the story angle the big appeal. Tell your patrons that this Is something different from the light stories in which Lytell has lately appeared. Give a hint of the big situations, with such lines as "He despised man and had no faith In God." "The man who wouldn't believe" and similar phrases. "The Call Loan" An O. Henry Story Produced by Vitagraph. Reviewed by Louis Reeves Harrison. THE Call Loan" is a two-reel story of the warm friendship which springs up among men in isolated situations and trying circumstances. Three cattle herders, leading a rather lonely life, become strongly attached to one another, living one for all and all for one, so long as they are closely associated on the ranch. Good fortune spills money into the lap of one, and he becomes a bank president. Another takes long chances and becomes a speculator in cattle. The third remains a cowboy. Just for old time's sake the bank president loans ten thousand to the speculator to put through a big deal, while he expects to split up with his chums if all goes well. Meantime, there comes a bank examiner, who detects the loan of ten thousand and declares it to be fraudulent. The money must be returned to the bank within twenty-four hours in order to avoid criminal action. An interesting situation is thus brought into existence, with surprising results. The cowboy hears of some shipments of bulion to be made and decides to save his old pals by becoming a train robber. The bank president detects him in this scene, follows him and battles with him to prevent the robbery. He saves his old pal from becoming a criminal. The return of the speculator with over twenty thousand saves the situation — he is just as loyal as the other two, not only alive to his responsibility, but big and generous in his division of the profits. The three characters are clearly and strongly typed, the picturization is vivid, and the whole forms an entertaining short story. "Dangerous Hours" Thomas H. Ince Special Production for Paramount is Well Acted Story of Social Unrest. Reviewed by Edward Weitzel. ANOTHER of the long list of stories adapted from the Saturday Evening Post, the Thomas H. Ince picture "Dangerous Hours" is up-to-date in theme and contains a number of sensational scenes in which a detachment of "reds" turn an honest strike into a bloody riot. Running through the plot is a wholesome love interest; also a strong plea for out and out Americanism. The production is of good quality and the cast an able one, although there is no well-known star at its head. The author of "Dangerous Hours" has sounded a note of warning to those