The Moving picture world (February 1920-March 1920)

March 20, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 2011 Reviews (Continued) (Continued from page 2009) "The Dangerous Talent" Margarita Fisher in American-Pathe Production Impersonates Girl with Talent for Forgery. Reviewed by Margaret I. MacDonald. AN adaptation of Daniel F. Whitcomb's story, "The Dangerous Talent," produced by the American Film Company and released through Pathe, features Margarita Fisher. The screen version is a satisfactory presentation of a story in which elements of melodrama play a large part. The average spectator will like it, and will no doubt be pleased with, rather than resent, the attire of inocence in which the dangerous talent of forgery is allowed to parade. At least the idea of converting a favorite alibi of crime into a weapon for the defense, provides a change in the order of things that is not unappreciated. The situation which brings Lelia Mead and Mildred Shedd to the home of the millionaire, Ellis, is somewhat artificial, in spite of the fact that it forms the main pillar of the story. The atmosphere surrounding individual scenes is always correct. Disregarding apparent plot defects, the production is well made. Margarita Fisher is attractive in the role of Lelia Mead, and Harry Hilliard in the male lead plays the role of Gilbert Ellis well. Harvey Clark and Beatrice Van do eflfective work as the heavies. Cast. Lelia Mead Margarita Fisher Gilbert Ellis Harry Hilliard Mildred Shedd Beatrice Van Horton Harvey Clark Bob Ames Neil Harden Peyton Dodge George Periolat A Derelict Mary Talbot Story by Daniel F. Whitcomb. Scenario by Lois Zellner. Directed by George Cox. Length, Six Reels. The Story. The story of "The Dangerous Talent" tells of how a young girl makes good use of her ability to imitate hand writing. The discovery that she possesses this talent causes her to lose her position as stenographer in a business office, and brings her to the point of starvation. One day she meets a down-and-outer in the park. He calls her attention to the fact that rich and poor alike have a "skeleton In the closet," and that the rich especially can be frightened into action by the "mysterious warning." Acting on the suggestion, she writes a note to Gilbert Ellis, a millionaire, in which she represents herself as the daughter of one of his ol* sweethearts. The game works, but on arriving at his home she discovers that a woman of questionable character from the same rooming house has also gained admittance to the Ellis home. By careful watching she finally gets the best of the situation. One night, when Mildred and her associate, Horton the butler, attempt to quiet her with a sleeping powder, she feeds the milk in which it has been placed to the cat. In their attempt to rob the safe Ames, secretary to Ellis, is stabbed. Lelia forges a confession, which is shown to Mildred as having been written by Horton, and the pair are trapped. Lelia is invited to become mistress of the Ellis home. Program anil Kxploitation Cutchlln«8; Unusual Drama of Love, Mystery and Romance— Margarita Fisher in "The Dangerous Talent." Do You Think That Everyone Has a Past? Do You Think that Some Mysterious Warning Would Make Them Fear? See How This Subject Is Treated in "The Dangerous Ttalent." Exploitation Angles: Play up Miss Fisher, and offer her as "the girl who forged in the cause of right." Play up this and other angles bearing on the title. You can malce a lot out of a lobby blackboard lettered "Forgery was Margarita Fisher's dangerous talent. See how she used it (date here). What are other dangerous talents? Can you add to the list?" Write in "Vamping," "Face Painting" and similar absurd "talents" and leave a piece of chalk handy for your patrons. Put the board where it can be seen from the street and start it a week or ten days in advance and you will get a surprising list; perhaps enough for a newspaper story. "The Stolen Kiss" Realart's Second Constance Binney Picture Has Weak Plot and Shows Hurried Production. Reviewed by Edward Weitzel. THE author of "Little Miss By-theDay" has written a story that be-longs to the Sunday School library class of fiction. It is all very pretty and very unreal. The heroine is so remarkably unsophisticated that she does not know that a bonnet and cloak of the 1850 mode is not fashionable attire for 1920 until she sees several up-to-date maidens in a drug store and beholds her own reflection in a full length mirror. Her adventures will probably interest the youthful mind, but even a girl of ten may wonder why Felicia Day can find nothing better to do than plain sewing. Under the title of "The Stolen Kiss" the story has been given a screen production by Realart, with Constance Binney as the heroine. Many of the situations have individual merit, but the scenario is so loosely constructed that it only accentuates the arificial nature of the tale. The production shows hurry, and is not up to the usual Realart standard. A glaring error in the early part of the story is the scene showing Felicia, who is supposed to be about twelve, taking her morning bath. Inoffensive in themselves the scenes make it clear that the shoulders and chest of the young person in the tub are not those of a girl in her teens. Miss Binney's dressing and acting of the little girl of a dozen years are remarkably realistic, but when she removes her principal aids to illusion and a "close-up" is taken of her foot as she plays with the faucets of the bathtub with her toes all of the previous efforts to create t!-e illusion of extreme youth go for nought. Aside from the effect of hurry in some of her scenes Miss Binney's acting is on a par with her fine work in "Erstwhile Susan." The supporting cast is excellent. Cast. nfj'^f ^^^^ ] Constance Binney Octavia, her mother i ' Dudley Hamlit Rodney La Roque Major Trenton George Backus John Ralph Bradley Barker Allen Graemer Robert Schable Peter Alden Frank Losee James Burrell Richard Carlyle Dulcie Edyna Davies Mile. D'Ormy Miss Ada Nevil Marthy Agnes Everett Jack Hall Edward A. Fetherston Mrs. Hall Jean Lamb Tom Stone Joseph Latham Story by Lucille Van Slyke. Scenario by Kathryne Stuart. Directed by Kenneth Webb. Length, Five Reels. The Story. Felicia Day, the receiver of "The Stolen Kiss," is brought up in seclusion by her affectionate but narrow-minded grandfather. Adjoining the yard where the girl attempts to amuse herself is a rectory. One day Dudley Hamlit, a choir boy, throws his ball over the fence. As a result he meets Felicia, whose beauty attracts him, and before leaving he steals a kiss. Felicia's invalid mother passes away, and Major Trenton keeps the orphan from associating with the younger set because he is fearful that she might wed someone of whom he would not approve. One day he catches Felicia and Dudley together and immediately proceeds to make preparations for sending the girl away. She is forced to go to Canada and is very unhappy because Dudley is Ignorant of her whereabouts. , Finally she determines to come to New York. After arriving she secures work as a seamstress, and one day even gets a day's work sewing in Dudley's home, but decides not to search him out because of her out of date garments. The girl has a natural talent for dancing and is seen by Allan Graemer, an evil-minded theatrical manager, who makes her an offer. Dudley happened to be in the audience and at the completion of the program set out to visit the house where Felicia was staying. He catches the culprit making advances to his sweetheart and without hesitating pitches in and beats him up. After that Felicia tells Dudley that he will not have to steal any more kisses. Program and Exploitation Catehlines: "The Stolen Kiss" — Oh! What a Kiss Was That One — Constance Binney Remembers It So Well — See Her in This Fascinating Love Drama. Her Uncle Wanted Her to Wed the Man of His Choice — She Wanted the Choir Boy Whom She Had Kissed Over the Garden Wall — Which Does Constance Binney Get In "The Stolen Kiss." She Was Brought Up in Seclusion — Then One Day the Boy of Her Dreams Steals a Kiss — Fate Takes a Hand and They Are Separated — Do They Ever Meet Again? See "The Stolen Kiss" for the Answer. Exploitation Anglos: Ride on Miss Binney's first picture as strongly as you can, then go on to tell that this is an adapation of Little Miss By-the-Day." Sell the charm of the star, and with many classes of patrons you can clean up with "See Constance Binney in the bath tub." It might be worth a trial. "Sex" J. Parker Read, Jr., Seven-Reel Production for Hodkinson Features Louise Glaum in Unsavory Story. Reviewed by Margaret I. MacDonald. IT is difficult to believe that a screen writer of such fine repute as C. Gardner Sullivan could turn out as tawdry a story as that on which the J. Parker Read, Jr., production "Sex" is based. It is not only tawdry, but immoral, as presented in its seven-reel visualization, which is being released through the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation. Louise Glaum, the featured member of the cast, works overtime in trying to put across the salacious character of Adrienne Renault, but compels admiration in the contrast which she draws between the dancer's personality governed by the loose instincts of her earlier life, and the more demure requirements of decent wifehood. It is reasonable to believe that in making the picture the director, overly anxious to create an impression, has trusted too much to the spectacular possibilities of the story; for, what might be considered the biggest blot on the picture, occurs when at least a quarter of the first reel of the picture is consumed with the staging of a midnight orgie of the most objectionable kind. It was a mistake to cast Miss Glaum as a dancer — her attempts to make good in an art at which she is evidently a novice, are a detriment to her otherwise clever performance. Faults in the construction of the picture are also evident, which appear to be due to carelessness in the assembling of the scenes, rather than in the direction. And while the production does, in a sense, live up to the significance of its title, the spectator is at a loss to know exactly what was the object of the author in writing the story. Cast. Adrienne Renault Louise Glaum Dick Wallace Irving Cummlngs Daisy Henderson Myrtle Stedman Phillip Overman William Conklin Mrs. Overman Peggy Pearco Story by C. Gardner Sullivan. Direction by Fred Niblo. Length, Seven Reels. The Story. The story of "Sex" has for its central figure a dancer of the Midnight Frivolities, Adrienne Renault, whose chief aim in life is to lure men Into her net. Among her associates is a timid girl of the chorus, who has (.Continued on page 2013)