The Moving picture world (July 1920)

July 17, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 373 is plenty of excitement until Angelica discovers that Reggie has not deceived her — that he is quite as bad as his reputation indicates. Program and Exploitation Catch lines: His Wife Thought That Unless All the Other Women Loved Him That She Couldn't — She Gets the Society Papers to Tell All About Him — and Then the Fun Starts. Laughable Adaptation of the Amusing Comedy Drama — "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath." What Do You Think of a Wife That Wants All the Other Women to Admire Her Husband?— He Starts Out to Earn the Reputation by Taking a Society Reporter to a Seaside Hotel and Registering as Man and Wife — Then Some-one Suggests That He Write Himself Letters and Sign Women's Names — and What Not! Exploitation Angles: Play on the stage success ' of the play and work hard on the angle of the husband who sought to lose his reputation to oblige his wife. Pick up the points of the story and exploit them in a nice way. Don't get rough, but jazz the situations. "The Red Lane" Five-Reel Universal Production Presents Colorful Adaptation of Holman Day Novel. Reviewed by Robert C. McElravy. A UNIQUE Universal picture entitled "The Red Lane" has been made under direction of Lynn Reynolds from the novel by Holman Day. The locale is a small town in Maine, near the Canadian border line, and a commendable special atmosphere has been created in this subject. The story value is strong1 and well-rounded in its interest, even though it is slightly mechanical in movement at times. It leads up to a stirring series of events in the closing reels and keeps a close hold on the interest. The scenes in and about the Maine town are full of pretty rural effects. The theme has to do with the invasion of a big lumber company which has sought by legal thrickery to get control of farm and timber land, and the human note is sounded in the efforts of the hero to help Andre, the plowman, and other settlers to hold their homes. Frank Mayo is engaging in the leading role ,and is supported by a cast which includes Lillian Rich as Marie, James L. Mason as the villain, and other pleasing character performers. Cast. Norman Aldrich Frank Mayo Marie Beaulieu Lillian Rich £ave, Roi : Jas. L. Mason Vetal Beaulieu jean Hersholt Jim, the half wit jas. O'Neill Henri Billedeau V. Karl Formes Father Leclair paui weigel Louis Blais Frank Thorne Deputy Sheriff Harry Lamont Andre, the plowman Fred Herzog Story by Holman Day. Scenario by Violet Clark. Directed by Lynn Reynolds. Length, Five Reels. The Story. Norman Aldrich, an American customs officer working along the Canadian border, is shot from ambush by one of a band of smugglers. He is wounded in the arm and appeals to Vetal Beaulieu, a saloon keeper and friend of the smugglers, whose bar straddles the boundary line. Beaulieu refuses to aid Aldrich, but his daughter, Marie, who has just returned home from a convent, cares for the hero's wound. The girl is at the time agitated at having learned that her father runs a low resort, and also by the fact that he wishes her to marry Dave Roi, one of the smugglers. Aldrich assists Marie to escape, during an enforced wedding ceremony, to the Maine town of Attegat, where she is befriended by Father Leclair. Aldrich is induced to run for the legislature in the hope that he can aid the settlers of that region who are battling against the invasion of a big lumber company. Beaulieu, enraged by Marie's escape, comes to Attegat and kidnaps her, assisted by friends. Alrich goes to her rescue, and during a hard fight Beaulieu is shot and killed. The shooting is blamed upon Aldrich, but later a half-witted shepherd confesses he killed Beaulieu to avenge an old grudge. Aldrich wins the election and also the love of Marie. Program and Exploitation Catchllnes: Unique Story of the Canadian Border in Which Is Shown the Efforts of an American Customs Officer to Help the Settlers to Hold Their Homes Against a Tricky Lumber Company. Story of a Girl Who Has Spent Most of Her Time in a Convent and Then Returns to Find That Her Father Is a Friend of Smugglers — He Is About to Make Her Marry a Villainous Thug When an American Customs Officer Intervens and Wins the Girl's Love. Frank Mayo In a Stirring Story of the Canadian Borderland in Which He Takes the Part of an American Customs Officer and Saves a Pretty Girl from a Thieving Gang of Smugglers. Exploitation Angles: This is one of the best known of Holman Day's stories and should be familiar to a large proportion of your patrons. Tell the others that the "red lane" is the unmarked highway down which streams the flood of smuggled goods. Hook up with the fact that at present the majority of the cargoes are whiskey and get interest from this angle, though this does not figure in the story. Erect a boundary post with "Canada" on one side and "Maine" on the other and place in your lobby with an invitation to go down the Red Lane with the characters of this play. "Lake of Sun and Moon" Paramount Releases a Burton Holmes Travel Picture Both Interesting and Instructive. Reviewed by Louis Reeves Harrison. NOT merely a string of interesting pictures to look at, but something to think about as well, "Lake of Sun and Moon" carries us far away from the beaten path of the tourist to where human existence goes on in a fashion fascinatingly primitive. We are treated to landscapes and waterscapes in the mountain lakes of Formosa, where sunset splendors are much the same as they are the world over, but where the human element takes on a new guise and a new meaning. Impressive and suggestive feature, especially to those of us concerned about the H. C. L., is a native houseboat. It is a huge raft, on one end of which is a house of more comfortable proportions than can be found in the average New York flat. On the'other end is a huge net caught up at four corners and attached to a swiveled pole. When it is time to eat, one dip catches enough fish for the family and for some porkers which are carried along, while fresh fruit is ever at hand on shore. When members of the family go away for the summer they take their house with them. The Burton Holmes product has a practical appeal as well as its artistic and entertaining ones, a delightful little interlude. "Chateau Thierry, St. Mihiel and Argonne" Actual Battle Scenes Made by Signal Corps, U. S. A., Shown by War Films Incorporated of Pittsburgh. Reviewed by Louis Reeves Harrison. FOR several weeks there has been showing at the Park Theatre, New York, a realistic presentation of the operations of the American Expeditionary Force in France in pictures taken by camera men of the U. S. Signal Corps. Some of the scenes are enthralling, but their highest value lies in the views we are afforded of our brothers and sons, making history and their own national character at the same time. The fascination of realism is here, and Americans like to get close to the facts. The actual battle scenes are not staged, though some of them clearly show our men crossing heavily shelled fields. The closeups of army life are equally interesting, particularly where they reveal character. What is that character? It is obviously unlike that revealed in other war films where the truth is told. The American soldier is not picturesque. He is not enough of a poseur to be a good actor. He is often awkward and homely, like the native Indian in that respect. Like the native Indian, however, he is adventurous, bold, cunning, individually resourceful, a stoic, and a marvel of physical energy. The only difference lies in his modesty. He cannot take himself seriously except while in action. He is simply having a heluva time. He is a kindhearted fellow, who would prefer to be at the ball game ,but he is there to do the job, and he does it as he plays ball, with all his heart and soul, the most dangerous fighter on earth. Great charm of this film lies in the "animated maps." Decided weakness lies in a lack of inspirational subtitles. These are orally supplied at the Park Theatre by Captain Raymond C. Reisker. With suitable inspiring subtitles, the picture would be one of the finest examples of realism yet thrown on the screen. "Cynthia-of-the-Minute" Below is given the story and exploitation angles of "Cynthia-of-the-Minute," made by Hodkinson : The Story. Cynthia, an English girl of good standing but in reduced circumstances, comes to New York seeking work. She takes a room near Washington Square, and is dining in a small restaurant when her attention is attracted by a curious-looking, big man conversing with a handsome young chap. They leave the place together. After they are gone Cynthia picks up a card that one of them dropped. She finds her name and certain marks penciled on it. The younger man returns, seeking the card. She becomes acquainted and is presented to the big man later. He sends her to Madame Savarin, a wealthy woman who is seeking a companion for a sea voyage. Cynthia accepts the position and is delighted to find that the purser of the ship is none other than the young man she met in the restaurant. Cynthia's father, a famous wireless expert, had taught her how to operate by the radio code, and she is able to overhear a plot to sink the ship for the insurance and to steal Madame Savarin's jewels at the same time. The crew mutinies when the ship is at sea and Rhode and Crittenden lead a fight to subdue the men, aided by Cynthia, who backs the crooked wireless operator out of his den at the point of a revolver and sends out a call for help. The conspirators try by all means to get possession of the jewels, and Crittenden, who foils them, is finally thrown overboard off the Bahamas. Cynthia swims to his rescue, with the jewels in a bag tied around her back. They land on a deserted isle. Meantime a government vessel answers the call for help. When it arrives all of the criminals on board the big ship are arrested. Cynthia and Crittenden are later rescued, but not before he has proposed marriage and she has accepted him. Program and Exploitation Catchlines: On the Job Every Minute — Is "Cynthia-ofthe-Minute." A Girl's Amazing Adventures in the Lair of Sea Wolves. A Great Big Melodramatic Sea Story, Made in the Tropics. The Celebrated Novel by Louis Joseph Vance — A Thousand Thrills. Leah Baird, Burr Mcintosh and Hugh Thompson Head the All-Star Cast of "Cynthia-of-the-Minute." Exploitation Angles: Work on the vivid adventures, cataloguing them and building up on these angles. Work a wireless buzzer for a lobby ballyhoo and make generous use of the paper, which will back up your exploitation with its scenes of action.