Moving Picture World (Sep 1916)

1686 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD September 9, 1916 easily remedied the defects. The story is that of an ill-treated orphan who is driven by brutality of some inhuman creatures of the old school to beggary, where Prince Charming come? along in the guise of a gilded youth gloriously drunk. In capable hands there is enough comedy material supplied to bring about some amusing results, but attention has been concentrated on giving the Cinderella a chance to change her rags for the becoming raiment of good society and to save the father of Prince Charming of alcoholic tendency from ruin. Mary Miles Minter responds to all that is required of her, easily carrying the play on her young shoulders. She is so sweet to the eye that there is compensating pleasure in watching her perform. Very young, she is girlishly mature in figure, graceful and highly intelligent. She is almost without dramatic opportunity, her role that of looking pretty, but she manages to hold attention throughout by intense personality. In good hands, with bigger opportunity, the charming young actress is headed straight for signal success. sonate a Gypsy fortune teller, a task in which he is assisted by the ever useful Bud. A good comedy number, clean and amusing without being vulgar. A Trio of Kalems "The Ore Plunderers," Episode No. 5 of "The Girl from Frisco," "Ablaze on the Rails," a New "Hazard of Helen," and "Ham the Fortune Teller," a OneReel Farce. Reviewed by Edward Weitzel. "The Ore Plunderers." THE fifth episode of the Robert "Welles Ritchie serial calls for a fine display of strenuousness on the part of Miss Marin Sais. The lady Is equal to the demand. When Barbara Brent finds out that a number of the miners are stealing high-grade ore from one of her father's mines she undertakes to trap them herself. With the aid of a car boy named Andy, Barbara disguises herself as a miner, enters the mine and finds out the plan by which the robbery is carried on. Miller, the leader of the thieves, penetrates her disguise and persuades his companions to secure Barbara and Andy in an abandoned pit, where the slowly rising water will bring them a horrible death. This scene is staged in a very realistic manner, the acting of Miss Sais being the principal factor in creating the illusion of a highly dramatic situation. The incidents leading up to the rescue of Barbara and Andy and the Scene from "The Ore Plunderers" (Kalem). capture of the thieves, after they have almost succeeded in hanging John Wallace, are full of vigor, and this installment of the serial provides two reels of entertaining melodrama. True Boardman, Frank Jonasson, Edward Clisbee, Jack Hutchinson, Ronald Bradbury and Hart Hoxie are valuable members of the cast. "Ablaze on the Rails." A railroad station safe is plundered by a trio of crooks, but one of the thieves turns infgrmer and attempts to help a company detective recover the money. They are overpowered by the two robbers, bound securely in a freight car and the car set on fire. As it rushes down grade past the station at Lone Point, Helen sees it and starts in pursuit on her motorcycle. The runaway is overtaken and brought to a stop at the risk of the lady operator's neck. The stunt Miss Gibson performs is not new, but the thrill is all there, and the suspense throughout the reel is kept at fever heat. Jack Messick, Gladys Blue, P. S. Pembroke, George Routh and G. A. Williams are in the supporting company. "Ham, the Fortune Teller." The nature of this Ham and Bud slapstick comedy is sufficiently revealed by the title. Action of the most strenuous sort it possesses in abundance, and there is enough plot to account for the antics of Kalem's favorite comedians. Events so shape themselves that Ham finds it convenient to imper " Saving the Family Name"* Mary MacLaren and Phillips Smalley Featured in Bluebird Production of Considerable Originality of Treatment. Reviewed by Margaret I. MacDonald. FROM a story by Evelyn Heath, the talented author-director Lois Weber has produced an exceptionally attractive five-part production. The story has afforded an abundance of types that are interesting, and situations that are tense, with a contrast of masculine character that is frequently seen without being noted particularly. The picture is in a sense a satire on family pride of name, and reveals in startling fashion the possible havoc wrought by carrying this sort of thing too far. Mary MacLaren in the role of a young actress 'whose suaden rise to fame is caused through notoriety brought about by the death of a young aristocrat who stabbed himself because of his love for the girl, and furthermore to keep faith with his hypocritical relatives in "saving the family name," does effective work. In the emotional scenes following the suicide of her lover she is especially to be commended. An interesting view of the question is brought about by the Scene from "Saving the Family Name" (Bluebird). second instance of trying to "save the family name" wnen a young man born of an old Southern family falls in love with her, causing his relatives the same amount of paltry worry as in the first instance. This specimen of the masculine gender, however, has considerable more backbone than the former, and persists in marrying the girl he loves in spite of all the protests of proud mother and friends. At the last turn of the lane the girl is kidnapped and taken to a lonely island by the uncle of the young man, a role played effectively by Phillips Smalley, who, after various encounters with the stubborn nature of his victim, decides that the best thing to do is to send for his nephew and square things. The spectator has a surprise in store when it is revealed that the girl has fallen in love with the uncle. The production is well made and clean. The opening scenes have a slight drag that finds compensation in the interesting action in the latter part of the picture. " Chushingura" A Japanese Photodrama in Seven Reels, Acted by Native Artists — Brought to This Country by Jose Linde. Reviewed by Edward Weitzel. 44^—1 HUSHINGURA," the first Japanese photoplay made by \^j natives of the Flowery Kingdom, to be exhibited in the United States, is a seven-reel tragedy founded upon a standard Japanese drama, the period of which is the fifteenth century. The picture moves with the deliberate action of the accepted Japanese dramatic method, much of the time being consumed by the bowing and scraping of the characters whenever they meet. There is no love motive in the play, but, as Cassius once remarked upon a celebrated occasion! "Honor is the subject of my story." Politics, also, creeps into the plot. Lord Asano is appointed by the Shogun as chairman of the Reception Committee to receive the gentleman's envoys. Asano tries to decline the appointment on the ground that he is Ignorant of court customs, but is forced to serve. Lord l~>ate, who is appointed his assistant, bribes a certain old ward boss named Lord Kira and obtains tne cunuci Information. Asano neglects this little matter, makes a mess of the affair, is taunted by Kira. stabs the gentleman and is sentenced by the Shogun to commit harakiri. Asano calmly carries out the edict, alter requesting that the dagger with which he intends to commit the "happy dispatch" be sent to Oishi. his chief retainer. The rest of the story shows how Oishi avenues his master and. with the help cf forty-seven