Moving Picture World (Sep 1916)

September I", 1916 THE MOVING PICTUKK UoKI.D . Spokes from the Hub it > _. . . .. BY MARION HOWARD WE have been well favored here of late in having some remarkably good pictures, so many in number thai 1 cannot do justice to them. On all sides 1 heard the widest praise given "The Prince Chap," "The Sting of iry, "The Light at Dusk," "The Eye of the Night," "Davy Crockett," "The Smugglers," "The Wheels of Justice," "Paying the Price," "Flirting With Fate," "Perils of Divorce," "Hulda of Holland," 'Tathera of Men," "The Daring of Diana," "Public Opinion," "The Victory of Conscience" "The Honorable Friend. The Alibi." "Rolling Stones," and now we have "Civilization" packing the Tremont theater and creating a furore. You are all familiar with this spectacle in Xcw York and others will be when communities wake up to its great value. * * * "Where Are My Children?" is k'oing strong at the Majestic theater in spite oi the efforts of overnice but well meaning persons to have it withdrawn. One scene in the play stands out clearly and is a sermon in itself — the one where the mother asks to be forgiven for not enlightening her little one. Here we find a touch of another rare picture "The Blindness of Virtue," which should be shown in every theater. "It is long past the time for the shams of concealment," said a well known clergyman to me on leaving the theater, "and I am going to send all my parishioners to see this picture, as it beats any sermon I could preach." How's that? * * * Upon hearing a most favorable comment on "Under Two Flags," the Fox masterpiece, I deposited my quarter, went in to see it, and must take back much that I have written on the brand, for here we have one of the very best pictures ever seen in the Hub, and which might easily have run for weeks. Theda Bara heretofore has not impressed me favorably either in her personality or vampire methods. She seemed to have a sort of wicked expression in all she has essayed — that is, in the pictures seen. Now here we see a human being with a soul and mind; a real flesh and blood woman, and she was good to look upon. This picture will do more to convert theater goers to Miss Bara than all the publicity that finds its way into print. Ouida's story is followed well. * * * "Common Ground" took an old theme and worked it out cleverly to the credit of the Lasky players with little Doro, a pathetic figure under an impossible hat copied from a cheap novel illustration. The story is convincing and went over well here. Reviewers have told of it, but they overlook many little touches, as in the last reel, when the Judge who has succumbed to the beauty of his little slum find takes a bunch of her pictures sent from the seminary and makes a gallery of them for his library wall. This might have been called the evolution of the hat, for here in the first we see the awful hat she wore in the first reel, improving picture by picture until the last one is one of the latest seen on Broadway. There were some fine types of women of the underworld, a dear little boy and that motherly player, Mrs. Lewis McCord. Thomas Meighan is a local favorite, having married a Hub girl, one of the talented Ring sisters. While Doro was seen in the Lasky picture her husband, Elliott Dexter, was appearing under the Paramount guidance at the Exeter theater in "The American Beauty," with Myrtle Stedman and a strong company of Pallas players. We liked this play all through and were treated to some remarkable double exposures. Miss Stedman playing mother and daughter. W. D. Taylor deserves more than passing mention for his studio and drawing room interiors. * * * Donald Brian in "The Smugglers" repeated his success in "A Voice in the Fog," and as he is a native of the Hub the attendance was large. * * * "Shoes," the Bluebird picture with Mary MacLaren, was put over here under the name of "Where Is My Daughter?" presumably to catch the eye and keep up the "Where Are," etc.. interest. "Flirting With Fate" scored, as anything does with "Doug" Fairbanks — he of the expansive, compelling smile. "Her Soul's Song," with Dorothy Davenport, was delightful, and such a dear baby! "The Prince t |M1, ought i" put Mai hal Ned. m m the front actoi directors, i"i l have aol leen anything tins year ,.i that line oi pictures bettei done in i the itorj ot the play pit tui il S< ott was deli< ions as Runyon and tin itudic in eVd \ detail. * * * "The K.ol Rider," with lions. Peters doing a railway gineer romantic stunt, was certainly well directed ami timely days oi strikes ami discontent He was ome hei outset when he tool, the leins in his own hands and i . nam out of trouble, loi win. Ii li. .' with a lay-ofl minus pay by the chief villain ol tin pla boss in New York. I should think this might be advertised as a railroad picture, the hero d< ood amateur detective work, etc. "Ike Daring of Diana' ood opportunity tor Anita Stewart, l.nt if she went through all that action I do not wonder the dear girl was stricken with fever. S. Rankin Drew directed it, ami it . iod piece of work, especially in the newspaper 0 surely Diana was daring enough for her admirers in front to appl notably when she actually burns her way through a door and makes an exit. There were some inconsistencies, but < . 11 the whole we liked the play, even if "yaller" in spots. * * ♦ \. play not listed in this letter at the opening of it is to my mind and to thousands who went more than once to sec is "The Bugle (all," featuring that youngster, Willie Collier; Jr., a lad whose work was so gripping as to cause many moistened eyes. Only fourteen and able to outrank all others in the cast. Here we have an intensely human play, one for young folks to enjoy to the utmost, as it has real Indians fighting as they did many years before the government took a hand and put them on reservations. The massacre was vivid and the army life depicted realistically at a faraway post, but it was the development of the boy's character which caught us. His struggle between loyalty to his lost mother and the liking for the young stepmother (of the right sort), too, was artistic in a high degree. * * * Our Back Bay theater, the Exeter, is to install an organ soon and will have programs. Jarvis Jocelyn, the pianist par excellence of the picture houses, devotes much time and care to his selections, always in keeping with the picture. When a play is on picturing some foreign country we hear the airs, folk songs as well as more pretentious music typical of that land. He follows no set rules, but never slips up and rarely needs a score. His interpolations are a delight to the music lover in front. Mr. Jocelyn has been on the stage and has dramatic instincts which eminently fit him for such a responsible position. * * * What fun we had in "How Molly Made Good!" It was so full of meat and stage stars that one had to see it twice to get the detail. Did you note Bob Edeson's house at Sag Harbor and the statue in the front garden, that of the Indian Strongheart? Good piece of business staging a scene right there. Then we had a good look at Mrs. Edeson, daughter of the late Linn Boyd Porter. This is not a new release, but it is good for a repeat anywhere. One title was queered by the spelling of a word, "gardner" instead of "gardener." * * * Here is a belated comment or two on "Salvation Joan." Why have not more seen it? What are managers thinking of not to show it? Here we have lovely Edna May in a wonderfully good picture, ably supported by some strong Vitagraph players and with dear little Bobby Connelly. She films well and it is a pleasure to see her walk and wear her "fine feathers" so well and to note her shiny hair so severely worn as in her stage days. In this play there is a close-up which no reviewer has mentioned, yet it was a gem in photography. Edna and Bobby Connelly facing each other affectionately and then turning their faces toward the house. A man behind me said it was the finest he had ever seen, and after a chat later on the picture as a whole he ijave me his card and it disclosed the fact that he was one of the most noted photographers in the land, therefore a good judge. Harry Morey scored. * * * George Ade's fables are popular over here and we like to see Charles Stine. I saw one the other night called "The Fable of the Willing Collegian Who Wanted to Get a Foothold," and it was a scream. He interviewed men in different professions and they gave good reasons for discouraging his ambitions. Then we find him looking for a job at the Essanay studios in Chicago and here we have a good picture of the big granite entrance, some of the players ■iBM