Moving Picture World (Sep 1916)

2100 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD September 30, 1916 loving hearts. As in the previous picture, most of the characters have good social standing and keep their emotions well in hand. Raymond Walburn, Betty Howe and Nellie Anderson are the chi< I member; of Mr. William's support. "The Red Whiskered Man." Number seven of the two-reel serial gives "The Scarlet Runner" a prominent place in the plot, and the entrance of a trio of diamond thieves into the story makes for action. A wealthy young chap nets Race to help him bring a very valuable diamond from Amsterdam to London. 'When Van Courtlandt arrives in England he is to be met by a trusted servant, the owner of the red whiskers. The leader of the diamond thieves gets the old man out of the way, puts on a false beard of the proper hue, and attempts to lay hands on the diamond. He is foiled by a neat scheme on the part of the owner of the jewel and the cleverness of Christopher Race. Earle Williams, Arthur Robinson, Billie Billings, Thomas R. Mills and Alexander Kyle comprise the cast. Four New Kalems "Battle in the Dark," Seventh Episode of "The Girl from 'Frisco;" "The Death Swing," a New "Hazard of Helen;" "Rival Artists," a Two-Reel Comedy, and "Bumping the Bumps," Latest Ham Comedy. Reviewed by Ben H. Grimm. "Battle in the Dark." THE mystery and occultism of India are excitingly in combat with the red-blooded materiality of the West in the seventh instalment of the Robert Welles Ritchie series. The well-constructed plot consistently builds up to a strong climax in which a spectacular fire and the fight from which the photodrama takes its title occurs. The author has cleverly interwoven into the story a hint of the recent encroachment of Hindoo labor on Western ranch lands. Barbara Brent, in this number of the Kalem series, answers the appeal of a girl friend, whose wealthy father is hopelessly controlled by the hypnotic power of Madah Singh. She learns the methods by which the Hindoo is mulcting the ranch owner of sums of money. She rescues from the forbidden attic of the house the Hindoo girl who, also under Singh's spell, is acting as his tool. In her fight with Singh a lamp is thrown, and the ranch house is set afire. Singh flees. Meanwhile the foreman of the Hindoo "rag heads," who have supplanted the white ranch hands, directs his followers to attack the house. With fire raging in the house, the occupants battle with the horde of rifle-armed Hindoos until succored by the arrival of the deposed ranch hands. Scene from "Battle in the Dark" (Kalem). In the cast are .Marin Sais, True Boardman, Frank Jonass.jii. Ronald Bradbury, Karl Formes, Jr., and Josephine West. "The Death Swing." More hazardous than many of her preceding feats is the si unt performed by Helen in this number of the "Hazards of Helen." The crew of a freight train is taken from the engine by a disappointed suitor of Helen. He hopes in this manner to prove of no value a safety device Invented by a young friend of the girl operator. The crewless train is set running wild with the throttle wide open. Helen crawls out ,,,, n rope that spans the tracks and leaps on to the top of the rapidly-mOving train. She crawls to the locomotive and Stops the Wild freight just in time to avert a collision with a special train. in the rust supporting Helen Gibson are 1'. s. Pembroke, G, A. Williams and George Routh, "Rival Artists." Two reels of knockabout comedy arc offered in this production in Which Ivy Close is featured. The picture depends more on the indvidiual work of its members for its humor than on the story. The cast includes Henry Murdoch, Arthur Albertson, Robert Ellis and William McKay. The fun starts when Dauber, a house painter, takes possession of a studio next to that occupied by Jack, a young artist, who has been refused permission to pay court to Nell by her father. Xell decides to elope and goes to Jack's studio. Dauber phones her father about this, and several "chase" scenes, in which a number of rather humorous stunts are performed, take place. "Bumping the Bumps." Once more Ham and Bud are rivals for the hand of Ethel. This time the diminutive Bud is the favored one. but Ethel's father will not permit a marriage until Bud's head has been examined by a phrenologist. Ham forcibly becomes a phren Scene from "Bumping the Bumps" (Kalem). ologist, and after reading the bumps on Bud's head, tells Ethel's father that his rival is insane. Bud is loaded into an asylum van, but Ham's real identity is learned, and it is he who lands in a cell. Triangle Program "The Return of 'Draw' Egan," a Strong Five-Reel Ince, With William S. Hart in the Title Role, and two Two-Reel Keystones, "The Winning Punch" and "His Lying Heart." Reviewed ojt Luu.s Reoes Harrison. THE Return of "Draw" Egan is a well-constructed and interesting story suited to Mr. Hart, with a tine underlying theme, by C. Gardner Sullivan. The border life it pictures is much the same as that shown in similar -.(leases starring .Mr. Hart, and the material of the Story is net particularly new, but Hit re is a strong effect pat over with happy results. There is a powerful appeal to compassion of the intelligent kind a commiseration that reasons from experience and from knowledge of human nature. The underlying idea is that there is the making of a good man in the material of lawbreakers who are otherwise normal, who have often been driven by the blind forces of circumstances to become useless and destructive members el' our social body. This idea is in accord with the whole spirit of Americanism, and attempts have been made to give it forceful presentation in screen stories. It remained for Mr. Gardner to seize the weapons at his hand to carry the point witli both artistry and power. "Draw" Egan is an outlaw, and one apparently without Other preparation tor a place in tile civilized world than his daring, his physical strength and his skill in handling deadly weapons. Chance favors him at a time when his desperate career reaches the inevitable end. An incident at "Yellow Hog" reveals iiis command over the fear forces in men to a leading citizen of a neighboring village, who is in search of a man to act as sheriff where his bravery may count on the side of law and order. He accepts the position as an escape from the very forces he is thereafter bound to maintain. He is thereafter to enforce the law against which he has been long in revolt. Here is a strong situation and one worked out with picturesque and convincing effect. The outlaw's sense of duty is not established by the responsibilities of his new position in life. but through the sentimental side of his character. He falls in love with the daughter of his benefactor. He is sorely tried over and over again in his new attitude and finally brought up to face a crisis beyond his power, but he has proven to others that lie is capable of being of service and his dark past life forgiven with big and manly generosity, a happ\ and consistent conclusion. "The Winning Punch" strikes a laugh -provoking note in the first act which is not preserved, the antics of a fat man. but the ling tight that follows is one of the most amusing things ever shown on the screen. Neither through melodrama, nor