Moving Picture World (Jul - Aug 1918)

60 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD July 6, 1918 By Marion Howard WHAT a splendid picture "Joan of Plattsburg" is! Mabel Kormand in this Goldwyn offering has endeared herself to tans everywhere. The picture is sane all through and very timely, to say nothing of the scenes "inside the lines" at Plattsburg. Good comedy here when Joan gets mixed up with the men in their "over the top" drills. It now has the indorsement of the "First Lady of the Land," cabinet officers and millions of fans. Robert Elliott, always dependable, plays the lead perfectly, and caused "Ohs" and "Ahs" among the girls. As a critic says, this is a "patriotic wallop." Two things I would suggest to little Mabel : Learn to toe out, especially when descending stairs wearing white shoes; another — do n®t display the ivories so widely, as it gives to her otherwise handsome features a vacant expression when staring. We are spared actual battle scenes in France, and how the house applauded when "Johnnie came marching home" up Fifth avenue! * * * Mrs. Aver put on the same program "Selfish Yates," by odds the best Hart offering this season, skilfully directed by the star. While we get the same old idea of a soul awakened, the luring of the heroine by the villain, the rough and tumble fight between the men, still somehow it took hold of us in front. I liked the funeral scene — a new touch in a Hart picture — and the compelling work of Jane Novak as the pathetic heroine. Harry Dunkinson, a newcomer with Artcraft, had a fat part, into which he fitted physically. A well balanced company, but Master Butterworth as Hotfoot got the laughs, for he was decidedly clever all through. * * * "A Weaver of Dreams," with little Dana doing her customary emotional work, went well. Rut why do they not give her a leading man nearer her own age? Clifford Bruce is a splendid heavy, and fits in elsewhere all right, but opposite dainty Viola is a misfit — so the fans think, as they did in recent pictures. What got us strong in the "Weaver" was the novel introduction of the middle-aged couple hugging a romance of long ago. Clarissa Selwyn, with her beautiful eyes and stateliness, and Russell Simpson made a picture long to be remembered. Some rebelled at the flashback picturing the hideous wreck, as the directors went a bit too far here; but it may be necessary to "rub it in" and leave little to our intelligence or imagination. Nothing finer in outdoor photography has been seen in a long time, the principals standing out like paintings; some of the scenes seemingly tinted in sepia. A young thing back of me said. "That feller don't know a good thing when he has it" — referring to the lover's caddishness and bad taste in choosing the doll-like girl to Judith, the heroine. Dana gave us fine touches here in sacrifice, but my companion said she was well rid of the man anyhow. We were spared the customary ending and two-lip stunt. * * * In "Masks and Faces" (done in England) Forbes Robertson certainly made good. What a cast I Maybe the support of his own people over there had something to do with the success of this. In it we have a Terry, a Boucicault, a Du Maurier, the only George Bernard Shaw; Sir Beerbohm Tree, Sir Arthur Pinero, Sir James Barrie, Irene Vanbrugh, who plays "Peg" deliciously; Lilian M<< arthy, much liked here, and others with international names. It was distinctly English, and an excellent screen interpretation. No wonder this picture is indorsed by the National Council of Women and strongly commended. * * * After seeing "The Guilt of Silence" we went over to the Fenway to see "Th; Seal of Silence," a big picture put out by the Vitagraphs for Earle Williams, Grace Darmond and others, well directed by Tom Mills, whose work on the O. Henry pictures has been superfine. Here we get a story with a doctor, an uncongenial mismated wife and a young girl — making an interesting triangle. It had many new ideas, especially on the kid end, with four-year-old Pat Moore to handle. We liked the professional side of the story and the entire consistency, also the proper ending with the skies cleared. Clean picture; good for reissue at any time, as most of the Vitagraphs are. Another good play for the screen, "Her Decision," with an excellent cast. I went twice to see this just for the work of J. Barney Sherry, who has a decidedly "highwater mark" part and holds true to the character. While the plot is not entirely original, it is so well worked out in . such capable hands as to give it new angles worth while. Here we get the employer and his stenographer, whom he marries, knowing well the girl thinks she loves another (who is a ne'er-do-well, and gets his innings later on). The part of Martin Rankin could not be in better hands, and Gloria Swanson develops the character perfectly. This is a fine Triangle picture and to be commended to the limit. * * * "Lend Me Your Name" was seen twice, as I hoped to find something to enthuse a bit over, liking young Lockwood. Here he undertook to double, but was quite the same, forgetting, as the masquerader, to cut out the facial twists of the dyspeptic, and these were not natural. Best thing about this is the scenery and the fine support, for the valet and the impossible doctor were funny and the leading women excellent. Lockwood's fall in the brook was the cause of much merriment, even among the staid patrons of the Exeter. * * * A corking circus picture, good for all classes, is "The Biggest Show on Earth," with its Barnum-like title and so cleverly directed by the only Ince for Enid Bennett and a capable company. This included Melbourne MacDowell, who makes a typical circus owner with his loud watch fob and all else that shouts. Then when daughter goes to a swell school she, too, lives up to the circus "mold of fashion" and wears clothes that arouse varied comments. What we wondered at was her stunt with the lions, for it looked perilous; but Enid never turned a hair. Bets were made as to how it was managed. There were good camera shots and some fine sets where the quality reigned. As Colonel Trent, the aristocrat (rather the hubby of one), Carl Stockdale had a most congenial part. Young Rodney, the lover, stood pat in spite of mother on the circus question. Good twist on dad's part in giving away the source their income from said circus. Score another for the Japanese actor, Hayakawa, whose I seen lure is "The White Man's Law," directed by lames Young most creditably. Pretty daring theme in making the white man the villain and an eastern Hindu a hero I Jack Holt has a part in keeping with his former ones, and I never could see why he should be cast as a goody-goody, for his features forbid it. My neighbor could not quite see why he should commit suicide in such an abrupt manner when the Arab had good cause to kill him when opportunity was there; but this is of the unexplainable. Anyhow it gives a novelty to customary killing off of the bad 'mi. Joe Swickard does a good piece of character work. And does not Maym (don't like that name) Kelso look well as first lady? * * * Rubes, somewhat overdone, form the comedy element in "Mile-a-Minute Kendall," a good vehicle for Jack Pickford and sister Lottie, who does the naughty stunt very well. It jarred a bit to know that brother and sister played together in such parts. Louise Huff is at all times good, and her introduction through a soapy window was clever. We had the same week the other sister, Mary, in "M'liss," but somehow it fell short of her recent pictures. Not yet has she duplicated her most remarkable work in "Stella Maris," by all odds her very best. * * * What a pity Benjamin Chapin has gone out of our lives I But what a memory he has left in his wonderful portrayals of the great Lincoln on platform, stage and screen 1 I feel glad that he lived long enough to give us pictures of such great value in many ways. We feel a bit proud over here that Henry, Hadley, a native of Somerville, has completed the first symphony written for motion pictures. Mr. Hadley has been seriously thought of as a successor to Karl Muck, former leader of our symphony orchestra, and now an interned alien in Georgia, where he has organized an orchestra for other Germans — United States prisoners. * * * We are glad that Frank Mayo has made good and now with the World Film; of the fact that Vernon Steele is to play opposite Mme. Petrova, and that Walthall has gone back to his first love — Griffith, who made him famous as the Little Colonel in "The Birth of a Nation."