Moving Picture World (Jul - Aug 1918)

1156 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Auerust 24. 1918 way to the screen. Portions of i melodrama, pure and simple. Its ti ment is episodic, not epical, and in the telling Director Griffith lias adopted the quick, nervous staccato style of the French novelist. This method is very effective and marks a decided advance in screen art. Another notable innovation is the tableau effect of a portion of its scenes. Groups of characters arc shown that register but one thought, sometimes with the immovable concentration of plastic citations. As in "Hearts of the World," the man who popularized the cut-back on the screen makes such slight use of it in his latest picture it is practically not used at all. The acting of Henry Walthall comes in the catalogue of the unusual. His method is often that of the pantomimist. his emotion being expressed by swift, broad gestures rather than by the lines of bis lace or the glance of his eye. The result of all this departure from familiar rules of screen procedure is excellent, and lends a touch of novelty and fresh interest to the picture that vastly enhances its value. D. W. Griffith is Still tl ' mind "' the screen. Jim Young, of Toungstown, Pa., is the hero of "The Great Love." Early In the war he enlists in a Canadian regiment and reaches the front by way of England. While training near London he meets the little Australian girl, most entertainingly played by Lillian Gish, who promises to be his wife at the end of the si. fore this happens, however, she is married to Sir Roger Brighton, a dissolute nobleman who becomes entangled with a band of German spies and is almost tricked into betraying his country. Jim Xoung prevents him from guiding an air raid on a great munition plant. Tins is tin big ••effect" of the picture and is extri well managed. The brooding mystery and dread of the hovering Zeppelins is impressed on the spectator with almost perfect realism. Mention of the sub-titles should not be omitted. They arc as direct and fro, from any attempt at i ing as is the speech of Jim Young, a part that Robert Harron makes so likable and thoroughly American thai everyone is bound to feel he represents the best ty] f soldier we have sent to fight our battles in France. Grade A performs given by Gloria Hope as .1. ssie I [allow ell, ' ■ Fawcett as the Rev. Josephus Broadplains, Rosemary Theby as Mademoiselle i tee, Maxfield Stanlej as John Bi plains, and George Siegmann as Mr. Seymour. Henry B. Walthall is particularly well suited to the chan ol Sir Roger Brighton. Among the English titled folk that appear briefly in "The Great Love" are Queen Alexandra, the Princess of Monaca, the Countess of Drogheda, Lady I Manners. Miss Elizabeth Asquith and .Miss Violet Keppel. Comments General Film Company. THE WINNING OF THE MOCKING BIRD (Broadway Star Feature Companj I. — Taken from one of the Wolfville stories of Alfred Henry Lewis, the material of cowboy abduction, lynching and rescue by the maiden is so outworn that the story lacks vitality, though it is fairly well visualized. Greater Vita graph, Inc. WILD PRIMROSE (Vitagraph), Aug. 12. — Gladys Leslie is star of a most entertaining and wholesome American story pictured in interesting episodes and produced adequately. The story deals with a Tennessee girl who goes to New York on the bidding of her father, to be educated and reared in accord with high SOCietJ >ii<toms. The father has not seen his child since she was a baby, and is of the opinion that she has grown to nish mountain waif. Determined to have some measure of vengeance upon ather for having deserted her mother the girl decides to masquerade as the "wild girl" her father now believes her to be. Complications, unravelled in logical sequence, plus the interesting nature of the main plot, Supply entertainment of excellent class. -Miss Leslie is conspicuously competeiit and artistically effective as a most ingratiating star of the occasion. Famous Players-Lasky Corporation BOUND IN MOROCCO I Art era ft), Aug. 5. — The t :sk of Supplying Douglas Cairhanks with suitable vehicles for bis acrobatic comedy achievements still remains no problem at all. Bach production s to equal all demands, and ".Morocco Hound" is no exception. Here Is another as good as the Others. What matters if the thread of plot is scant and probabilities are frequently challenged— it's Douglas >a nks. afoot an leaping, jump ing, tumbling, ambling and cavorting, that we want to see -and here he is. Tin: SUMMER GIRLS (ParamountMade Sennett), Aug. 26. — The new .Mack i ■ t come.: Summer Girls," is well described by its title. There is an abundance of pretty summer girls and livel) chasing around a big Bummer hotel, but the story is of the stereotyped kind and is ot no special merit. Some of the . s in it an in and about the swimming i l of tin hotel which show some exceedingly graceful diving. \ curious pelican furnishes some amUBing Much of the comedy is reminiscent ot oi her film fa i Jewel Productions, Inc. THE FORBIDDEN BOX (Jewel), A sixpari production featuring Mildred Harris with i tenrj w in aid plaj Ing op, to hoi I id, bj 1-olS \ Sma Uej is attract i\ . deals with the storj of a young woman's discontent It is based on a story b\ E V. Durllng. a full review will be found elsewhere. Metro Pictures Corporation. A PAIR < IF CUPU »S, July 29. Prancis ml Be\ erlj Bayne an t. .. tured in this thoroughly enjoyable farc< •.inch han many amusing BltuaThe Btory hinges on an old man's bring t wo j oung people to■ ami make them forge i theii fish views of life. in this he succeeds Mo expedient of renting two babies and having one placid on the doorstep of i ach of his charges. THE HOUSE OP MIRTH, Aug. 5.— A five-part production featui herim Harris Barrymore with an all-star sup .iini based on the novel of Edith Wharton. The picture is more than |.as enterta ining a mi has he, , direi ted by Albert < lapellani, A fu view win be found elsevt here. Mutual Film Corporation. THE HIGH COST OP WEDDINGS mil. Aug. 13. — The second ol Elinor Pield comedies and of entertaining The corned] Is of couri i but its laughs get over, it con the successful attempt of a father to the expense of a big wedding for his iter. Th. I i [ghtened into eloping, after which the girl's I I vides the difference bet which the elopement cost, ami the |2,000 which the wedding would otherwise have relii his pocket of, between himself and the iple. HRIGHT (Ha worth). —The first ssue Hayakawa i luctioi the Haworth brand does no the star justice. The picture drags whal and has a badly constructed plot which fails to get anywhere. The production can, howevi I much artistic excellence with regard to backgrounds and will be found entertaining if not compared with former successes. A full reVi< w will be found elsewh. SCREEN TELEGRAM NO, 45 (Mutual). Aug. 7. — Interesting items of this issue show scenes' from where the American soldiers have recaptured a French town. General l'assaga decorating soldiers of our 104th with the Croix De Guern gallantry in field of battle, inspecting of the motor transport of the 101st Infantry, Vassal students taking up farm work to help win the war, and scenes about military bake oven, A DAM CATASTROPHE (Outlng-Chester), Aug. 11. — An entertaining number in which some excellent closeups of the beaver building his dam and repairing breaks made by inconsiderate humans form the Opening scenes. Then We are treated to a scries of Views obtained with a hones moon pair who try to imitate the beaver in the matter of living the Simple life. Scenes on an Improvised raft, which capsizes in the middle of a ra v ishi ng ly beautiful stream are wonderf ully inspiring. The picture is well subtitled in a eomedj vein, Pathe Exchange, Inc. 'oi Aim. • ft'or 's .ic.ad. having been ■> . . . 1>] ,ij Bterious a\ i n Bpi ing Gil bert again appears to abduct tin' girl and .lack hastens to protect her in the lower. erla] is will constructed and In easily understi plot. DAMAGED GOOD (Lyons-Moran), Aug. ddii i.' one ami Lee Moran appear in this as a salesman and buyer who smash ■ .,, , ha 1 1 befon bi comlni quainted. Their wives afterward mis a hat sale and later all meet at dinner, ihe riot begins again. Tl tty rough, but there is a of hi, natur< in this and it will no doubt be well received.