Paramount Press Books (1918)

Trade Press Indorses “The White Heather” All Agree that Maurice Tourneur9s ParamountArtcr aft Special Picture Is One of the Greatest Produced In Many Years THE motion picture trade papers as well as the daily journals of New York are most emphatic in their expressions of approval of Maurice Tourneur’s Paramount-Artcraft special picture, “The White Heather,” which was presented with triumphal results at the Rialto Theatre, New York, on May 4, 1919. Some of the leading viewpoints follow : Interesting Undersea Views I OUIS REEVES HARRISON, * — J writing in the Motion Picture W'Orld, has this to say: ‘ ‘ English melodrama, strengthened by highly interesting undersea views photographed by the Williamson submarine tube, “The White Heather” portrays some tremendous efforts to get the “papers” in the case of a young lady, Marion Hume, who married Lord Angus Cameron aboard his yacht by the Scotch ceremony of declaration before two witnesses. The documentary evidence of the marriage, enclosed in water-proof wrappings before the yacht was sunk, constitutes the sole protection of Marion and her child, as one witness disappeared in the deep, and the other in the flotsam and jetsam of the London underworld. “Lord Angus, finding himself in serious financial circumstances, urged to marry a woman of wealth, denies his secret marriage to Marion, and fights with high-bred selfishness to make his own son a bastard, a conflict ending in his own death, and that of a lad who tried to clear the young wife’s name. Such is the tragic plot of the Tourneur production, the theme embodying vehement denunciation of class prejudice in Great Britain. “Just as Liszt paraphrased and transformed a lot of barbaric Hungarian melodies into rhapsodies of beauty, so Tourneur paraphrases and transforms these Drury Lane melodramas into visualizations of scenic charm by consummate skill in accomplishing fine picture effects. Some of his exteriors are filled with the instinctive delights of beautiful landscape, his interiors gems of lighting effects. Successive audiences appreciated the acting of H. E. Herbert as Lord Angus, and Mable Ballin as Marion Hume, and they thoroughly enjoyed Tourneur ’s artistry of production in conjunction with Bialto skill of presentation, just as they enjoy the Bialto ’s orchestral skill of interpretation, but interest centered on the undersea combat at the last of the melodrama, and They All Agree! “The White Heather” is a Wonderful Picture “Scenes are masterpieces of their kind.” — N. Y. Times. “Superb photographically.”— N. Y. Telegraph. “Big feature hit.” — N. Y. Review. “Outdoes Jules Verne.” — N. Y. Sun. “Many stirring scenes.” — N. Y. Evening Telegram. “Photographically all that can be desired.” — N. Y. Evening Sun. “Story thrilling, photography beautiful.” — N. Y. Tribune. “Realistic achievement.” — N. Y. Herald. “Effects thrill and amaze.’” — N. Y. Evening Post. “Beautiful genre studies.” — N. Y. Globe. “An absolute masterpiece.” — Variety. “Interesting undersea views.” — Motion Picture World. “Gripping screen thriller.” — Exhibitors’ Trade Reviezv. “A splendid picture.” — Motion Picture Nezvs. this will be the story ’s chief value to exhibitors generally throughout this country. ’ ’ Gripping Screen Thriller A LFRED GLEASON, a leading reviewer, has this to say in The Exhibitors’ Trade Reviezv, one of the leading trade publications : “The Drury Lane melodrama has splendid material for a screen thriller. It has an abundance of highly flavored action, opportunities for fine outdoor settings, and a gripping story which works out in constantly ascending dramatic values to the powerful climax in a submarine fight between the hero and the villain, certainly the ultimate in melodramatic action. “For the recording of this episode the Williamson submarine photographic patents were used, and the fact that the smashing dramatic incident is adequately recorded on the screen goes a long way in giving the story a “punch” that undoubtedly will carry it to success anywhere. ‘ ‘ However, the photoplay does not depend solely upon the one incident for its power. Independent of the novel submarine fight, it has a capital story that justifies itself as cinema material, and the climax is rather a feature added for good measure to a picture already interesting and at times absorbing. ‘ ‘ Several ‘ ‘ Shots ’ ’ of the dogs pointing the game were splendid. There are passages on the London Stock Exchange, where the director has brought about some fine mob effects, and the search through the underworld of London for the missing witness involves numerous flashes of types and picture effects which are well managed. ‘ ‘ The feature is without a 1 ‘ big star ’ ’ name, but the playing at all times is well balanced and indeed works to the advantage of the picture as perhaps a star vehicle would not. Arguments against the star system would find support in the satisfactory working out of the plan employed in the present case. No character is given a monopoly of the center of interest, but each fits into the complete narrative in balanced proportion. “The Tourneur scheme has the advantage, that it leaves the director a free hand in his single-minded purpose of interesting an audience. A Splendid Picture THE New York Motion Picture News says “The White Heather” is a splendid picture. The following is worth while : ‘ ‘ ‘ The White Heather, ’ as has been chronicled in Motion Picture News, is a splendid picture adapted from the Drury Lane melodrama. The title comes from the good luck flower of the Scotch highlands, the white heather. The action centers around the recovery of a marriage record from the hulk of a destroyed yacht, called ‘ ‘ The White Heather.” The big scenes of the melodrama take place at the bottom of the sea, where the hero and the villain, in the weird costumes of deep sea divers, fight to the deatn on the ocean floor. “Thus the thrilling portion of “The White Heather” has the bottom of the sea for its background For those scenes Mr. Tourneur employed the newest inventions of the Williamson Brothers, whose sub-sea photography devices are famous. Much of the story centers in London, revolving between the financial district and the slums. In the scenes “on change” Mr. Tourneur employed thousands of players.” 23