Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1919)

The Shadow Stage 60 den; Messalina, wife of the just Emperor ci.iu.lni-, might be described by many eviJ words; Eieloise, a virgin, is responsible tor the death of the philosopher-monk, Abelard; the fisherman is deceived by Cyrene, the lady from the sea; the Civil War soldier is betrayed for a trinket The prologue and epilogue, however, are entirely modern, and are 01 an identical interest. As a beautiful exposition of camera art, "Woman" is the evenl of the year; as a drama, it wears the same curse that "Intolerance" wore. Toumeur starts nowhere, and arrives gloriously and artistically at his destination the same place. Many people, including such women as the celebrated Russian dancer Flora Revalles, Diana Allen, Gloria Goodwin, Ethel Hallor, Fair Binney and Florence Hillings, participate. EDITH CAVELL Plunkitr & Carroll Under the long but nevertheless dramatic title, "The Woman the Germans Shot," a pair of independent picture producers present Julia Arthur, distinguished stage artist, in a vehicle quite worthy of her talents, and of the subject. It is full of the right kind of propaganda, and shows the damnable ways of the Hun when he happens to be riding the red horse of Victory. Miss Arthur's work is magnificent. Her support is good throughout, and there is no attempt to drag in battle scenes; nor is the play marred by mawkish sentiment and twaddling cartooning of Germans — always the mark of the weak scenarioist or the director devoid of real ideas. SALOME— Fox This edition of the adventures of Herodiade's daughter is not a sin against morals; it is only a vast, colossal assault on common sense. It means . . . nothing. Mr. Edwards, the producer, is even more at sea than when he produced ''Cleopatra," truly a new chapter in Alexandrine history; but is it all Mr. Edwards' fault? I have an idea that were Mr. Edwards let alone he would be putting on straightaway, ordinary tales of matter-of-fact life, instead of acting as nominal guide through these bewildering mangles of record and tradition recently affected by Miss Theda Bara. As Salome, Miss Bara does not resemble the tigerish princess of Judea as much as a neurasthenic taking sun-baths. No wonder Herod killed Salome after her dance; I took the Washburn-Crosby view: eventually — why not now? There has been a prodigious expenditure of money; large numbers of people appear and disappear; big scenic edifices have been erected. And all to no purpose, for we have a story unworthy even a nursery fable, a drama without a whit of dramatic interest, characters which are characterless, and the shocking murder of John the Baptist without reason whatsoever. Miss Bara was not content merely to vamp the prophet; she revamped him, insisting that he appear as a beardless male ingenue. Nevertheless, Al Roscoe's performance of John is the only assumption of any reasonableness or dignity in the picture. THE HEART OF RACHEL— Hodkinson This story of life might have happened — probably has happened more than once. The thing that commends it, despite a certain amount of sordidness, is its simpleness and humanity. Miss Barriscale plays, as well as she has ever played anything in her life, Rachel, wife of a widower who has a daughter but little younger than herself. Unable to stand an alliance of father and daughter against her. Rachel gets a divorce and marries their young family physician. Still, all is not smooth, tor the physician's eye is eventually caught by an actress, whom he ardently desires only to the moment when his wife offers to step out of the way of their future happiness. He then goes to Europe, and Rachel, with her two children, travels on alone until, years later, the illness of one of the children brings them together again. Doesn't sound like much in a little synopsis, does it? Neither does life nor a Tolstoi novel. The charm of the piece is its unforced action, the naturalness of its characters, and a certain inevitableness of fate that you find in real existence and great fiction. A superb cast graces the play. After Miss Barriscale. as Rachel, we find Herschell Mayall as the father. Ella Hall as the daughter, and Herbert Heyes as the physician-husband. Little Ben Alexander plavs Rachel's boy. Jack Cunningham made the scenario from a story by Kathleen Norris, and Howard Hickman directed. "Her Great Chance," in which Select puts forward Alice Brady, was Fannie Hurst's novel, "Golden Fleece." Miss Brady and certain location scenes in the Catskills are the excellencies of the piece. Dorothy Gish and her adopted infant in "Battling Jane." World politics in high places and fights in many places are the features of "Unexpected Places," a Metro melodrama featuring Bert Lytell.