The Photo-Play Journal (May 1916-Apr 1917)

PAGE 20. THE PHOTOPLAY JOURNAL F&R DECEMBER, 1916 lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll THE SILENT TREND A Composite Review of the Current Month's Achievements in the Photo-Play World By BERT D. ESSEX T ITTLE MARY ^ PICKFORD still holds the scepter. She maintains her right to the supreme queenship of the film. Verily in "Less Than Dust," her latest photoplay, she is more inimitable than ever, and her series of successes seem s infrangible. This repetition of triumph redounds the more to her credit because she majestically transcends a lot of mighty poor material furnished her by Hector Turnbull, who, in writing this play, displayed a woeful lack of literary talent. Frankly, three unfortunate selections were made, namely : the subject, the author and the leading man. Miss Pickford has appeared in only one photoplay as devoid of merits since she became a star, and that was "The Eternal Grind." True, "Less Than Dust" is sufficiently different to afford her an opportunity to further establish her remarkable versatility by adding another distinct character to her repertoire, but it will no doubt be the sincere hope of many of her admirers that she stay away from East Indian ideas henceforth. As for her new leading man, David Powell, he seems to be out of place and inadequate, although the author may again be blamed for making the part of Captain Townsend, which he portrays, so weak and insignificant. Mr. Powell's performance makes one wish John Bowers was back on the job with his good looks and radiant smiles. It even inspires one to wish Miss Pickford would give a leading man like Tom Forman the place opposite her in the next picture. In "Less Than Dust" Miss Pickford plays the part of a little English girl who was deserted by her father soon after the death of her mother. Living among the lower caste of a city in modern India, she is the adopted child of a swordmaker. The natives start a rebellion against English rule, and this proves the turning-point in the girl's life because it brings into her sphere Captain Townsend, commander of the local garrison. She is at once favorably impressed with him and this infatuation grows when he rescues her from an infuriated mob of fanatical natives who accused her of desecrating the sacred pool in the TENDENCIES TERSELY TOLD The lure of the celluloid is still inclined to extend throughout the army of regular theatrical managers and George M. Cohan is the latest recruit to emulate William A. Brady, Oliver Morosco et al. in expanding his producing activities to include making some moving pictures. Moving picture censors display more liberality of mind as is shown in "A Daughter of the Gods," the latest Annette Kellerman spectacle, and, fortunately the laxity is beneficial. The inclination to eliminate the star system, is being checked by the discovery that the public waits for pictures in which their favorites are starred. Too many actresses are inclined to overact and overdress, as is evidenced in the case of Valeska Suratt in "The Straight Way." Producers are manifesting a renewed penchant for bringing old-time stage successes to the screen and hence we have with us simultaneously "Bought and Pair For" and "The Heir to the Hoorah." The ambition to keep photoplay art up to the minute is exemplified in Bertha Kalich's latest starring vehicle, "Love and Hate," which deals with infantile paralysis, just about the newest thing in diseases. Eloquent repudiation of the boast that photoplay producers are co-operating to bring about a permanent cessation of absurd competition is furnished in the two rival screen productions of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," with Theda Bara starring in one and Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne essaying the same stunt in the other. There is a pleasing effort to give the fans plenty of wholesome Western subjects, the best of which in recent days is "The Return of 'Draw' Egan," featuring William S. Hart. A mad rush now under full steam is to exploit famous dancing stars before the camera and among these recruits from the world of terpsichore are Mrs. Vernon Castle, Joan Sawyer, Maurice and Walton. There is a fallacious lot of imitating going on and consequently photoplay fans are seeing more of the hula hula than they could possibly want. More scenario contests are on full swing now than ever before, but aspirants are learning fast that the contest field does not abound with advantages or opportunities as is proven in the marked decrease in the number of manuscripts being entered in these various literary battle royal affairs. Scholarliness is creeping into a great many pictures, but the highbrow idea seems doomed from the inception, because clever originality explicitly presented is really what the public demands. now free to regale herself with further matrimonial venture. Forthwith she tricks Rahda into deserting Captain Townsend, and overcome b y grief the little wife obtains some poison and flees to the desert bent on self-destruction. Townsend discovers the deception in time to trace his wife and to overtake her before she has time to end her life. All ends happily. A JAPANESE actor who shows temple when in a playful mood she fell in and got a ducking. Because of Townsend's attentions to her she becomes the victim of the wife of another officer, who really loves Captain Townsend and is intensely jealous of him. In spite of all manner of opposition, Rahda, as this little English girl is called, clings to her childish affection and admiration for the captain. She risks her life to save him when he is wounded in a skirmish with natives, and she is plunged into deep sorrow when he is sent away to England to regain his health. In his absence her foster father is thrown into prison, and she organizes a rescuing party to effect his release. When she is about to be killed for this foolish bravado, the prisoner reveals the fact that he is not her real father, declaring she is the daughter of an English derelict who formerly stood high in military circles. It develops this derelict is related to a wealthy Englishman, and Rahda is sent to him in England. It so happens Townsend is also a relative to this rich man, who dies before Rahda's arrival, leaving Townsend in charge of his estate. He welcomes Rahda and their friendship ripens into love and they are married. The couple return to India, where the captain exerts his influence to gain the swordmaker's release from prison. They find "the other woman" has been made a widow and is all the ability requisite to pushing the kingpins of his profession for high laurels is Sessue Hayakawa, whose latest triumph is as Toyo in "The Soul of Kura San," a five-part drama produced by Jesse L. Lasky. Never has this worthy son of Nippon demonstrated a better sense of dramatic proportion than he does in this play of strong human appeal. His admirable restraint in every situation which tempts him to over-act and his genius for interpreting the subtleties of his role mark him as a wellpoised, comprehensive acting star. The story of "The Soul of Kura San" tells of a pair of lovers who fall prey to poverty and are kept separated. Being Japanese who are loyal to all the traditions of their race, they are ready to die together by committing suicide, but fortune seems to smile on them just when their spirits are at the lowest ebb, and they acquire new courage. Toyo, the man, goes to America to make his fortune after his sweetheart had pledged eternal faithfulness to him. In his absence the girl is inveigled into believing she has been permanently abandoned, and she yields to the blandishments of an artist. Her Japanese lover returns, and the girl in deep remorse kills herself. Toyo promptly seeks to reap full revenge on the artist and a tragedy is averted only by a thrillingly narrow margin by the artist's betrothed. It ends with the two young people restored to happiness, and with Toyo entertaining a higher ideal of womanhood. The locale is partly in Japan and partly in America, and some of the scenes are exceedingly beautiful. There is plenty of the puissant punch throughout the picture. This feature is the vertex of a composite dramatic and iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^