Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1920)

Do -9t Title Keg. U. S. Pat. OB. ' I 'HIS is YOUR Department. Jump right in with your contribution. ■*■ What have you seen, in the past month, which was stupid, unlifelike, ridiculous or merely incongruous? Do not generalize; confine your remarks to specific instances of absurdities in pictures you have seen. Your observation will he listed among the indictments of carelessness on the part of the actor, author or director. Maybe She Met the R. F. D. on the Way IN Charles Ray's "Crooked Straight," his leading lady is given a letter by her father presumably to be mailed. She places it in her hat and wears the hat to the next scene, where Ray is. There she removes the hat and we were all expectantly waiting to see the envelope flutter to the ground. It didn't. J. H. P., New York City. "The Papers" Again THAT must have been a long letter that Lord Grimwood was supposed to have written to his wife Marion (Dorothy Dalton) in "His Wife's Friend." Dorothy is shown with the letter in her hand, and it is seen clearly to be closely covered with writing on four sides. Then it is shown on the screen as a very short one-page letter. Later when the friend (Henry Mortimer) reads it, it is seen to cover only two pages. C. G., Jersey City. A Rising Young Actress IN "Hawthorne of the U. S. A.," the "dream garden" of the *• little princess is surrounded by a wall so high that it takes the help of a tree on one side and much scrambling on the other, for the lengthy and agile Wallace Reid to surmount it • — and yet no sooner has the American roadster started off, than Lila Lee appears head and shoulders above the wall, in a del'ghtfully reposeful and unruffled attitude. No ladder or other means of support was in view on the garden side at any time. S. G. F., Washington, D. C. The Setifictt Itivdsioft "TpHE WESTERNERS"— I always thought it was a period ■*■ picture— ^is certainly up-to-date. It was supposed to carry us back to the days of the small mining towns where the men carried revolvers in their belts and whisky and other drinks were sold in saloons and dance-halls. On the wall, however, in one of the scenes, were two pictures that drew my attention. They were both copies of the Police Gazette. One was a picture of George Burns of the New York Giants and the other a striking likeness of a Mack Sennett bathing-girl. Fhiltp C. Halper, New Haven, Conn. Keep off the Grass THE UNBELIEVER" is probably an old picture to you Americans but I can't resist reeistering a kick against it. The scenes arc supposed to be of "battletorn France;" most of them "No Man's Land." Did the director ever see France? There were no lawns in No Man's Land; nor were soldiers allowed there without their gas-masks. Not a gasmask was seen throughout the film, not even on the German soldiers — and who ever saw a German at the front without his mask? Who would take the trouble to saw down trees at the front? No need of sawing them, they came down anyway. Who ever saw civilians living in No Man's Land, who — like the rabbi in the picture — would stand in the middle of the street and not blink an eyelash while shells were bursting all around? There were hoitses that — after the bombardment— still had glass in the windows! I've seen a good many incongruous war pictures, but this is the limit and therefore worth recalling. H. E. U. S. S. Gazelle. Anything May Happen in a Fog IN "The Better Wife" Kathlyn Williams was in an automobile with wire wheels and electric lights. She rode through the fog and later on, she and her car turned over. We see a closeup of the car with wooden wheels and gas lights. K. M. L., Crawfordsville, Ind. Maybe He Developed a Tooth-ache IN "Sage-brush Tom" the hero hit the villain in the chest. This is plainly seen. But in the next scene the villain had his jaw bandaged. A. K., Canton, Ohio. That Carey Is a Smooth Feiler IN a late Harry Carey picture, "The Gun Fighting Gentleman," Harry wanted to get even with a certain retired rancher, by holding up an automobile containing the monthly payroll. As soon as the auto left, Harry jumped from the fence where he was sitting by the gate. The gate was closed. He ran for his horse nearby, and the next minute he was going through the open gate full-speed ahead. C. R., Sioux City, Iowa. It Had to Be a Good Wreck IN "The Wreck," the president's train starts out three coaches in length. Later, in another view, at least six larger coaches are on the train. H. Jones, Fort Madison, la. Scared Out of His Boots, You Might Say MR. HART— beg his pardon — Bill, in "John Petticoats," threw off only his hat before jumping from the wharf to rescue Rosalie, but when he emerged from the water with the young lady* it was noticed that he was in his stocking feet. F. W. H., Rochester, N. Y. The Caption Writer Had a Cold IN "The Thirteenth Chair," 1 the name Grossby is often changed to Crossby and back again. F. Duenas, Jr., Pasadena, California. 99