The Billboard 1917-06-16: Vol 29 Iss 24 (1917-06-16)

— 62 The Billboard JUNE 16, 1917 FILMS REVIEWED tains when he keeps an appointment with her at the apartment of a diplomatic intermediary, who has been making other appointments for the wife, and makes this one, unaware of the THE GREAT WHITE TRAIL Kight-reel feature, made by Leopold D. Wharton, for State-rights release, THE CAST: Prudence Carrington ............Doris Kenyon George Carrington .....-seseee.eee-Faul ‘iordon Arthur Dean ........e+ee0eee..Dhomas Molding Charles Ware ...0..s-cecseeeee--eHans koberts Marie ...0-cesseeseccccessceeLOuise Hatelilng “The Vulture” .....0...+..+..-Richard Stewart Donald Ware +eeeeeeeeKdgar Davenport Author and Director ...........L. D. Wharton When the Patria serial was completed the Whartons cast about for other workls to conquer, and being more resourceful than Alexander, who is reported to have died grieving because there were none, they (with the emphasis laid on Brother Leopold, tho the Whartons and their activities are difficult to separate) began operations on the present film, recently introduced to Broadway by way of a trade showing at the Broadway, as The Great White ‘Trail. All of the fairies of winter came to the aid ef the camera, and, when The Great White Trail was completed, it presented a spectacle of icy grandeur, so gorgeous and magnificent, so superb as a lamiscape, and so grand in its scope of snowy brilliance that its very mental suggestion on a summer audience makes it in Yaluable to exhibitors at this season of the year. To show The Great White Trail on a hot day would be a surer method of attracting efowds who want to cool off than to advertise ice baths and mint juleps, The Klondyke region furnishes a motif for the somewhat overdrawn and slender theme and gives an excuse for plenty of excitement on dog sleds, The story itself is better left without analysis; it would crumble beneath too intent scrutiny, since the simplest of mi derstandings. surrounded by an asinine bit of jealousy, is the turning point which brings about a separation between the hugband and wife and sends them bot. off to the Arctic regions, each unknown to the other, But the story of The Great White Trail is not its high point. The film is a great and artistic tribute to the ability of Leopok D. Wharton; not it is true, his ability as a story maker, but certainly as the creator of beauty, superordinary. The film, both because it is a Wharton production and because it is beautiful, will sell. And diplomatic scissors work in the way of extracting monotonous scenes, will, perbaps, work yet greater wonders.—L, HL. THE SLAVE Five-reel Fox feature, for release June 3. THE CAST: eseveecsccccceccccese Waleska Suratt Dulles: ..ccscocscccccccccccocstccs VAR PERE Dr. Atwell... .cccccccccccccccces.. ie Mayne David Atwell......ccessceooeessHerbert Heyes Fgbert Atwell......csecceesees-Ldward Burns Dr, Ghoul......ccccsscsceesessbdwin Roseman ‘The Fossil. o0ccveccecccceccceccocceDaR Mason Prof. Winther...ccccccccccccesccs tom Brecke Author 2... cccccccdoccccccces Martin Faust Caroline PRISCILLA DEAN Miss Dean is starring in the Universal serial, Ghost. The Gray Author and director............ -William Nigh Photographer ...........+....Jdoseph Rutenberg The Slave is a mediocre model on which to hang VAleska Suratt and her clothes. The fact that they are hung with Miss Suratt’s usual attention to bizarre effect is something in its favor as a pulling point where tbe ladies of the land are concerned. The story is without much punch. It ends as a dream, which once upon a time in the annals of picturedom was a mark of ingenuity, but which in these days, when the twist is hackneyed as court scenes and final close-ups, is hopeless as qa surprise ending. Caroline, the beautiful cloak model, refuses the proposal of old Moneybags, rich, fat and aggressive; dreams she marries him and is miserable, wakes up and decides that what she has lived is worse than what she dreamed, and takes a chance, But the clothes— Well, they’re Valeska Suratt’s and deserve the nimble description of an Anne Rittenhause rather than the awkward phrases of a film reviewer.—L. H. TODAY Seven-reel feature film for State-rights release, presented by Harry Rapf, THE CAST: Fred Morton....c.sccesssesceesse-Frank Mills relationship Then the whole is excused and passed uff as a dream in order that the film may end happily and the critics’ caustic comments be thwarted. —L, H. A BIT O’ HEAVEN ——— A five-part adaptation of Kate Douglas Wiggins’ immortal masterpiece, The Birds’ Christmas Carol, by the Frieder Film Company, under the direction of Lule Warrenton. THE CAST: Carol Bird...... poheecotacks «++.+eMary Louise Uncle Jack...... épakeaedsue ..-Harold Skinner Mrs, Bird... oe0bsdoceece annevee Ella Gilbert Mr. Bird..... Suvcdbevscessccens Donald Watson Elfrida, the mnurse............Madeline Eastin Brother (Donald..........e.cceseeeCarl Miller Mrs. Ruggles..........00.....+.-Mary Talbot And nine raggedy Ruggles. This is one of the cleanest, brightest and most refreshing pictures reviewed in many a day, It is such a marked contrast to the usual cun of ‘‘villain and hero’’ that A Bit o’ Heaven will stand out as a beacon of light to the lovesurfeited and hero-laden feature fan. And the beauty of it all is that the picture stands on its own merits. It is chock full of human interest and will grip the grown-ups as firmly as the children. Mother will smile tremulously and at the same time surreptitiously wipe her eyes at the pleasures and sufferings of the little invalid, while father and the ‘‘younguns” Scene in A Bit of Kindling, Mutual-Horkimer star production, with Jackie Saunders. Released June 18. Henry Morton............+.....Gus Weinberg Emma Morton......... écccccccecsssmee Gale Marion Garland................Leonore Harris Richard Hewlett........Capt. Harry Lambardt Mrs. Warrtmgie. ...ccscceccceceses Kate Lester Authels ..06.< PPITTTITITT Tritt itTT Tr Tt ..-George Broadhurst and Abraham Schomer DUP 6. cb6acsdccsepncicsesets ..-Ralph Ince An elaborate and beautifully photographed presentation of a loathsomely dirty idea brings Today back to the public in film form, after its prosperous demise as a legitimate attraction. Today is as well done a smut film as is on the market. In all its spangles and glitter it sits right down in the gutter and squirms ih the rip-rap sewage. Without a scene of obscenity, without a direct suggestion of physical degradation, it presents as malodorous a mess of action as the expensive tenderloin could open up if its plush curtain were torn down. The film is made to make money and make it quickly. It avoids a list of things which would have left it on the junk heap after the censors’ shears had finished; it slickly slides thru loopholes, which, if left carelessly hanging, would have strangled it at the hands of officers of the community’s moral aides. It is, withal, an excellent piece of film filth, with Miss Reed’s expressive face featured, strongly helped by that of John Mills, and further supported by a cast of well-known persons, who have done and are doing widely heralded things on Broadway. It is a creditable feather in the directoral cap of Ralph Ince. The story is of a selfish young wife who sells her virtue of wifehood for the prices of clothes and baubles when her husband loses the money on which she has been accustomed to live luxuriously. The husband proceeds to choke her to death behind some discreet cur will chortle with glee at the antics of the Ruggles. Kate Douglas Wiggins’ The Birds’ Christmas Carol is known the world over. Carol Bird, the frail invalid; the father, mother and brothers, Elfrida, the nurse; Uncle Jack and the nine poor little Ruggles, who live in the house across the alley, are the characters of A Bit o’ Heaven. The home life of the little patient is shown and her sweet, lovable character faithfully portrayed by Mary Louise. The action all leads up to her Christmas dinner for the nine little Ruggles, and every foot of film is interesting and will grip and hold all until the very last inch {is run.—W. D. #H. THE STOLEN PARADISE Five-reel World feature for release June 18. THE CAST: Joan Merrifield .................Ethel Clayton a ...++-Edward Langford Katherine Lambert ..........+..-Pinna Nesbit Kenneth Brooks ...........George MacQuarrie Dr. Crawley ........essseee2-+-kRoObert Forsyth Dastl Cafeme ..c.cccccccccccccees GGerge Cowl Jonathan Merrifield .................Lew Hart Marquette (Inventor) ............Edward Reed E.Mey 0 cc cevcccccccccscccece IR RS Jacanes Rigard ............++..---1van Dobble Rater | . castes oe seecccseceeess Frances Marion eeboaskosense oeeeceseesHarley Knoles A nice, stereotyped, quite-according-to-theusgual-rovie-customs, is The Stolen Paradise— worthy of exh'bitors’ regard because it is clean, except, perhaps, for a rather emphasized but innocuous love affair between a husband and a wife whose marital ties belonged to another lady and another gentleman. It has the pleasant Ethel Clayton personality, which surmounts a multitude of sins, and the Edward Langfo-! ability to throw himself remarkpbly well into the psychology of intimate scenes, Hence, a red mark of acceptability goes alongside ot The Scolen Paradise, to be heeded by the men who are booking pictures, Opening in a little book shop, the charactuors are introduced, with Miss Clayton as the young daughter of the owner. The ambitious writer on the floor above opens the road to romance. Anonymous little attentions in the way of dainties placed outside his door keep him guess. ing, and, when he is bidden to a masquerade, jo believes he has found his Lady of Mystery in another girl, The accepted manner of causing a fire scene is introduced, showing a chemist at work jy his laboratory. The explosion causes panic at the masquerade ball, and the hero’s sight |. lost in rescuing the girl he thinks he loves, Blind, he marries the real Lady of Mystery, and only knows of his mistake several year. later when his sight (also accorling to the accepted rule, hospital scenes included) is re. stored. His disappointment vents itself in a flirtation with the other woman, and only a promise to hew to the straight and beaten pati clears up the clouded 4 tie atmosphere. A cunning baby girl lends a charm that the mothers will love. The settings are interiors, with few exceptions. Both Miss Clayton and Pinna Nesbit wear a nomber of pretty gowns, none of them elaborate with the exception of Joan’s wedding gown, but the atmosphere is of an extraordinarily well dresse! film, which has its value for audiences where girls predominate. —L. H. BAWBS O’ THE BLUE RIDGE Five-reel feature, released June 3 by TriangleKay-Bee, THE COAST: Barbara Colby (Bawbs)......Bessie Barriscale Ralph Gunther...... eececceeessArthur Shirley Phinneas Bradley.......¢.see.+sJ0e Dowling Jubal Wade.......-..ceceseeeesFrank Burke Author .....++......+.-eMonte M, Katterjohu Director ++++-Charles Miller A sunshiny bit of Virginia mountain life is Bawbs o’ the Blue Ridge, It has its gloom and its happiness, its lonesome tragedy and its warm, human fun, Bessie Barriscale is a little girl who sees life thru the eyes of a child born and bred in the hitls; her blossoming womanhood gives her new insight, and the simple love affair with a young author spending his vacation in the neighborhood is the basis for a clean, wholesome, picturesque story. The smell of the woods and the charm of the hill country run thruout. The scenes are not moved from the mountain districts and little Bawbs wears the same ragged dress from the beginning to the end, so there is nothing elaborate in the way of costuming or settings, except that provided by the naturally beautiful scenery, Left alone Bawhbs inherits a fortune, which she gives the young author and ‘Romeo of her heart, under the mistaken idea that he is poor and needs help. The various vicissitudes of their courtship and of that of an old miser widower, who offers himself when he hears of Bawb’s money, form the straightforward and refreshing plot.—L, H. POPPY Nine-reel Louis J. Selznick production, featuring Norma Talmadge. For State-rights release. see eeee eee ewe teens THE CAST: Foppy Destin................Norma Talmadge Sir Evelyn Carson.............Eugene O’Brien Luce Abinger................+Frederick Perry Pr. Bramhan........,.se0+.+-..dack Meredith Mrs. Capron...........+.s++sDorothy Rogers Sophie Cornell...........e+0+--Edna Whistler Mrs, Kennedy........++-seeee0+-sMarie Haines Director ..cciccccccccccssecccccccRewane Jee From the play by Ben Teal and John P. Ritter, based on the novel by Cynthia Stockley. The daily New York press has stopped and picked Poppy up, and is carrying her around on its collective shoulder, The nice things that it has said of Poppy in the past week will keep Norma Talmadge’s scrapbook in & state of pleasant uproar for the next year, And ST. LOUIS CALCIUM LIGHT CO. ESTABLISHED 187! CALCIUM LIGHT furnished in tanks for Stereopticon and Moving Picture Machines. Orders to any part of United States filled promptly. Calcium Burners. Rubber Tubing, Condensing Lenses, Lime Tencils. Gelatin Colors, Roll Tickets for sale. $16 Elm Street, St. Louls, Missourt. FILMS WANTED—Going into the Commercial F. ms business; would like to hear from you what you have to offer on a rental or percentage basis. Might consider buying. Will make gilt-edge bond for films. G. PHILIPE, 936 W. Summit Ave., San Antonio, Tex. WE BUY, SELL AND RENT MOVING PICTURE MACHINES AND FILMS. Opera Chairs for sale. MOVIE SUPPLY HOUSE. 112 N. La Salle St., Chicago, Llinois.