Variety (August 1914)

18 VAmXITY WARFARE IN THE SKIES. A Vltagraph two-part re«Ier that for acCton, Htage direction, story and uptodatenaaa cla«aea far ahead of a raft of the melodramatic many- part featureH that are shown weekly in the New York houses. With all the banging away on the European battlenelda and with aeroplanes and dirigibles playing an import- ant part In modern warfare, this Vita picture reaches the market in a timely hour for the exhibitor. 'Warfare in the Skies" had the action and material to hare been extended Into four or flye parts, but the Vita kept It into two reels and thereby hands the exhibitors a feature treat that they would not otherwise expect in regular releasee. The picture also has Earle Williams and Edith Storey playing the principal roles, and both of these movie regulars add to their popularity by consistent work. It's an army story, as the title Im- plies. The son of an army general is an aviator. He loves an American girl with whom an aviating Count Is also badly smit- ten. War breaks out between the Revolution- ists and the Federals scene of battle not designated by film captions, and General Law- rence and his army get busy. An Ingeniously picture staged battle takes place and anon the Count is shown sending down bombs which sends the earth flying in all directions. The Count was attached to the aviation forces of the Feds, but wishing to get even with young Lawrence for winning the girl of hla choice, he switches his allegiance. Just when the Count was doing his demdest with his airship and the bombs, young Lawrence flies to the scene and sends his machine crashing into the Count's. The Vita does some effective work with this scene. Young Lawrence Isn't killed but he's injured and la removed to the hospital tent of the Revolutionists. Upon his rescue he learns that his sweetheart, who had garbed herself in a Revolutionist's uniform, was about to be shot aa a spy, whisses up In his aircraft and reaches her In the nick of time. The film closes as young Lawrence and his sweetheart start back throught the clouds to their own camp. It's a good picture and well acted. For movie leads Earle Williams and Miss Storey stand out prominently. Ona thing in their favor they are not afraid to work and not afraid to take risks to put a climax over. The Vltagraph scored when it rushed out "Warfare In the Skies." It Is a ticklish subject, but the Vita put It over. With France and Germany at war and both using ai-eoplanes the story could be placed In any part of France and the impression remain Just as distinct Mark. THE AVENGING CONSCIENCL The title of this David W. Grlfflths feature picture becomes vivid, as the film progresses, the su^-title, "Thou Shalt Not Kill." is super- fluous, partlcularlv as foreign manufacturers have made a botch of an attempt under that "Kill" caption. Artistically, Mr. Orifllths has put on a beautiful picture in "Conscience " It lives up to his reputation, from scene \nd situations to photography. Once more also has Mr. Griffiths dwelt upon allegorical views, during the running of the picture and at its flnale, but he did It here with a more skilful touch than formerly. The hypothetical pic- tures are not blsarre, they blend with the story and the immediate characters sur- rounded by them. In accord with the state of mind of the principal player who finds that "murder will out" and sin brings Its own punishment. Mr. Grlfflths lays this on heav- ily, but It Is pertinent always. He relieves the tension at the flnale, and the tension the picture worked up to had become strained, In its anti-cllmaz where the culprit hanged him- self, as well as to the auditor, who wondered how a feature could i>ossibly end aa this one then seemed headed for. It was all a "dream" or vision. The "dream" of the young man who found that his uncle stood In the way of his marriage, held sufficient forebodings, how- ever, to make anyone about to commit crime, think twice before doing It Mr. GTrlfflths, giving credit to Edgar Allen Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" and others of Poe's works, hit upon what everyone possesses, even the low-brow and the no-brow, coasclence. Consequently he haa turned out a picture with general ap- peal, dramatic very, some will say, others, melo-dramatic, and others, merely taking the picture on Its surface, may say "atrong," but "The Avenging Conscience" will leave an In- delible Impression and a more forceful one upon those who see It than the Commandment from which the sub-title Is derived. When the young man was thwarted by his uncle In bis proposed marriage, his mind conceived and retained evil. Murder meant the girl he loved and his uncle's wealth as an inherit- ance. The youth, after assuring himself his uncle was unobserved returning from a trip over the hills, strangled him to death, brick- ing up the body in the flreplace. He fell Into the money, but did not get the girl, at least not right away. His conscience smote him with memories of the choking scene. Wher- ever he looked he saw his uncle, a ghostly figure, and when that spectre appeared the first time, walking out of the flreplace, point- ing an accusing flnger at his nephew, it must have sent a thrill or a chill through the house. The ghost and the scene were too real, not physically, mentally or theatrically, but in execution. The incidentals are an Italian, who saw the murder, and a friend of the uncle, who brought on a detective, with the sleuth at last forcing a confession through working upon the nerves of the man with a conscience. After a chase to escape, leading to a prepared getaway that had boon closed by his pursuers, tho conscience-stricken one tied a rope around his neck. Jumped off a bench, and the detective thus found him, while his sweetheart, seeing the body dangling through the window, In despair throw herself over a cliff. Theso things are seen, yet there is not a shudder amongst them, thanks to the dlrootlon. And as everyone was about ready to reach under the seat at the Strand (where the feature Is first showing In New York this FILM REVIEWS week) the film kept traveling, the young man woke up In the chair where ne had dozed and found his uncle present, hugged him In glea; the sweetheart arrived to sav she would have him anyway, unk or no unk, and the uncle, whose mind had undergone a change through seeing youth go hand In hand with love, show- ered his blessings upon them all. In the woodland scenes a small menagerie la Intro- duced at intervals, the pastoral pictures are pretty to look at, the photographic range at limes is tremendously far away, and Orlffltha somehow makes his studio scenes of Immense proportions in an oblong way. Many tricks of the camera have been Invoked. One, tor instance, when the uncle's ghost appeared be- fore the young man as he slept; while stand- ing in front of his nephew the "ghost" could be seen through, but when standing awav from him, nothing behind tho "ghost" showed. The picture is rapid in its motion of scenes. Noth- ing has been wasted. The Interiors are splendidly set, and if one had time to note detail, many twists of greater or less im- portance that appear new could be mentioned. To picture people "The Avenging Conscience" will prove a study. It Is so well done. To the public it will be an everlaating lesson that, while it may not receive the appreciation it deserves, cannot fall to Impress, and will be accorded recognition by the thinkers as the illustrated exemplification of an undisputed fact—that you may fool everybody but you can't fool yourself, for yourself is Conscience. All picture theatres can play "The Avenging Conscience." It will strike home in some direction wherever seen. Sime. THE TREY~0^ HEARTS. Just as the exhibitors handling the Uni- versal pictures heaved a sigh of relief when the serial releases of "Lucille Love, the Girl of Mystery," had come to an end the U people get busy and aend out another of the endless chain boys entitled "The Trey O' Hearts" which, according to the announce- ments, was plcturlzed from Louis Joseph Vance's story. Author Vance has several hundred feet of film devoted to him at his Long Island home at the beginning of the first reel of the first Installment. The "Lucille Love" stories became abominable long before they were half over and even the audlencea that clamor for meller thrills felt relieved when they were stopped. Now comes "The Trey O' Hearts," but If Author Vance is on the Job the Gold Seal Co. of the U forces may do a far better job than the Love serial. "The Trey O' Hearta" had Its first regular movie showing on Broadway Monday. Just when one was looking for Alan Law to skip right back to hla old home town and do a waits kiss with the girl he loves and who happens to be the daughter of the very man who has sworn to do away with everybody akin to Alan's pa who once ran him down with an auto and had been the childhood sweetheart of his wife, along comes a flash that the picture will be continued next Mon- day. Now If this were the only serial that was hitting the movies It wouldn't be so bad, but nearly every film maker In the country la or has been grinding out a weekly Installment about the perils of a herlone or the adven- tures of somebody or the other and the deluge has simply bored the movie fans to death. If "The Trey O' Hearts" doesn't become a drag then the U people will have something to their credit All things considered, the first release wasn't so bad, but it took a lot of Jumping around to give the first section of the serial some sort of a sendoff to make the folks take interest Death stalks throught the open- ing chapters like a cyclone and Its victims are many. In a prologue and two reels, com- prising the first release, one woman dies of a broken heart, her husband is bowled over by an auto and becomes a hopeless paralytic, the man driving the machine at breakneck speed is given the trey of hearts as a death signal by the paralytic and commits suicide, and the suicide's son in Maine in trying to escape a forest fire and the attempts of an Indian guide to wing him kills the buck as he sits In a canoe holding the twin sister of his (the son's) sweetheart, who was also there to help put him down for the count. This is enough death for one section anyway, and there is no telling how many more suicides and deaths will follow in thlH serial before the winter Is over. As a suggestion to the scenario writer It might be well to shoot along another in- Htallment or two and then have the remaining members of the two families in the trey of hearts' feud Join opposing forces in the pres- ent European wgr and meet a timelier fate than having to anifT their life out In a lovb affair or inflicting self fatalities ignominously. That's all up^o the U people. Perhaps they have an ace in the hole. If they have they will need it before long. Mark. DETECTIVE "CRAIG'S COUP. FIVE PART ECLECTIC. lJ<'loctlve Craig Francis Carlyle Mae Edwards Peurl SIndelar Hob Urlorly Jack Stalndley .lames Dalton Charles Arllng frtbson (banker) Nod Burton Its melodramatic, as tho title implies. James Dalton la tho "brains" of a counterfeiting forre which is working In an artist's studio with the usual skylight effect. Dalton and his gang put over some big deals and while Dal- ton Is enjoying some of the fruits runs across Dob Drlerly in a cafe where the tango Is being danced by professionals. Hob, as the cap- tions show. Is some sport, having plenty of money and an appetite and thirst that keeps him well pickled all the time. Dalton sees a "type" in Brlerly for his counterfeiting schemes and gets him Into his confidence to the point of exchanging many drinks. To run down the counterfeiters. Detective Craig is called in. Right away he shadows Dalton and gang and later closes in on the wrongdoers both at the studio and in the cafe. Dalton es- capes but Brlerly Is caught in the net. Prior to the capture, Brlerly in walking through a park dropped his billhook Just as he was passing a bench on which was seated the pen- niless Mae Edwards. Later Mae returns the purse only to have Brlerly give It to her with his compliments. Bob goes to prison for four years and he and Mae carry on a correspond- ence. Bob, sometime after being released, marries Mae. Every Job Bob gets Dalton or one of hia gang tip Bob'a employer off as to his being a Jailbird. Dalton does all this be- cause Bob refused to help Dalton put through a Job to plunder the Gibson bank where Bob works. Bob, In desperation, accepts money from Dalton. The latter sends a man, aup- posedly a confederate, to spy upon Bob. This is done, the man Intercepting a letter that Brlerly writes to Gibson, telling him that his bank is to be robbed and that he (Brlerly) will be with the gang but Just for appearance's sake. Here the audience gets a start when during the attempt to rob the bank the police rush in and nab the bunch. The man. who was supposed to be In with the gang and who stopped Bob's letter, turns up as Detective Craig. In the melee, Dalton knocks Craig down, slams things around in general, smashes a glass door and does a fast getaway. He phones several of hla band that was not in the capture and at an old boathouse starts for Newburg in a gasolene launch. Craig, tipped off by a telephone girl, aa to the move- ments of Dalton, Brlerljr and enough reserves and bluecoats to put down a rebellion, give pursuit in another boat. The police close In on Dalton and there's a running fire. Finally the Dalton boat is set on fire which commu- nicates to the gasolene and an explosion fol- lows, Dalton and others on board going to a watery grave. The police return. Oh. yes. Bob was shot during the fight, but It's not severe enough to prevent him from having an affectionate meeting with Mae. There are some exciting moments to the picture and It contains a atory which rivals any of the yel- low-backs the nickel and dime library may offer. For the most part the scenario runs along well and that explosion scene on the water was particularly well done. The parts are well played. Miss SIndelar makes a capable Mae but wears an outlandish wig which detracts from her established person- ality. Arllng was capital as the wily Dalton and Stalndley was acceptable as Brlerly. The cafe-cabaret scene was also splendidly staged. Where mellera have have first call. "Detective Craig's Coup" will hold Interest It's an American story done In America by American players. Ifarfc. IN DEFIANCE OF THE UW A three part Sellg. announced via the cur- tain as a dramatization of the novel "Isobel," picture version by James Oliver Curwood. After looking this three part picture over one comes to the conclusion that Selig struck a verj picturesque country, but did not have the scenario to fit It. "In Defiance of the Law " comes close but does not run true to the mark. Billy McVeigh and Lieut Nome, members of the Royal Northwest Police, are sore on each other from the start. Each sets out over snow-covered paths to bring to Justice, one Scottie Dean, who is alleged to have killed a man. McVeigh is the first to encounter Deane'a wife, Isobel, who to all appearances is drag- ging a coflln which she tells McVeigh bears the body of her husband. In camp at night, McVeigh curls up In his blanket some paces away from the tent "cache" where Isobel is to sleep for the time. After Mack hits the blanket Isobel steals to his side and relieves him of all his shooting Irons. Then raising the lid of the box, her husband crawls forth in perfect health—a six-footer who adopted this method of sneaking past McVeigh's sharp scrutiny. They leave behind the box and a note from Isobel telling Mack that she is mar- ried and loves her hubby. Mack's pretty angry and while he is thinking over the trick played by a woman with whom he has fallen in love, his bitter rival, Nome and a deputy Interrupt his thoughts. Nome is told that a half breed had stolen his (McVeigh's) guns during the night. Nome finds a long hair and accuses McVeigh of having had a woman's etc. .\ome and deputy go to sleep within the tent. McVeigh steals Nome's gun and makes a get- away. Meanwhile Isobel and Scottie have fallen down a snow bank, with Deane having a leg hurt. Later Isobel absents herself from their camp and rushes back to find that Mc- Veigh has overpowered her husband and slap- ped the handcuffs on him. Nome and his man come up. Nome, seeing that he has been l)eaton to the prey, says some awful harsli words to McVeigh, with the result that the latter sent him sprawling and on bis way. Deane then tells his story. McVeigh, seeing the light, sets him free. Isobel and Scottie then make their way to a remote camp. Dur- ing all this trouble and flght the Deane's had left their little baby girl back in their shanty under the care of an Indian squaw. Isobel pines 80 for the kid that the lanky Scottie goes back after It. As he nears the old place the very man whom he had shot but had not killed for taking liberties with Isobel attempts to kidnap the little girl. Scottie gives pursuit and on the close In Is shot and kiled. Mc- Veigh, who has become a trapper after being dismissed from the R. N. service, sees the duel and taking aim, drops the murderer and kidnapper. McVeigh sUrU with the girl for the Dean* camp, not knowing that Isobel is down with the smallpox ana is alone, her Indian servant having liud when he saw the fatal signs. Isobel, in delirium, accu8«Mi Mc- Veigh of having killed her husband. McVeigh, later, leaves. Time flies. McVeigh recelvek a long-delayed and water-soaked letter which, when read, makes the audience believe that either the mother or baby died, but later in Montreal McVeigh flnda both laobel and the little girl. Isobel tells him that it was the Indian girl who had died. McVeigh fully be- lieved it was Isobel who had cashed In. The plcturv depends on its 'frozen north ex- teriors" and the deep anew looks mighty nice when the thermometer is around the tilling point Part of the photography- Is off color and half the time the faces of the photoplay- ers are indistinct. Anyway the snows of the north are a departure from dungeons, trap doors and chambers of death which have abounded in the meller features of late. Mark. CHAINS OF THE PAST. A poor forlorn soubret is the character that received the full wrath of the three reels of this foreign picture. It must have slipped in before the Box Office Attractions Co. put the bun on foreign features. "Temperament" is the cause of all the trouble between the dancer and her modest husband. Her shocking be- havior at family receptions turned her hus- band against her. Later she decides to leave him and sails for the other side. The boat sinks in mid-ocean, and the husband is free again. The actress instead of leaving the country, becomes the accomplice of a sneak thief. The husband rises in his profession and becomes district attorney. He marries again and Is very happy. The two thieves are caught and are brought before the district at- torney, who recognises his flrst wife. She threatens him and In order not to be disloyal to hia city he resigns his position. When the woman comes up before a new district attor- ney she sees that her case la all against her so the final scene In the picture she takes an overdose of dope which puts her Into the here- after. The three reels contain nothing start- ling in the way of photography, as they con- tain nothing but interiors, interesting to a mild extent is all that can be said of this picture. CIRCLE 17. "Circle 17" is a Mafia story, commencing in Italy and closing in the United States. The main tale seems to be the pursuit of an Italian and his daughter by the murderous representatives of the society. Whether the vendetta was declared against the man through treachery to his assoclatea or what reason doesn't come out clearly, although that may have been shown at the opening of the Rex two-reeler. Anyhow the man and the girl are saved as they are about to embark for America, by an American officer. Captain Somebody he afterward was named, but it Is not clear again whether he waa of the U. S. army or navy, perhaps of the Marine Corps in the latter. He again meets the girl when she is selling flowers on the street as he reaches home on a furlough. The Maflans are also over here and on the heels of the couple. Through some moving picture coincidences, tho officer again rescues the girl, after she had been dropped through a trap-door Into the water beneath. She dropped on a soft spot already arranged for her, on a small barge that had anchored beneath the trap. This dock scene was well taken and arranged. The boat leaving Italy looked quite phoney, even to the smokestack In the perspective. The Interiors also were somewhat crude in build, but the story Is compressed as Is the action likewise, both necessary for two reels, and as a meller with a little thrill while "sentiment" is tacked on. it will do well enough. But the sentiment of a U. S. army or navy officer falling In love at flrst sight with an Italian Immigrant and carrying that affection strong- ly enough to probably marry her at the second sight is a bit too far-fetched. The picture is well played. It Is a bit misty in its photogra- phy in spots. Sime. STOCK PLAYS NEXT WEEK. BOSTON (Majestic), 'Camllle" (Nance (O'.Vell). ITALTI.MORE (Poll's Auditorium), "The Girl from Out Yonder." CLEVELA.ND (Colonial), "Love Route." MILWAUKEE (Davidson), "Seven Days." MINNEAPOLIS. (Shubert). "At Piney Ridge." (Bainbridge Players). PITTSBURGH (Grand). ".Men." PORTLAND, ME. (Jeffer.son), 'The Royal .Mounted;" (Keith's), "Fine Feathers;" (Cape), "Mile. Modiste." SCRANTOX. PA. (Poll). "Mary Jane's Pa:" (Luna Park). 'On to Mexico." (Burke Mros.). SYRACUSE. N. Y. (Valley). "The Girl In the Taxi." TOLEDO (Keith's), "Ready Money." WINTER STOCK AT ELMIRA. Kltiiira, N. Y., Aur. 5. The .Mozart will inaugurate a season of fall and winter stock Sept. 7. Harry ]'.. .McKee wil direct the company which is now heinp^ recruited. Rehearsals will start Auj.?. 25. i In place of an orchestra Manager G. H. Vendermark of the Mozart will use a $10,000 organ orchestral, now heinq installed. Prof. Hayden Prezelyn, of Buffalo, has been engaged to play it.