Variety (July 1915)

It FILM REVIEWS SHOULD A MOTHER TELL? Hose Baudln -BittJ N*M« Uaspard, husband Stuart Holmes Pamela, daughter. Runa Hodge- «» 16 Joan Bothern M Brassard'.'.'.'. Stephen Oratten Louis, their .on. h Johnston U 5i) °- Baldwin Countess de' Montsorel Kato H Bl fllSS »oaunti^ gaSSea? a Oauntier C,a L r « T lIou. Prefect Police Henrl L ^ onm Murder, blackmail, thievery, prison mJUw child are all present early In tM» pictare. The only things missing are, the br!dge at midnight" and "those papem. It was ■, nne night "or a murder and so the innkeeper attck a cheese knife Into the Baron who had Just gouged a relative of his wife's for 100,- (MJO francs and stole the same hundred thou. AnVSit w«the Question •ShouldI. Mother Tell?" Betty Nansen was the mother. Stuart Holmes In this picture overshadowed the star She?" came to acting. He had a ver, p moan character role to portray but the character- isation he offered readily entitled hm to the sobriquet of "The Richard Mansfield1 of the Screen." and by that It 1. not »»*»** **£ some one should come back at him with the line "Well. Mansfield's a dead one. For Mr 'Holmes' 1. far from being a "dead one" as anyone who witnessed bis work in this feature must readily admit. "Should a Mother Tell?" Is a Wlliam Fox feature and released through the Fox Feature Film Corporation. It is a five-reel feature that abounds with thrills. In a way the title Is rather mis- leading, for without question it ra^er sug- gestsa sex problem than the question which la propounded in the story. The original was by Rex Ingram and he wove a rather fanci- ful tale about the inhabitants of some small town in France. There is a miserly inn- keeper who worships Ue God Mammon. No coin Is too small to be hoarded by him and no crime too great for him to commit W> ob- tain money. At the opening of the picture he notes that his daughter, aged six, is capable at knitting and he orders the mother to put the child to work to earn her own livelihood. The mother refuses and takes the child to the home of friends. The father fol- lows and demands the child be returned to him. The friends offer him a stated weekly sum to permit the child to remain with them, iney have a son and in latter years aa the two children become older they become sweet- hearts and are bethrothed. In the mean- time a rascally Baron who has wedded a beautiful girl for her wealth, sees an op- portunity to blackmail one of her relatives by threatening to spread the report of a scandal between his wife and the relative. He acquires 100,000 francs and offers the Inn- keeper 20.000 If he will let him have his daughter. This occurs on the day that the girl Is bethrothed to the son of the friends with whom she. has been living. The inn- keeper accedes to the bargain and sends for the girl. In the meantime there Is a drink- ing bout between the Baron and the inn- keeper during which the former displays his newly acquired wealth and the Inn-keeper's grasping passions are so aroused that he mur- ders the Baron, steals the money and disposes of the body. Later when the corpse Is dis- covered the relative who was blackmailed is accused of the crime. In the meantime the rather of the prospective bridegroom visits the mother and demands a clean bill of char- acter of the family of the girl that is to wed his son. saying that no one with any sort of a family stain can become a member of his family. Later when the mother Is on the point of confessing that her husband was the one that murdered the Baron and that she witnessed the crime, she Is deterred from doing so because of the thought that It would wreck her daughter's happiness. Finally as an Innocent man Is being led to the guillo- tine she blurts out the truth. The Innocent one is saved, the husband commits suicide and there you are. True she saved a life, but the entire question which Is asked remains un- answered, for it does not show at the finish of the picture whether or not the girl mar- ried for love or did It to show whether the mother's telling shattered the happiness of the young couple. So much for the story- The cast Is one of the best that has ever been seen in a Fox production and the direc- tion of the picture at the hands of J. Oordon Edwards Is faultless. Fred. THE EARLE OF PAWTUCKET. Lord Cardlngton, Earl of Pawtucket Lawrence D'Orsay Henriett Rosemary Theby Arthur Henry Meyers Silas Hooper Emlle Hoch Aunt Jane Helen GUmore Ella Flora Mason At least two good laughs In "The Earl of Pawtucket" the picture version of which Is to be released by the Universal as a part of Its regular program. The Augustus Thomas piece which served Lawrence D'Orsay for a number of years when the English comedian was at the height of his vogue has, however, been horribly butchered In the scenario. The two sure-fire laughs before mention consist of a view of Mr. D'Orsay in a bath tub and the second Is where In one of the later scenes of the picture he squirts a syphon at the head of a detective who Is trying to enter his room via the transom route. However, two laughs do not make a picture, but there are several other features about "The Earl of Paw- tucket" that should make it most acceptable to the exhibitors. One Is that the producers did not spare expense when it came to pro- viding adequate scenic setting and the big scene representing the Interior of the Wal- dorf-Astoria was extremely realistic. But the company with which the star of the pic- ture was surrounded was lamentably lacking In playing experience with the possible ex- ception of Rosemary Theby, who played Hen- riett. Of course the exhibition value of the film will be Increased at least fifty per cent when the picture Is released regularly and It has been retltled, for at the special showing at the Universal offices last week the titles were rough typewritten and hand printed wordings. This naturally detracted from the entire picture. When the copy cutter gets to work and edits one or two of the scenes and revises the titles there should result a tre- mendously improved comedy of quality. In the direction of the picture all of the work Is given to the star, who loses his laughter provoking ability through being unable to re- sort to his "Englishisms." When one recalls the tremendous laughs that he received In the stage production with "I've received a tele- gram from Sarah—Sarah's bettah" and then witnessed the manner in which the line really meant nothing to more than a score of people who witnessed the special showing one feels sorry for Mr. X)'Orsay and for the author. But as it was learned that the scenario from which the production was made was only taken after three others had been rejected one can also sympathise with the film people. Con- sidering the fact of the handicaps and of the unpreparednesa of the film when shown "The Earl of Pawtucket" will answer nicely to fill In on the feature service that the universal means to make part of Its regular program. Fred. ALL FOR OLD IRELAND. A three-reel feature produced by Sidney 01- cott showing a probable Incident during the early days of Ireland, when that country was patiently enduring hardships that helped make Its history possible. The story runs second In Interest and value to the scenes, the majority being exteriors bringing the auditor close to the Emerald Isle, for Olcott personally Jour- neyed to the KUlarney Lakes with a picked company of players to secure the essential at- mosphere. The lead Is held by Valentine Grant, an ideal type for such a tale and a clever and Impressive screen actress. It seems a young patriot had become mixed up in the smuggling of arms along the Irish coast, the Irishmen having decided to combat their op- pressors. A disciple of English oppression ac- cidentally witnesses the activities of the young patriots and hastens to inform the garrison guard. They finally apprehend the principal after the stereotyped film chase and hunt and, not being successful in their quest for full particulars as to the identity of his com- panions and the location of their hiding place, they throw him In Jail. His sweetheart visits him In the tower, accompanied by a Catholic priest, and while the clergyman engages the guard In conversation, the girl hands him a knife and a rope. After their departure, the prisoner manages to ory loose the cement from his window, loosen the bars and escapes down the rope after first killing the guard. As he alights on the ground, another sentry happens along and he, too. falls a victim of the knife. The succeeding scenes show the transporta- tion of the prisoner, beneath a load of hay. to the coast, where he lands on a boat after a short swim from shore. His Journey and the succeeding events are left to the imagination of the audience. The beautiful natural scen- ery around Black Rock Castle and the River Lee as well as the many other scenes In- cluded will hold this feature up alone, despite the weak finale and the rather poorly con- structed tale. As an addition to any progra a film of this kind can easily hold a spot, for views of Ireland seem to possess a certain In- terest for everyone and particularly for the Irish themselves, of which there are consider- able listed In the directory of picture fans. Wyrtn. THE MATING. Doris Willard -..-... Bessie Barrlscale "Bullet Dick" Amen Lewis J. Cody Daisy Arnold Enid Markey Reverend Willard Walter Whitman Eleanor Ames Margaret Thompson Miss Fitch Ida Lewis "The Mating" is a five-part Mutual Mas- terplcture, the scenario for which was writ- ten by C. Gardner Sullivan. In "The Mat- ing" Mr. Sullivan teaches a great moral les- son, to wit.: "Young girls at boarding school should not smoke cigars, 'cause If young girls at boarding school smoke cigars they get sick to their little tummies." Of course, Mr. Sul- livan has several other features to his story, but they do not get him or the principals in the picture anywhere In the 5,000 feet of film the 1 , are used In relating the tale. The picture was produced under the personal su- pervision of Thos. H. I nee and no doubt Mr. Ince did the best he cduld with the material at hand. Bessie Barrlscale Is the star of the, picture and Mr. Ince has given her a couple of opportunities to weep during the course of the action of the picture and therefore Its success from the Barrlscale standpoint should be assured. The story as related tells of the daughter of a small town minister who craves a college education. Miss Barrlscale is the daughter. Her dad finally arranges that she shall attend Hamlin College for Girls for a year. She finally arrives at the school and. as she Is a "rube," the girls pass her up. It seems that "Bullet Dick" Ames was the hero of the football world during the year that lit- tle Doris Willard attended Hamlin and all of the girls are crasy over him, so Doris decides to write herself letters and sign Dick Ames' name to the epistles and later to drop them where the other girls In the school can con- veniently discover them. She does this, but one of the girls, who has been the recognised beauty and therefore the greatest snob, refuses to believe that "Dumpy Doris" could have made so Important a capture as the football hero and she writes to Invite his sister Elea- nor and the hero to spend a week end at the school, and relates her suspicions In the lat- ter. Mr. Gridiron Hero sees the letter on his sister's desk and resolves that he will help the little one carry out the deception. They ar- rive at the school and when Doris hears that the "hero" Is on the scene, she fears greatly for her humiliation. However, Mr. Hero sees her and Is conquered and they become sweethearts. One scene depicts a night of wild revelry In the dormitory occupied by the girls, at which they are all clad In pajamas and eat fudge. It is a gay affair until one of the girls discovers a cigar which she smokes, after which she does a beautiful brodie to the mat for the count This Is the scene in which the afore-mentioned moral is developed. There Is one thing that Mr. Ince must be given credit for, and that is the flock of "chick- ens" which he picked for the boarding school. They were all good lookers and some in minor roles displayed acting ability. But aa a feature "The Mating" will never set the world afire. Fred. THE FOX WOMAN. The Fox Woman Signe Auen The Artist Elmer Clifton Jewel, his wife Teddy Sampson Her Father Bert Hadley In view of the fact that John Luther Long wrote "Madam Butterfly" and other stories of old Japan, "The Fox Woman," accredited to him and which has been adapted for screen purposes and produced as a four-part Mutual Masterpicture by the Majestic, under the di- rection of Lloyd Ingraham, cannot be con- sidered in this writer's best vein. It Is a rather fanciful tale and does not by far con- tain the human interest held in "Madam But- terfly." One thing about the picture Is true and that Is that it ranks as a distinctively different feature because of the locale In which the plot Is laid. Of the four characters named about three are Japanese and one American. The story relates that a hunchbacked Jap- anese artist and his wife are extremely happy until The Fox Woman appears on the scene. According to ancient Japanese lore, The Fox Woman was one who was not possessed of a soul and therefore stole the souls of others and so existed. In this particular case The Fox Woman is the vamplrlsh niece of an American missionary located in Japan. She is visiting her uncle and has a passion for art, being an amateur sculptress. She visits the house of the artist and, being struck with his resemblance to a heathen god because of his deformity, she persuades the Jap to pose for her that she can obtain a copy from life of this particular God. During the time that he Is posing the Jap loses his soul to The Fox Woman and mistreats his wife. The father of the wife, whose whole heart is wrapped up in his offspring and her welfare, hunts down The Fox Woman in the home of the mission- ary and she in bet fright at finding him In her room falls out of a low window and is killed. With her death a fox Is seen to scamper across the picture from her body and with her death the Jap artist is released from the spell which bound him and he goes forth to seek his little wife, who Is at the shrine of her forefather's about to commit hari-kari, without which no Japanese tale would be com- plete. The girl Is shown at the shrine and the husband following her. In this section of the picture there Is some suspense as to whether or not he will reach her side In time, but he does that little thing and all ends hap- pily. In the matter of production this pic- ture is quite as fanciful as the story Itself. There are fadelns and double exposures galore, some of the latter being exceedingly well thought out. There Is a lot of atmosphere and it will answer Its purpose as a Mutual Mas- terpicture most capably. The cast was par- ticularly well chosen, Elmer Clifton playing the character role of the artist very well and Miss Auen being a most fascinating siren as The Fox Woman. Fred. CHARLIE CHAPLIN. Charlie Chaplin was turned loose again Monday for his semi-monthly canter in an Essanay two-reeler. It's called "A Woman" this time, but the title Is the least Chap- lin needs a scenario writer, or if he doesn't Essanay does. Too much money could not be paid the man who can fit Charlie Chaplin in his present brand of comedy as he should be fitted. The scenario writer who can do this can prolong the Chaplin fad for months*. Without "the" scenario every time, Mr. Chap- lin may as well conclude his finish as a slap- stick low comedian before the camera Is in sight. "A Woman" is not so very different from many of the Chapllns of the past. It takes Chaplin along to an open bench in a field upon which are seated mother and daugh- ter, asleep, they having been left there by the head of the family, attracted by a flirtatious young woman. After meeting the hutband and beating him up some, also a companion, Chap- lin proceeds to the home of the two women, where he is made welcome until the husband and companion return. They recognize the mischief maker. There is a free-for-all bat- tle between the men and the women, consist- ing mostly of hard slaps and staggering falls. To escape Chaplin runs upstairs, into a room where a woman's complete dress Is on a form. He dons it. Returning downstairs, Chaplin is known by the daughter, who Informs her mother and both watch Chaplin as the dame flirt with their husband anu father, also the companion. The men discovering It's Chap- lin after a while, do some more rough work, ending with Chaplin kissing the daughter aa the father hands him a forcible kick on the place the rear of his trousers should have been. Chaplin In a woman's dress, with his anglish ideaa of comedy I You can imagine t From the manner In which the two reels ran off. It seemed as though the Censoring Board had made some big outs. Chaplin waa under- dressed for the woman much as Tom Mo- Naughton was, when playing in vaudeville as one of the McNaughton Brothers, excepting the Inflated trunk was not used by the former. Chaplin's undersult consisted of plaid trunks with the lower half of a white union suit While the father waa carelessly caressing Chaplin, then In the woman a dress, he allowed his hand to wander down one of Chaplin's legs, through which esthetic picture bit of business the skirt of the dress was pulled off, and Chaplin at the same time again lost the pad he used frequently for laughs in an at- tempt to make a r 'front" Chaplin, half dressed, goes through the remainder of the picture. The seltzer bottle is often Invoked and nothing Is thought of expectorating Into one another's faces. It's the Chaplin stuff, probably bunched together as Chaplin wishes it to be. The kicking of men into water and the other comedy bits Chaplin does are very familiar, made so by him in pictures. He cannot expect to sell this stuff to the public forever. In comedy pictures as much fun may be secured through a situation, with the humor starting at the suggestion of that situ- ation as by the actual comedy work involved In It That Is what Is missing in the Essanay Chaplin film, the situation. Chaplin needs a scenario writer, very, very badly. Bime. THE HEIRESS. _.. London, July 1. This Milano production In three parts, run- ning approximately 3,400 feet was designed for rather a pretentious feature. In this, however, it has not succeeded, for the reason that the story is conceivable, revolving around a stolen will. The star of the picture is Madame Hesperla, a clever actress, given small opportunity In this presentation. She plays an adopted daughter of an old man who has disinherited his nephew for leading a wild life. In the event of no will the nephew would be the legitimate heir by kinship. The old man dies suddenly and tells his head groom where the will can be found. The groom secures it and makes a deal with the nephew whereby he will be taken care of providing the will Is never unearthed. This leaves the girl penniless and, being an intrepid horse- woman, she secures a position as chief eques- trienne In a circus. A real circus arena is seen with the girl doing a high school riding act. Eventually the will is unearthed and the nephew commits suicide, leaving the gfrl to Plf. 1 ^ £ he . man Bhe ,oves - Excellent scenery. both Interior and exterior, intelligent lighting and all round good acting. But the absence of originality in plot reduces the film to the popular priced brand. j 0 i 0t GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN. A flve-reeler made by the Popular Plays and Players and released on the Metro program with Emmett Corrlgan starred. It is a pro- duction of a very serious trend but bound to get a few laughs or snickers, due to little bits here and there that are supposed to be serious. The story is of two step-brothers. The elder Is adopted. The other kills his father. Weak and not wanting to take his medicine, he In- duces his brother to say he did It for their mother's sake. The other brother shoulders the crime and Is imprisoned for life. Good behavior makes him a trusty. The warden's daughter falls In love with him. He escapee but his conscience causes him to return to prison. The guilty brother Is killed by a fall and the truth la learned. The warden's (laughter Is In the arms of the ex-convict at the finish. Several minor faults are most noticeable. The prison scenes are realistically gruesome. The building of the tunnel as a means of escape Is well done but far fetched. The scene in the underground passage shows a man standing In the water to his waist How- ever, when he clambers out upon the floor of the prison shop his convict's uniform Is dry. Mr. Corrlgan, on two occasions, has a chance to land a couple of blows, both of which seem- ed weak, probably through Mr. Corrlgan guarding himself against hitting too hard. The burning of the warden's house necessi- tated a building to be completely demolished. It may have been half frame work, but It was oleverly handled. When Mr. Corrlgan is rescuing the daughter from the burning house, he Btops to kiss her while the flames are leap- ing all over the place. He muBt have wanted to kiss her very badly to have taken that chance. The sinking of the schooner struck by lightning adds a bit of melodramatlcs. This is a feature with a cast of familiar faces. Not that they are all famous, for other than the star, few, If any, have heavy reputations, but they are familiar as they are players who appear here and there with whatever company Is making a feature and so are seen frequently. Mr. Corrlgan as the star did some exceptional acting at times, his facial work being especially praiseworthy. Crauford Kent as the brother took good care of a weak role. The others were well placed. As a feature oi five reels from an established maker, "Greater Love Hath No Man" Is but a fair product In all ways at best.