Variety (July 1915)

20 VARIETY No story Ih tried for In the short run. It la a series nf scenes and photographs of a remark- uble affulr. Connected with the display la a personal letter from tbo Governor to Reld, dlKplayed In the lobby. It will probably be" utilized for press work wherever the til in Is shown. It 1h also mated the Frank piece of film will be exhibited along with "Thou Shalt Not Kill," another of Hold's features de- signed as a protest against cupltal punlsh- ment. Incidentally Mr. Held talks more In- terestingly of the Frank case off the stage than he does upon it, telling "inside stuff," such as he found out when in Georgia. Mr. Held mentioned some unpublishable phrases of the Frank murder matter that appear to bear out his assertion of Frank s persecution. So much publicity haB been given the ease this film should create a general interest that could be easily heightened by proper atten- tion to showmanship details in the smaller cities. It is not a "crime picture," and Is en- tirely without sensation, keeping away from all incidents of the crime or trial, merely bringing to the sheet the principals of whom so much has been printed. Simc. BOUND ON THE WHEEL. "Bound on the Wheel" is a Rex (Universal). It is written by Julius G. Furtbraann and the featured players are Lon Chaney and Elsie Jane WllBon. The title sounds as though one was going to see an old-fashioned mill-wheel thriller. "Bound on the Wheel" Is melodra- matic, but the title is only a plcturlzed version of an old saying about a poor person unable to climb any higher in life or wealth because of being bound too close to the grindstone. It's a tenement house story. The Gertz family and the Coulahans aro neighbors. There's Cora Gertz and there's Tom Coulahan. They are in love. Tom's dad Is of tbo drinking type and Mother Coulahan slaves over the wash- tub. Tom appears to be a hardworking me- chanic. Cora's folks live In apparent con- tentment. Tom procures a marriage license. His parents won't listen to bis declaration that he's going to quit the house. Cora rushes In and tells them It is all her fault. Result: Tom and Cora marry* hut Cora goes to live with the Coulahans. Meanwhile Cora's folks go back to the old country. Tom at 30 is a chip of the old block. His father Is dead and his mother dies over the washtub. Cora threatens to quit Tom for good but he per- suades her to stick. Tom goes from bad to worse. A nice-looking boy comes from the other side to look up the Coulahans at the request of Cora's parents who know him pretty well. Hans Is the German boy who hits America with a roll, which, of course, catches Tom's eyes and he tries to put one over. Tom doesn't speak German. Hans Is tipped off by the barkeeper, who Is from the Fatherland and Hans keeps his money. Tom upbraids his wife. When Tom's mother died she had some medicine, three drops of which would kill. Cora finds the bottlo some time later and, knowing its deadllness, pours the whole busi- ness Into a pitcher of water. Cora changes her mind, but left the water whore anyone dropping In could help himself. A neighbor- ing kid was about to drink some from a glass which Cora had threatened to empty before leaving the house. (A "nasty fly" prevented the kid from gulping the poison.) Tom, being a drinking man, and having punished some very hefty schooners of beer, got so thirsty he resorted to water. He saw the fly. He poured the water out of the glass and took some fresher water from the pitcher. That ended Tom as far ns the picture was concern- ed, although there was a flash of Tom In the throes of death that would make any sober man think twice before he drank water, from a caraffe or pitcher standing around loose. Cora and Hans take advantage of Tom's de- mise to hook up, for there's a closing scene of them together with a little baby. Lon Chaney plays Tom and he n minds one very much of Men Wilson, both In looks and style of acting. He put considerable force into the character, while Miss Wilson made an acceptable Cora. A picture that has a moral making the film worth the mnklng. The tenement house In- teriors were splendidly staged nnd were the most effective part. Mark. THE WHITE SISTER. When EfiKanay obtained the F. Marion Crawford novel, "The White Sister." it wetfl to considerable expense to have Viola Allen take the title role, in which she was so suc- cessful when the Crawford story was Intro- duced In stngo form. The story is well known. A woman falls In love with a young Italian army lieutenant. He reciprocates. The wo- man's father dies suddenly. An unscrupulous aunt of the daughter steals and destroys the will. Then the woman is cast out of the pa- latial home, rightfully hers, and branded as a nobody. Yet the lieutenant remains true In his lovo and Just when all looks turtlc- dovey for the two the Minister of War sends young Giovanni away to Africa. Word comes back the lieutenant Is killed in a massacre. The woman left behind enters a convent to hide her ureat grief. When her aunt becomes very 111 Sister Giovanni (Miss Allen) goes to nurse her. In delirium the aunt retells the burning of the will. Later it develops that Lieutenant Giovanni wasn't killed after all, and he returns home. Ho tries very hard to have his old sweetheart give up the convent and marry him. She refuses. Then he ab- ducts her only to let her go back to the con- vent. Where he is stationed three dark- skinned villains set off the powder works nnd In the explosion nnd lire that follow the Ileu- tennnt Is almost killed. He's taken to the very convent hospital where Sister Giovanni In. Only the amputation of his arm will save his life. He has been told by his only love she Is Kolng to a leper colony. He refuses to let them operate unless his love changes her mind. Considering the handicap Richard Travors had In playing "opposite" a legitimate actress or the reputation of Miss Allen's, Travers did unusually well. The picture for the most part was splendidly acted. Thomas Coram erf ord deserves mention for his charac- terization and naturalness as the priest, while Kmille Melville was up to all expectations as the dignified and sedate Mother Superior. Florence Oberle was good as the villainous Aunt Marchesa. Minor roles were well taken care of by John Thorn, Ernest Maupan, Ca- mllle D'Arcy. Much of the success of "The Whlto Sister" depends solely upon the emo- tional ability of Miss Allen. As Bister Gio- vanni she Is tender, sweet and humane, glvfng n charm of sympathy and effectiveness to the role that many another woman would have lacked. The photography at times was off color and there were a number of slips in the general scenic connections, yet, all told, the feature makes an indelible Impression. Crawford's novellstlc greatness and Miss Al- len's stage prestige will keep "The White Sis- ter" up among the front ranks as a draw at the picture box office. Mark. THE SECOND IN COMMAND. Lieut. Col. Miles Anstruther.Francis X. Bushman Muriel Mannerlng Marguerite Snow Major Bingham Wm. Clifford Lieut. Sir Walter Mannerlng Lester Cuneo Lady Sarah Harburgh Helen Dunbar Hon. Bertie Carstatrs Paul Byron Maid Evelyn Greeley Nora Vinlng Marcla Moore This Is Metro's latest, and first with Its new star. Francis X. Bushman. It Is In Ave reelB, made by the Quality Picture Co. "The Sec- ond In Command" was most tiring to watch at the private showing Tuesday afternoon through the speed at which the machine was run, with the other.reason the number of times the di- rector moves both camera and people at the same time, keeping the picture fllckery. This production Is In all probability the longest In which Bushman has appeared. His worth as a picture star Is known, and from his first feature production he will score as easily In the long reelers as he has In the shorter, if given op- portunities, with proper scenarios. This pic- ture is not always Interesting. There have been numerous versions made of army stories, and this Just passes along with the crowd. "The Second In Command" has an ugly duck- ling type of man as one of Its leading char- acters. A wife he cannot get, although pos- sessing money. He finally thinks he has suc- ceeded when rudely awakened to the fact the girl Is In love with another (Mr. Bushman) a brother officer. With the aid of a weak brother and Innumerable lies, his prospects loom bright once again. The girl, however, cannot see him, and although made to believe the other will not have her, she will not marry her ardent suitor. The Boer war occurs. Troops are sent, to participate. Both officers go, with both still unmarried. On the field of battle they cover themselves with honor. The deceitful one tells his rival In love how he haB tricked him and how the girl still lives for him. They return to England (the story being laid In the Eng- lish army) and the ugly duckling remains a bachelor, while his younger and better look- ing rival marries the girl. Bushman gets a few chances at strenuous acting and also a bit of love making. The battle scenes are well worked out. Numerous supers are used In these. Marguerite Snow is the featured woman. Youthful and attractive she does all that is asked. Wm. Clifford as the disappointed of- ficer is a most convincing actor, and ideally cast for an English role. Lester Cuneo as the brother put In an occasional appearance with the others fitting In satisfactorily. A STRANGE STORY. London, July in. It Is barely possible the novel, play and picture, "The Masqueraders," never reached Denmark, or possibly It did, and was the In- spiration for the three-part Dansk film, "A Strange Story." It is the familiar tale of a man addicted to drugs and unable to keep his place in the world, who selects a substitute and whom even his wife mistakes for him. In this Instance It Is a physician who substitutes, and as in "The Masqueraders" and other stories the substitute falls in love with the unfortunate man's wife and she, believing It to be her husband, showers hlra with endear- ments. The drug afflicted individual dies in the throes of a morphia dehnueh. The doctor changes card cases and throws the body Into the water. It Is found and an anouneement made of the death of the doctor. He goes Im- mediately to the wife and she. still thinking It is her husband, throws herself Into the doc- tor's arms. With Just the slightest hesitancy he lifts her up a la "Sapho" and Is seen car- rying her upstairs to her boudoir, which ter- minates the film. Much more could have been made of the picture had the two men re- sembled each other more closely In height and features. It b» a long stretch of imagina- tion to ask people to believe that a man's wife would not have been able to detert the difference of about two Inches In height and that the clothes of one would fit another a couple of Inches taller. A little Ingenuity might have been exercised by resorting to double exposure work, having one man play both parts. It would have been much more convincing. As it Is, "A Strnnge Story" Is nothing more than a popular price film. Jolo. IF I WERE KING. I^ondon. July 1(1. A Gaumont four-part colored feature alleged to be founded on the book of that name bv Justin Huntly McCarthy. A dramatization of the book was presented In America by E. H. Sothern a few yearB ago, when Sothern play- ed the principal role of Villon, the poet, and selected Cecilia Loftus for the role of Kath- arine. The story in the film is not altogether satisfactory, although a serious and Intelli- gent attempt wns made to create a big produc- tion The stage version wat, much more ro- mantic and its especial attraction was the reading by Sothern of the poem from which the play took Its name. The costuming of the period of Louis Xlth has been carefully carried out and while It Is not a picture that can be designated as the very best, It Is an ac- ceptable feature for a mixed program. Jolo. THE INSURRECTION. A Lubln three-reeler with an all-wrong story. Had It been a single reel educational with the educational bits without the story it would have been well worth while, but in its present form the story kills the interest In the good bits that are made to look ridiculous through It. The action Is supposed to take place In a small country of numerous Insur- rections. The IT. S. sailors take possession of the principal town. The lnsurrectos plot to massacre the Americans. A little love story is worked In, and the man and girl are In each other's arms at the finish. Some fine scenes of the American navy and the drilling of the sailors. At one point a caption stales the lnsurrectos have their men attired In the same uniforms as the Americans. The pic- ture then goes on to show the same' sailors marching as were shown for the other side Just a few minutes before. These big drill scenes were evidently taken In one of the navy yards or stations. At no time while the regu- lars are In the picture are any of the actors around. A few supers used look much differ- ent than the regulars. The scenes upon the battleships and torpedo firing are worth while. Too bad to waste the good scenes on such an awful plot. CORRESPONDENCE Uilets otherwise i t ta d, the feflewuf reports are for the cvrent week. VARIETY'S CHICAGO OFFICE: CHICAGO MAJESTIC THEATRE BUILDING Aug. 0 the Strollers will give their first an- nual picnic at Rivervlew Park. Monte Carter, a producer from the Coast, is in town and expects to try out a couple of tabs he brought with him from Frisco. W. S. Butterfleld, who, some time ago, moved his residence to Chicago from Battle Creek, Mich., will move back again. The Princess, Nashville, looked after by the Chicago branch of the United Booking Offices in the past, will likely he booked from the agency's New York office for next season. With the advent of the Orpheum, Des Moines, into the booking realm of the West- ern Vaudeville Managers' Association comes whisperings that some little excitement may be caused through the agency booking the Empress in the Iowa town. The Empress, controlled by Elbert A Qetchel, has been one of the star money-makers of the Association In the past. It Is not known as yet what the con- trolling Interests of this bouse think of the new arrangement whereby the Association will also be booking another theatre In their town next season. Paul Oourdon handles the book- ings of the Empress. The Society La Nova Italia Matua Soc- corsa (elite of the Italians In Chicago) will give an operatic benefit performance at the Victorlr Saturday night. Sam Thall, the head of the tabloid depart- ment of the Wetsern Vaudeville Association, left here on Tuesday for New York where he will remain a few weeks. Mrs. Kohl has purchased a strip of property adjoining her Academy theatre on Halstead street. The strip tacked on to the site gives her a frontage of 100 feet on Halstead. It Is expected the theatre will be enlarged. Ed and Jack Smith, at McVlcker's last week, almost went to Cleveland the opening day there. The boys were on the train for Cleveland with a telegram stating they play there that week when, upon looking at the Bills Next Week In Variety, they discovered they were billed for McVlcker's. The boys got off the train Just as she was pulling out. Nonie Sullivan received Judgment against Dave Russell last week for $146 which Miss Sullivan claimed was due her from the time that Bhe was employed by Russell at stenog- rapher. He was at one time manager of the Great Northern Hippodrome. Miss Sullivan Is at present employed by the United Booking Offices In Chicago. They have caught the fellow who stole Mrs. William Selig's Jewels here some time ago. He confessed to his crime in Oakland, Cal. Mrs. Sellg, the wife of the film man. startled the natives here some time ago when she announced the robbery of $10,000 worth of gems. The thief was an old servant, who did not have the diamonds on him, saying he had sold them for $.300. Sam Kahl left for New York Sunday to talk things over In connection with the three new houses the F*. & H. company have taken over from the Orpheum Circuit. All routing of acts was suspended by the bookers of the Western Vaudeville Managers' Association last weeTc through those houses now being on the Asso- ciation time. The routes already made out will have to bo revised In order to get the booked acts into the Association towns. CORT (U. J. Hermann, mgr.).-"Peg o' My Heart," with Peggy O'Nell. (11th week) Closes Aug. 7. Doing fairly. COHAN'S GRAND (Harry Ridings, mgr.). —"The Lady in Red." (3d week.) Cooler weather helped last week. GARRICK (John J. Garrlty, mgr.).—"All Over Town," with Joseph Santley. (9th week). Still going nicely. ILLINOIS (Augustus Pltou. mgr.).—"The Birth of a Nation." Film. (8th week.) Busi- ness stamped as wonderful. LA SALLE (Joseph Bransky, mgr.).—Pic- tures. PALACE (Harry Singer, mgr.).—"Maid in American." (9th week.) Dandy summer at- traction. Business keeps up. MAJESTIC (Fred Eberts. mgr.; agent, Orph.).—It looked like mid-season vaudeville at the Majestic Monday night both in regard to the entertainment and the business. The weather was right and the show was a pleas- ing one, so the crowd was big. Through some arrangement or other the bill was not run ac- cording to the program, rather an uncommon occurrence at this house. As it resulted In the misplacing of two of the acts the show was not as smooth in the running as it might have been. Brice and King, billed as the draw- ing attraction, were second from closing, and Judging from their reception are a welcome addition to a vaudeville program at any time out this way. After singing some numbers out of "Watch Your Step," the favorites did some of their old successes to big applause. The team finished a tremendous hit. Queenle Dunedln opened the show and the versatile girl made a dandy starter for the bill. The audience were quite surprised to find Miss Dunedln was more than a singing single. Her work on the wire along with the talk made her a big success. Fisher and Green, in their skit, "The Partners." were No. 2 and it was u difficult spot for the Hebrew comfdians. The Aurora of Light, being a p.oslng act fea- turing Browne Dupont, was No.' 3, one of the misplaced acts. The turn would have been of more value had it closed the show. The Three Steindel Brothers, cellist, vloirhist and pianist, managed to pull down one of the big hits of the evening. In the main the three men do classical solos, but for an encore play popular medleys. Jean Challon was another act In the wrong position. Miss Challon. who has a good voice, failed to create much of an Impression. Next to closing Kramer ano! Morton found favor with their eccentric step- ping, singing nnd comedy. Gladys Clark and* TO LET ^oi s REHE4RSALS MORNING, NOON OR NIGHT Sizes lMxftx4#. exceptionally well sunllghted with perfect ventilation and acoustics, large stage and clean dressing rooms. Convenient to all sections of city and IS minutes' ride (surface cars) from Times Sq. High-class restaurant on premises. Also suitable for film- ing of movie plays. M . BLOCK, 144-144 East 84th Street. Phone S7M Lenox Weiss' Little Hungaria RESTAURANT and DELICATESSEN Now Located at 134-138 S. WABASH AVE. *>:£}Si*?il!xr AUIAAI^A HOME COOKING Vfll^MVIW POPULAR PRICES Telephone Central 3841