Variety (December 1915)

FILM REVIEWS 21 THE CORNER. David Waltham, a speculator In food product* George Fawcett John Adams, an engineer who loses bis job as a result of the Walibam Syndi- cate's closing of canneries.. .Wlllard Mack Mrs. Adams, forced to desperation by the children's need Clara Williams Mrs. Waltham, the speculator's wife, Louise Brownell Rent Collector Charles Miller Kay-Bee (Triangle) Thomas H. Ince nve- reeler, scenario by C. Oarduer Sullivan, di- rected by Walter Edwards, supervised by Ince, starring Wlllard Mack and Oeorge Faw- cett. The sponsors might with equal Justice have starred Clara Williams, for her work, In Its way, Is as fine as either of the featured actors. A corking story of capital vs. labor. David Waltham (Fawcett) corners the food market and shuts down the cannery where John Adams (Mack) is employed as engi- neer. A run on a savings bank sweeps away Adams' little savings leaving his wife and two children hungry. In desperation Adams steals food and Is sentenced to thirty days. Rent collector calls—children are hungry* Makes wife proposition and, to save the chil- dren, she accepts. Adams comes out of Jail and on the night he arrives home bis wife Is at a cheap dance hall with the other man. He sees her return, wipe the rouge from her lips, doff her gaudy raiment and disgustedly throw her grim earnings upon the table. In a fine scene she tells her husband all, say- ing: "1 could not bear to see the children starve." In this she rose to heights of screen stellardom. Adams' revenge upon the author of It all—the food speculator—Is a fitting finish. "The Corner" stacks up with the best of the Ince productions. Jolo. FATTY AND BROADWAY STARS. Keystone (Triangle) Mack Bennett two- reel slapstick farce, featuring Roscoe Arbuckle and employing the services of probably all the stars present at the studio during the time of the taking of the picture. These In- clude Bennett himself. Ivy Crostbwaite, Al St. John (all of the regular organization) and In addition, Weber and Fields, William Collier, Sam Bernard, Joe Jackson, Ford Sterling, Polly Moran, Mae Busch and Bert Clark. They employ all the known modern "Jasbo" and resurrected a lot of the "old boys," Including the slipping on a banana peel by Bernard, and so on. None of them distinguished themselves individually except- ing Arbuckle, who had the fat role of the studio cleaner and runs all through the two reels, all of the others merely feeding him obese comedy. It's a very good, rapidly-mov- ing comedy to fill out a program, with the added advantage of being able to advertise the names of the big Broadway stars appearing in It. Jolo. The Adams Children. LET KATY DO IT. Katy Standlsh Jane Orey Oliver Putnam Tully Marshall Caleb Adams Charles West Uncle Dan Standlsh Ralph Lewis Pedro Oracla Walter Long Carlos Charles Gorman Father Standlsh George Pearce Violet Radcliffe Oeorge Stone Carman de Rue Francis Carpenter Ninon Fovierl Lloyd Pearl Beulah Burns Prlscllla Standlsh Luray Huntley Fine Arts (Triangle) feature, from novel by Granville Warwick, scenario by Bernard McConvllle, directed by C. M. & S. A. Frank- lin, supervised by Griffith. An odd sort of story, being a combination of rural sim- plicity (or duplicity) and mining and bat- tling In Mexico with the natives. Katy Standlsh is the family drudge at the farm in Dobbs Center, Maine. She is loved and loves Oliver Putnam, who received a prize for be- ing the homeliest man at the county fair. Her sister marries and has seven children while Oliver goes to Mexico with his uncle to work a mine. Sister and her husband are killed In a railway wreck, leaving Katy to bring up the seven kiddles. Uncle Invites her to make his home with them in Mexico, not knowing from her letter that "the children" number seven. House is attacked by natives and the children save the day. Of course there is a wonderful Griffith battle scene—many thrill- ing episodes in fact. The antics of the chil- dren and the battle scenes, and sweetly pretty story make it attractive to folks of all ages. Jolo. THE HOUSE OF TEARS. Mrs. Alice Colllngwood, Gall Colllngwood, Emily Stevens Robert W. Colllngwood Henri Bergman Henry Tborne Walter Hitchcock Anne Madge Tyrone John George Brennan Marked for an early Metro release is the five-part photodrama, "The House of Tears," a Rolfe production with Emily Stevens as the star. The story gives Miss Stevens an oppor- tunity for some character acting because she plays the dual role of mother and daughter, and this gives the director, Edwin Carewe, an opportunity at some double exposure work that he takes keen advantage of with the re- sult that there Is something just a little bit new In this sort of trick photography. The story Itself Is thrilling to a certain extent and one of the type that will make a particu- lar appeal to women. It Is one of those tri- angle affairs that always have a sure enough villain in It and In this particular case Wal- ter Hitchcock plays the role of the heavy and does exceedingly well. Mrs. Colllngwood Is married to a Wall street man, but decides to run off with Henry Thome, deserting her husband and baby. In after years Colllngwood has gone broke and after his death Gall Col- llngwood Is forced Into newspaper work to earn a livelihood. She Is the star on a New York dally. In the meantime Henry Tborne has deserted nor mother in the west and re- turned to New York with a bank roll that be won against the wheel and which he proceeds to run Into a fortune In war stocks. His sud- den rise to fortune becomes a public topic and the newspapers send their reporters after him. Gail Colllngwood is assigned by her paper and the man, struck by her remarkable resem- blance to the woman he has deserted, and Im- mediately makes a play for her. The two are engaged to be married and the deserted woman and mother, who has come east, sees the announcement In the papers and calls on the girl, only to discover that It Is her own daughter. A trap Is laid for Tborne. He Is asked to call at the old Colllngwood home. His fiance greets blm there and then leaves the room for a moment and her mother steps into the picture. Tborne, thinking he has seen a ghost, dashes from the house and Into bis car, driving like mad, he goes over an embankment and Is killed. Mother and daugh- ter are clasped In each others' arms as the picture closes. This Is done several times during the picture with the aid of a double. It Is a feature that will get money. Fred. ROSEMARY. Dorothy Cruickshank Marguerite Snow Mrs. Cruickshank Virginia Kraft Sir Jasper Thorndyke William Clifford Capt. William Westwood Paul Gilmore Capt Cruickshank George F. Hernandez Prof. Jogram Frank Bacon William Bowman and Fred J. Balshofer are the co-directors responsible for the five-reel Quality picture "Rosemary" adapted from the play of the same title which Is to be released by the Metro. Marguerite Snow Is the fea- tured player, but unfortunately for Miss Snow the directors forced ber Into too many profile views which are not to the star's advantage. Her supporting cast Is an excellent one and the picture will be an Interesting feature for any program. The story of "Rosemary" la too well known to need any repetition of the plot here. It Is a romantic play In costume of the period of approximately 1840, with the scene of action laid In England. Incidentally this is responsible for one of the little laughs In the picture, for In the home of Sir Jasper Thorndyke In England one of the pictures that adorn the wall Is of Martha Washington, and It is hardly possible that a member of the English nobility would be three-sheeting the wife of the father of the U. S. A. on his walls. The greater portion of the scenes are exteriors and they are exceedingly well done. The direction and photography are excellent One scene In particular, a rain storm. Is es- pecially well done. Fred. A CHILD INlUDGMENT. Just about five years behind the times Is the trouble with this Edison three reeler. The action and story, direction and acting all come under this criticism, for "A Child In Judgment" Is just about as poor an excuse for a feature as could be found In these mod- ern days of motion pictures. Featured In the acting cast are Mary Elisabeth Forbes, Rich- ard Tucker and Augustus Phillips. The story is one of the usual triangle affairs with the husband's employer sending the former away on a business trip so that he can win the wife. The employer must have been pretty sure of himself for he only sent hubby away for two weeks and then started after his game. He Is fairly successful, but an un- thought-of element steps in and Just busts the whole affair up for him. In the end he Is shot and dies before he had a cbance to fulfill his desires. The story Is so poorly directed that one in viewing It almost wants to cry out In protest at some of the things that are recorded by the camera. The picture ends rather abruptly without the story being at all com- pleted, and the audience Is left entirely In the dark as to the final outcome. Fred. THE WAIF. The Aurora Film Company Is responsible for this six reel feature In which Matty Rou- bert Is featured. Just who the Aurora Film Company Is composed of would not be hard to guess after once looking at the film. It is a cinch that a doting father of a rather pre- cocious infant prodigy has the say in the company, for the picture from one end to the other bears every evidence of this fact. The principal trouble with the picture Is that it needs to be reassembled at the hands of an expert cutter. There Is entirely too much footage used up In expositions at the open- ing of the film and later the cut backs are entirely too long. With these faults reme- died the picture will be a feature that will pay any exhibitors playing to women and children. There arc easily a thousand feet that can be cut and this will not detract from Its value, but instead will undoubtedly In- crease the marketable qualities of the film. Matty Rouhert Is not at all bad as a "kid" actor but the trouble Is that his parents have permitted him too much of his own way, with the natural consequence he and his folk con- sider him the greatest little fellow in the world. It is no more than natural thero should be a certain amount of this parental pride, but it Is foolish to let It run away with one's better judgment when one Is turn- ing out a film for the market. The youngster Is one of those little boys that has been taught to "speak pieces." etc., and the Aim story of "The Waif" was especially written with a view to giving him an opportunity to do his imitations of great actors before the camera. The youngster enacts the principal role In the film drama, which Is one of those typical Horatio Alger stories of the advance- ment of a street urchin from the booiblaok and newspaper vendor to the star of a Broad- way production In which a kid actor is the principal player. Then of course it develops he was kidnapped as a baby and the manager who produced the play Is his father. In this the story is almost impossible in construc- tion. It would have been better bad the tale ended either where the boy achieves his hit on the stage or at least when he discovers wbo his mother Is. it seems entirely illogical for the father not to have recognised the boy during all tbe months he was playing In the theatre and that It remained for the mother to discover the fact that this was her off- spring months afterwards when the play is being "done" In pictures and the manager's home Is picked as one of the locations. With judicious cutting tbe picture will be a good afternoon feature for mothers and children. * c Fred, THE ALSTER CASE. George Swan Bryant Washburn Trask. a detective John H. Cossar Beatrice Ruth Btonehouse May Walsh Anne Leigh Miss Cornelia Alster Louise C roll us Linda Betty Scott Keith Arthur W. Bates Allen Longstreet Roderick LaRoque A detective drama In five reels, made by Essanay for the V-L-S-B program to be re- leased Dec. 6. The author is given as Rufus Gilmore and tbe director J. Charles Haydon. The two leads are played by Bryant Wash- burn and Ruth Btonehouse. The story is rather Interesting and pussllng, an unexpect- ed ending making It satisfactory. This com- pany is not going after big things for its fea- tures. They all are of a very low plane when It comes to big productions. The picture will go on the strength of Its story, but bow the names of Washburn and Btonehouse stand out as drawing cards In the big feature houses where a picture of this sort Is sup- posed to be played, Is hard to say. Either of these two stars would suffice to draw In a five or ten-cent audience, but It Is very Im- probable that the V-L-S-B Is going after this sort of business. If they are, their policy Is far different from the average progressive feature organisation. Essanay has not got- ten down to real feature making as yet. A name Is a big thing for a picture. Their stars of the snort films will do as stars for features after they have progressed, but at the present time they are not big enough to draw people In to the feature houses. It would take but a short while to bring these people Into prominence by working them Just below a well-known big name star which would cause them In the near future to be suitable for big stuff leads. "The Alster Case" has a chance, but It will not prove a sensation. THE STRIFE ETERNAL A five-reel Mutual "Masterplcture of Eng- lish make, released In London under the title of "Jane Shore" and founded on the life of that unfortunate woman of history. It Is strong drama backed up by a massive spec- tacular production and was boomed In Eng- land as a presentation employing 0.000 people If there aren't that many, It looks like It, which amounts to the same thing. Certain It Is that "The Strife Eternal" Is one of the most pretentious spectacles ever screened. The settings are superb and the costuming (of the Renaissance period) lend themselves to historical romance. Dramas of court life of other days, especially when presented in spectacular form on tbe screen, are sure to be Interesting. Then there Is the tense situ- ation of a loving wife who sacrifices herself to her king In order to save the life of her husband. Her trials and tribulations are heart-rending. The swash-buckling makes for constant "action," which is an additional asset. It Is respectfully suggested that the Mutual Is making a big mistake not to In- augurate a sensational campaign of publicity for "The Strife Eternal." It will live up to all that can be claimed for it. Jolo. THE LABYRINTH. Florence Burgess ) „„,, Vann Flo Burke } Gan Kanc Ray Fox Dolly Larkln Rev. Robert Fenton Richard Neal Oscar Morse Ed ward Roseman Frances Burgess «*olty Champlaln The Equitable went to considerable expense to stage this, Its latest feature, in five reels, with Gail Kane starred. The story of a deli- cate nature is satisfactorily handled by B. Mason Hopper who directed K it deals with a cabaret girl who is supporting n crippled sister. She loses her Job and has a chance to Join a legitimate show but to securo the position she would bo forced to accept the attentions of the producer. This she refuses to do. Later, when in need sne goes to the manager and getting him drunk In a restau- rant she gets him to sign a phoney contract in which Bhe Is to have a starring piece and to be under his management for five years lit $750 per week. He fights upon learning he had been trapped but rather than face the publicity which go with an affair of this sort he agrees to keep to the contract. The girl appears In the leading role of a pretentious musical show and Is an ovcrmgnt success. She later falls In love with a minister with htm marrying her not knowing she was an actress. STie tries to break her contract with the man- ager wishing to retire from tTie mage. This he refuses to do unless she pay the forfeit. This she says she will do. Her husband Is finally told the true state of affairs and gets the money to pay the theatrical man. And that's the way It ends witL me couple In each other's arms. Miss Kane is a dlstlnot success as the cabaret girl who later becomes a star. Her dramatic work Is enhanced by some captivating gowns. Dolly Larkln as a stage girl flits about giving a good account of herself throughout. Richard Neal as the minister fits the part with Edward Roseman us the theatrical manager being well cast. Walter Hiers as waiter also came In for some good work especially In a light scene. The production end has been well looked after with the theatre scenes well staged. Several of the girls and supers for these came from "Town Topics." The Plaza theatre was used for the big scene. The Equitable nas a rea- ture In "The Labyrinth" that can fit well Into a big picture bill. THE PHANTOM FORTUNE. Stuart Duncan Hobart Henley His Father Orln Jackson His Mother Kathleen Wllmartb Dixie Coday Louella Maxim The Leading Man Fred Ungar An Heiress lirownie Brownell L. V. Jefferson, who writes scenarios for the Universale Gold Seal brand, evidently thinks the girls In the movies do not get a chance to marry millionaires' sons, so he started out to do a little press work for the poor down- trodden girlies who make their livelihoods by facing the camera and turned out a story the moral of which Is, "Millionaires, 1st your sons marry movie actresses and they will make men of them." In "The Phantom For- tune" he manages to get this faot over nicely, but one can hardly see where he got his title from. The story Is simple enough. Million- aire's son falls in love with movie star and marries her. Is disinherited and cannot get a Job. Girl wins over mother and father re- lents and takes the boy Into the Arm. The only thing about the picture that will Inter- est the general public are the scenes of the taking of pictures In Universal City, other- wise this three-reeler, which was directed by Henry Otto, will have but little general ap- peal. Fred. THE DESTROYING ANGEL Mary Ladlslas Mabel Trunnelle Hugh Whltaker Marc MacDermott Carter Drummond wreorge Wright Max, a theatrical manager Walter Cravan John Merton, a chauffeur Fred Jones Mary's Father John Sturgeon A Clerk William West A Kleine-Edison feature In five reels made at the Edison studio with a regulation stock cast with Mabel Trunelle and Marc MacDer- mott featured. It Is to be re^esed this week. The story Is very melodramatic and on this account will not hold the interest of the better class of picture petrous «t ts a cracker Jack feature for tbe melodramatic houses where they love bloodshed. This hss murder in every move. It has one or those regular stereotyped stago stories In which the theat- rical manager Is the villain In every way Imaginable. In addition to forcing his atten- tions on girls the man in this Is also a mur- derer getting away with m^re tnuraers in these five reels than the worst gunman that ever lived. He kills them In «rery way imag- inable and finally ends up oy Deing killed by the husband of the woman he Is after. It is about time picture concerns began mak- ing pictures showing theatrical managers In a different light. This old bunk stuff Is get- ting tiresome. The cast does all that Is asked of them, many dying most graciously. It Is a vory much one woman affair and loses In- terest through this. A production that com- pares with the remainder of the picture. LIFE'S PITFALLS. This three-reeler, released by Edison, hss one big smashing moment In It, the fight be- tween the maid, suddenly gone mad. and the mistress of the house. Edward E. Kidder wrote the scenario and Edison produced It in a fairly lavish manner. A young woman of wealth prefers to travel Incog so as to escape fortune hunters, so She poses as a paid com- panion to a mutual friend. The friend and her father are In on tbo secret. On their arrival at a country resort a young doctor Is called in to attend the "companion" who has beon 111. He falls In love with her. The father of the friend has a fondness for red liquor and after having Indulged one after- noon spills the secret, as he believes, to the doctor. However, the doctor did not stop to listen, but tho information was overboard by another, who Immediately put It to use. The doctor proposes and Is accepted and the girl rushes to the father's friend to acquaint film of tho news. Father tells her that tho doc- tor was awaro of ber wealth and she breaks off the match. Later In the city, he who heard the Inside of the secret makes bay while tho sun shines and wins the heiress. Later ho is neglecting her and when spoken to about It confesses that be only married for her money. Tbe confession causes tbe girl to have another breakdown and she Is taken to the country. A sudden collapse necessi- tates tho calling In of the same doctor that treated her previously. The housemaid, who Is secretly the mistress of the husband, Is on hand to watch and report. She has the hus- band's promise that If the wife Is divorced that she will be wife No. 2. So she takes a chance at the poison route, but the bus- band breaks In and takes tho poison by mis- take. The maid goes mad and attacks the wife and after a corking fight the latter Is rescued. Later with the husband dead and the maid out of the way the true lover gets Ills chanco and their Is the usual happy end- ing. It Is an Interesting story well told and one that will prove Interesting to picture fans. J^red.