Variety (December 1916)

FILM REVIEWS ENLIGHTEN THY DAUGHTER. Daniel Stsrens Frank Sheridan Hie Wife , Katharine Kaelred Lillian, their daughter Zena Keefe Richard Steven*.,... Arthur Donaldson Minna, his wife Marie Shotweli Uttfcfc, their •4aitfffeS«r. 4 <.u%^.^n|ir l .pe ftelmsr Mrs. Winthrop Mathilda Brundage Harold, her son James Morrison Boh Laurence Bernhard Nelmyer His wife Violet Horner Nina ) Th _,_ rhl Mron (Walter J. Gould Walter/ ™ lr Children... J Runo Hodg0# "Enlighten Thy Daughter' is a problem photoplay—one that should meet with the dis- tinct approval of numerous uplift societies throughout the country. It does not ask the question: "Should r Tell My Daughter?" hut answers the query In the affirmative by plac- ing before your vision a specific case, such as might happen in any family any day. It Is a case of two girls, cousins. One meets a nice young man, goes driving with him, Is caught in a storm and remains out over night. Her mother, wno Is addicted to gam- bling, etc., does not know she has been away from home. Later the youth meets the girl's cousin, falls in love with her and wants to marry her. At this juncture the girl who made the mis-step ie compelled to confide In her mother, who takes her to an illegal prac- titioner and the unfortunate young woman dies as a result. The engagement is broken and the innocent girl is therefore made to suffer for the ignorance of her cousin. There are several counterplots of a delicate family nature, all of them handled with tact and with a nicety that should not offend any but an uncompromisingly prudish Individual that refuses to face the facts of life. It Is un- commonly well acted throughout, not a single member of the company being miscast or other than a carefully selected artist of suit- able type. There Is but one fault with the feature as shown last week—it is too long. A Judicious excision of some of the harrow- ing details would hasten the action and bring the moral lesson to a epeedier and more de- sirable conclusion. Then the picture should be in proper shape for sensational exploitation. Jolo. ■ ^_— ~ % 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER SEA. Universal has a sensationally effective two- hour feature In its Williamson Bros.' produc- tion of Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." It Is at once edu- cational, scenic and melodramatic, not to mention its value aw a film spectacle, and heretofore untried novelty of showing in- numerable scenes under water. With regard to Its drawing power it will probably partake very much of the nature of the annual spring visit of the circus. Parents feel It incumbent upon themselves to "take the children," which is really an excuse for attending themselves. We have all read Jules Verne's masterpiece of Imagination In our early youth, little dreaming that the day of practical submarin- ing would come- to pass. It Is now given us, not only to read ox these wonderful under- water vessels, but to actually see them vis- ualised at the bottom of the sea. To describe In detail the marvellous workings as depicted by the Messrs. Williamson would consume columns of space and more columns to give even a synopsis of the melodramatic plot. suttee It to hazard the statement that Unl- versal's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" photoplay will prove an unqualified artistic and financial success. Jolo. JUST A SONG AT TWILIGHT. Lucy .Winter Evelyn Greeley Lucy Lee Bvelyn Greeley Carlyle Turner Pedro do Cordoba George Turner Richard Barthelmess Stephen Winter Charles Welleeler Mrs. Leo Nellie Grant John Mallory Frank Lyons Dixie Films has issued a five reel feature entitled "Just a Song at Twilight," written by Henry Phillips and directed by Carlton 8. King, with Wvelyn Greeley as star. It Is a pretty heart-Interest this, well acted and pho- tographed, with esnelleat direction through- out. But the titles are not always sufficiently explanatory—especially In the first reel—to enable one to follow the story with the proper degree of certainty. This could be easily remedied. The drama Is described as "retro- spective/' In that the second, third and fourth reels are a flashback of what transpired 18 years previously, taking the form of a dream in which the conscience of the man who com- mitted a wrong is awakened to a realisation of evil and his efforts tq make every restitution possible. Jolo. ON DANGEROUS GROUND. Bradford Stewart Carlyle Blaokwell Little Comrade.... Gall Kane Hitter Bolem William Bally Hugo Crossman. ...... Stanhope Wheatcroft M. Trapadoux Frank Leigh Fran Bertha Schanne Florence Ashbrook Hans John Burkell Peerless (World) release, adopted from the novel "Little Comrade." by Burton ID. Steven- son, directed by Robert Thornby, starring Carlyle Blaekwsll and Gall Kane, photog- raphy handled by Luolen Andrlot. The plot Is more or less of a paraphrase of the story of "My Official Wife," and laid In Germany at the outbreak of the present European hostllltlee. There Is a lot of excellent zU moopnere, detail of locale, eta It has to do w««s. «u .r,7,r,r*tI<m«„of a sjt and, like all secret eervico piece—tne bOou uu«» at^Sasi- It Is absorbingly interesting after it gete to moving. One or two faults might be dis- covered In a critical analysis of the plot, but on the whole it Is an excellent program /eature and ranks with the best of the World releases. Jolo. A HOUSE BUILT ON SAND. In this Triangle-Fine Arts picture starring Lillian Glsh, a new twist is given to the caveman-husband story and It gets over with a punch that makes th* feature an enjoyable one, tor almost any .type of audience. The story unfolds in consistent manner' ami' ti * contains enough of the high society at- mosphere to please those on |he outer so- cial fringe, and enough of thrill for those that are a little further within the circle. Bvelyn Dare (Lillian Glsh) has been reared In the atmosphere of Insincerity, all her am- bitions are centered on the social whirl. Her fiancee is David Weetbrooke (Roy Stuart) who, though wealthy. Is a worker, deeply In- terested In sociology and Is working out sev- eral of his pet theories In one of his fac- tories, where he Is acting as manager under an assumed name. The attorney for the es- tates of the parents of both David and Bve- lyn calls the two Into conference at hie office and explains that It was the wishes of the parents that they marry and that the will calls f»r the distribution of the estates contingent upon the youngsters carrying out • thoue *rlsh<u>. - Er*vJya t the -serlf^jr. butterfly, makee her plans for an elaborate social wed- ding, but David believes that there is necee- * slty of her knowing of a few of the more vital things in life, and therefore he elopes with her after a civil marriage and carries her to his humble factory town cottage, where they spend the first six months of tueit wedded life, estranged at first; but the wife finally coming to the realisation that the social whirl was not everything In life and being a better life mate for It The photog- raphy Is good, the direction splendid and it is an Interesting feature. POLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON. "Polly Put the Kettle On" Is a Red Feather (Universal* feature, story by Grace Helen Bailey, scenario by Bitsabeth 0. Hwidrlx, pro- duced by Douglas Genard. it 1* a tftac but - conventional story of life as it actually Is, carefully visualised and well acted. After a series of trials and tribulations the poor, sweet, little girl who has worked hard and "mothered" her little brothers and sisters, marries the playwright who has struewled for fame and fortune and eventually acquires it. The combined talent of the author, pro- ducer and actors makes for a first-rate Red Feather feature. . JTolo. ntxi 6rea Bmvim Commencing with January, ART- CRAFT will release one picture a month, and that picture, you may depend, will be the most towering feature of the industry. • One ARTCRAFT picture a month with the world's greatest artist will bring your playhouse the prestige that no other amusement medium can duplicate. Inquire for particulars now. ■ George JfflLCoijan tn iWarp $tcftforti tn &f)e$nu*oftf)eClati Start the new year with one of Miss Pickford's greatest achieve- ments. THE 81 FIRST RUN ARTCRAFT THEATRES will show this picture for the first time JANUARY 8TH, 1917 Have you a Pickford contract? ARTCRAFT PICTURES CORPORATION Proabtoap Jones! This event is the millennium in - moving pictures—the one feature that America has awaited for years., This will be an ARTCRAFT February release. 729 SEVENTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 'TPtmrno"