Variety (January 1917)

FILM REVIEWS 25 THE MAN WHO FORGOT. John Smith Robert Warwick Hfir Leslie .., ...........QerdJ* Holme* Kdlth Mailon Doris Kenyon Al Jiimfraon ...,r.. .".*...,... ...Alex fltaaatfu Senator Mailon Ralph Delmore Cong. Mannerslej Frederick Truesdell Charles Waller J. Reiuhart "The Man Who Forgot/' a Paragon (World) release, directed by flmllle Chautard, story from book by John Hay, Jr., photographed by Luclan Talnguy, Is a visualized lecture In favor of prohibition, and as such Is entitled to the support of that portion of the populace. The story opens in an opium den in China, showing two men and one girl (white folks) in the clutches of the drug. The hero (Robert Warwick) determines to quit and decides to work his way back to civilisation. So he goes to Cincinnati. You are then shown him arriving there a physical wreck, going to a mission and finally working out his redemp- tion. But he is afflicted with aphasia and cannot remember who he was. He falls In love with an estimable slum worker, the daughter of a Unitsd States Senator, who Is controlled by the Whiskey Trust. Five years later the other,white man and white girl, who - were In the opium den, are also In America and the hero Is "framed" by the liquor inter- est*, the unfortunate girl pretending she is the wife of the hero. As he cannot remember anything of his past life, he is In- no position to deny the allegation. The poor girl, how- ever, eventually makes a confession and everything comes back to the hero, and he Is thus permitted to marry the girl he loves. Warwick discloses In this picture his versa- tility aa an actor, his depiction of the physical wreck being excellently portrayed. The en- tire cast, In fact, from the standpoint of good acting, Is an all-star one. Photography and direction excellent. A high-class World re- lease. Jolo. kingTear. The value of Shakespearean plays upon the screen is questionable and in most instances In the past such photoplay productions have not proved box office magnets. But Judged from an artistic standpoint the Thanhouser (Pathe-Oold Rooster) five-reel production of "King Lear" Is deserving af almost unlimited commendation. No effort has bean made tor sensational photography In the matter of mammoth battle scenes, but all of the mobe -art kandSen to gtv« u venuine eembtenoe of vsJJtnea$. . Tfc* cc^tumes and setting^ are, of course. In the period. It is, however, in the casting that Mr. and Mrs. Thanhouser spread themselves and showed that really good actors are available. Frederic Wards In the title role contributed an Interpretation of the part that can, without fear of contradiction, be set down as a classic The roles of his three daughters were also In the hands of first rate artists, as Indeed was that of the court Jester. The absence of a program prevents the re- viewer from naming theee lndlvlduale and allocating to them the praise they so richly deserve. Jo*o. THE LAST~SENTENCL The Edison scenario department was shy of material when that company waa forced to produce "The Last Sentence," a flve-reeler featuring Marc MacDermott and Miriam Nes- bitt, adapted from the book of the same title by Maxwell Gray. As a book It must have been of the dime novel variety and aa a pic- ture is not worth that price. The story l of the old school melodrama with an abundance of snow scenes and a bad, bad villain. It Is a story of the marriage of a man below hla .station In life which later brings about his desertion of his wife and their child. The child Is brought up In humble circumstances and when old enough becomes a domestic ser- vant. The son of the master of the house wrongs her and they have a child. She Is charged with murdering the babe and brought before her own father, who is a Judge. She Is found guilty on circumstantial evidence. The baby is located shortly before Its mother is to be electrocuted and the affair cleared by the marriage of the guilty son and the domestic. For a boring flve-reeler "The Last Sentence" is Al. For picture entertainment It Is N. O. It tells the story of a girl, happy in her sim- ple life on her ancle's farm who marries a young man neighbor and goes with htm when h« ts made a ntatiou agent m a louely prairie deoet. Loneliness drives., her *o desperation when the philandering son of the railroad president, on a tour of inspection, sees her, and casts amorous eyes upon her. The drearlneeo of her situation drives her from her husband. Oolng to Chicago ahe aeeks work In vain, the husband all the time be- lieving ahe has followed the young million- aire. The latter does meet her and secures a Job for her. It Is only when the girl's mind 5oee hack to her husband and she sends for lm to bring her home, that the young man's trus character is disclosed. He Is making violent love to the wife when the husband arrives on the scene and the fight which marka the husband's entrance paves the way for the young millionaire's punishment and the complete reconciliation of the pair. NORMA PHILLIPS IS BACK. Norma Phillips, the star of the Mu- tual Girl serial, is returning to pic- tures having contracted with the World and starting her first feature for that concern this week. NEW INCORPORATIONS. The following- charters have been la- ewsd In Nttiw York Stat*: jj^.jT, K«U1t ■yrs#e»r .C*rn»A( realty, theatrical; to carry on busineas with $750,000: J. J. Murdock. 8. K. Hodffdon. W. P. Sloper. 609 W 127th St. Hefcerleln dt Stelaaseta Co., I*e.i mualo: $6,000: I* Michaels. J. Stelnraets, F. O. Heberleln, 1208 Clay Ave.. Bronx. Flora Finch Comedy Fllan Corps, t mo- tion pictures; $10,000: M. Edwardy. F. Finch. Ia L. Roarers, 218 West 42d St. The Ess-Baa Producing? Co* I net mo- tion pictures: $10,000; B. Ullman, W. R. Ladenhelm, A. N. Smallwood. b62 Wast 144th St. Tennessee Theatre Cergva.i $10,000; H. J. Hoebel. C. C. Moskowlts, I* FrUtman, 1408 Hway. Peter Paa Film Coram., Eddyvllle: mo- tion pictures: capital no par value, be- 5 In Duslnesa with $600; L*. H. Ounther, . B. Howard. A. W. Brltton. 28 Nassau St The Borwooel Corporationi motion pic- tures; $800,000; A. R. Jube. H. H. Klrby. A. F. Pierce. Jr., 187 West 45th St A WOMAN ALONE. A five-pert Brad? made feature with Alice Brady as the heroine. It haa no great dra- matic values, but makes a mildly Interesting story with an effective climax at the finale. TRIANGLE RELEASES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 14th Frank Keenan Margery Wilson "The Bride of Hate" KAY BEE A distinctive drams of the Old Sooth. A mystery play with tta suspense predominant to the very end. Boldly presented, powerfully told, orig- inal end convincing. Frank Keenan'a moat Impressive characterization. DOROTHY GISH "THE LITTLE YANK" FINE ARTS She's s real live girl and ahe took a thrilling part in the struggle between the North and South. She waa a border girl, torn between loyalty to the Union and love lor a Southern officer, it's the different story of the Civil War, exciting and appealing. Triangle Komedies TWO "Love Under Cover" and <J TLcPipeo. iiucontent" They are clean, dashing, frothy; full of action, plot and hilarity. A VALUABLE ADDITION THE TltlANULE PROQKAM. TO . LL PERMANENT sue- cesses in motion picture produc- tion have been founded on the greatness, the vitality and power of the plays of- fered to the public. After centuries, no one has improved upon Shakespere's "The play 9 * the thfaif." GOLDWYN PICTURES will link the greatest plays with stars of only the first magnitude from the ranks of the theatre and the screen. THIS ORGANIZATION will rank the play, its production and its star as of first concern. To guarantee picture perfection this company has allied with it the playwrights responsible for the greatest box office stage successes of the present theatrical decade. These au- thors are: IRVIN S. COBB ROI COOPER MEGRUE EDGAR SELWYN PORTER EMERSON BROWNE MARGARET MAYO AVERY HOPWOOD and as many more, soon to be announced. Their plays will receive the most elaborate production that can be devised by the roasters of stage, screen and scenic investiture. BEFORE ONE PICTURE is released the exhibitors of America will have the opportunity to see not less than SIX finished Goldwyn Pictures, complete in every detail. ONE OF THE NOVEL developments in this organization will be its reliance upon and confidence in the judgments of the nation's exhibitors—instead of treating their views with the contempt and disregard that have so undermined the solidarity of the picture industry. VanderbUt 11. 16 East 42nd Street, New York City SAMUEL GOLDFISH. Pres„ EDGAR SELWYN. Vlce-Pres., ARTHUR HOPKINS, Vice Pree. CROSBY CAlGE, Trees.