Variety (January 1917)

26 FILM REVIEWS ' caa THE ISLAND OF DESIRE. Bruce CuaiUierH Georg® WaJflfc I.fel>a Denhair Ma.rasret Gibson Miss Needbnm Anna Luther Henry Bayers Herschel Mayall Huan Yuck William Burress Toarl William Clifford Toml 8am Searles Hamuka Hector Sarno Ella Saycrn Marie McKeen Bam Sweet Willard Louis Don ' Don The Hawaiian craze that has been sweep- ing the country was sure to crop out In pic- ture sooner or later, but It has remained for William Fox to beat most all of the other producers to It. There Is a real touch of the hula-hula In this film feature, which waa produced from a story by J. Allan Dunn, AOMt&rfcjtscd and directed by Otlir Turner and photographed by Charles Kauffman. The scenes are laid in Hawaii and in a desert island' of the South Seas, where the pearl fishing la good. It Is a corking melodrama of the rip- snorter type that will appeal moat anywhere. Oeorge Walsh is the featured player of a good cast. There is only one fault with Mr. Walsh, his hair. He would undoubtedly be seen to better advantage after a visit to the barber's. The plot opens In Honolulu, where the hero is the Sunday editor of a newspaper. In taking an assignment from a fellow-worker who has been taken ill, he stumbles on the fact that a aklpper of a trading schooner and his daughter have marooned themselves on an island where they have been gathering pearls which seemed to abound la the waters sur- rounding the beach. Two adventurers have also stumbled on the fact. One a Chinese gambler and tons warrior and the other an Australian, who la ru&aing & dance hal! dive in the slums of the city. The young news- paper man has won a reputation aa a navi- gator and the three combine forces to obtain the pearls, with the Chinaman financing the trip. Once on the island, after a aeries of sea adventures, the hero falls in love with the mariner's daughter and decides to protect her interest in the pearls, after her father dies. There are a aerlea of fights, but the hero finally ditches the adventurers on the island and makes his way homeward wtih the girl and the fortune in pearls. The picture will appeal wherever they like the desert island stuff. Fred. WILLIAM FOX Picture Achievements. 1916 During the year 1916 William Fox produced and presented to the public "A Daughter of the Gods"—the picture beautiful—with An- nette Kellermann, the greatest "box office" moving picture ever made. He also produced "The Honor System"—the greatest human story ever told, staged by R. A. Walsh, which will be the sensation of the coming season. He also produced ^52 big features during 1916, headed by 100 celebrated box office names., The William Fox organization Theda Bara Gladys Brockwtil Dastin Farnnm /Catherine Lee Stuart Holmes Vale ska Suratt William Farnum June Caprice Jane Lee Gladys Coburn Walter Law Carmen Phillips Winifred Kingston Picture Promises, 1917 For the year 1917 William Fox will present to the exhibitors and public 70 productions varying in length from 4500 to 6000 feet. These productions will be on a scale of un- surpassed magnificence and will maintain the Fox standard. William Fox will also produce 52 comedy features of 2 reels each, release one every week, with production details that will startle the world. Watch for the announcement of another gigantic production. such notable Stars as these: Virginia Pearson Mary maran Herbert Heyes Anna Lnther Charles Arling Irving Cumwdngs Annette Kellermann George Walsh Jewel Carmen Harry HUliard Vivian Rich Hank Mann , and 500 others Branch Offices of the Fox Film Corporation: United States Atlanta. Oa, 619 Rhodes Bid*. Boston. Mass., 10-11 Piedmont St Chicago. 111.. Mailers Bids. Cleveland. O.. 760 Prospect Are. Cincinnati, O.. 411 Vine St. Dallas. Tex., 1907 Commerce St Detroit. Mich.. 407 Smith Bldg. Denver, Colo., 17th and Champa 8U. Kansas City. Ma. ttt Main St. Los Angeles. CaL, TM 6. OUto St Minneapolis. Minn.. 8*7 First Ave. N. Salt Lake City. Utah. Mclntyre Bide. New Orleans. La., 816 Common St Omaha. Neb,. 815 S. 16th St Philadelphia. Pa.. 1888 Vine St Pittsburgh. Pa, 111 Fourth Are. San Frandeoo, Cal.. 107 Golden Qate Ave. Seattle. Wash, 1114 Third Are. AGENCIES s Paris STUDIOS i St Louis. Mo.. 8831 Olive St Syracuse. N. T.. 44« 8. Warren St Washington. D. C. 805 Ninth St. N. W. New York. N. Y.. 180 West 46th St Newark. N. J.. Strand Theatre Bldg. New Haven. Conn.. Poll's Theatre Bldg. Canada Montreal. Quebec 811 8. Catherine 8t. W. Toronto. Ontario. 11 Queen St. E. 8t John. N. B.. 19 Market So, Vancouver. B. C. 508-9-10 Orpheum Theatre Bldg. Winnipeg. 115 Phoenix Block. Calgary, Dominion Xxclualves. Ltd. United Kingdom London. 74-76 Old Compton St Liverpool. 15 Manchester 8t Manchester, 28 Deansgste Arcade. Deanagate. Barcelona New York Los Angeles Newcastle-on-Tyne. 10 Leeds. 19 Albion PL Birmingham. 1-8 Temple St. Near St Cardiff. 9 and 9a Wharton St Glasgow. 78 Dun)op St Dublin, Dame House. 14-16 Dana St Sydney, 8ymonds Bld*\. 194 Pitt St. General P. a Melbourne. Victoria. ■ - - — Wellington, 65 Willis South Bio de Janeiro. Brasll. 119 Avenlde Bio Sao Paulo. Brasll. 78 Rue das Oumoea. Buenos Aires. 961 Oorrlentlea Boaarlo, Argentina. Montevideo, Uruguay. Moscow Kingston, Jamaica Sffimc "A DAUGHTER OF THE GODS" Kffim KELLERMANN LYRIC THEATRE, Broadway and 42nd Street, New York—4th Month to Capacity Business. NEW YORK SHOWINGS DURING JANUARY ACADEMY OF MUSIC 14th Street and Irving Place, New York City Jan. I. 1917—"THE ISLAND OF DESIRE." with GEORGE WALSH. 8— WILLIAM FARNUM la "THE PRICE OF SILENCE." Special super ds luxe production. "A MODERN CINDERELLA." with JUNE CAPRICE. IS—"BITTER TRUTH." with VIRGINIA PEARSON. 22—THEBA BARA In "THE DARLING OF PARIS." Special super de luxe production. "THE PRIMITIVE CALL." with Gladys Coburn. 29—"ONE TOUCH OF SIN." with GLADYS BROCKWELL. COMING! R. A. Walah'a Master f{ Drama, the greatest human story ever told. THE HONOR SYSTEM" Laugh During 1917—52 Foxfilm 2-Reel Comedies Next Year—One a Week After Jan. 1 Fox Films Are for the Family I FILM CORPORATION WILLIAM FOX, President WINFIELD SHEEHAN, General Manager. General Offices, 130 West Forty-sixth Street. New York City. THE MAN OF MYSTERY. David Angelo B. H. Sothern Clara Ange!o. ........... Charlotte Ivas Mma. Brunachaut Vllda Varesl Baron Rocco. ', Mr. Roberto Pietro Stroggi Brlnsley Shaw Signor Caaa Mr. Slegel Vitagraph produced "The Man of Mystery," a flve-reeler, with B. H. Sothern starred. The title Is the most conventional part of the picture, It giving the Impression the feature is a cheap melodramatic affair, which Is far from the fact The story Is laid In Italy. David Angelo (Mr. Sothern) la a prominent banker of that country. He la decidedly oldsr than hla wife, who was forced Into the mar- riage by her mother, and lives a life devoid of love. After attending to some Important business In Naples the banker journeys home via a route leading by Mount Veeuvlus. While passing at the base of the volcano It spurts forth a volume of molten lava which falls upon the party and the banker la left for dead beneath the debris. He la rescued and taken to the home of a specialist, who performs wonders, which upon hla recovery make a new man of him, so that even hla own family would not recognize him. He decides to masquerade as dead, and even visits his home without being detected. He becomes connected with the financial department of the Italian government and by clever moves puts It on a sound basis. He also Inspects hla own household and discovers his mother-in- law as being a leader of a band of spies. In hla rejuvenated state his wife falls in love with him., not knowing he is her husband. The finish brings about the rounding up of the band of spies and the reconciliation of huaband and wife. The Sothern acting ia the picture's main asset. In the early portion he plays a character part of considerable value and in the latter portion appearing aa his natural self. Charlotte Ives is the leading woman and nicely fitted to the part of the wife. Vllda Varesl plays the mother-in-law in a convincing manner, with Brlnsley Shew playing the other role of note handily. With the Sothern name and a fair story this fea- ture should make money. FIGHTINGFOR LOVE. Sylvia Ruth Stonehouse J/m Jack Mulhsll Ferdinand jean Heraholt Johnny Little Bear Noble Johnson Bill Guard J. f. Briscoe King's Favorite Ruby Marshall "Fighting for Love" is excellent entertain- ment for the average picture fan and would make a corking plot for a comic opera show with, say. Will Rogers in the cast The story is by Raymond Wells, scenario by Fred Myton, produced by Raymond Wells for Uni- versal (Red Feather), to be released Jan. 8. A cowboy and his pal, a college-brad Indian, strike gold and determine to tour Burope. They ride into a small kingdom ruled by a young queen, who is wanted In marriage by Ferdinand, the dissipated king of an adjoin- ing and equally small kingdom. Jim, the cowboy, climbs over the wall surrounding the queen a palace, to get a squint at a real queen, encounters her, but is not aware of her Identity. He falls in love with hsr and she tells him that unless the queen marries the neighboring king they will be wiped out by wsr. Jim takes his Indian partner for a visit of Inspection of the king's little army, returns and says his gang of Arizona rough- riders, who fought in the Spanish war, would reduce them to a pulp. He cables for them, they come, they ride right through the enemy'a lines, win hands down, and the queen capitulates, falling Into hla arms. The con- trast between the wild, untamable Arizona cowboy and the gently reared queen makes for delicious comedy, but It is not explained what language they apeak. Assuming that the queen's education waa such that she was versed In English, isn't it reasonable to sup- pose that she was hardly conversant with the vernacular of Americas western plains? But that won't hurt the picture any. It's good, clean entertainment, and that's enough. THE LITTLE YANK. ?!!!f 6 i Ca8t i €t0 ? Dorothy Olsh Captain Johnnie Frank Bennett Major Rushton A . D . p^,, Lieut. James Castleton Robert Burns Wilson Carver p re d A. Turner U 2' rwf r . *** Toncray Mrs. Castleton Alberta Lee Mo8e Hal Wilson The latest Trlangle-Flne Arts, release, star- ring Dorothy Olsh, la from the pen of Roy Sommervllle and directed by Oeorge Blear- ?f a S?-n w # 8 ^ IT ' M . the Uile locates, i. one of Ciyll War times, full of all the usual battle stuff that goes with pictures of that type. The direction Is fair, but some of the detail in tinting is bad. There is a little love story that runs through the picture that makes It interesting, and it will satisfy the majority ?u ? ,in P. atron »- There are spots in the story that will tax one's credulity to a certain extent, snd there is st least one laugh, where General Grant obligingly stops the war so that "the little yank" can cross between the lines of the opposing armies. We know It was General Grant because he had whiskers and... a. clger. stub In his mouth, Also tho manner in which the spies aud others at- tached to one army or the other pass to and fro between the lines seems hardly probsble —■^■•^—■———s—■—£1 M - If yoa cWt advertise as VARIETY. ft ---——-