Variety (May 1918)

40 MOVING PICTURES BLINDFOLDED. u e f gy -, ;; •; Be88ie Uarriscale Patrick Muldoon Joseph J. Dowllng ?" y - ,-,;•; Patrick Calhoun .S|»arka McDonnell David KIrby ''Soupy" Draue Jay Morley Robert Denton Edward Cozen Mrs. Benton Helen Dunbar Ql U nlan ' ; "■ M - O'Connor Bessie Barrlscale husn't boon given much in the way of cnwk stories for her feature* and this is the first Turalta of that type in which ehe has sturred. "Blindfolded" la a first-class picture, as crook films run. The story is interesting and there Is action. Be- sides the photography leaves nothing to be desired, which is the rule for Paralta plays. Miss Barrlscale lends her odd brown-eyed and golden-hair beauty to the character of Pfggy, the daughter of Patrick Muldoon. a blind man, who presumably ekes out an ex- istence by begging, playing a small street organ. In reality Muldoon 1b the leader of a band of crooks, of whom lzzy, "Sparks" and "Soupy" are the chief "operators." Muldoon Is the type of outlaw whose in- tense hatred of the rich has led him to plan robbery raids, but his main sin has been the way In which he haa brough up the maturing Peggy. Her dally lesson in arithmetic ia the opening of a safe in their apartment, whilst her eyes are blindfolded, she manipulating the tumblers through her sense of hearing. She halls her first assignment to "do a Job with delight, but in a year or so, there begins a self-reformation. A thief, known as "The Mask," and want- ed by the police, sends word to Muldoon of a contemplated haul that will net $100,000 which Is to be split 50-50 and suggests the \ aid of the expert Peggy in opening a vault. The girl refuses, but on the promise of her father that it will be the last job for them. she consents to go with the "Mask's" gang. The police surprlso the crow, Peggy is caught and sent to the house of correction for two years and one "bull" is killed. Quintan, his pal on the force, swears to get the "Mask." whom he thinks was the killer, and he hounds the three yeggs of Muldoon's band in an ef- fort to track the mysterious robber. When released Peggy is taken Into the homo of a Mr?. Benton, who has her own secret sorrow over a son whom she knew had passed many bad checks. But one day she gets a letter from b^r boy, Robert, who is working in a bank in California. There she and Peggy go. The young couple fall In love and are married, though Peggy does not dis- close her past, on the advice of Mrs. Benton. Two years pass and a lusty baby crowns their home. One day the three yeggs from the east blow in, also Quintan. "Soupy" attempts to force Peggy to open the safe in her husband's bank. Robert hears the argument and when he confronts "Soupy," the weak point of the story develops. For. when the yegg squeals on the girl, Robert discloses himself as the "Mask," who, It Is to be expected, should have recognized Peggy when they met out west. Also on the night the police broke up the robbing expedition, a wounded yegg had, before the coppers reached him, exchanged guns with "Soupy." whose "gat" held no exploded cartridges, the switch being made to leave no suspicion of the kill- ing on the wounded man. Yet Robert shows "Soupy" the exchanged gun. Implying that he was the wounded man, and it Is funny that the police hadn't nailed him in the round-up. The story ends Immediately after- wards, Qulnlan shooting "Soupy," who con- fesses that he was the killer, and in light of Robert and Peggy's happy marriage Quln- lan leaves them in peace. E. Richard Thayer wrote "Blindfolded" well, save for the Inconsistencies noted. Miss Barrlscale gives her usual clever portrayal as Peggy- Joseph J. Dowling is to be credited with an unusually excellent character as Muldoon. Jny Morley Is good as the crook. "Soupy." Raymond B. West has again done good work In directing, while Clyde De Vinna handled the camera expertly. Ibee. THE BRIDE'S AWAKENING. This Universal seven-reeler, with the L. Jean Libbey title, starring Mae Murray, Is a younft woman who has been left a fortune and lives with her guardian, who. the caption says, Is one of the "old school of gentle- men,"—whatever that means. She is en- gaged to Richard Earle, a worthless man- about-town, "upporting himself on the ex- pectations of marrying Elaine Bronson (Mae Murray). The theme is so absurdly unreal that It Is difficult to criticise the picture seri- ously. The story could easily be told In five reels. Photography Is exceedingly good. Many picturesque scenes out-of-doors, including a golf course, fine country homes surrounded by spacious grounds, all interesting, but the story is impossible. Miss Murray plays well, as the much-abused young wife, who is but a girl, but in her close-ups where her tear- stained face is shown alone, her eyes are badly made up and she does not appear grief- stricken In the least. Lew Cody takes the part of Earle adequately. The others do all that is required of them. Tho story and scenario Is by P. McOrew Willis, directed by Robert Leonard. THE TWO SOUL WOMAN. T'niversal had about made up its mind to abandon Its Bluebird trademark, and one look at Its latest release under that brand, "The Two Soul Woman," will satisfy any- body that there Is sufficient cause for letting the name drop. Of all the ridiculous, sense- less affairs seen In pictures. "The Two Soul Woman" is tho champion. A nlco voung man meetR with an automobile accident, and Is carried unconscious Into the home of a sweet young helresn. ATler being there a week convalescing, the maiden breaks out Into a series of idiotic tantrums and It is developed she ia under the influence of an unscrupulous physician, who Is bent on se- curing possession of her fortune. Every time she breaks out Into one of those "fits" she changes her clothes, arranges her hair differ- ently and proceeds to rough-house her own domicile. To cure her the young map mar- ries her while she Is normal, she goes to sleep on his shoulder, the doctor seated in his office concentrates on her and she awakes and proceeds to cut loose. The doctor enters, the young husband fights with him, the doctor draws a revolver and In the tussle the physician Is mortally wounded, whereupon the girl becomes normaU It is the silliest version of ^he familiar "Jekyll and Hyde" story ever perpetrated. Prlscllla Dean plays the dual role well enough and the remainder of the cast performs ac- ceptably, but they struggle under too formid- able a handicap with this adaptation of Qeleft Burgess' novel, "The White Cat." Elmer Clifton directed, and he should not be blamed. At the Broadway last Sunday the audience • laughed derisively at the picture. Jolo. THE UNBELIEVER. Bucking the Incomparable "Hearts of the World," which Is eclipsing all picture rec- ords, and the formidable Gerard picture, "My Pour Tears in Germany," this picture, cur- rent at the Auditorium, Chicago, is doing well because of its patriotic appeal. There Is strength and fidelity In the big and realistic fighting spectacles. While the story Is primarily a war motif. there Is a romance woven In which fits. A landed aristocrat Is the principal character. He nas been reared in the purple, and has al- ways had a deep contempt for the "peepul." As far as people with German blood In their veins—raus. He is prejudiced against them all. He Joins the marine corps, and goes to* France. There the democracy of the battle- field, the chastening Influence of No Man's Land and the equalising effect of the big guns makes of him a different man. He returns a cripple, but a better man. During a raid In Flanders he has saved a beautiful Belgian girl. He has sent her to his mother. When he returns ahe la there. Fade on close embrace. The picture was produced under the George Klelne system, by the Edison-Perfection Co. ■ Paramount-Arbuckle Comedy Joseph Ms Schenck presents ROSCOE "Fatty" ARBUCKLE in MOONSHINE" Story by Herbert Warren. Directed by Roscoe Arbuckle. Produced by Comique Film Corporation The Proof of the Pudding IV/TR. B. C. BROWN, The Star Theatre, Viroqua, 1Y1 Wisconsin, says, "All I have to do is to adver- tise the night and Arbuckle fyis the empty seats." And Mr. B. Norton, The Kozy Theatre, Eureka, Illi- nois, writes: " Tatty' fills the house because every- one knows that a good laugh is in store." And Mr. H. R. Thomas, The Strand Theatre, Omaha, Nebraska, says: "I never saw a better comedy in . my life than 'The Bell Boy' with 'Fatty' Arbuckle." When will you show "Moonshine"? % Released exclusively through .•*•». 14 i FAMOUS PLAYERS-LASKY CORPORATION / *. ( / I lluTS *i ". ADOLrtl ZUKOR /"-v. .IMSK I I A8KT I \r Pm CECIL B CI MIUX P"T.. • ' N)W UIHK , njfjt