Variety (September 1919)

» M O V IN G PICT U R E S COME ON IN. A comedy, ot cuU^iubul belore the dralt, with irueat Truex uuU Shirley Maaon etarretU There are laughs in the picture aud in the cayciouB. l«lot uiauy, but some ot the laughs are real hearty ones. Especially is that so when Mr. Truex is rejected through his slza Ue Is one-hall Inch short, (M>^ inches in height Instead ot 01, Despondeut and on the way to the river to destroy hinisell, he bumps into a Uerman. Angered, the Dutchman bits the little leilow over the head, breaking a bottle. With the bump raised by the' bottle, Truex rushes to another recruiting station, passing, his height raised by the bump to 01 inches. There are other comedy points, mostly extravagant ones, burlesque or grotesque, as you may see them, written Into the scenario by John Emerson and Anita Doos. The him tells Bow Truex was advauc^ to a sergeantey and later to a lleutenauey when he rescued the colonel 01 his regiment, who was the uncle ot his girl. The colunel bad been snared by a band ot Qerman spies, one ot whom was in Truex's company and also in love with his girl. The spy married the girl, but her hus- band was arrested while starting on their honeymoon to Atlantic City. Truex did that, alter saving the colonel, it's a comedy iHm, built to Bt Truex and his statura U does both and is mildly amusing., Truex is called “Eddie" in the picture, but as none ot the capuons ever say "Very good, Eddie," that may be overlooaed. But the captions have a large portion oi the tun burden. Were the oomedy story more legitimate and less trav- esty, it might have been better. “Come On In" (though a poor tlUej Is a good ttrsl try tor Truex. He would be a worth While as a him comedian with proper material. “Come On In" merely maxes you long lor the next one, to see it Truex Is really mere or a taise alarm, tor Uiere Is no telling which in tsin teatura Uiss Mason doesn t ligura She’s Just billed as her importance. Sime. to keep the state ot affairs a secret la tbe face ot so much that is unpleasant la for £ time inexplicable. •l*® bortowed, through bis lawyer, glOO.OOO from a mysterious benefactor to promote an aeroplane factory. The scheme Is a huge success and he is soon able to repay the money.. It Is made plain early in tbe picture that Malda herselt loaned the money. If this were not ebown quite so soon there would be an opportunity for a stronger denouement to the story. By tbe terms ot her late husband’s will Malda will lose her entire inheritance if ^e marries again. When asked If she is mar- ried to Lietcbworth she denies It. Then her husband's family threaten to take away her child on the ground that she Is unfit to bring him up. So Malda confesses her mar- - riage. But there are no proofs. They were married in Belgium soon after the invaMon and destroyed their certificate for reasons ot Mtety. The only witness was an old sacristan with a beard and a scar on his ' face. Louis sketches him from memory.. known that there are some newly arrived. Belgian refugees In New Tork. Sud- denly Louis' lawyer appears with the very old sacristan. He swears to the marriage and Maida is given her proper legal status. It appears that she has kept her marriage a secret to draw the money-from her. late husband’s estate to finance her present hus- band’s scheme. But now be la able to pay that back. Then the lawyer brings In tbe old witness and slowly pulls off' beard, mous- tache and scar. It was all clever make-up, the man being an old time character actor .s M who has never seen Belgtum. But nobody Is the wiser. In addition to June Blvidge, Frank Mayo and Clay Clement,. Jr., are good In the prin- cipal male roles, while deserving of special praise Is each and every one of the dHtoreat types of villagers. The direction Is good, and the whole picture. It far-fetebod, decidedly amusing. A feature of J. Stuart Blackton’s picture, “The Common Cause,’’ now being filmed under the auspices of tbe Brltish-Oanadlan Reeruit- Ing Mleslon for distribution by Vltagraph, will be the British tank "Britannia." ihe taiA, which will be seen in action in several scenes, was operated for the picture by Capt. Richard Haig of the British Army, who was in service with the “Britannia." THE WHITE LIE. Dorothy Klngsiey Bessie Barrlscale Mary Jane Mary Jane Irving Uoruun Kingsley .....hldward- Coxeu h'raux Mason........... Charles Gunn Dorothy Kingsley tells what is termed a while lie wueu sue tuiis her husoand tiiat he is tiie lather ol a chim to which he nears not the siigniesi reiatiousuip. It is some hn. But things are not qniie' so shouxing as mlgUt be suppifsed. 'me iiainu of uie picture m wnich Guruuu Klngsiey roexs anoUier man's child Is "ihe Waiie Lie," nud Bessie Barrlscale plays Borouiy Kingsley, the young woman WHO tells tue paiiiu untruth. rruttx Mason cans on Dorothy during her husoaud'B auscuce, auu trom their couversa- tiou It 18 learned that Mary Jane, the liuant aauguier, is Masuus child. Kingsley returns huiiie soon alter and teiie his wile that be has oraereU & man named Jb'ranX Mason to draw piaus lor tueir new home. . Dorothy registers guilt so completely that only a nimd man coma tall to uuuce lu r ranx comes to nuiuer and noth he and Dorothy behaves as U tuey were trymg to tell Uuruon the truth in puutomuue. The climax comes when Dorouiy sups FranX a note telling him she must see mm, and mat sue will come at once to uis aparuuent. nue goes, but eomeone has been there uuead ol her. b'rauX, It'seems, la a reiormed croox, and when some of his former cronies are caught turning a trick one ot mem enters his apartment, minxrng he has "squealed," and statis him m tbe bacX. Gordon, suspecting souieming wrong, follows his wile, arrivmg bexore her. DeiecUvee find him ' bending over me dead man, Thea Dorothy arrives, while me omers hide in an adjoming room. But through the "third de- gree," finally tells one ol me men that me dead man bad been a school friend, mat during her husband's absence In Europe she had lound him breaXlng into her bouse, mat she had reiormed him and helped him and his' Wife, aud when me latter died she bud adopt^ me child aud passed It oh to her husband as her own, as she is unable to have any. She Is allowed to go home aud her husband, quite reconciled, follows when the man who com- mitted me murder Is captured aud has con- fessed. -- Tbe characters In the picture are as well played as could be expected, cousiderlng how overdrawn and very improonbie the whole thing is. As far as popular Interest Is om- cerned "The White Lie" should be a suo- cess, and that is me main thing. THE APPEARANCE OF EVIL Malda Brown June Blvidge Louis Letchworth Frank Mayo Gordon Brown Douglas Redmond, Jr. Harold Brown George MscQuarrie Miss Spurgeon Nora Cecil Hlsle Qulmby Inez Marcel In this World feature, shown privately, June Elvldge, me star, is seen to advantage in a congenial part and in a picture mat to interesting, original and well told. It to the Btory ot Maida Brown, who comes to Baypon, a small suburb, with her small son and takes a house. Louis Letohworm pays frequenf week-end ■ vlBUx 'td ’MafBii'aiiii -tlie two ''mate ' orate and unending love tbat the servanU and tbe whole village are scandalized.. From their remarks. In the sub-titles, tbe spectator knows mat tbe two are married, but the Ylllagers don't. Malda’s reason for wtohlng H S BT?ESSL.E1^( ivjLown ilctuic mdusti^^ is m T he Motion Picture Industry has pledged itself to sell One Billion Dol- lars’ Worth of Liberty Bonds of the Fourth Issue. Stars, directors, executives, scenario writers, camera men, and all others have done much in making and exploitinjg pictures advertising the Loan. To the ei^ibitor comes the; greatest opportunity and the greatest honor. His contribution towards the winning of the war can be greater, dmost, than that of any other class, except t he actual fighting men. Others can , only buy Liberty Bonds, but he can sell them. The Industiy has been de- clared essential. Here is our chance to prove that it is essentid, and to keep it so; Every exhibitor in America is going to help to the utmost. Here is what he must do: Thirty-seven stars have made special motion pictures for the Loan. The names of these pictures and the exchanges at which they can be secured free are listed below. Book one of these pictures for every day during the drive. Secure ^bscription blanks for Liberty Bonds from your local Federal Reserve Board. Take subscriptions in your theatre. Then—this is essential—report the amount of Bonds sold to the Committee under- signed, on blai^s provided for this purpose and supplied by your exchange. Exery exhibitor must do all these things. It is his patriotic duty to do them. The Industry Depends on Him To Do Them. The Govern- ment Depends on Him To Do Them! ' th Committee on Co-operation with the MinONALASSOCIATiOII innEniisTiiir United States Treasury Department Adolph Zukor, Chairman Walter W. Irwin George K. Spoor J. £. Brulatour A1 Lichtman, Manager of Distribution John C. Flinn, Director of Publicity 485 Fifth Avenue, New; York