Variety (February 1919)

W?TTv Yi -•""'' 'TT^TWTr 7 ^'^ 68 ;.;.' mi mt^ •v. Ml JSr^ asm •; JB 4 Hr • iHSi'JJ:' fe. F -, ■»' MOVING PICTURES ':':-■' MRS. WIGGS. v "Lover Mary Marguerite Clark Mrs. Wlggs Mary Carr Miss Tabltha Haisy Vlvia Ogden Maggie Duncan Gladys Valerie Billy Wlgga ...Oareth Hughes Dick Morgan Jack MacLean Hiram Stubbins Robert Mllasb Mrs, 'Phoney Morgan Maud Hosford Mre. Elcnorn Mary Davie Mrs. Shultz Anita Brown Baby WIgge Marlon Stewart Asia Lol» Hernandez Australy May McAvoy Europoana Wanda Valle An altogether delightful little comedy drama In screen form. With Marguerite Clark as the star In the role of Lovey Mary this pic- ture la certain to attract an unuaual patron- age and In addition will please those who view It. At the Strand It was given a most effective presentation this week. The rain effect which Joseph Plunkett Introduced at both sides of the screen while the rain scenes of the picture were showing was very effective. The screen version was directed by Hugh Ford, who staged the original production In New York about 15 years ago. The dramati- sation was made by Anne Crawford Flexner from the novel by Alice Hagen Rice, Eve . Unsell being responsible for the scenario. The story of the little orphans that escape 'from the asylum and their anal rise to afflu- ence la prettily told with Interesting touches of humor and pathos. Miss Clark Is a charm- ing Lovey Mary and the audience follows ber through the story with keen Interest. The supporting cast Is particularly strong. Mary Carr plays "Mrs. Wlggs" (she was the original) and while much of the homely humor which graced her role In the play Is lost on the screen, still there la much in the part Vivla Ogden In the role of Miss Hasy "buys a husband for a dollar from a matri- monial agency" was a scream in comedy characterisation. Hobert Mllash played the "lunk of a loafer" that looked like Lincoln and was chosen aa a matrimonial possibility because of the asset, in a manner most laugh- able. Garetb Hughes was Billy Wlggs, a de- lightful lead opposite Miss Clark, while Jack McLean aa the youthful heavy was all that could be asked for. The "kiddle" touches were exceedingly well handled and are sufficiently strong to war- rant playing for special children perform- The' lighting and the sets are fully adequate, ; and the rain scenes particularly good. "Alex- ander, the Great," the Boat of the picture, i was letter perfect in what it had to do. Free. THE FALSE" FACES. The Lone Wolf Henry B. Walthall Cecolla Brooks Mary Anderson Bckstrom Lon Chaney Ralph Crane......... • < i/"-; MUton . Bo J B Lt. Thackery Thornton Edwards Henry B. Walthall In "The False Faces" Is the current week's attraction at the Rlvoll. The feature 1b Ince-made and reteased as a Paramount-Artcraft Special. Why a special ' Is hard to define, but it Is a very good picture when considered In the general run of pro- gram product. The feature Is a plcturlza- tlon of the Louis Joseph Vance story of the same title, directed by Irvln W. Wlllatt. A tnelodramatlo thriller of the war and sec- ret service, It Involves the workings of the secret departments of the American, English and German secret operatives. The hero Is played by Mr. Walthall—"The Lone Wolf"— the principal character in a series of crook stories under that title. He has reformed for this tale and Is aiding the English Govern- ment and pitting his wits against those of Bckstrom, also a former crook and with the German spy system. There Is a lengthy preamble of trench stun at the opening. It is well done and its stretches of the waste of No Man s Land are very effective. The lighting here is nartlcu- larly good. During the bombardment there are a couple of flashes showing the men going over the top, and Walthall is seen crawling through the lln<* from the German trenches. He has been tipped off that there Is a move on the part of the Germans to speed up their activities in the United States and he comes over to aid running.them down. On the trip across there is action, a couple of good fights, several excellent submarine shots and Anally the sinking of the huge liner. After the arrival In New York of the entire cast of eplee thore Ib a roundup of the Huns which follows a corking fight that has Wal- thall and Lon Chaney bb the principals. Mr. Chaney played Ekstrom, the heavy. There Is an element of love Interest in the story. It is furnished by Mary Anderson as Cecelia Brooke, one of the English operatives. She has been entrusted to carry an important package to the head of the English secret service In this country. Jujt why it Is Im- portant la never disclosed durln* the story, - but lt must have been a cuckoo Judging from the amount of trouble that It stirred up. Mr. Walthall gives a performance that Is delightful and the supporting cast hold hut the leading lady and the heavy as Important charctera. The others simply nil In. "The False Faces" is not a super-production sad It dopR.no* qualify an a "Special," but on a program it would stand out aa a ••ood-plo? ture. . ■ Pretf - . "whitewashed Walls" Is the title of the coming picture from the Jesse D. Hampton studios which features William Desmond. Ufc m The - Screencraft Pictures Corporation is negotiating with OUvo Tell for her services as a Screencraft star. - ■ LION AND THE MOUSE. Shirley Rossmore .....Alice-Joyce Jefferson Ryder Conrad Nagel John Burkett Ryder Anders Randotf Judge Rossmore Henry Hallam Senator Roberta T. W. Carlton Kate Roberts Mona Klngsley Mrs. Ryder Jane Jennings It seems rather regretful a better picture production of "The Lion and the Mouse" could not have been turned out from the material at hand. The story was a particularly strong one and the title Is enough to pull business to any house, but the Picture turned out by the Vltagraph does not measure up to the standard. This should have been a special, but as It now, stands it is only an ordinary program feature. Tom Terrls was the director, but he handled the material only fairly well.. Alice Joyce, the star, does not stand out as Shirley Ross- more. It was a role that needed a woman with plenty of punch, but Miss Joyce displayed none of lt. She was given to posjng in pretty at- titudes rather than action. Flaws In the finished production are many. An idea Of what has been permitted to slip by may be gotten from the fact that In the reception scenes that there are at the finish Senator Roberta la on the scene to prevent hia daughter from eloping with the fortune hunting English secretary of John Burkett Ryder. Yet a few minutes later when Shirley Rossmore beards the lion In his den and threatens to hold him up to ridicule through- out the land unless he send a wire to the Senator la Washington to call off the im- peachment proceedings, Ryder sits down and drafts the wire. This with the Senator walk- lng. k in a scene that preceded the wire writing by about ten minutes in the action of the play. The production looks to be rather cheaply made. The studio stuff, supposedly showing a street scene before a cafe in Paris, is too ap- parent and smacks of the dayB of picture pro- duction when Thanbouaer and Lubln were grinding out single reelers. Anders Randolf in the role of Ryder gives the best performance and walks away with practically all the honors. Miss Joyce looks pretty but that Is about all. Conrad Nagel as Ryder, Jr.. gave an acceptable performance. Henry Hallam as Judge Rossmore with but little to do made his role register. By playing up the title and pounding home that lt was written by the late Charles Klein, who lost his life on the Lualtanla, and was practically his masterpiece, exhibitors will at- tract business with the feature, but lt will need a strong show around it to make it stand up. Fred. AS THE SUN WENT DOWN. "Colonel Billy" .Edith Storey Faro Bill Lewis J. Cody Arbuthnot Harry 8. Northrup Albert Atherton William Brunton Gerald Morton ,E. A. Turner Mabel Morton FranceB Burnham Sal Sue ." Za 8u Pitts Gin Mill Jack F. B. Spooner Plson Iko V Alfred Holllngsworth Ike's wife Vera Lewis Piety Pete George W. Berrell More often than not we get an obvious, straightaway plot, but to "As the Sun Went Down" we are regaled with a little too much of that sort of thing. It is a complicated three- cornered story. The locale is "Western" and the production la a Metro, written by George D. Baker, directed by E. Mason Hopper, photo- graphed by William Thompson. The latter Is to be commended for some excellent long shots and the director for his detail In visualizing a period contemporaneous with the Bret Harte tales, the Interior fittings, furniture and clothes being apparently accurate. "Colonel Billy" had been a promiscuous female In Rattlesnake Gulch In the gold rush days of '40. At the opening of the story she has taken up with Faro Bill and Is true to him. Bill, In return, has stayed sober and wants to marry her, though she Is shunned by the other women of the mining town. Bill's brother, a minister, comes West for his healtb, being a lunger. From 'Frisco there arrives by the same stage coach an actor with his young wife and baby. The actor strikes pay dirt, and a villain in 'Frisco, reading of lt, comes to confront her with some silly love letters she had written him when very young. Everything Is straightened out in the end, and although the underlying tale is melodramatic it Is unfolded in Western dialect fashion with comic titles and situations. The picture Is Interesting for the most part but, running for 75 minutes, it begins to sag a bit toward the finish. Unusually excellent types are employed and the members of the company are good actors. Edith Storey is al- ways good, but her role of "Colonel" Billy is a radical departure from her usual line of parts. She gets ail there Is in lt. Lewis J, Cody, as Faro BUI, her lover, ia hardly robust or virile enough for such a character. He shines as a drawing room heavy, but does as well as the limitations of his physique will permit. Albert Atherton is a competent heavy, and F. E. Spooner Is a good type for the gin mill keeper. George W. Berrell secured all the laughs as Piety Fete, a comic character type. Cut to an hour "Ae the Sun Went Down" should pass muster as a high class program ■rei&taQ:"-""-.:- .r:-.-..--.:.r: w-»5, ,.-,.. UPlO,... Vltagraph Is making arrangements to film the Indian "pow wow" which will be held next month at Syracuse. Before sailing for England, A. H. Woods completed arrangements whereby he granted the British rights to the film, "Free and Equal," to the Stoll Film Co., Ltd. THE LONG LANE'S TURNING. Harry Slever ..Henry B. Walthall Echo Allen... Mary Charlson Cameron Crafg Jack Richardson Beverley Allen J. Dewllng Charlotte Allen Vera Lewis la this National Film feature L. V. Chand- ler has directed a thoroughly Interesting pic- ture, and with but one rather overacted closeA up Henry B. Walthall ;s at his best The' film Is a thoroughly good combination of star v and story. Or it would be more correct to state the star Is excellent and the story good. From a box-office point of view lt should prove a success, for there is a good strong Btory, several thrills of a nature not beyond - the impossible and a smoothly running plot Producers of late have been supplying a ple- thora of dual role pictures, and this one, too, has a few feet of Walthall dualling. By releasing more features of this. type Exhib- itors' Mutual will earn a reputation for high standard which will stand them In good stead. The whole play Is of course Walthall, but Walthalllsm of a type moBt pleasing. He Is well supported by Miss Charlson as Echo, thevwoman he finally wins. If there be a noticeably weak spot, lt is in the trial scene, and lt is overdone by practi- cally all. The Btory ia that of a brilliant lawyer who- haa a strong craving for drink. Muddled with Intoxicants he loses a case, and atrinno- cent man goes to Jail. Keeping the continuity nicely, some valuable letters are secured by the heavy, and these Implicate Echo's father, a Judge of the criminal court His daughter, to get them back, agrees to marry the heavy, but while she 1b at his home lt is burglarized and 8evler, who has made up his. mind to cut drink and leave the country* finds his way to the house. The heavy is shot; Slever is ac- cused and sent to Jail. He escapes, 1b nomi- nated for Governor of the state on a dry ticket, lands, and everyone gets their deserts. The most detailed account of the plot would not in any way convey the real Interest which is sustained through the entire picture. There is a really unconsciously funny sub- title which ought to be at once eliminated. A convict In the Jail la about to kill the visiting Judge when Slever eaves him by grap- pling with the would-be murderer. After con- gratulations following this strong scene, this Is flashed upon the screen: "You have saved the situation." It la almost always euro of a laugh. THE SEALeFeNVELOPE. A Universal picture directed by Harvey Gates from the scenario written by Douglas Gerard. ■ ■ For four and a half reels out of five lt prom- ises big things, has big situations, builds up to a big finishing climax and then does a Sop, the echoes of which can be heard from afar. It tears off at breakneck speed, snorts, screams and then dies. The ever present clinch closes this broken promise. But that was to be ex- pected. It la in.the ending which has taken four and half reels to lead up to that lt peters out Never was a picture more replete with ma- terial and never were possibilities greater. There are thrills aplenty, some old, some new. The old escape across the clothes line, the fight on the stairs, the revolver la the drawer, the familiar chief of police whom everyone calls "captain," all these are there, but there are other things, too. Building up to a splendid closing climax to be the discomfiture of the political bosB, lt wriggles- its last half reel to a disappointing end. The director seems to have started much that he could not finish, and several Incidents strong In themselves are left unfinished. A feature is made of Slaney, the reforming crook, giving Lena a match box with $1,600 therein contained, with the request that she guard It for two days. The match box of wealth has no bearing on the story, and after Cho contents are banked that is the last one hears of it. The politician who la running his man for office Is played up, as well as that the reform crowd Is after him, and this Is dropped, too, when the audience expect some- thing will be done. It Is typical melodrama, but lacking the final kick. The Btory Is most Involved as a story, but Is clear enough on the screen. It deals with a crook who is asked to burglarize the house of a politician, an offense he had al- ready committed and for which he has done time. He is given a sealed envelope with in- structions to open when he reaches this house, and when he does he takes pity on a child he~ finds there and steals her. It is later dis- closed the envelope contained instruction to do this very thing. There is good lighting, fair continuity, but the technique Is poor. There will not be any after draught to this picture owing to the weak end. W. A, Sheer makes a great deal of Slaney, but for "the best single handed worker In the country" he shows himself to be an awful dub and never misses getting In wrong with hlB fatal cunning. A rewrite of the last reel and finishing sev- eral matters started earlier would make It as good a feature as Universal, has put out. Frltizl Brunette as the ill-treated maid, Lena, gives a fair performance. Samuel Zlerler has been appointed general .sales manager in ..New. York cityfor Universal. ■•■■^■■' OUT OF THE FOG. Faith f .'Alia Naifmova Phillip Blake Charles Bryant Job Coffin ; Henry Harmon Maude 8tandlsh, Nancy Palmer Luke Allan T. Morse Koupal Brad Standlah 8. W. Davis Elijah Allen. Charles trolley Jim Smooth Tom Blake A Metro picture featuring Alia Natlmova, adapted from the drama "'Ception shoaia" (by H. Austin Adams) by June Matkls and directed by Albert Capellanl. "Out of the Fog" has an Idea to convey and does so In a most convincing manner through the medium of Natlmova and Henry Harmon. The picture at all times holds and in Its tenser situations could not be Improved upon. Lucid. In perfect continuity, a fine story and good ■ situations, it will please those who look for bigger things in the silent drama. The pity Is that carelessness In detail was allowed to slip Jb. The particular lack is noticeable in the latter part when Blake returns In his yacht to claim his sweetheart The director has permitted Jim Smooth, the mate of the boat, to wear the same undershirt he wore several months previously at the opening of the story. ■ sJSfS! I*? 7 5. ne ? 1 eaBca po« are photographed Mttl direction the picture lacks but J .J Wl !I e nono < * n Question Nazimova'a splen- did artistry on the. speaking stage, her power to transfer that artistry to the screen mnrt be to many a moot point • "QfF S U1 doubtless be thouse who saw her 1S« ?SPi ton . 8h0 ' ,B : , *J»PPOlnted in this pic- ture. Many, too, who Just see her In the pic. ture will be prone to wonder at her facial ex- pressions which in more than one case mar her otherwise excellent work. m5? g"- a *- l t , maT ' " 0u t «* tno Fog" is a lift i!£ nd i rd n £ ,cture t . flne ln tecbnkfue and wo, i lighted. The cast is la keeping with the production, though in one or two places Blaka drain u 8BO0tn does become Tory melo- JOHNNY-ON-THE-SPOT. Arthur Abingdon, alias Cooley LoTe,y Mm W-Kaf— P y l0 McCulloUgh miSF&SL*"*" HBrdee Wa3 iiii tLSXS™ • Lille Leslie "Buck" i£$2 ft «« H. Warren JKELrBBi N «" Hardin Canary" Kelly... Ora Humphreys , : f-6j ,u J te ..T acceptable A,u t fe ou « h "Bht-waiated m,^7 ,s "J^nny-on-The-Spot," a Metro fea- ture, written by Shannon Fife, adapted by June Matbls directed by Harry L. Franklin! photographed by Arthur MartlnelU and star- feafin lad W " h L ° U,Se LoTel7 tn * John Rutledge (Hale Hamilton) is living at a cheap boarding house trying to earn a liv- ing by writing a novel, entitled "Taking It £?£■ .. or . Btorythlnsr Comes to Him Who Waits." in the adjoining room is Anne Trav- ers (Louise Lovely), who writes-short stories, regularly returned by the magastne editors. For a reason not made plain Ml&» Travers'i whereabouts are unknown to the executor of 11 .,7"l. be ? ueath l ng hep a nu W fortune. The will stipulates she ehall be found and married by a given date, but no advertising must be done to unearth her. By a highly improbable coincidence the lawyer representing the de- ceased is the lifelong friend of Johnny's father. The lawyer's clerk learns of the search for the girl and ln delivering a mea- sage to Johnny; sees her at the boarding house. He tips off a crony, who Is the secre- tary of Arthur Abingdon, a wealthy novelist, who, also by the remarkable arm of coinci- dence, happens to be Johnny's "best friend." The secretary Impersonates his employer, who is away in Bermuda, Introduces his mistress as his sister, and they Invite Anne to spend • few weeks with them ln the country. There the secretary posing as the author, proposes marriage. Meanwhile Johnny, turned out of his board- ing house, has Joined a medicine show. The detective who Ib searching for the girl, by a still more coincidental coincidence, happens along, and more colncldentally coincidental, had occupied the same position now held bv Johnny—that of "Sblllaber" for the travel- ling fakir. He mentions his mission and • Johnny (you can't keep-using the word "co- Incidental" all the time) happens to he pres- ent when Anne's name Ib spoken. Up to this moment Johnny has been "taking it easy." With a mad dash he rushes to reach Anne before the time expires when she will - lose her fortune, steals an auto and. arrives at Abingdon's home In time to prevent her being tricked - by the secretary. When he reaches the lawyer's office with the girl the counsel advises him to take it easy, to which he fren- zledly replies: "There ain't no such word." It Is a comedy bordering on the farcical, the ending of which is very obvious a few mlnutcB after it starts, but it Is well played by n good company of well selected types, Ham- ilton, essentially a farce comedian, is ln his element and Miss Lovely, who looks like Mary Wckfard,-'makes a sweet Ingenue lead M: The. : two heavleB and the side show fakir all also quite competent, while the minor roles arc alio neatly handled. The story Is so obvious that Iti development seems a trifle slow, but the tltlcB are cleverly written ln humorous vein and If one will overlook the "coincidental <X£ Incidences" the picture will pass muBter as a pleasing program release. Joio, . ' . ./vjv^ ^^^'iU,^ ■«, ■ ,,.... • .cy.-%".;■•'?■.■•■ "A-. A