Variety (July 1919)

££_:. hi I k ''■ i- \ r,' ■ ■■',■■■■■■ ."■■;.:. ' ',■:■>'•: ■■.■■ ' . ... ■ ^^^^^p^pil^Sl^^^^^^^^ MOVING PICTURES l CUPID'S UNDERSTUDY. Thia la a Vitagraph production, a beautifully photographed Uttlo feature with Bessie Love la the stellar role. It was based by Edward J. Montague and Stanley Olmetoad, who made the scenario, on a novel by Florence Morse Klngsley. David Smith did some very clever directing and, altogether, the showing at Loew'e New York left a pleasantly agreeable taste in the mouth. The first scenes show the old homestead, once the ahowplace of the vicinity, now going quickly to the bad for lack of money. Bessie Is the niece of the woman who owns the place, and Bessie teaches school to provide the little family with some- thing to eat. _ Prom these unfortunate people Bruce Cart- wright attempts to collect a debt contracted years before by Bessie's great-uncle, owner of the place at that time. He sends htrlav Sjr. Then, In answer to an appeal from esBie, he comes himself, but keeps his real Identity secret. Contributing to the dramatic values of this piece, but also to Its comedy, are a man and his wife who have suddenly become^nllHonalres by. striking MsV. «gg people are a real study. The director handled ^5 togettef this la a wholesome and pleasant feature. _____ MAM'S DESIRE. Tom Denton Mary Larkln Vera Patton Slim Dorgan Howard Patton... Bob Denton Bull Larkln. ; w ■ JF. -.. I :■ .. t. ■ .Lewis S. Stone ..- Jane Novak ..Charlotte Burton BUI Dyer ....George Pearce ....... JoeBsnnett 'This^Bobertaon-Coie'production,' wltt Lwta 8. Stone starring, has an unusually well- contrived and convincing atfttfr •_« M. *9K icted well-photographed, well-directed and produced, but, primarily, the » n _P°, rta 5jJ? 1 ** totte underlying drama. That la ton « force. It keeps the emotions aUve. It keeps Selnterest Quickened. It makes the.plctnre. Md is the Picture. In fine, It aflorda flrst- «4 evidence of the fact that picture pro- ducers will pretty soon have to .realize Umt the author la eome guy, and that the oesi £iy in the world Is the author-director Mr Stone wrote this story and Lloyd Ingra- ham r -d1r«ted W It beglna In » !§»*» where reallatle acenea add to the «•*"■* Charlotte Burton, aa the spoiled wife of a mm*. sUrta a flirtation With fto_ * ■*+ Sorted to her Is Jane Novak, with her delicate, sensitive features, her classlo P"* 1 ^* 11 !,,' 9 the wife of the brutal owner of a blind pig, and S forced by him to help entertain dnufcn suests. Prom this situation she la rescued when her husband engineers the blowing-up of stone's mill. Bull's accomplice Is killed, and ltU tatan for granted that the dead man, whose teaurea are mutilated beyond recogni- tion, Is not the accomplice, but huh. . . Thinking herself free to marry. Jane[accepts StoneTproposal and they go to live In other parte. There Bull comes back to them. Stone, who never knew him. aow wtrecognize him _< mursa and Jane, the little amy, m alraK confess tie truth. She has a baby coming and this Is the weak point. A girl In thS wndltlon is best left out of film Intrigue, but after Bull shoots Stone and runs off with her we learn that the baby la safely delivered 2nd Sat Jane has In no way giveni herself to Bull. From his wound Stone recovers, jwg up Bull, who, as the tlUe aply put It, <Jgg** p5o" Judgment in pulling his gun and lost on the draw." Stone and Jane are then happily reunited. ____ BEAUTY PROOF. Corporal Steele :*"&£' «ggj Carol Thorpe V.'.'.DenSn Vane . VaVrV T. Morey In "Beauty Proof is seen to unusually good advantage. It Is the type of part that suits him, and there are several novel turns to the plot of this story by James Oliver Curwood. Part ot It, however, Is stock stuff with the old stand-by characters plenti- fully mixed in. Betty Blythe photographs with that soft charm that Justifies free .use > of the circle vignette. With her ialr floating out llko a dark sweet river she captures the ma°gina«onln great atyle. The Northwestern /snow costumes, too. were peculiarly becoming to her, and Paul Scardon gave her beauty full P It'was sufficient, and seemed so In the pic- ture, to ensnare the susceptibilities of Corporal Steoio and Hodge, a villainous'tellow played with a nice touch by George Maperonl. Both wanted the girl, but It was some time before the Corporal woke up to what was the matter with him. When he did—but that's the story. He is sent, up to make an arrest because he Is notoriously "beauty proof," and the fellow he Is to arrest Is the brother of a lovely girl who Is determined the arrest shall not come off. At the local restaurant he sees her, fol- lows her out and la caught from above In a quick, sharp scene that registers high dra- matically. What happens Is that one of the girl's confederates drops on his shoulders. Caught, he Is not only tied, but put In a box. This box Is taken to Hodge's cabin. From the box (aa Carol Intended) he heara Hodge renew his Improper proposals to Carol, and when she shoots him, be Is, of course, a witness to the act. It also turns out that Hodge Is any old enemy of his. There follows a trial, a chase and an exciting finish, a fight cleverly pictured and unusual In Its nature, and then the final close-up, heroine and hero In an embrace. A proper criticism is that too many people get shot In this picture without being really badly wounded. THIS HERO STUFF. Captain November Jones William Russell Nedra Joseph..... Winifred Weatover Jackson J. Joseph J. Barney Sherry Samuel Barnes Chas. K. French Teddy Craig.... .\ Mary Thurman Jonathan PUlabury Harvey Clark Softnoae Smith J. Farrell MacDonald Action la the redeeming feature of this flve- reeler in which William Russell la starred. It Is produced by the William Russell Produc- tions, directed by Henry King. It la a atory which has been built arbund the star, and like most of the "made to order" scenarios, It fits the hero, but nobody .else. Fine scenery and realistic photography help, bu the theme Is impossible from beginning to end. Mr. Russell does a number of clever athletic stunts, and wins out In two or three barroom brawls, but these ingredients are hardly sufficient to-make a five-reel feature. Capt. November Jones, U. 8. A. (Mr. Rus- sell), Just returned from overseas, is worried to distraction by the persistent hero-worship that meets him everywhere he turns in his native town of Goldclty, Nev. He goes to absurd lengths In his efforts to evade those who would welcome him. and does everything In his power to belittle his war record. By the end of the third reel he has convinced every- one he is a rank coward, then seeing his mis- take, starts to rehabtlate himself before hla townfolke. This is the story in a nutshell. A crooked broker and a young adventuress have been woven Into the plot, to give it the right meller touch. They could easily have have been dispensed with. Then there is the town's hard-boiled egg, "Softnose Smith," and a number of other "local" celebrities, Winnlfred Weatover plays opposite Mr. Hus- sell In the role of Nedra 'Joseph. Miss West- over has. a pleasing screen appearance and handles her none too easy part intelligently. Harvey Clark, aa Jonathan PUlepury, a hymn- book salesman with a weakness for Scotch, was very tunny and got most of the laughs. "This Hero Stuff" no doubht will please many who like to see Mr. Russell do fancy atuntB, such aa swinging from gaa flxturee, wiping up barroom floors with a half a dozen men at the same time, and occasionally mak- ing sensational rescues on horseback. Hugh Reading, formerly of the Milwaukee Journal, has been appointed as publicity man to Universale Milwaukee exchange. i & ' Speed in Money Changing i Read what the LIGHTNING CHANGER does SIMPLY press a button and—Presto—the change comes jingling out into the metal cup, where it is easily scooped up by the patron. Compare that with the old way—-digging several coins out of a drawer —counting, handling them—pushing them across the counter to be scraped up by the purchaser with the risk of dropping them, keeping the line waiting—to say nothing of delays caused by mistakes which must happen when change is no{ counted mechanically. The Lightning Changer counts and delivers change mechanically, at the touch of a button—saving brain work, mistakes from fatigue, arguments and delays. It will make change for 1,500 Patrons an hour, with- out error. It takes no skill to operate; takes less experience than the old way. Takes little space—9% x 12 x 13 inches—and weighs only 20 pounds—easily carried. The magnificent new State-Lake Theatre, Chicago, recently opened to crowded houses, has installed two Lightning Changers after careful comparison with other machines. Write for descriptive circular C to Theatrical Divi- sion. You need a Lightning- Changer right away if you want to keep in the front rank. Write Today LIGHTNING COIN CHANGER CO. 34-36 Lake Street Chicago 1 S :':f. -!. ; -/: M