Variety (July 1919)

.STRAND. |s • The current week's bill at the Strand marks Managing Director Joe. L. Plunket'8 farewell ,V" tliere. It was a show that was lully aa worthy as any of those that he has staged during his regime at the house. There Is one fault, how- ever, and that is that the Strand orchestra, which never has seemed to stand up with ,-' those at the other two Broadway houses that :.; fight the Strand for patronage, was utterly ;; : down on Sunday. Perhaps the reason was '.that Carl Edouard wasn't directing. Whoever .his 1 aucessor was on 'Sunday afternoon he '■:■' lacked almost everything that goes to make :v a successful conductor In a motion picture ',.- theatre, and the playing of the musicians of . the "Carmen" selection reflected this. 5' The Strand Topical Review 'Started the .-•-.. screen portion of the show and wae followed - by a scenic of the Outing-Chester series. The '..latter was very short and without seeming ■ Interest to the audience. It was entitled "A . Haitian Night's Tale." A tenor selection by -.Walter Pontius preceded the feature. :r ->■ Madge Kennedy In "Through the Wrong , Door," a Goldwyn production, was the head- - line feature of the program, and It was an b . entirely pleasing story well told and tre- mendously liked by the audience. A soprano selection followed. • • . v . "How Some Animals Behave," a Patbe Re- : view Subject, in slow motion, was interesting, and the Mack Sennett comedy, "Among Those ■? Present," which concluded the bill, held a flock of laughs. A "cooch" bit In It with a lit- tle touch of the rough stuff hit borne with ■"■', the audience. • -Fred. I ; THROUGH THEWRONG DOOR. ■ babel Carter. .Madge Kennedy Burt Radcllff..... John Bowers Haskell Carter Herbert Standing Gerald Hopkins.......;..........J. B. Manly James, a chauffeur .....Robert Kortman Mrs. Carter... ......Kate Lester Mrs. Llppln .Beulah Peyton Madge Kennedy will win a host of admirers in her latest Ooldwyn starring nelease, "Through the Wrong Door," based on a story - by Jesse Lynch Williams and directed by , Clarence O. Badger. It, Is a picture that will - please any audience anywhere. There to -action, .there is pep and comedy, and above all a-corking little story well told by capable direction. . '•• The picture Is a combination of society and Western that covers both very thoroughly. The opening scenes are laid in the West where the hero has a mine. The heroine's father be- comes financially interested, and later when the two meet there is a fine smash. -•■ The principal action takes place In Philadel- phia where the heroine lives and where the hero comes to claim the girl that has promised to wed him when he strikes it rich. Of course the fiancee throws him down when she thinks him broke, and the heroine walks Into his house on a rainy night. It Is all because of the fact that he Uvea on Tremont street and she was going to dinner on Tremont street. ' Same number for both houses, and the taxi driver makes a natural mistake. Her advent gives the hero a chanoo to ■ even things up with her father, and the result Is that before the evening is over the two young folks run oft In the rain to get married. Miss Kennedy plays the role of the heroine delightfully, although there was Just as much fat for the hero, who was played by John Bowers and who managed to give the part everything that it required. He has a pleasing manner and seems to be particularly delight- ful opposite Miss Kennedy. The production detail Is very well bandied and the rainstorm scenes were exceptionally well taken care of. A couple of touches of the artistic were present In the lightings. "Through tfce Wrong Door" looks like it will bring patronage through the theatre door. £ Free. , RIALTO. A fairly pleasing little show at the Rialto, with the comedy, a Fox Sunshine release, doing about as much as anything in the program to give the show the pep needed. The feature, "Louisiana," with Vivian Martin aa the star, did not seem particularly strong and hardly of the calibre to warrant a full week In one of the leading picture houses of the country. The overture selection was "Raymond" which was followed by a Universal scenic en- v titled "The Bear Hunt," by Major Jack Al- len. Then the aria from "La Qioconda" was sung by Athens Buckley. The Rialto Maga- zine held the usual quota ot news weekly cuts and Greek Evans, baritone, sang "In the Garden of My Heart," preceding the fea-i ture. The selection from "Sari" was halfway down In the bill and was one of the really delightful musical offerings. It earned and received applause. The Fox comedy was entitled "Are Married Policemen Safe" and it was a scream of slapBtlck from start to finish. Hughy Fay as a nonce Judge In the picture got laugh after laugh. This comedy really helped the entire show get over. Fret. LOUISIANA. Louisiana Rogers Vivian Martin Laurence Ferol. Robert Ellis Lem Rogers Noah Beery Cass Floyd Arthur Allardt Olivia Ferol « Lillian West Aunt Casondry Lillian Leigh ton Paramount presents Vivian Martin as the star of this presentation on the screen of the Frances Hodgson Burnett story, "Louisiana." Alice Eyton scenarlolzed the story and Rob- ert G. Vlgnola directed the production. The picture is rather pleasing though light walsted, but to life Vivian Martin followers among the film fans it will answer. It hardly seems strong enough to hold up (or a full week at one of the big Broadway houses. The prlncljpal scenes of the action are laid in the Carollnas, where the little berlone, Louisiana, hails from. There is a boyhood sweetheart of the hills, who turns out to be the heavy, and be loses out in favor of the city chap, a dramatist: who is in search of local color. Simple tale, quietly told with a I lot of heart interest. The greater part of the scenes are ex- tor fora, and it does not look as though any too much money was spent on the production end of the film. There are a couple of pretty shots in the picture that the photgrapher should. receive credit for. Miss Martin's sup- porting cast seemed adequate with the possible exception of the heavy, who did not seem to carry sufficient punch. Fred. CIRCLE. Here is an example of what can be done with a theatre that Is plugged enough with pictures enough. The Circle has been run by Marcus Loew for a number of years. The highest price of admission obtained .for a long, long time, until about six months ago, was 11 cents. After the house was redecorated the price was boosted to 18 cents. With the boost in price came the idea of making the theatre a double feature house almost exclusively. Double features are pre- . sented there daily with the possible exception of Saturday and Sunday, and right\now the price of admission Is 26 cents, with the house 1 doing a practical turnaway business. Double features did it. Exploitation there isn't any that amounts to anything. Regular patronage is the forte: There are "drop ins" at this -theatre, and it looks as a standing wallop In favor for the double feature bill in locations where the regular trade is gone after. . . Tuesday night the show comprised a Fox feature entitled "Rose of the West," with Madeline Traverse starred, and a Triangle- Jackie Saunders featured entitled "Muggay,". Neither was anything especial in the way of entertainment, and the Pathe News Weekly that was the.only other offering of the bill was by far the most interesting of the show offered, withal the house was packed to the back rail. ' Ffei. ROSE OF~THE WEST. Rose Labelle...' Madeleine Traverse Pierre La Belle.. Frank Leigh Angela Beatrice La Plante Col. Bruce Knight..........Thomas Santachl " Major Hilton Henry J. Herbert Natoosh ... v Minna Prevost Jules .Jack Nelson A Fox flve-reeler with Madeleine Traverse as the star. It is a tale of the Northwest con- ceived and scenarlolzed by Dennlson Clift, and directed by Harry Millarde. The story is one of. those affairs that is not entirely original, although it has an element of sus- pense, and after all that' is what the picture , audiences look for. The picture was pre- sented as one of the two productions ©fa' double feature bill at Loew's Circle Tuesday, and that is just about the speed of the pic- ture. It is a double feature attraction and that is all. The direction is conventional and in keep- ing with the story. Harry Millarde has not uncovered anything that Is unusual and Miss Traverse In a role equally conventional has a couple of emotional moments that make her stand out somewhat above the supporting cast. Tom Sanschi lands with a wallop In every- thing that he does. The blggeBt Item in the picture is Beatrice La Plant, the young girl who plays the child Angela. If It were not for the work of this girl in a role that carries all the sympathy the picture would slip absolutely Into the commonplace. Fred. THE MICROBE. The Microbe .Viola Dana De Witt Spence .Kenneth Harlan Norman Slade.... Ned Norworth Mrs. Rlsden Lucy Donahue Viola Dana in the Metro production, "The Microbe," proves to be Just a routine program production, although Miss Dana seems to have improved greatly in the recent past in her work. Incidentally, there Is a corking leading man In the picture who Is possessed of a "pic- ture face," and who can act. He Is Kecentb Harlan, and although he has been before the camera for some little time now he does not seem to have hit his stride fully until this picture. This one will go a long way toward having folks take notice of htm. "The Microbe" was originally a magazine story by Henry Altlmus. It was sceenarlolzed by June Mathlas and Henry Otto handled the direction. The star has the role of a street waif who is selling papers in 'New York's Chinatown. For protection she has garbed herself as a boy. In a rush that follows a street fight she runs Into the hero for protection. The hero, by the by, has been "kicking the bamboo around" and has been down below for a "shell." He takes the kid home, and when he dis- covers that "he" is a girl decides to give her a chance in life. She proves a diversion In his home and acts as an antidote for the "hop." But meddling friends step in and send the girl away. However, through a series of letters that she Bends the hero she manages to revive his interest in bis profession which finally results In his turning out a best seller. Later he traces her and there is a reconcili- ation. The story for all Its commonplaceness Is rather well handled from a directorial stand- point, and the picture will get by In the shorter run houses. Fred. THE FALL OF BABYLON. The High Prlost of Bel .Tully Marshall The Mountain Girl. Constance Talmadge The Rhapsode Elmer Clifton Prince Belshazzar Alfred Paget Nabonldua King of Babylonia, Carl Btockdale Attarea Favorite of Belshazzar. .Seens Owen Attarea's Slave. Loyola O'Connor /Cyrus :.,,.. George Slegmann The Mighty Man of Valour....Elmo Lincoln Charioteer of Cyrus............ James Curley Babylonian Mother .......Kate Bruoe Babylonian Dandy Howard Scott Girls of the Marriage fAlma Rubens Market ...(Ruth Darling -„ . . . . . (.Margaret Mooney Babylonian Judge George Fawcett Favorites of the J Mildred Harris Chaplin Harem (Pauline Stark Favorite of Eglbi........ Winnifred Weatover Pin another medal on D. W. Griffith for a . stroke of master showmanship I The public wasn't entirely crazy about his massive pro- duction "Intolerance" when he presented it at the Liberty, about two years ago. At that time there was too much interest In the greatest drama of the time—the war—so D. W. laid "Intolerance" in the moth balls until this season. When he pulled It out of the ' camphor he decided that as a picture there was Just a little too much for the average mind to follow in the three or four stories that were' carried along at the same time, so he decided to take the Babylonian story out of the big feature, shoot a few extra scenes to piece the story out and send it forth as "The Fall of Babylon." There was, however, no attempt to bunk the public for there was an acknowledgment in all of the ads that the picture was the Babylonian story of "Intolerance," amplified and presented with ensemble numbers and a musical number or two. In doing this the producer took another Griffith, step forward and he at.least gave the screen production, a decidedly different atmosphere that a i straight pictorial presentation would have been. True, there are several of tie numbers that could be cut without any damage to the presentation as a whole, but all In all the entertainment is very satisfying. He splits his program 60-50 between the stage and the screen, opening with a tableau -that 1b part stage and part screen, a special small screen to show New York, the modern Babylon, which, after a dissolve, brings the large screen and the opening scenes of tho feature. After the first series of scenes there to a dance on the stage by Kyra that outdoes anything that Gertrude Hoffman or Annette - Kellerman ever tried, and if It had been pre- sented at the Olympic or the Columbia the cops would have been right on the Job. It ' is a shawl dance and the principal Idea seemB to be to see how far Kyra can keep the shawl away from her body, but still re- tain a hold on it. She manages to see that it doesn't block the vision of the audience at any time and Kyra shows about all that she can and keep "within the law." .'After another period of screen entertain- ment there Is a duet entitled "Love, Love, Love." This could just as well have been discarded before the opening. The tenor seemed so stricken with stage fright that be ' could not use his voice. Then the final scene of the first part Is the beginning of the bat- tle before the walls of Babylon. The second part opens with a scene In one' of the halls of Babylon and here there are twelve slave/girls and Margaret Frltts, a soprano. A number here, entitled, "The Mountain Maid," Is very pretty and the or- chestra manages to plug it along nicely. A dance' by the girls also helps to fill the pic- ture nicely. They were not given too much to do and as they were rather pleasing in appearance the scene was a fitting prelude to the revels that followed on the screen. Then after the revels, Kyra was on again for a enake dance that brought a full meas- ure of applause. Finally the fall of Babylon was accomplished and the love story that D. W. threaded through the big battle scenes was brought to a fitting dose with the lovers In a fond embrace. . Tho love story Is not carried too much in i. the foreground any time in the feature, Orif- - flth knowing full well that the tremendous scenes of the City of Babylon would carry the feature along and it seems that It-will do just that The question now remains, will the public go to see the one story that there was In "Intolerance." There undoubtedly are a number who will remember the big" battle stuff and want to see it again. If it does go over It will be the' screen rather than the stage end that does it. 7^ There is one thing that Is certain and that is that as the ploture now stands one Is fully able to appreciate the wonderful work that Constance Talmadge did In the original plo- ture. In "Intolerance" she was burled In k mass of story that was hard to follow. In this version she 1b always on the Job and-one learns to look for her and to like her. She is really a revelation In this picture when one reviews some-of the latter, productions In which she has appeared. It to just another one of those apparent cases when one must say "It's the director after all that counts." A look at the cast of "The Fate of Babylon" win give a slight Idea of the tremendous school for motion picture stars that GrIBtu has been running on the coast. There are at least four girls mentioned In minor roles that are either being featured or starred in their own right at present and Mildred Harris Chaplin isn't the least of these. ' The stage presentation had the dances ar- ranged by Allan K. Foster who gave the glrui ■'■."•' simple but effective numbers. The orcbeHra" was under the direction of Earl Schwartz. Once more to Griffith. He Is a showman first, last and always, and the holding of the cutouts of the original of this picture shown that he is a wise one, and in his present showing of the feature he must be credited w . , } h .. a t..! ea ?. t belng ■< Poster, if New York didn't like it in one form he is going to try Jo moke them like it In another. It looks like he'll succeed. Fred. i'-'r »4%m IF YOU DON'T ADVERTISE I/V VARIETY-DON'T ADVERTISE r^v Free Lancing Again Hollywood, Cal. Phsnet «7l,M>—llli Vista »*! Mar r ^A -v-^ ,,1 .;-«-« <t&m ■ •'■■ "t INSURANCE SPECIALISTS 4 TO TK THEATRICAL and MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY Rsa^isSI John 541* &&*jfM*m Publicity Makes the Movies Move! (R08EMAR1E) (ABTHVH) BOLTON and GLASS SYNDICATED PUBLICITY Wo Reach Everybody Worth While LET US DO IT FOR YOU! Salt* 612, Grease Bldg. Los Angeles, Gal. Phoaei 1H8I