Wid's Filmdom (1919)

e $$ Sunday, December 15, 1918 Wid AILEY 13 Ese eee SP ERECT 0 SEAN PETE ea eR Exciting Action Story Blended With Good News Film Will Undoubtedly Register Well. at Earl Schenck and Claire Whitney in “THE KAISER’S FINISH” Warner Bros.—State Rights. BP RO rae ge os. +..John Joseph Harvey. Mec sheer ee. S Jn qerehe Harvey. Meee ES BOS See ae ke ial Schlessenger. ASA WHOLE... Fast-moving interesting action film, with excellent news weekly scenes well titled, and smootly cut into melodramatic moments. of eae: Shows illegitimate son of Kaiser who looks like Crown Prince entering Germany as spy to kill Kaiser and son. DIRECTION... 4: Held interest very well and kept it snappy; double exposure scenes nicely handled. miOLOGRAPHY «...0........... Generally very good. LIGHTINGS ....Some very good effects; generally satisfactory. Meare OV Rieck ie” em ee Good. EPR 02655 Schenck looks very much like real Crown Prince. Miss Whitney quite appealing. SUPPORT . Satisfactory. EXTERIORS...... Blended with atmosphere and news weekly battle stuff. eaeEE ECL OUISS goa, oo Wale Ada wiennee, «2 Quite satisfactory. See ATI 32). Necessary news weekly stuff blended better in this with story than most any thing similar I have seen. CHARACTER OF STORY ........ Nothing to offend. Been tony. About 7,000 ft. At this time when Kaiser Bill still has the center of the stage because of the problem of disposing of Bag camanently, the title of this film is particularly good. In every war propaganda subject, or Kaiser production, it has been found necessary to cut in a lot of news weekly film, but IT must say that in this production, the treatment of the scenes which made up the story in order to blend them smoothly with-the real scenes of the battle ground, the real Kaiser and Crown Prince, and various flashes of allied troops and leaders, has been more intelligently handled than in any similar production. WSR CSET ale 60s 616 9) 0):656 18 6 5) aed ee: os 6% There is also a story which seems at least possible, and surely it is quite interesting. Given in a few words, the plot centers about an illegitimate son of the Kaiser, who has been placed with a German family in this country to await the time when he might be called to serve the Fatherland. Reared as an American, this boy, when he discovers his true identity, does go to Germany supposedly as a German spy, but in reality as a U. S. Secret Service man, and upon arrival, his uncanny resemblance to the Crown Prince, makes it possible for him to kill that worthy and then afterwards kill the Kaiser. We have some scenes in this ‘of the real Crown Prince on the battlefield and standing around acting foolish, which seems quite easy for him to do, and it is really remarkable the likeness between this prize scoundrel and Earl Schenck when Schenck is made up as the Kaiser’s son. This adds quite a bit to the interest of the film. Although this production runs into considerable footage, it swings along at a speed that holds the attention, with something doing all the time, and plenty of applause is sure to result from the manner in which the real scenes of soldiers, allied leaders, etc. have been cut in with appropriate titles. There is very little of the gruesome side of war shown in the film, and quite a lot that will appeal to a victorious nation, even though the war is over, so that I would say that this is one of the Kaiser films that has a very good chance of continuing to clean up for some time to come. The fact that this in a way presents a story that suggests something of the personal life of the one time royal family of Germany, helps to hold the interest, because even though you know that tough Bill is still living, you have a feeling that at least this would have been a good way for him to pass out. ; The present investigation of German propaganda in this country will add interest to the portion of the story which deals with the activities of prominent Germans over here, just before and after America entered the war. ; In the cast were Earle Schenck, Claire Whitney, Percy Standing. Louise Dean, John Sunderland, Louis Keene, and Philip Van Loan. Timely Title With Excellent Ad. Chances. Should Really Get Money. Box Office Analysis for Exhibitor. -Unless I am mistaken, I believe that this is a very ‘good bet. The title which sort of ties up with the “after the war” spirit, has a much better chance of bringing in business than anything which suggests ‘Straight battle scenes. I would particularly emphasize the fact that this is a ' Story of the Kaiser’s spy system in America, pitted | against the cleverness of Uncle Sam’s Secret Service, with the hero a secret service man who so nearly reSembled the Crown Prince that he was able to make “his way into Germany and confront the Kaiser and his son in their own palace. : Make it clear that this is not a story centered upon War, and battle, but rather a mystery story of spy activities. A safe angle for you to work along is to appeal tc the patriotic with lines like: “Come in and cheer at ‘The Kaiser’s Finish.’ You will enjoy it.’ You can Say, “Many people are wondering what will happen to Come in and see what this American hero > 99 the Kaiser. did to him in ‘The Kaiser’s Finish. [ do not think it is at all wise to ever use the one line “not a war picture” in this sort of film, because any film that deals with the Kaiser or the happenings in the -last four years between nations, certainly is in a way a war picture, but you surely can say: “Not a picture of bloody battles, but a very interesting and exciting spy story showing what should have happened to the Kaiser.” One of the best possible angles that you could develop on this would be to try to get a photograph of Earl Schenck made up as the Crown Prince and use it alongside of the photograph of the real Crown Prince, providing you can get the two in similar poses, carrying the line underneath: “Which is the hero of this photoplay, and which is the real Crown Prince? He will keep you guessing in the exciting film, ‘The Kaiser’s Finish.’ ”