Wid's Filmdom (1919)

° een we Sunday, December 15, 1918 Wig DAILW 19 ES ELE SE CE LE FER AE TSI BEG IL TD BEIT AE ae EES ST ‘Lewis S. Stone Registers Forceful Characterization In First Screen Production. ae Lewis S. Stone in “THE MAN OF BRONZE” World POERCB; COG) a. sx tee nce. 3 EEE Poke it David M. Hartford. SPOR. 3g... Re rt es: Karl K. Coolidge. AS A WHOLE...... Star’s forceful personality lends dignity to Western meller that lacks origin : ality. BBO KY 25: Elementary theme gray with age; is obvious and obliging. eens CLO NG wert sects het Good in treatment of star. Bry POGRA PHY .3..000. 40006500005 .... Straight stuff. Meet PINGS oy ist: Clear. but frequently uniform. CAMERA WORK ...... oS). Nothing exceptional. Bete os 2%), Forceful personality and dignity that is bound to impress. SSUPPORT...... Miss Clayton unconvincing and too hefty; dog carried away hcnors next to star. Ber RIORS 2) .005..26:. Nothing out of the ordinary. Pe LORS). fel ano ees oY = Held to atmosphere. RANG bd ee re ....,.8ome good bits with dog. BHARACTER OF STORY........ Nothing to offend LENGTH OF PRODUCTION...... ..About 5,000 ft. Theater-goers who are acquainted with the good hework of Lewis S. Stone in his recent dramatic suc| cesses, will be interested in the announcement of his latest appearance on the screen. Mr. Stone’s performance is bovnd to impress fans who admire forceful personality. quiet dignity and genuine dramatic ability. It is quite unfortunate, however, that the vehicle provided here lacks both originality and bigness of theme. It is in no way different from innumerable other Westerners. Undeniably, its -one and only redeeming feature is the star. It is he who lifts the offering and makes it fairly worth while. The production gets its title from the fact that Mr. Stone is the model for a sculptor’s bronze statue, the Writing and Producing “ALL THE STARS” subject of which is “The Man of Bronze.” The title very fittingly describes his characterization in this, and he does the role full justice. _ The story concerns our hero Lewis Stone who is in love with Marguerite Clayton. He prevails upon her father to send her East to study art. Once established in the city, shero forgets about her old lover in the gay whirl of her new environment. Unexpectedly he comes to the city to visit her, is made aware of the change, and _ sorrowfully returns to the West. There he sets fire to the home which he had built and where he had hoped to bring her-as his wife. Marguerite in the meantime is saved from impending disaster at the hands of. the willunous sculptor, when she discovers the statue of bronze while visiting at his apartment. She realizes she’s been all wrong, and decides to give up her gay gang. She becomes governess to the child of a wealthy widower, who after a-time proposes to her, but evidently they figure that Lewis Stone is too fine a hero to get it in the neck that way, so they leave the way open for him by having shero refuse widower. Just about this time she receives word of her father’s death and returns home. Hero is having troubles with a land company that is forcing him to sacrifice his property. Her employer just happens to be president of the company and she promises to marry him if he’ll agree to hero’s retaining the possession of his property, which he consents to do. But, realizing that her heart belongs to hero, he rides back home without her after having engaged a parson to do his duty. And the wedding bells rang, Ta, Ta, Ta, Ta. We get some very good bits of business with a dog that is all but human and will really get under the shirt of those of your fans who are fond of animals. Miss Clayton’s characterization was not half as convincing as that of May Gaston who at least registered sincerity. Others in the cast Harry Von Meter. were Richard Cummings and Director FRANK C. GRIFFIN SIX, YEARS WITH MACK SENNETT Address: L. A. Athletic Club LOS ANGELES, CAL. FOR