Wid's Films and Film Folk (1916)

Thursday, June 1, 1916 WID'S WONDERFUL CHARACTERIZATION IN BIG CENTRAL IDEA WELL PRODUCED William Nigh and Margaret Snow in NOTORIOUS GALLAGHER or HIS GREAT TRIUMPH Columbia Metro DIRECTOR 3.255. .nees.. >.» annie: Wm. Nigh AUTHO Ri n.05 acnie peptsieess 6: es Wm. Nigh AStAG WH © LE Ee eerie Exceptional, very fine STORY ........Big idea, well developed DIRECTIONS Av.e2....: /:: iia. .... Splendid PHOTOGRAPHY eS o.oo See Very good LUGE INGS Geese MERE Nise 1h Some very effective CAMERA WORK 4.:.05.%.....3epes Unusually fine STARS, He, great characterization; she, appealing personality SUP PO Raley crete le oie, 1c5 a Splendid types EXTERIORS 45sec ons." : Bh soaeths ick Very fine INTERIORS S248): sees) oc... ......xcellent DETAILS .3. Sse il 2... See Splendid IEE N Go Eig, eee eo sae > « Smee Five parts HIS is surely a distinctive offering, because it has a central idea which is particularly human and it offers opportunity for the development of a remarkable characterization by the director-author-star Mr. Nigh. The story centers around the thought that many criminals become criminals be cause of the notoriety which it brings them. We have in this for a central figure, a half-witted boy of the slums who is kicked about by everyone, with the result that he is always afraid. Through a twist of circumstances he is accused of a murder and put on trial for same, with the result that he takes a place in the limelight over night. His actions in the court lead the judge to believe that he is mentally unbalanced, and alienists take him into his former environment, but this time he is handcuffed and taken there in an automobile. Photographers are on every side and he poses gladly for all of them. He is tremendously surprised to find that his father, who formerly beat him, and all others whom he at one time feared, now fear him. When he discovers this and finds that his picture appears in the papers and fool women bring him flowers and good things to eat, he decides that being a criminal is quite wonderful. The young hero, who is his attorney, discovered suspicious circumstances on the scene of the murder which led him to believe that Peggy Snow, playing an impetuous girl trying to win the affections of a count, had seen the tragedy while committing some indiscretion which she feared to tell about. He confused her on the witness stand, but was unable to secure any valuable testimony. There is a big scene where the attorney makes an appeal for this boy and this has been particularly well handled with good titles, working up to a climax which promises to free the boy, when he, fearing that he will have to go back to the condition of fear, leaps to his feet and insists that he did commit the murder. He is about to be electrocuted when Miss Snow and her friend confess that he is not guilty and he is freed. When sent back to the slums he again becomes a football for all, and a detective who still believes him guilty of the robbery committed on the night of the murder, hounds him wherever he goes. The boy escapes the detective when cornered in a room where he was handed some of the jewels by the real thieves, the situation having pointed to his guilt. He starts for the country and arrives in a country town as the scene of the action shifts, bringing the principals there because of a political deal. There is a big scene at the finish where the boy, who has known fear all his life, finds himself in a position where people who have befriended him, need help. He remembers the fact that he was not afraid when he wore the handcuffs, because people ran away from him, and he rushes into a mob of gangsters and manages, with the fury of a madman, to win out in a tremendous fight. The finish shows him again befriended, but this time because of his fight to rescue his friends, and the picture closes with a very human title, saying that he thought jail was heaven, but he was sure now that this was it. There is plenty of action in this all the way, a wonderful characterization on the part of Mr. Nigh, who plays the part of the boy of the slums, and there are scores of human bits which will certainly appeal. We have plenty of good closeups, and the cutand-flash method is used throughout to build to big dramatic situations. This is the sort of offering which is “sure-fire” stuff with any audience and to my mind it is particularly good because it is different and has a remarkably human central thought. I would play this up particularly strong, making a lot of fuss about the fact that Mr. Nigh wrote this, directed it and played the big part. Miss Peggy Snow’s name should be of assistance in pulling business, although her part in this is hardly a sympathetic one despite the fact that it is well registered with her actions, to be due to the fact that she is an impetuous, self-willed, spoiled child of an _ old, wealthy man, who is not nearly ‘as happy in the city as he was at one time in his small town home. You can use in advertising this some very good lines which will suggest something of the central thought, such as, “Does love of notoriety make criminals?”; “Would you confess to a murder to get your picture in the paper?”; and others of similar import. Others in the cast were Julius D. Cowles, Roy Applegate, R. A. Bresee, Robert Eliot, Martin J. Faust. Mrs. William Nigh, David Thompson, Frank Montgomery, Victor DeLinsky, Cecilia Griffith and Florence Vincent. 616 % 7 7 | al iret a a ita