Wid's Films and Film Folk (1916)

TEM SS F f ; £ ee t t SPE ae TU TRA SYNE ITS OL PPE _ ‘prospectors who had found the lover’s friend. The \ t 669 eT ge hr bag bee een rery Ata a wy 4 a eee ee players have done some very gne work and I am certain that they will pull business for you. I would call attention to Mr. Keenan’s work in “The Coward” and in “Stepping Stones,” and if he ever played your town in one of his old stage plays, I would remind your patrons of that. '© = WID's Thursday, June 22, 1916 You might use a little “teaser” campaign on this by billing several days in advance the fact that “The Phantom” is coming. You might say that the “Phantom” and. his man, Crabbe are coming. I would advertise this rather extensively because it will certainly please. VERY HUMAN CHARACTERIZATION AND LITTLE TOUCHES MAKE THIS Victor Moore in THE CLOWN Lasky-Paramount Re LOLCat, on tee... Serer. William C. De Mille PRA LAND IR Wo Steels eee, S. Ete oo seo as Marion Fairfax IO POIVUR ECA BRITAIN een. fo, aire eres 2 Charles G. Rosher PrP REG LOR. 5 favs aks cece Wilfred Buckland ASA WHOLE. :.....0...% Made big by human bits AN OSS ei Se Se ae re Elementary, but human Po eae PAC. sits « «> Bishs «SUE» Saget se 6 Very good ECP DCR AU EVEL Vode), ... « Med eyic » «4 nuacernsheccts Excellent POE CRMAE PINGS Sanit: .. «5 « Mabartince ose Artistic, effective SEP PW OCB). seine taco te sortie a Splendid UL AN SURE a Pe Wonderful personality SUE EAST 6 Sd BS te .. Excellent EXTERIORS. ..;.: PT. > 6 SE eee Very good MAN EP OTS Riis a 4s. . GPM sas ao dae ard’ Lis Very good Pease A PERE CSS Plc ole. Mr wit Peed steel e's Siete od Good ROPING Plc t ag es sR ae ee coe ck Five parts @)ENC HIS offering is one which will register big G Ml with any audience because it is filled with human moments. The story is elementary, but it provides situations which give opportunity for putting over little bits of business which carry a sure-fire -appeal and give occasion for Mr. Moore to show us shades of expression which bring pathos and humor so closely together in the manner which he knows so well. ' The character in which Mr. Moore appears 1s one which seems particularly well chosen for him since it presented him as a clown of a circus, who was one of the diamond-in-the-rough sort, always able to meet any emergency, and big enough to make a sacrifice when necessary. The sympathy throughout was given to Mr. Moore and he makes the character very human indeed. Thomas Meighan, who is billed as heading the supporting company, was very good, and Florence Dagmar gave us a particularly pleasing interpretation of a rather difficult Dati. seat times Miss Dagmar seemed to be a bit too tense, but on the whole her characterization was decidedly pleasing. Billy Jacobs did a few very good bits in the scenes which he had and the other members of the cast were quite pleasing, having been well chosen as to type. A The story concerns a young girl whose wealthy father refused to allow her lover to see her, with the result that the lover went into the desert on a prospecting trip. News came back that he had perished. While attending the circus with his invalid son the father found himself indebted to a clown, who saved the boy’s life when the youngster fell from the seats directly in front of a charging team of horses attached to a chariot. The father took the clown to his home to be nursed back to health and the clown was very much in love ewith the daughter, when news came that her lover had perished in the desert, this news having been sent by daughter attempted suicide because she* did not “want to face the world as the mother of her lover’s child, since they had not been married. The clown offered her his name simply as a protection and she gladly accepted it. After her child was born, her father called her back home and offered to establish the clown in business. He gave him a job in a bank at fifteen dollars a week, which was a very good touch since the clown informed his employer with dry humor that he only got two ‘hundred a week with Br circus. The lover did not die in the desert, but recovered to find, on his return, that his sweetheart had married. Believing her unfaithful, and not telling her that he was alive, he went to another city to exploit amine. The clown in the bank succeeded and as the years passed we find him happy except that his wife remained only a friend, according to their agreement. The original lover came to the clown trying to buy up certain shares of his mining stock, without knowing that he was the husband of his former sweetheart, and in that way the lover and the wife were brought together again. Finding that his wife, still loved another, the clown made the necessary sacrifice and went back to the circus, taking up the old life. I am sure that you can count on this offering as one which will register with any audience, because there is enough pathos and humor to it to make it hit home with anyone. Mr. Moore’s work in the past has been very pleasing and here he has a character which is particularly well fitted for his personality. You can consider this a good safe bet. In advertising this offering I would mention especially the humanness of the story and play up the fact that many a clown must be merry while he hides his personal sorrow. The circus part of this story is fairly interesting because we get glimpses of a small-circus outfit, but I would not bill the circus idea too strongly. I would rather depend upon Mr. Moore’s popularity, | upon whatever prestige the Lasky narne may have — and particularly upon the fact that this is an un usually human offering. If you get over in your advertising the thought of the clown having many secret sorrows, you will suggest something of the human character of the story because you get in the minds of your patrons the thought that in this there is both humor and pathos. Thomas Meighan has many friends, and so’ TI would bill him in this, and also mention Billy Jacobs. Florence Dagmar’s name may not be particularly well known, but she is decidedly pretty and her work in this is very good, so I believe that you can safely give her considerable prominence in your advertising. Others in the cast were Ernest Joy, Jerold Ward, Tom Forman, Horace B. and Wallace Pike. Master Carpenter ro