Page 8

THE SHOW WORLD
COMBINE]
BROKEN MELODY, Dramatic, Phoenix,
1,000 ft.
The Phoenix films arei mproving with
each issue, not only in photographyhbut
in plot and action. In this film a rather
melodramatic story of heart-interest is
told. It concerns the love of a lame
girl for a blind man. Theo former is a
pianist and the latter a violinis t. The
blind man undergoes an operation and
has his sight restored . The girl tries to
conceal from him that she is lame, but
he discovers the fact and suggests that
as long as he has been cured of blind-
ness she can be cured of lameness. The
same doctors perform each operation-a
fact which is rather peculiar in these
days of specialists-and, perhaps as a
consequence-the lame girl dies. The
title is chosen from the fact that in the
first scene the violinist begins to play
a melody to the accompaniment of the
piano, played by the girl. This is in-
terrupted through the girl's realization
that although she loves him she is lame
and he is blind. The melody is never
completed.
ALMOST A SUICIDE, Comedy, Centaur,
340 ft.
A good comedy, despite the fact that
the central idea is by no means original.
A married man is made to listen to his
wife's playing upon a mandolin. He
falls asleep.  She upbraids him  and
leaves him to go home to her mother.
He writes a note to her to the effect
that he cannot live without her and has
determined to end his life. He tries
several means ofhsuicide invain. Then,
a thief enters the compartment and is
about to steal some valuables when the
man enters with a knife, intending to
stab himself. Seeing the thief he tells
him he is welcome to all in the house if
he willionly takethe knife and killhim.
Tine thief is about to do so when the
wife returns and bribes him to spare
hershusband, with allthe jewels on  er
pet'son. The wife then embraces hubby,
while hubby, reaching over to the table
upon which the "suicide" note lies, takes
it up and tears it to bits, behind her
back.
THE PURSE, Dramatic, Centaur, 650 ft.
The wife ofoa poor man is starving to
death. Ho goes out to beg, but is re-
fused alms. He snatches a woman's
purse and a chase ensues, in which the
thief eltdes his pursuers, buys some
bread and wine and takes it home to his
wife. A policeman and the escort of the
woman from whom thepurse was stolen,
rac himtohis home. T ,officerwould
arrest Itim, but the escort, seeing the
starving condition of the man's wife,
tips the officer to let him go, and then
gives the thief a roll of bills.
A pathetic story taken from circum-
stances which occtir almost every day
in thebig cities. Itwill appeal to any
audience.
IONA, THEW HITE SQUAW, Dramatic,
Bison, 1,000 ft.
An excellent American subject, by no
means new in plot, when viewed from a
stage standpoint, but decidedly novel in
moving pictures. Throughout, the pho-
tography is of a high grade and the
action compels interest. A baby girl
wanders away from the camp of some
early pioneers in the west and is lost
in the woods.   Sie is found by an
Indian chief and adopted into the tribe.
Some years elapse. Her brother arrives
atafrontier outpost and offers a reward
for the recovery of his sister. A cow-
boy undertakes to find her. He sends
for the Indian chief and by the use of
a bottle of liquor makes him tell the
secret. The cowboy visits the tribe,
tells the girl the story and effects her
escape. He returns the girl to the out-
post and  collects the reward. The
brother starts offwith hissi terinthe
stage coach. The coach is attacked by
Indians and the white squaw recap-
tured. The cowboys learnofthe attack
through the arrival of the wounded
stage coach driver. They start off in
pursuit; seek out the new camp of the
Indians and regain the girl. The film
depicts an incident quite common to the
early days of American history.
LOVE AND VENDETTA, Dramatic, Lux,
584ft.
A Tyrolean love story, laid amid pic-
turesque surroundings which afford ex-
cellent 'local" color.
The opening scene shows a youth and
girl love-making, while the former tends
his flock of goats. Their betrothal Is
announced and adance is given in their
honor on the village green. The follow-
ing day the fathers of the respective
lovers quarrel over a game of cards and
a family vendetta is declared. The lov-
ers-forbidden to marry-run away from
home, followed by the girl's father. He
finds them on the edge of a cliff, over-
looking a river. He shoots the man and
the girl jumps into the water, presum-
ably committing suicide. The contrast
between the light, gaysome, loveful pas-
toral scenes of the opening, afford a
stirring contrast to the tragic finale. It
is doubtful indeed whether the finale is
in the least justified. A scene showing
the reconciliation of the two fathers and
the consummation of the marriage of
the lovers, while perhaps more common-
place, would surely have found greater
favor than the episode of a bloodthirsty
fiath'es voengeance.
SYNOPSIS
Independent Subjects
BY WALT MAKEE.
FALSE    OATH, Dramatic, Ambrosio,
803 ft.
This is awell told film story and ex-
cept for the tragic ending, is well con-
structed throughout; well staged and
capably acted.
A certain young wife, whose husband
is called away on business, has begun a
love affair with a dashing officer. She
frankly tells her husband that the of-
ficer has presented het with a bouquet.
The husband becomes suspicious and
sets one of the servants to watch the
wife during his absence. As soon as the
husband has departed for his journey
the wife writes a note to the officer. He
calls upon her. The spying servant sees
him and starts off at once on horseback
to inform the husband, whom he finds
at an inn. The husband starts home,
post haste. The wife is informed of his
approach and hides the officer in an
adjacent room.   The husband enters.
The wife takes an oath that there is no
one in the room, despite her husband's
suspicions. Several dramatic moments
ensue, and the husband finally locks the
room and gives the wife the key. The
husband then orders some masons into
the house and instructs them to brick
up the doorway, which they do. When
the wife finds that the young officer's
fate is sealed, she dies.
Throughout, the effects are well ar-
ranged, and were it not for the final
scene-the death of the wife     from
fright-the film could undoubtedly be
classed with the masterpieces of the
year.
DENTIST'S DEVICE, Comedy, Clues,
145 ft.
A dentist has a patient who wants a
tooth extracted, but since the patient
objects to the use of the forceps and
willenottake gas, thedentist hits upon
a new plan. He ties the patient's tooth
to a string, the other end of which is
made fast to the wall. He then goes
out, disguises himself as a bandit and
returns to the office with a gun, which
he shoots off, so frightening the patient
that he falls over backwards in the
chair and is thus relieved of his tooth.
A short film guaranteed to produce a
laugh.
WOULD-BE       CHAMPION,     Comedy,
Stella, 361 ft.
Ayouth, watching a boxing bout, be-
comes imbued with the ambition to box.
He buys a punching bag and a pair of
boxing gloves. He practices at home
and demolishes the furniture and china
in the dining room. He goes out upon
the streetand seeing a highwaymanhold
up a man, he whips the highwayman.
He has other adventures, until finally,
finding a balloon vendor asleep on a
bench in the park, hesmashes all of his
balloons. At this juncture a   young
school boyarrives, an, taking the bal-
loon man's part, whips the would-be
champion to a frazzle. A good film of
its kind-thekind usually welcomed by
exhihitors looking for a novelty.
JOHN'S LUCK, Dramatic, Raleigh and
Robert, 437 ft.
A poor farmhand, caught making love
to the farmer's daughter, Is discharged.
The farmer has determined that his
daughter shall marry a rich man. The
boy wanders off through the country
lanes and comes across a farmer who
has been taken ill and has fallen to the
floor of his carriage. The boy jumps in,
drives the sick man to his farm and Is
employed by   him.   One day    while
ploughing the boy unearths a pot of
gold, which his employer presents to him
In payment for his kindly deed. The
boy then returns and marries his first
love. The story will appeal to the aver-
agenpicture audience. Theephotography
is not always of the highest grade; a
fact which will notbenoticed by those
who ask nothing more than a good
storv.
THE BOATING PARTY, Comedy, Lux,
259 ft.
A good comedy "filler," showing the
mishaps ofaparty of twoamenand two
womenIn a boat. Being amateurs with
the oars they upset an artist who sits
painting on a ferry slip; they upset two
fishermen In a boat, and finally, when
trying to land, they themselve are
precipitated into the water and are ar-
rested for hreuch of the peace.
BRIGAND'S REPENTANCE, Dramatic,
Stella, 656 ft.
Two sisters, accompanied by a coach-
man, go out for a walk. They are way-
laid by two brigands, who capture one
of the girls. The coachman fires upon
the robbers and one of them Is wounded.
The coachman and the other sister re-
turn home to give the alarm. In the
robbers' hut the wounded robber lays
suffering from his wound. A sister of
charity is called in and doctors him.
The same sister of charity is called In
to doctor the escaped sister at her home.
Thus she becomes the confidant of both
the robbers and the escaped sister, and
by this means is able to restore the
stolen girl and bring the brigands to
repentance.
This film will appeal to those who ad-
mire melodrama with a good ending.
The action moves quickly and the story
holds the interest to the end.
AND
THE STRENGTH OF LOVE, Dramatic,
Lux, 666 ft.
Ahusband is called away from home
to pay a certain large debt, taking the
money with him in coin of the realm,
and leaving behind him a wife who is
very ill. He loses his way in the forest
and stops at a strange Inn. The land-
lord and landlady rob him-tying him
hand and foot and hiding him in the
cellar of the inn until such time as
they can kill him and dispose of the
body. The sick wife, at home, has a
vision of all that transpires and sends
the police after the miscreants. The
husband Is saved in the nick of time.
He arrives home, embraces his wife and
she dies in his arms. There is no Ex-
cuse for the death of the wife. The
story up to this point commands inter-
est by the strength of the plot and the
swift action of the incidents. Had the
film stopped with the wife in her hus-
band's arms a splendid impression would
have been left upon the audience. As
it is, the inexcusable death of the wife,
being the final impression, is the most
lasting.
PRINCE'S LOVE, Dramatic, Lux, 781 ft.
Another instance of the good judg-
me    of the foreign manufacturers is
this oriental love story, laid amid ro-
mantic surroundings, and which is prob-
ably an episode from the life of Rassel-
las, Prince of Abyssinia, in his search
forhappiness.
The wealthy prince of this story is
lovedeby aacertainwoman and apparent-
ly returns her love until one day he
finds her in the arms of another. He
sends her from the kingdom, and for a
time is disconsolate.  Then  he goes
forth, disguised as a laborer, in search
of happiness. He is employed in an
olive orchard, and here he falls inlove
with the daughter of the orchard mas-
ter and his love is returned. Being cer-
tain that he is loved for himself alone
aa notfor his title nor hiswealth, he
is extremely happy. The father of the
fin finds him making love to her and
discharges him from his employ. The
prince returns to his castle and sends
a note to the father that he will make
him a captain in his regiment if he
will agree to let him marry his daugh-
ter. The father and the daughter visit
the castle. Theprinceordersone of his
aides to greet the girl and pretend he
is the prince. The girl refuses the man
-and the prince is then satisfied, and
the marriage is arranged.
The story is carefully costumed and
well acted,  Many of the scenes are
beautifully tinted.
THE HONOR oP THE ALPINE GUIDE,
Dramatic, Itala, 886 ft.
Once again has the Itala studio
demonstrated Its facilities for produc-
inga magnificent film subject, not only
in the matter of plot, acting, daring
situations, but In a profusion of splen-
did scenic background5.
The story, in brief, concerns the in-
fatuation of a certain young Alpine
guide for the wife of a traveller, who
has engaged him to guide the party over
the mountains. The guide mistakes the
courtesy of the wife for a sign of her
love for him, but at his first advances
she quickly repulses him and he secretly
threatens to be revenged. The husband
desires to reach .the top of a certain
mountain and he and the guide start off
alone. While the husband is taking a
photograph of the hills, the guide de-
serts him. In attempting to descend
alone the husband loses his footing and
isprecipitatedtothe basecofthe moun-
tain-the slide down the cliffs being so
splendidly done as to cause the most
case-hardened  audience  to  hold its
breath. The guide returns andlfinds the
wife in the cabin of his father.  He
again tells her of his love. The scene
is interrupted by tme arrival of the
guide's father, who forces the son to
confess that he has deserted his charge
on the mountains. The father compels
him to go to the rescue for the honor
of the family. The rescue is another
strong piece of dramatic work. The
story ends with the guide forgiven for
his deed.
Great applause greeted many of the
scenes of the film.
A LUNATIC'S DAY OFF, Comedy, Great
Northern.
A very mild vein of comedy pervades
this story, so mild indeed that it scarce-
ly provokes a smile. It concerns the
holiday of a certain lunatic. Relatives
invite him from his city home to their
country farm. One of his first offences
is to go to the barnyard and gather to-
gether some lambs, goats and dogs and
take them to his bedroom, where he in-
sists upon reciting poems to them until
his act is discovered and the animals
are returned to their proper places. He
next sees two housemaids engaged in do-
ing the family wash. He comes across
an urchin and takes him to the tubs,
which are conveniently vacated for the
time being. Here he douses the urchin,
soaps him all over, clothes and all, and
gives him a washing until he is caught
by the girls and the farmer. He is then
tied hand and foot and returned to his
CRITICISb
home, with a note to the effec
is probably strong enough to t
ton short. The action dras a
ably.9
FOOLSHEAD, HERO, Comekly, Itla,
459 ft.
lItala has scored anotherbighit ini
latest Foolshead film. It isislfetoi:
there is not afilm makereinothe ith
who has not at one time oraet
sought to imitate the sheer cleverner
of these Itala conceits. None has
far accomplished this ambition, and p
haps for many months to come Ik
and its Foolshead series will be t
foremost of comic producers and pr
ductions.
Foolshead is in Africa, a member r
a regiment. A volunteer Is called for t
carry a message to the next outpost, an
through   a   savage  infested countr
Foolshead volunteers. His encounte
with the savages; his falls over ste
cliffs and his fight with an aligatorar
each a prescription for ahearty laug
The message is saved in a curious va
Foolshead hides it in a loaf of brea
The bread is eaten by an ape. The ap
is captured by the soldiers and is su
ficiently accommodating to permit o
them  extracting the precious docume
from one of his hollow teeth.
THE    GREAT     LOTTERY, Draati
Duskes, 1,055 ft.
This film aims to teach a moral les-
son, to the effect that gambling i rIrel
profitable, and the instruction is given
in asomewhat unusualmainner. A pao         W
carpenter, who      has a wile andlitt
baby at home, is tempted to invest his
earnings in a lottery ticket. He goes
home with the lottery ticket and a quar
rel ensues, because the wife does not
approveof gambling. The husband fal
asleep in a chair. Ho dreamstt he
has won the capital prize, and hr-
mediately he turnsagainst his wifend
drives her and the child outeinto th
streets to beg, while he gestfelf        z
spend his quickly earned fortune. He
visits alow resort incompanywiltitsev
ralwomen and herehe meets iwile
and pleads with her to come back to
him, but she refuses. They talk long
enough for him to learn thatthiechild
is dead.  This drives him intoleuter
despair. He visits the race track and
accepting a false tip, loses all of hi
money.   Hero the lottery ownertcoes
to him  and advances him money n
note.  He visits a roulette tableitn
loses. He thenngoes intoa publ par
and while sitting on a bench he see
hisewife passmbya  rrayedinfine clothe  I L
She Is accompanied by a strangeari
This is the culmination of all his trol
bles. The lottery owner again appear
to collect his money and proves to
the devil himself. The husband puts
pistol tohis head,apullsthetrigger, an
immediately he awakens in his tov
home to find it all a dream.
The general opinion of thewaudieie
wvas that this film would go wellam
where.    The scenes are wellhndut
and the average person will nt reln
that it is all a dream until thelfinal
OVER       NORWAY'S    ROCKY MVII
TAINS, Scenic, GreatNorther.
Opinion is unquestionablyvariedit
garding the commerciael valuionlit
scenics, judged from a box office stand
point.  Some of the foreign producers
have turned out veritable masterpiece5
particularly in seascapes, and thes-
have been accorded more or less fav
from  the public. But this long drawn
out railway journey across the Nor
wegian mountains isscarcely up tothe
mark in the matter of interest-holdin.
qualities.  A  sub-title announces th
during this journey of seven hours th
traveller passes from summer to winte
and back again to summer, a fact whi
is demonstrated by the green verde
of the first and last portions of th  r
scenery and the snow capped peaks
the central portion. Bitaside froihis
curiouspoint the film  isextremely tir
some; the photography Isnot alway cf
the best and there is an utter lack O
that action, such as may be found 4C'
views ofaturbulent sea, or a thunder
ing waterfall, to rivet one's attentic7
The audience on this occasionwstees
agreed that the picture was awastei of    her
their time.
HIAWATHA, Historical, Imp.
Considering that this is the first ei
t of the Independent MovingePic
tures Company of America the lfft 1 ;I
is in every way highly commendable
The manufacturers are to be cont,,i
lated upon selecting soell eseablished     io
an American subject as Hiawatha. 11
order to make their scenes authenti
they wisely chose to use the original I
Minnehaha Falls for the background
The story, while briefly told so far a
the incidents of the Longfellowpem
are concerned, is consecutive and can
vincing.  It takes the audience throup
the series of incidents leading to thee
consummation of the marriage of Hias
watha with Minnehaha. The acting i
of   very high grade. The costunine
and details of property plot are exce!
lently chosen. The only possible fault
to be found with the film is that I
certain  portions  the photography is
blurred, a fact which is offset by tlh
exquisite tonal effects of other portions;
The film  will be well received or'   8
screen and is undoubtedly one oftt
greatest historicalfilmsofthepastyear. t