The Washington herald., 1913-12-16

There Is scarcely any kind of produc-
ton so delightfully."- effective in motion
pictures as dramatlzations Of the old
fairy tales. A notable example of fairy
land In movies Is seen In the new Than
houser production of Jack and the
Beanstalk-" On the screens, moving
with magic ieetness. the most improb-
able Incidents seem true-fairy changes
take place before our eyes-and the
beauty and grace and singularly be-
witching quality Of Hans Anderson, or
Grimm, or Andrew Lang are far more
realistically produced on the screen than
they ever have been on the stage
Also, more and more. the demand Is
growing for motion picture plays, espe-
cially adapted to children. The best the
aters are introducing juvenile programs
la "Children's Hour'-And the public is
enthusiastically backing this movement.
which viii make II possible to diminish
the number of children crowding in to
see films depicting criminals, or society
scandals. roughhouse comedies, or fight
ing and killing-simply because they can't
get anything else. Mr.. Lonergan's dainty
version of Jack and the Beanstalk'' is
a promising forerunner OF the new chill
dren's repertoire Leland Benham is
seen as Jack. and the Thanhouser kidlet
plays Golightly, a fairy.
II is hard to believe that Mack Sem
nett. OF keystone fame, once played
Shakespearian roles, but such Is the
fact. He was then a member Of Hen
rietta Crosman's company, and In fact
had been a Legitimate" actor with Ar
mold DAILY and under Frohman's manage
ment for several years before he ap-
peared with Miss crosman.
Mr-S Sennett has been identified with
motion pictures for only five years. yet
from the very beginning Of his movie
career. which includes a year and half
with the Biograph Company. his COM
edies attracted so much attention that
he is remembered only as a comedian.
Mack Sennett is now one OF the group
of well-known directors responsible for
the popularity Of Mutual movies.
Mona darkfeather Is at her best in
portraying Indian roles This. of course,
is due to her knowledge Of the customs
and usages of her own race. A new
Kalem feature production, "A Dream Of
the Wifd," to be released Saturday.
January shows Miss Darkfeather in
the role of Mountain Dew" an Indian
maid, who renounces the love Of a white
man, because of racial differences. The
charming actress has never been seen to
better advantage.
Jean DarneIl. well-known as a Than
houser leading woman, lies i'll at the Ger
man Hospital, New York City. She has
been ''out of pictures" for a couple of
months and last week the doctors de-
cided that the hospital was the best
place for her. On leaving the German
Hospital. Miss Darnell will rest up for
some more weeks on the farm of Cecil
Spooner. the New York stock star.
In addition to her fame as a Thanhouser
photoplayer, Miss Darnell is of note as
the contributor of a monthly gossip
department to a moving picture month
ly.
During the production of the comedy,
"And the Villain Stfll Pursued Her." di-
rected by Al. E. Christie. seven men
were burned and bruised mainly by the
explosion OF bombs at the Universal
Pacific Coast Studios. The play is
travesty on old-time melodrams. Eddie
Lyons, who played the chief OF police,
while riding his bicycle through a dozen
or so bombs distributed over the ground,
fell just as they went on. He was
burned seriously about the face and
hands and his hair and eyebrows were
singed on. Probably this was the most
serious accident. Minor players received
hurts, such as cuts from flying rocks,
singed hands and severe falls from
bicycles.
1.-TWO Up Tree" Is the title of e
-