The Washington times., 1914-07-06
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON,
.ec ond InStdllment
Of Mystery Play
Sets a High
Standard

Action seems to have been the
v dtchword of the producer in the
cond installment of 1.-THE Million
|plIlar Mystery" Those Of us who
s. il had one Thoughtful this sort
O" thing can be continued to the
ID of the play there will be no dull
oments and no repetition. And
the general idea of the audience
Y as that if the rapid succession
O. interesting happenings does con-
I nue., a record will be created in
1otion pictures that other producers
" n be compelled to work hard to
CIplicate.
The beginning Of the second cpl
sude, as ii is called. is one Of the
everest scenes in the show. so far.
The aged butler had been left tied
e. his chair. He worked the chair
owly to the big table IN the center
o. the room and with his teeth Ic
moved the telephone receiver l
L . hook. Then he repeated
fs I'D over again call for police
~tance. This is the first
thing Of this kind has been a.
O. the screen or on the stage al.
T. brought forth a round of applause.
But there were dozen other
cover bits in the two reels Of film.
ne women in the play have their
st opportunity and If their work
n be regarded as a promise OF
y nat is to come, the succeeding
J lis will be interesting for several
J. isons. For the women in the au-
-nce the costuming of the piece
y u have an important place. The
three principal women characters
are gowned in superb style and
their costumes in the two reels OF
me second instaIlment run the
" role length of the fashion plate
from early morning until late after
room. No evening gowns were shown,
except in the Introduction.
The troubles into which young
florence Gray has become involved
! her arrival at her fathers home
= art the minute she gets there. The
Cruntess Olga makes a call and
q Iring that call things happen with
rapidity that almost takes the
breath away. Florence is set upon
10y two fake detectives who put her
through the third degree while the
countess looks on, expresses sym
yathy for the girl and slyly urges
the men to further effort The timely
spDearance of Jimmie Norton. the
J. porter, on the scene is the only
Ling that saves Florence from the
clutches of the conspirators.
There is one set of scenes in the
rlay that seem out Of keeping with
the rest of it, although they are
exceedingly we'll acted. This rs the
chase of the two crooks by the po-
"oemen and The dumping of the po-
fcemen into the river. We thought
hat in this film we would get away
'-om the conventional chase pictures,
hich seem to have so firm a hold
"a the producers that they consider
w plays complete without them:
The fake detectives are arrested and
cape from the police while the at
i-ntion of the latter is distracted by
2 n automobile accident. The crooks.
F7ndcuffed together, lead a chase
rough the streets and out to the
locks. They finally cross from one
large to another on a narrow plank
. ID wait for their pursuers. When
re police arrive they simply turn
INe plank over and the policemen
op into the water. The scenes are
I'll made-but they recognize the
, rase. which is one of the buSbears
, the average photoplay enthusiast.
IS whole the second installment
- the big mystery Is Just as alb
d bling as the first--in fact II is
ore absorbing because IL has the
2 crest of the first added To its own
riIling happenings. The question Of
go missing million becomes even
IRE intense. The butler tells Flor
&c he mas enough money for her
p. eds.
Where does he get IT?
This is the clue that must be fol-
trved TO get the solution Of the story
HIGH viii win the 200 prize. The
! Geography ard technical details Of
'vrdGction Of the second episode are
ute in keeping with the excellence
these features in the first. tt Is a
lcture that should be seen by every
ne interested in photOplays.
c NJ