The Washington times., 1914-06-04
Blood and Thunder Is
Not Wanted BY
the B est
Producers

There Is a growing aversion on the
part of the big producing companies
against the blood and thunder type
of film that has been made tho sub
ject of so much comment in this col
umn. The aversion hasn't yet reach
ed its full growth with some COM
panies- And with d lot Of others
an excuse is put Forward that 1t is
difficult to tell what Is blood and
thunder and what is real dramatic
ard artistic worth.
1t so happens that on Tuesday there
were two films shown by the same
exhibitor, one CT which is supposed
to be of the literary type that fur
, nished excuse for the bloody second
film. This must nUc be understood
to mean that the producer OF the
second film had the first one in mind
in fact. tSe second film may have
been produced first, for all we know,
aIId the man who produced If PROB
ally never though of the first. But
If taken TO task for the cheap, thea
tric effect of the second Iilm he
might point - the first as doing
something of the same sort.
The first film was THE Sea Wolf,
from Jack Loncrn's novel. The
character of Wolf Larsen lends it
self to melodramatics. In the hands
of anyone but a clever actor 1t could
be made a very cheap part. But IT
was put in the hands of a very good
ACTOR. and he has made it an artistic
triumph. Even rival moving pic
ture men admit thai The Sea wclf'
represents the highest type Of the
moving picture art. The Sea Wolf
-. n
1t is a plain story. sometimes a
brutal story of a man who is a brute.
And the exposition of this chardc-
ter with its many lights and shades,
IS a wonderful piece of acting, just
as the writing OF 1t was wonder
ful piece of literature. The film play
follows rs closely the text OF the
story as II is possible to do. and
presents the chief characters as Mr..
LONDON no doubt wanted them to be
presented. A powerful story with a
great lesson.
The second film was called The
Bottled Spider" and there did not
appear to be any excuse for 1t at all
except TO give the audience an oppor-
tunity to witness the deaths of sew
eral people in several horrible ways.
The Bottled Spider" was produced
by company that has sent out some
OF the finest photoplays now in eX-
and actresses in the business. But
there was nothing but cheap theatri-
cal trick about The Bottled Spider
as a simple reading of the story
will tell anyone who takes that much
trouble. Its makers can defend
themselves with the statement that
they show good triumphant and
evil meet a horrible end. That Is
the old excuse of the makers OF the
cheapest, vilest forms of literature.
And it gets them nowhere. There Is
absolutely no excuse for films of
THE Bottled Spider" type. Good
can triumph and evil meet its down.
fall without anywhere near SO much
bloodshed. We are glad this film
happened 10 be the work of one of
the big companies, whose work we
have again and again praised. as we
can be accused of playing no fav-
orites. Perhaps il We had to have
films Of this type 1t is better to
have them produced as well from
the scenic and acting standpoint, as
was this One-for there Is no fault
to find with IL on that score. But
there's no excuse for this class Of
drama. IL serves no good end. 1t
is a specimen of the kind of finn we
call bad film, and want to see put
out Of business.
From previous criticism of COM
ment of the same kind on pictures
of this type that has appeared in
this column, it IS probable that We