The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-10-01
Friday Only

"Samson. A six reel special, fea-
turing j. Warren Kerrigan.
"Samson's" life story is almost a
primal one as far as mainsprings of ac.
tion are concerned. He did what he
chose to do; he was punished and in
the end he took terrible revenge for
his wrongs. The strength and weak
ness of his character are both extremes.
To put his character in the proper
light before a modern audience, sensas-
tive, as it is, to the ridiculous and the
illogical: to state such story and keep
the dramatic elements so prominent
that the amusement of the captiOus
should not be aroused, required skillful
hands.
And those who dramatized Samson
and put il on the film were skillful.
They made a $780, 900 production which
has stood the scrutiny of the clergy of
New York City without eliciting an ad-
verse criticism. That in itself is an
accomplishment to be proud of when
the task of recOnstructing an age and a
nation which left few relics and little
literature is considered. Samson should
prove even stronger outside of New
OIh bUdI IL was III LIG InCtIUDUllS.
The film representation which the
Universal has evolved from the history
of Samosn, and told in six wonderful
reels, follows the account in the Book
of Judges with startling accuracy.
Nothing is left out. The film shows
the anxiety of Samson's parents for a
son, the prophecy of his birth and tre-
mendOus strength so long as he re-
mained unshaven. Then the camera
skips to the period of his young man
hood, his courtship of a daughter of
the Phiistines, and his betrothal. On
the way to the marriage he Stays a
lion, and upon returning to the carcass
some time later, he notices that bees
have begun to hive in it, From this
circumstance he propounds riddle
which the Philistines are unable to an
swer until they force Snmson's 5 wife to
find out for them. Samson has prom
ised 30 changes of raiment for the So
luton of the riddle, and he is very an
CRY. He casts off his wife, sets fire to
the fields of the Philistines, and killing
30 men of Askelon, he disdainully pays
his wager to the Philistines. Then he
retlTes to a cave. whence he is sought
out by an army of the Philistines, who
have determined to kill him at all costs.
But Samson slays a thousand of them
with the jawbone of an ass, and puts
the rest to flight. Later they try to
imprison him in the city of GAIA, but
he carries off the gates of the city.
Now Samson meets Delilah, who. at
the instigaton of Sihon, the ruler of
the Phllistines. entices from him the
secret of his great Strength, shears his
head and delivers him to the soldiers,
who put out his eyes, and after beating
him almost to death, put him to work
in the grinding mill.
Some time later the Philistines, Civ
ing feast in the Temple of Dagon,
send for the blind Samson to make
sport for them while they feast. He
comes, led by small boy. In despera-
tion at the humiliation put upon him,
he asks the boy to lead him to the pill
lars which support the temple. Pray
ing to the Lord to give him back his
strength this once, he leans upon the
pillars and the roof of the great Tenn
Pile of Dagon comes tumbling down
upon the multitude.
"And those which he slew at his
death were more than all they which
he killed during his lifetime,