New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-21
Augustus Thomas Under
Suspicion of Being
the Author.
NEW MELODRAMA
IS WELL DEVISED
Don QuiXote' OF the Screen
Shows That CervanteS Was
Not Movie Expert.
BY HAYWOOD BROUN.

The Soui Machine, watch was played
at the Gsiety Theatre Yesterday, is
SET down on the programme as a
psyche melodrama," BY Daniel Carrot
son, but for all OF that We will wager
that Augustus Thomas took no incon-
siderable part in devising the enter
eminent. Hypnotism and draw poker
are tho two sciences which Mr. Thomas
mas always found most interesting
dramatically, and both are utilized IN
The Soul Machine Poker is incident
al, while hypnotism il the basis of the
play.
There is more reason than the choice
Of sub ect matter for suspectng Au-
gustus Thomas Of at least share IN
the authorship Of The Soul Machine
Much of the play is so expert from
purely theatrical standpoint that It
seems doubtful that II could have been
conceived by a man so little known IN
the stage world as Garretson.
1.-THE Soul Machins" is thoroughly
expert melodramA. We do not intend
20 review il here at any great length,
because We are of tho opinion that It
will receive production some time or
other this season. IL may be said
against the play that it has room for
too many Of the "isms." Almost every
subject which has been discussed by
Hermione and her little group OF serl-
Gus thinkers finds place IN the play.
Hypnotsm. mental telepathy. auras,
and the sudden shock which brings a
oaralyzed man back to normal again
jostle one another during the four
acts.
Then there is the soul machine itself
which registers emotional reactions.
Much Of the pseudo science OF the play
is crude. Ii would not Warrant belief
At all If inundated in a lecture or
even m after dinner speech, but as
material for n melodrama IT is entirely
convincing The play is detective
drama. in which the orch villain not
only murders a man hut steals rose
colored diamond and the heart OF the
leading lady through his various talents
for vice. In this mechanical age no
Holmes is needed 10 thwart the fellow.
/ His downfall is due TO the soul ma
chine.
Even the most psiAstaking and tull
summary would give an inadequate ana
perhaps erroneous idea OF the play. It's
story would sound more or less pre-
posterous If set down here, but we
found its stage presentation convincing
to a high degree. Interest never
Jagged. In particular we were I'M
pressed by a scene in which II Is den
nltely established TO the satisfaction
Of the Audience and several characters
in the play that the heroine has oeeh
hypnotized by the villain. oeneheeht
character labs the hand OF the hypnO-
list with the thorn OF rose, ana inc
heroine. standing some htteeh lse'
away. cries out IN pain. II Is an eN-
cellent stage device. SO TOO is the
soul machine, which during a Darn
/ stage period marks the discovery or the
villain BY shooting lts tiny point OF
{ light further and further across the
registering screen as the nina OF 'he
guilty man is harassed by ~ords CON
noting his crimes. Professor huste,
berg used 70 perform some such trlcN'
but his soul machine was merely
yatch. and his method has escaped us.
I, Tho play the man who suspects
Ramsey Gordon Keith induces him to set
bis hands on the two sensitive plates
Of the soul machine. The experiment
az then begins with soothing words
srcb "a Summer" brook" "slumber,
"bommock.r OR. Blanks tobacco and
so on. The dot Of light does not move.
/ or a sudden the speaker deals IN poi,
sor - "murder." "Hfe insurance ana
cher hitter words which break down
,ba con,nosure of the villain and ms &C
connlice. set the telltale light TO SKID
ming and persuade Keith 20 commit SUI
eide Vincent Serrano gave an excel.eht
nerforrnanco as Keita, the hypnotist'
and Edith Luckett and Eugene ObrIeh
also played well.
The spirit Of the film version OF Don
o,iyote" is excellent, but its story -
weak We are certain that the picture
nlav has caught something OF the mood
/ ~ Cerventes. because during the great
or mart Of the film the ever-recurrihK
/ nbraso Of the girl behind US was AIN
10 rut9' but when the face OF the
Old knight faded, from the screen for
tho last time she murmured, Inc poor
fish,"
De Wolf Hopper gives moderately
GOOD performance as Don Qulxote, put
/ 5is sbeer bulk alone is more handicap
tbep no can overcome. Fay lincner
"a Dulcinea had not the slightest an
fculty i'm taking the honors away rom
him. Hers. however, was An unusually
good performance.
In irs carly stages the picture prom
ised great things. II has excellent mo-
nents. but il is much too long ana
crows wearisome. There are phases OF
The book which lend themselves excel
lcntly to picture reproduction. CheS1el
Witbev. quite properly, we think, has
rot besitated 10 take advantage OF the
film authors privilege Of showing the
audience what 2 character is thinking
sbout Thus. we see the Don pacing
nm and down his library intent IN an old
romance. and OF a sudden the book
shelves fade away and We behold al
venture i'm the making. with knight rid
ing against knight. In another mo-
nent we are back among the books with
the crackbrained old gentleman.
Also i'm the adventure OF the wind
mills we So. them as they are, and
again transformed into giants with
waving arms As the knight saw them.
To those who love tbs book such devices
NAV seem ~ lack sUbtlety. Perhaps they
do. but they comprise good moving pct
NC ,,cthod and are extremely effective
20 anv one who has learned 20 love the
movie manner Of telling story.
The scene in the inn where Don
Ouivote and Sancho Panza were bella
bored by the landlord was not IN the
Toast Cervantes. nor still Charlie Chap
lin. I, was too dull 20 be Identified with
any master. .-..
The photography Of tn picture is re
markablv fine. and some Of the acting
narticularIy that OF Fay Tincher, is ex-
roiIort but the him. in spite OF its
numerous good moments. is not sue
ce.sful moving picture play because II
does not deal with a moving picture
story.
THE other two pictures are below the
Triangle average "Shoot him again
in,nloped the girl who sat behind US