Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-23

| 'Ht lh'Hic' 'ic piOt, thHt IL confused
n medieval monastery forms tho
| background for tho epiloEuc Among
| the monks surrounding the abbot is
one Gabriel. who seems TO have been
! allowed whole inner court to himself,
Into which no one. not even the abbot.
| was allowed to 20. Indeed. when tho
abbot seeks to enter. he is theatrically
/ rcpulsed by the humble monk This
trlhing breach OF discipline. however.
disturbs nobody, and when the great
! statue OF Truth. OH which Gabriel has
| been worliing,'is ready. the abbot Joy
| fully consents to uuveil II before the
multitude--without having seen 1t.
Here follows the best scene in the
photoplay: tho gathering of the people.
for costumes, traDpings. bearings.
robes. canopies and all the contrasting
effects OF poverty and splcndor in the
Middle Ages are shown with what
seems to the semi formed mind to
! be accuracy and scholarly attention to
detail. The abbot unveils the statue,
and TO- there stands-a naked woman!
| 1t Is a woman, too, for no artist ever
sculptured so unlorely II statue. But
to the gentry and peasantry. men-at-
arms and mobiles. the thing is n statue.
and it hasn't any clothes on. Where
upon the people with one accord. living
in the Middle Ages and being. therefore,
as is known to all. peculiarly refined,
bashful. easily shocked, timid and i'm
bucd with rigid morality, arise and
Is. V.
monks undoubted ability TO read his
meek piece" and all the rest OF it,
didn't enter into the mind of the sec
rio-buildcr--hc makcS his mob fall
upon the monk and Stay him. And no.
body is sorry. except a gentle nun. who
had crept naturally into the monastery
earlier and laid lily on the gate OF
the monks courtyard by WAY of Signi-
Tying that she loved him. and one other
IA Magdalcne. who didn't have any
thing TO do with it anyhow.
Then the story begins modern
preachcr--who is II reincarnatcd Ga
! bricl and who acts just as heavily AZ
lie did hundreds OF years before--is
preaching on Hypocrisy His congre-
cation doesn't agree with him. and. as
is the case with conEregations--somc
where. maybe-it shows it's displeasure
very plainly. Views of different mem
hers arc shown. and they are all frown-
Ing. whispering. and, In fact. cvincnR
their displeasurc in every possible way
except by Kissing. The choir files out
In the occasional and tile Clergyman
remains standing within the chanccl
In all his restments- maybc this s
done somewhere. too-whilc the con-
Eregation goes out. raging. except
man and a woman. who come right up
to the altar rail and shake hands.
AS one of the choristers goes out
the clergyman makes him bring and
hand to him the newspaper that the
sermon II contains tina; fun page
printed in feature sections som" weeks
ago showing and describing Faugeron's
painting. The clergyman sits down.
paper in hand, and goes to slccp--stiIl
vested and still within the chanCcl
Instantly the film reveals Gabriel. the
priest, again--tonsured and white
rohed. He is walking IN a strictly mod
crn park. and his strictly modern con-
Eregation comes along the path. too.
but in sections, squads. couples He
climbs up rough and narrow path.
following Truth, who hasn't dressed
at all. but goes tripping nlour. some
times hiding behind trees ana rocks
but generally yelled In q sort OF semi
fading process of Photographic Though
1t must he admitted she is still the
most utterly unadorned figure that ever
vent nuuing over screen ANYHOW.
Only TWO OF the congregation attempt
10 follow: one is u choir singer once
the nun: the other. girl who was the
Magdulcne The latter fal,ers. holds
out her hands TO those who preccde her
but according 10 this LESSON" no one
| helps her and she falls again The
choir singer. too. Stumhles and cannot
! drag herself TO her feet: she cries for
! help to the priest whom she follows.
| but according to this sermon he does
not heed her cry--hc follows that un-
! adorned Truth 4 wonderful and
| esoteric bit Of symbolism this part is!
! T"uth is persuaded to come to those
| who VIII not go to her. so she enters
the city. accompanied by Gabriel. still
! in his white robes. but she doesn't
! dress any. She holds up her mirror and
| exposes politician; she enters $50
ciety"--in 4 scene that Ia simply fun
! ny in it's blatarcy: she exposes a home
in way that L. being stupid. couldn't
quite understands she goes TO the sea-
shore and enables the picture pro-
| Queer TO present another undrccsed
/ scene. and then she goes back home
! ut least she goes into another part of
/ the woods, separated by fence from
i something.
When they find tho clcrgyman-this
! time in modern vcstmcnts--hc is dead,
and they roast him for having n sun
| day newspaper in his hands
Dallas Wexford. in Il farce photoplay
| that prcccdes "Iiypocrites" causes
! hearty and wholesome laughter.
DouSlaS Gordon