New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-24
THE IRON STRAIN d"
BY HAYWOOD BROUN.


If the ammunition factories of the
United States can keep pace with Doug
las Fairbanks and his machine gun the
country is safe. Never again will the
Yaqui Indians try to rush gun, girl and
Douglas. In fact, after watching the
thrilling climax Of THE Lamb" at the
Knickerbocker Theatre, last night We
doubt if there are any more faquis.
1.-THE Lamb" was the contribution OF
David W. Griffith to the triple bill with
which the Triangle Film Company
opened the Knickerbocker Theatre as
a 81 picture house. The film is, TO
our mind over the hills and far away
beyond "The Birth of a Nation" in sus-
tanned interest of story. and the charge
Of the Indians across a great sagebrush
plain is at least as good as any OF the
wild rides of the clansmen.
Bereft, too. of any annoying propa-
gands, such as burdens the reconstruc-
ton picture play, "The Lamb may
/ fairly be sald 20 ne the last word IN
! thrills. Serious entertainment it is not.
! Through all YOUR excitement you never
! for d moment doubt the outcome or
fear for Sac life G; the hero.
! II is the smile rather than the gasp
or the gurgle with which the average
spectator receives the various incidents
/ in the progress of Douglas Fairbanks
out of the jaws of death into the arms
of the heroine, but the man who can
turn away once The Lamb" is in full
swing and has our profound sympathy.
For him there never was melodrama.
THE Iron Strain" by Thomas II.
Ince, and "My Valet" by Mack Sennett,
complete q most enjoyable bill. al
though neither film measures up 70 the
Griffith play. 1.-THE Iron Strain" is
THE Tanning of the Shrew" adapted
for Alaska and Dustin Farnum, while
"My Valet" is rollicking farce which
provides Raymond Hitchcock with hui
morous opportunities and also exploits
the talents of Mack Sennett, Fred Mace
and the beautiful Mabel Normand.
To follow the plot of "The Lamb
one must 60 out into the surf where a
girl is drowning, high in the air with
an aeroplane, and across the Arizona
desert. Let it suffice that after en-
counters with two gunner, one snake
and lion, Douglas Fairbanks hnds
himself in the centre of a vast sage
brush plain with the heroine. Seena
Owen is most beautiful heroine and
Douglas Fairbanks might have found
it quite tolerable there, sagebrush, sun
and all, If it were not for the Yaqui
Indians.
+ As the saying is, two is company, and
500, mostly Indians, is a crowd. Ear
Ter in the film the girl had Tilted Fair
banks because he had yellow streak,
but a chrOmatic transformation has
taken place. In the crisis he's true
blue. And he stands by his machine
gun until the last cartridge is fired.
The gun? oh. that's all explained
+ in the story. No, he didn't bring It
with him. The gun barks north, south,
cast and west, and don't you believe
= that a barking gun never bites. Down
/ goes Yaqui after Yaqui in headlong
tumble. On they come again like
/ Kiplings FuZzy-wuzZies. The "inJia
+ rubber idjits" are on spree and
there's no stopping them although
the gun makes them give pause.
Finally. the last cartridge is fired
and Fairbanks sets himself to face the
, end. Here Griffith has done his best
work. Fearing trap rs they approach
( closer to girl, gun and hero. the In
dams crawl beiIywise through the
brush. On the screen you see acre end
/ acre Of the crawling savages coming
/ nearer and nearer.
Fairbanks has one weapon left. His
/ smile is as sure fire a hit as the ma
/ chine gun, but there is no use smiling
! at Yaduis. They have no sense OF hum
/ or those Indians. They come pretty
close, and the chief expresses keen
desire for the heart OF the hero. He
reckons without the United states cav
! airy. who ride over the hills into as
merry a fight as ever graced the screen.
And in the end the heart goes, as ev-
erv hero's should, 70 the heroine.
After watching the altogether capti-
vating work Of Douglas Fairbanks in
/ this picture there need be no wonder
that the Triangle Company has bound
him 10 the films for a period OF three
years. u..
Of wearing spats in Alaska. The city
bred heroine, who is in danger OF
marrying mollycoddle, goes TO
Alaska for a vacation and is kidnapped
by a rough and tumble Yale man who
marries her against her will. But for
slI his Yalesian roughness the girl
comes 10 love Eli. Happiness is not
achieved until most thrilling battle
has been fought between the city bred
heroine and the queen Of Joels dance
hall
NV Valet is a more or less knock
about affair, but Mabel Normand has
a smile as fascinating as that OF Fair-
banks and Fred Mace does an amazing
tumble from horse going at fuil
speed.
All in ALL. II the films are kept up TO
,he standard shown in the first bill at
the Knickerbocker the producing com
/ -. hids fair TO be The eternal