New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-27
Film at Strand Built on
Traditional Ward-and-
Guardian Model.
SOME GOOD ACTING
BY FRANK KEENAN,
"The Stepping Stone (Trian-
gle) Also Follows the
Badly Beaten Path.

A ward and her guardian are soon
parted. Sometimes the parting is ac-
complished by means Of the abduction
Of the ward, and sometimes the
guardian Is compelled 20 take long
Journey. The means 20 the separation
do not greatly matter, but the separa-
tion itself is dramatic necessity.
Otherwise the pair could not meet
again, years later, 20 find in one an
other their true happiness.
or such, or nearly such, have been
innumeroblc plays Daddy Long
Legs" for example. and "Thc Melody
Of Youth And Of such is "Audrey'
Mary Johnson's novel. which is set to
pictures at the Strand this week.
audrey" despite its adherence 70 the
rigid lines Of the conventional, is quite
a good picture. It has no more than
the expected number Of absurdities and
inconsistencies, and it has attractive
settings. appealing costumes ana
Pauline Frederick. OF the trio PauIlne
Frederick must be credited with DONG
the most for the film.
Miss Frederick Is one Of the few
actresses whose detection TO the MINIS
has resulted in a change Tor the better.
Hers is n beauty which contains JUST
troce of harsnuess hGrshness which
ia disccrnible across the iOOlHshlsi
but which loses itself on the screen.
To observe Miss Frederick in the iilms
Is 10 receive but single impression
that Of great beauty.
In Audrey she must romp pare
footed for a majority of the time a
fact which does not detract IN the least
from the effect To be sure, there nave
beer shoeless heroines a-plenty, ne
Noonshiner's Daughter" etc., but MISS
Frederick has q pedal technique that
is all her own. To see her CHAMBER
down from a house roof IS 70 be en-
abled 70 pick up many valuable point
ers in that art.
The guardian in the case is Charles
Waldron. who having played for sea
son the corresponding part m D&doy
Long Legs" presumably felt at nome.
lie was in all respects a thorough
guardian, for lie f-apped, the race OF
.he fellow who believed that he saw q
speck on the girls reputation. So there
was q duel IN the early morning hours,
and the Guardian accepted % wound and
then fred into the air, Ike the sturdy
"' Thus ii will be seen that Audrey"
is picture that scarcely may be called
revolutionary; but, nevertheless, II IS
quite enjoyable.
"The Stepping stone" at the Knick-
crbocker. is remarkable chiefly Tor an
excellent characterization by Frank
Keenan,. Like Audrey IL seeks its
drama where drama is known 20 thrive.
It's story is that of "The Governor
Lady" Just q Woman" and the Ike
the tale Of the caddish husband VINO
casts off the wife who has helped him
70 success. The husband i'm The step
ming stone" is indeed q villain. lie
drinks beer from the bottle and reads
"Snappy Stories"
The plot of "The Stepping stone"
unfortunately. is linked together in
baphazard fashion. A leader informs
one that the husand desires 10 cast Oh
the wife because she is retarding he
success. but the action fails 90 bear IT
out Nor could il have been on the
score Of beauty, for no sane man would
have given up Mary Boland for hirta-
tious widow Of no particular charm. J ne
story creaked, too, when IT became nee
essary for the husband 20 lose his al
I'm Wall Street With his stock going
steadily down, the husband stood on
the floor of the exchange and tore hls
hair instead Of giving orders to sell.
But Frank Keenan's sharp de.inea-
ton OF g. financial leader gives the en-
tire picture vitality. His effects were
accomplished with a minimum Of facial
gvmnastics. and accomplished surely.
Unlike Miss Frederick, NJ. Keenan, be
longs on the legitimate stage, but is
seemingly hopelessly immured in the
films.