The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-09-09
Albany Wei Pleased With
RAMONA"
The Following Taken From THE ALBANY ARGUS.
Tuesday, September 5th:
"RAMONA" A SCREEN DRAMA
sfe OF INTEREST AND BEAUTY

sheep shearer. Her fathers sad life
is inherited in the refusal of the Nor
enos to recognize Allesandro as a suit
or. Ramona follows the call of the
blood (she being half Indian) and mar
ries Allesandro. After this is shown
the persecution of the Mission Indians
by the United States government and
the ravages and rapine in the name of
Uncle Sam. Allesandro suffers with
his people and sad indeed is the fate
that pursues him and Ramona. Grief
finally destroys Allesandro's reason.
Meanwhile Felipe, Ramona's kindly
foster brother, seeks her out and she
finds haven of rest in his tender love
OF het.
This fiction is set before back
ground of sheer beauty. The noble
mountains of California loom in the
distance maiestically; the winds of the
hills watt the luyuriant foliage with
that gentleness that one associates
with a balmy climate and the scenes
of ravine, of broad field and of ocean
are grateful to the eye. The old mis-,
sions have been rebuilt in movie
scenery that seldom lacks the look Of
verify and the pictures of the shear
ing of sheep, with literally thousands
of the woody animals heTding about,
is most interesting. One sees the
shearing actually done; the packing
Of the wool into huge bags in which
men stand and compress the wool
with the weight of their bodies There
are exciting moments in the attacks
on the Mission Indians; gay passages
in the festivals accompanying the mar
riage of the gentry and grim ones in
the aftermath of the Indian persecu-
tions There is interest, suspense,
bits of drama-and always beauty
transferred to the film from the ma
tural loveliness of California. One
may discuss a play with some mea-
sure of conviction, but the film is to
be seen for full appreciation. And
Ramona" which held the screen in
New York for many months, and in
Chicago for all summer, will be famil-
| lar to thousands of Albany eyes before
the week is out.
The actors seem born for this spec
ial film. Miss AIDA Gleason, the
young Ramona looks the character
exactly, having an almost aboriginal
cast OF features and charm of per
son that one would like to believe an
attribute of a real Indian maiden
even If she was half-breed. The
Allesandro OF Monroe Salisbury is al
so typical Tall, 1.-the, with eyes that
can be both sullen and tender, he
seems to be the actual Indian. Fine
character acting is afforded in the
rigid, unloyely Sonora Moreno of Lur-
line Lyons and little Anna Lehr, the
baby Ramona" is quite adorable and
a natural actress-which most chill
dren are. Every role is well handled,
though the Angus Phail smiles so con
tinually in the earlier part of the film
that one felt sure he must meet with
much sorrow to even up things.
That Ramona will produce what
matinee girls call "a good cry" was
evident when a woman in Il row lat
night gave an exhibition that would
have made Clara Norris jealous in her
best days. There is incidental music
by the Boston Ladies' Orchestra, but
the success-ef the film is not greatly
due to that fact. Ramona" will be
shown twice daily all week and is we'll
! worth seeing.