Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-15
LOVELY PHOTOGRAPHY
IN NEW LASKY DRAMA
The Victory of Conscience Fine
ly Finished, But Thin
in It's Climax

Inc isaSky production or The etctory
OF Conscience" which reached the Stanley
yesterday after some censorial woes. is a
marvel OF olean-carved. statuesque grouping
and fine lighting. II II we'll acted and
built up, but It's climax Is just a little
thin, In life, at least. conscience does not
become victor so easily and so soon as
In the imagination OF Alexandra de jan
nelli, author Of the story from which Mar
garet Turnbull made the Aim play.
The piece marks a noteworthy advance
in the work of Frank Reicher as director.
When he left the legitimate, he wasn't
"camera-wlse," and the result was such
crude stun as The Case of Becky" The
cutting and assembling In his new pro-
duction are nawless. And he has learned
now TO create the Illusion of a French
tavern, with its interplay of candles and
shadow; how TO make Jewels and faces and
archways stand out, intaglio fashion, and
how to handle his actors. Lou Tellegen,
for Instance, is much more plastic and sim
cere than he was In other photo dramas.
and Cleo hdgely plays her contradictory
part with assurance and skin.
The story is of the struggle to "save"
the soul of peasant girl by priest and
former libertlne, who has stood in relation
TO her not spiritual before he took the
CLOTH We think the way he wins her over
Is improbably swift and unexplained. Was
II the censor? But the acting of the two
chief hstrlons and Elliott Dexter ameli-
crates the situation.
Balm for tired eyes also is keystone,
The Winning Punch" which eliminates
in boxing match that Is excessively
speedy and often amusing.
More than any other company the Fine
Arts is humanizing the motion picture.
Throw theatrical tradition to the dogs
says, In effect. Mr. Griffith to his pro-
ducers The results are homely, sympa-
thetic enactments of parochial comedies
and tragedies In the latter class Is 'Srhe
Little Liar" penned by Anita Loos and
directed by Lloyd Ingraham. Yesterdays
audience" at the Arcadia found this ami
mated short story both comic and pathetic
The theme-the stihing Of a precocious little
girls imagination. and her consequent sui
cide-is fresh and unspoiled, and Mae
Marsh exhibits that delicacy of emotion
that makes her performance In "Intoler-
ance" so engrossing, Robert Harron, Olga
Grey and Jennie Lee give clever type"
sketches.
De Wolf Hopper provides the farcical
relief In black-and-white pantomime
Puppets" It is a dream affair pretty.
but not distinguished.
More pattern-made than "The Little
Liar" but nearly as tender and quite as
real, Ia "The Light of Happiness" a capital
Metro, at the Regent. The plain. but ap-
pealing Viola Dana, with her big eyes and
mobile mouth turns what might be a stereo-
typed Plckford character into a bit OF
breathing flesh and blood. Although the
tale, by John Collins, who also directed IT,
has another Of those blind heroes It moves
with precision and in the vein Of actually
with profusion of SLY, personal touches
that compare favorably with the dexterity
and intelligence of the mechanical work.
The Victoria, with It's stalwart orchestra
had a good bill. It's feature was the same
as the Regent and. for Sennett measure
there was long, intricate and cunningiy
dovetailed keystone, "A La Cabaret" Anna
teur writer's who wish to study plotting
might see this farce with advantage. It,
convolutions are many. but they are al
pointed, and the gathering of the untangleC
threads is done with rare acumen. trav
eogue and news pictures are included II
| the program-a lengthy and interesting one