New-York tribune., 1916-05-01
William, Jr., Makes Debut
at the New RialtO in
"The Bugle Call"
AN INDIAN UPRISING
PROVES REALISTIC
Strand Offers David Garrick, -
Which Is a Better Film than
1t Is a Play.

"The Bugle Call" with which the
neat but gaudy Rialto Theatre begins
the second week OF its career, takes a
running start Of three reels and then
jumps into the middle Of the busiest
and most thrilling frontier melodrsma
that film fan ever witnessed. Riders
pitch headlong from their horses, men
fall backward from the top OF stocksde
walls, one and all lie on the ground in
the midst Of plunging and bucNng ami
mails just ms though a neck were the
least important part Of screen actor
and could be readily replaced from
stock. This sort OF thing has been done
in films before, OF course, but "The
Bugle Call" goes step beyond all Of
them in the reckless abandon OF its
treatment OF humanity.
Aside from Offering fifteen thrilling
minutes, THE Bugle Call" serves to
introduce 10 flmdom the person Of
William Collier, jr.-son Of the great
est OF William Golfers and heretofore
known as Buster" Master william. Of
course. is by no means ready for the
stardom tnat is thrust upon him, but
he is 'elf-possessed young actor OF
considerable natural ability. If his bag
Of histrionic tricks is at present small,
there is every reason TO expect it 10
increase under the tutelsgc Of Father
William.
The Bugle Call" starts as do
mestic comedy and moves rather
slowly until the arrival of the melo-
dramatic Indians. The central char
scter is Billy, motherless son of the
commander of frontier military post.
Billy's father remarries, and one be
comes concerned with the inability OF
the son to reconcile himself to the eX-
lstence of a stepmother. Although the
picture treats but specifically of the
psychology of boyhood, this situation
is human and real. Undoubtedly
many boys have been called upon to
face 1t, but il is doubtful if the prob
lem has ever been worked out in the
manner of "The Bugle Call" Ger
tainly il is not every boy who needs
an Indian massacre to straighten out
his domestic relations, although there
are undoubtedly periods in a boys
life when he feels that nothing else
would be satisfactory. Thus. THE
Bugle Call" in calling out the United
States Army for the accommodation
Of one small boy, frankly deserts
plausibility and goes in for melodrama.
Since it is rafting good melodrama,
however. everybody is willing.
Film followers will not need to be
informed that Billy saves the lives of
the entire community before the end
Of the fifth reel, but the addition is
made on general principles.
II stands 20 reason that David Gar
rick" would make better motion pict-
ure than IL does a play. Among other
reasons for this is the fact that it
could not possibly make a worse one.
At all events, a motion picture it now
is. being the principal feature OF the
new programme at the Strand TheatIs.
Dustin Farnum is felicitously cast as
the romantic Davy-felicitously fer the
first time in some months, incidentally.
The filmed David Garrick" is an i'm
proyement upon the play. because it is
able 10 show so much that is merely
related in the stage version. Lest that
be construed as the setting forth OF
the general principle that the films in
yarisbly have such an advantage, let
it be hastily added that il is not. it
merely chances that the story Of David
Garrick" is a particularly awkward one
for dramatic purposes story which,
in it's present shape, could not possibly
be made into a good play. 1t is a story
that occurs IN too many places 20 be
given adequate exposition upon the
stage, but il is upon such a tale that
the screen thriyes.
Thus Simon Ingot. when he would
talk with Davy, calls upon him instead
of asking him 10 call. At one swoop,
consequently, one is rid Of the plays
strocious first act, wherein two hap
penings which should have occurred in
different places and several hours
apart are run together in the same
room. The greater scope Of ths screen
makes possible the elimination OF a
number of the other of the plays alb
surdties. and the result is a reason
ably good photoplay. The role of the
heroine is attractiyely played by Wini-
fred Kingston.