Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-31
FROM VICAR TO VAMP
AND STACKER TO HERO
Oliver Goldsmith, Valeska Su-
ratt and other Notables
Represented in New Movies

houser- % -Paths, with Frederick WaTde. story
Mixx Directed by Ernest c. Warde.
So seldom does q placid breath of the
eighteenth century stray into the movies
that those who love "the peace of the Au-
gustans" may relish this adaptation Of what
the program calls IAN immortal classic
Old "Nol" Goldsmith was a pretty good
sort of writer, and II he lacked in his time
the sense of hurting plot and rush of In
cident that. say, D'Annunzio and Griffith
devise and screen. he managed TO put
little quiet beauty and some serio-comic
humanity into his stories. The Vicar Of
Wakefield" as a photoplay gets across the
spirit of the book through the leaders. But
artistically 1t is a very old-timey film, with
its heavy unimagnative camera work, its
will fll n room with bright light Is apt 10
annoy the wise fans. Besides, there Is not
the faintest suggestion of exquisiteness, OF
n cameo, in the whole. The best that can
be said for the playing On which the star
Is often lost In the shuttle of characters)
is that Mr. Warde brings dignity and re-
pose, IL no trace of the actual, to his role,
and that there are some pretty girls in evi-
dence.
ARCADH-"suddcn jim" Kay;Bee- -Triansis,
ston Tss cfssSs fay h p
Photographed by Paul Eagler.
Credit has often been willingly and de-
| servedly given In this department to the
| two young men who are doing their most to
| combat the handsome ero-with-no-mind
| school of acting-Bryant Washburn and
| Charles Ray. Not all their pictures are
| masterpieces but they are all human, every
| day, likable, and touch chords of sympa-
| thetic understanding. Mr. Rays latest turns
| so unromantic thing as clothespin into
| neat little melodrama with the basic ground
| Of common sense and truth. 1t Is hardly
| as consistently fine a film as The Clod-
| hopper or 1.-THE Pinch Hitter" but it holds
| the eye, mainly through its presentation of
country types-capitally done they are too
and through Mr., Rays expressive playing
| A concession to the "mellers' Is scene
| in which hero drives a locomotive over a
| burning bridge, with kind regards to THE
| Ninety and Nine"
PALACE - ""wife Number Two" Foy; With
| Stevens. Story and Direction by William
| Christie Cabanne. Photographed by William
irritatingly even, unreal lighting and it,
, vague, unimpressive acting. The things
| which its director doesn't know about pic
ture illumination would fill volumes, and his
| calm acceptance Of the theory that one lamp
Unless ones memory is wrong, Director
| Cabanne used to be an army man before
he married and settled down. And there is
a good deal of the fighting spirit in his new
photoplay This spirit carries conviction
from first to seventh reel makes the simple
story interesting and dramatic. when II
might just as we'll have been feeble and
| hysterical, and removes the stigma of flag
waving with commercial purpose from the
| production. The director has nicely avoided
black villainy and white virtue He doesn't
| make his hero" a fiat coward. but merely
| a selfish person who prefers his own com
fort, though 1t may be doubted that any
| one craven enough to marry to avoid mil
itary draft would ever be awakened to
| sense of patriotic responsibility. In tellinl
the tale, there are incidental visions" o
other war-like days In America-Paul Re
we're, Nathan Hale and the like. Fortunatel.
| this hasn't been overdone, a great tempta
tion to any one longing for footage. Tn
part of the luxurious husband Is admirabl,
played by Walter Miller. and Leo Delane,
does we'll as the unsuccessful suitor for tn
hand of Miss Stevens This actress seem
hopelessly miscast, as usual in films. In
telligent, alert, vigorous, she misses tn
note of emotion and does not screen wei
Technically the picture is well cut Photo
graphically 1t is fair. barring some ba
toning.
vIcToRIA-"wife Number Two" Fox. wit
liam Night. Photographed By Joseph Ru'
= tenberg.
The heroine of dark brown Russia
novel has nothing on Valeslsa Suratt sine
that eminent vampire switched from wicke
roles to country maidens. Emma in wifi
Number Two leads life about as cheel
i full as a skull. Apparently the word ha
q gone forth that Miss Suratt Is to portra
I no more scarlet 'uns, so we have her her
Z | attired in plainest gingham and wearing O
/. her head what at first seems to be the cos
of a hayed French poodle, but which turr
? out to be her hair. When you try to fit
vampire with q rustic maids role there al
bound to be weird happenings. Some
Q these are the purchase by the heroine
: $4,000 worth of valeskan gowns in coul
J: try town where the gates are suspended
q hairpins ,(almost) Valeska wearing five
= six bulbous lilies in her astonishing hal
q and the evident bewilderment of the d
q rector, confronted with the task of puttlr
d his star through her familiar tricks and
the same time imploring the sympathy
n mixed motives as It 10 possible. But abo
n one thing there's no uncertainty-it Is q
]. unusual. extraordinary never-to-be-para
. led production. For sheer wildness '"rl
y Soul Of Broadway" "shs" or The slav
can't surpass H..
A sAYoy-<.Ths Op-ths-ssuars oirl." ,Ysths. vi
Ss ssi S S.n'' '''''f
MI The charm that 4 Mollis Kings y q
= tain, satiqfying. 1oothful and Qn4n1oo
3 1wtepa - r. ~ ~