New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-12
Films of the Week
Strand Has Patriotic Bill
"Arsene Lupin Shown
on the Rialto Screen

Inc American Consul heads the
patriotic bill at the Strand this week.
Theodore Roberts was excellent in the
title role. Indeed, he did not seem to
be playing a part at all. He seemed 10
be Abel Manning, the small town poll
tician. whose credulity landed him as
American Consul in a dirty Central
American village.
II it were not for the wonderful art
of Mr.. Roberts the first part Of the
picture would not have held the inter-
est. So many characters were intro
duced and the scenes Jumped SO vic
lently from one place 20 another that
those who were not acquainted with
the story found il difficult 20 connect
them.
However, what matters mere plot
when Theodore Roberts is on the
screen? Maude Fealy, as his daughter
Joan, is prettier than ever. One has
learned TO distrust a heroine who APP
pears on the screen equipped with such
an abundance of ringlets, but one can
forgive her for her transgressions, Tor
they are extremely becoming; also, "a
Miss Fealy might say, "a poor thing
but mine own"
II the first part of the picture lacks
continuity, that cannot be said OF the
last three reels. Az soon as Abel Man
ming leaves Washington things begin
to happen. There are revolutions. alb
ductions and ali sorts of perils attend
ant upon the position of the American
Consul in Central America. From COM
edy the pictures switches to melodrRma,
and II the boys in khaki had not ar
rived just when they did il would have
ended in a tragedy. As it is. the Amer
can Consul is saved, and ne gives MS
blessing to the affianced Joan and Geof-
I frey under the Stars and Stripes.
/ A short picture called "The Seventh
Son" was shown. IL was remarkable IN
I many ways, but principally because OF
! itc all-star cast. Ralph ". Ince, as
Abraham Lincoln, was wonderful. II
one had not known that no such thing
as a moving picture existed in 1864
/ one would have insisted that il was
/ Abraham Lincoln. Earle Williams and
James Morrison were among those
present, and Mary Maurice was the
I mother who gave her seven sons 70 hei
country.
The overture was "The Evolution OF
Dixie; the educational series showed
"A Day at Annapolis and West Point
| Among the vOcalists were Grace Hof-
I man and Irene Audrey, who sang my
I Country, Tis Of Thee
Standing room was at premium al
; the Rialto yesterday where the popular
/ Earle Williams disported himself on
I the screen In search OF diamond tisras
and rare old paintings, which he loved
/ to cut from their frames and then in
scribe "Arsene Lupin" in their place.
} The interest is we'll sustained in the
/ pictured version of that most fsscinat-
ing detective story. but Earle Williams
/ lacks subtlety. In the stage version
] the real Arsens Lupin does not revea
I himself 10 the audience until the last
/ but he takes them into his confidence
almost at the start.
Early in the game, when he is sup
posed 70 be Duke de Charmerace, h'
/ smiles knowingly as they search for the
missing necklace. The scenes in Lu
rin's apartment are well done, and
. Williams has his audience right witt
him as he plays with the great de
tective. holding him at bay with rub
Der ball, which he calls bomb. HIS
escape in the elevator and the con
/ cealed dressing room are all calculated
20 keep the interest at top notch, but
one is a bit disappointed 20 see Lupin
emerge looking so little like the real
/ detective. How ne managed TO fool
| Guerchard's associates and escape with
/ Sonia and Victoire is a mystery, but
( then Arsene Lupin could do anything.
The picture is bound to please the
average motion picture patron. Ethei
/ Gray Terry plays the sympathetic So
MIA and Julia Swayne Gordon is more
1 than adequate as Victoire.
/ Ralph fnce appeared as Abraham Lin
coin again in a reminiscence entitled
"He Knew Lincoln" a film loaned by
the Vitagraph company.
r. Alexander Powell narrated his ex-
periences at the front and on the musl-
/ cal programme we're the Rialto Male
/ Quartet in "The Trumpet" and Nine.
Jeanne Maubourg in "Habanera,' from
Carmen
Does Stuart Holmes really look Ike
a villain, or does one only fancy u De-
cause he has so long and so success.
fully carried the banner for vlllany
AT any rate he could not conceal his
past at the Academy yesterday where
he is playing Arthur Dimmesdale IN
.Tbe Scarlet Letter" He was imme-
diately spotted as the guilty man. and
whispers all over the theatre OF "Ihats
he!" proved that priestly garb cannot
fool a movie audience.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's story had a
most pretentious screen setting, and
the cast was excellent. Kittens Reich
ert's work, or rather play, as Pearl, de-
serves honorable mention. Rarely has
so attractive child been seen on the
screen.
"The Scarlet Letter" is not particu-
I larly adaptable for screen purposes, but
the excellent work done by the mem
hers Of the cast holds the interest. Dan
Mason gives an interesting interpreta-
ton of the crafty Chillingworth, which
! If not quite true 90 the character when
Hawthorne created, IS Adequately as
agreeable, so that every one - delight
| ed when he is carried away on a pirate
shin and showed overheard.
/ Here the scenario writer takes I'D
critics. and one feels that happy end
/ ing is impending even before the WORDS
are flashed on the screen that Hester
and Dimmesdale are going to another
country to begin life over again.
| Stuart Holmes rises 70 great heights
I in the scene where, 10 prevent the
righteous towhspeople from burning
/ Hester as a witch, he reveals 70 them
the scarlet "a" branded over his own
heart II. U.