New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17
"Who's Your Neighbour"
New Film Has Private Exhibi.
ton at the Broadway

who's Your Neighbour" was an
swered in detail at the Broadway Thea
tire yesterday morning, where the pict-
urc was shown to an invited audience.
The play was written by Willard Mack
and directed by S. Rankin Drew. 1t
is the initial production of the Master
Drama Feature Company, and one may
say in passing that they have set them
selves a high standard.
The picture is first of all vastly en-
tertaining, and also perfectly plausible.
AS soon as one learns that it is gong
to point a moral, one expects that the
author and the director will so TO any
lengths TO prove their case. This is
not so at all. The wicked are not ex-
terminated; the innocent are not be-
smirched. who's Your Neighbor?"
is not a melodrama, but a photodrama.
II deals with that set of reformers
who believe that to dispense vice is to
abolish it as opposed to those who
believe that vice should be segregated
but recognized.
The first part of the picture is allie
gorical, for Hope, an ardent young angel,
approaches the throne of Experience
and tells him that he has plan to lift
the yoke from the Magdalenes of the
world, but Experience shakes his head
sadly and says: "They have been
weighed in the balance and found
wanton," or words TO that effect. Hope
will not believe Experience and so he
sets to work to liberate them. His
emissary is strong armed minion of
the law who walks into luxurious
quarters all over the city and says:
Get out" When the elected ones cry
and wiring their hands and say, where
shall we go?" he replies: 60? Why,
anywhere you like. Who cares where
you go?"
There is one among them named
Hattie Fenshaw, who is not so easily
disposed Of. Hattie was a born gen
eral and she Immediately mapped out
her campaign. So we'll did she succeed
that she was eventually invited to be-
come a member of the Anti-Vice
League, which had turned her and her
crimson sisters adrift in the city !
Christine Mayo, who plays Hattie, did
some delicately effective pantomime in
this scene with the earnest rcformer ,
which was delightful.
Anders Randolf was excellent as
prto NJ rdtp l.
handsome and enthusiastic young
actor, was decidedly likable in the /
role of Hal. his son. Frank Morgan
was perfectly splendid as Dudley Carl !
ton. after he began to go wrong. His
work was far more interesting than
in the early part of the picture, where
he was merely a conscious-stricken
lover. Somheow one doubted Betty
Hamlin's ability TO hold his fancy
for very long, even after his reform.
He seemed TO be a young person with
conside rable Imagination. while Betty
was the sort who would allow only
precedent to direct the Interpretation
of her emotions
The Master Drama Features Company
has sent a message to the public. II
says in substance: ave wish first to
entertain you, but we also wish to en-
tighten and educate you to an existing
condition of modern society that is
both erroneous and harmful"
The old adage says: "a man con-
WINGED against his will is OF the same
opinion STILL" so it is doubtful if any
one casting his vote with the quasi re-
formers is going 70 shift his ground
However, he will be entertained whether
he will or no. for "Whos Your
Neighbour" is as good entertainment
as anything that has been shown in
long time, and the average person
would much prefer being entertained to
going TO the bother of forming new
opinions. ". VI.