The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-04
fl(nnlR PROVES
ARTISTIC SKILL
Picture at Empress Is Best
Work Star Has Done in
Movie Field.
COMEDY BIT TOO RAW
Mack Sennett Offering Not
Proper Subject for Any
Theater.
COMEDY BIT TOO RAW

Geraldine F'arrar achieves here fin.
est screen success in The Devil
stone" when began three day en-
gagement at the Empress theater yes
torday Az Marcia Nanot, Breton
fishcrwoman who marries an aVarici-
Gus American and so enters upon an
exciting adventure in New York. the
opera star pro,es beyond question her
ability as an actress. Not even
.C'armen'' WAS better done.
Marshall Shares Honors.
Tully Marshall. in the role Of Silas
Martin. the miserly old man who weds
tho fisher girl to secure an emerald
of fabulous worth which she has
found, shares honors with Miss Farrar
/. Ills portrayal Of the unloveiy william
! 81 the play Is really fine.
A Pretty, Pretty Hero.
The rare art Of Marshall and Miss
Earrar quite atones for the fragile
beauty Of Guy Sterling, the hero OF
the piece. Given skirts this swcet
young thing would have crowded
Geraldine from the spotlight Even in
trousers he intrigued the eye. though
the mind refused to accept him as the
sort or male to whom a Breton fisher
woman would be likely to succunib.
Francis X. Bushman should look out
] for this bird.
a Plausible Msiodrama.
1.-THE Devil stone Is that rare joy, n
plausible melodrama. True. the
imagination IL compelled to exert itself
now and then, but never beyond de-
cent limits.
Silas Martin, owner Of fisheries in
Brittany. marries the lowly Marcia
Manot when he finds that In no other
way can he obtain possession OF q
priceless emerald. which the girl re-
CARDS as d devil stone" lie takes hs
bride to New York, steals the jewel
from her and. after displaying his
penury, moves 10 secure q divorces from
her.
To this end hc encourages Guy
Sterling. his business manager. to he
attentive to Marcia. Sterling docs so
gladly enough, and the girl promptly
enlists him In a search for the inisslns
emerald. The services OF II great Grim
s,lloloGiSt, are secured. and Martins
treachery lis detected,
Marcia Murder. Martin.
On the eve of the expose, however
Martin tells Sterling that he Is to di.
vorce Marcia. The men nearly come
TO blows and are seen by a policeman
az they wrangle. Sterling leaves ant
Marcia enters. just In time to see thu
emerald lying on the table. Martii
tries to make her give the stone bacl
to him. She refuses and he attach;
her with Il poker. In sef-defcns
Marcia hits Martin with a heav,
candiestick and kills rim.
The End? SEQ for Yourself.
The terrified girl conceals the evi
dences Of her act. and when the polio
come in Sterling is Immediately sus
pccted. The coroners jury clear
him, however. and he finally persuade
Marcia to marry him. Then he in
duces his friend, the criminologist t
find the real slayer of Martin.
The criminologist proves tina
Marcia killed her husband. Then
hut that would not be fair. See tn
picture for the answer; it is well wort
seeing.
Comedy for Censor.
The rest Of the current program a
the Empress is not so good, however
Tanning Target Center" one of tn
productions which Mack s,ennett i
permitted to call comedies. ought no
to be shown In any theater, let alon
n theater as careful rs the Empires
usually is. -a#4.-. r.
II there is anything comic in tn
situation OF q hawd too fat and old Il
succeed In her solicitations. it is he
yond the comprehension OF one cal
loused picture fan, at least. And surel
the intimacies of a western "honka
tonk' are not proper subjects, even 10
the movies,
Why Not a Change?
Tanning Target Center does no
stop at these outraees of decency.
inveigles laughter from the mob b,
offering. with little restraint. visible
and disgusting evidences of the sey
enth sin.
Certain anatomical liberties seem In
evitable in the sapstick comedy. bu
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