New-York tribune., 1918-06-24
On the Screen
Pictures of Fact Thrill More
Than Those of
Fancy
BY Haywood Broun

oy AOJ WOCA DIOun
Since the moving picture is con-
cerned with fact rs we'll as fancy, the
scenario writer's are rather hard put
TO 1t these days to imagine things
half so thrilling as those which are
actually happening on sea or land or
in the air.
I At both the Rivoli and the Strand
theatres this week the man behind the
news camera seems to have had all
the advantage over his coworker en-
gagged in tictional enterprises. Pauline
Frederick, no matter how closely she
approaches the camera, no matter how
widely she may open her eyes. no mat
ter how seductively she may smile,
can hardly hope to thrill the spectators
as much as the pictures Of the National
Army marching in London, which are
shown in the same theatre
And at the Rivoli, O. Henrys sac
charine little story Sisters of the
Golden Circle" is distinctly secondary
to the film called "Flying With the
Marines"
The soldiers of the sea and the sail
ors of the land seem to have carried all
the peculiar dash Of their organization
into the air. No such spectacular pict-
ures of f1ving have been shown before.
The film is beautiful as we'll as excit-
Ing. Realism is carried to such an eX-
tent that the spectator probably will
feel some of the emotions which for
merly belonged to the aviator alone.
There is one stretch of film, for in
stance, taken from machine set into a
tail spin. The earth staggers and rocks
in such an amazing fashion that only
the steadfast)y unimaginative spectator
will be able to keep in mind that he is
fast on the ground in an orchestra seat.
There are pictures of machines looping,
of others lodging in and out of cloud
banks, and a perfect masterpiece Of
film where machine after machine
rushes straight for the head of the
photographer, only to miss him by a
bit
One of the most beautiful effects is
gained in the perturbation of the sun
flash which strikes the belly of the fly
ing plane as it turns up toward the
rather burdened with the art of the re-
touching room, but on the whole little
tinkerng is needed. In the field of
pure action the motion picture has
never done anything more praiseworthy
than "Flying With the Marines"
The O. Henry story, Sisters of the
Golden Circle" is interesting enough,
but it is doubtful whether there is
any real ground for the authors be-
lief in a freemasonry of married wo-
men. However, it is pleasant to
the wedding ring should carry certain
compensations.
The Rivoli bill is varied to an inter-
esting degree. In addition to the two
features, Lieutenant B. C. Hilliam,
who made such hit at the Lambs
Gambol, repeats his success in singing
rapid-firc songs of the Canadian army.
Tulle Lindahl dances Japanese num-
Der. and Julia Beverly sings, "My
Heart at Thy Dear Voice" from "Sam-
son ct Dalila." The overture is Flo
tow's "Alessandro Stradella." The sec
ond nstalment of who's Who in Base
ball" is shown. This is interesting
for those who know the national game,
but 1t must be almost perfect, Greek to
everybody else.
Pauline Frederick's picture is called
Her Final Reckoning.' We would not
number Miss Frederick among the
burning beauties of the screen, and it
seemed to US that the part of the dash
ing gypsy did not fit her over we'll.
Dash is almost the last thing which we
She is Of the placid school of beauties,
There are no quick tempests in her
face. Even her horseback riding
seemed to fall somewhat short of the
impetuosity required, particularly as
she rode sidesaddle This seemed
singularly ungypsylike.
In other respects the character was
less conventional, and to her sorrow.
II she had not looked out from her win
dow at Biarritz many feet of film might
have been spared Yet it was hard to
blame her. 1t was bright moonlight,
and the young man with the ukulele
was playing "Where Do We Go From
Here ?" A look was not enough. When
terhy" she threw him a rose. He
caught the rose and then he climbed
the balcony. She discovered week
later that he was married, but then il
was too late.
Prince Zilan knew nothing of the
gypsy's escapade until after his mar
riage to her. Prince Menko sent him
the letters, which proved the indiscre-
tlon: That seemed bit shabby on
Menko's part, but some little time after
the moon waned in Biarritz the beau
eAANi SSPoy oCS HCI NubSlaH WOllhOON0S
on him and they chewed him q good
deal before he succeeded in killing the
pack. He was vexed. Prince Zilah
was more than that when he learned
Of his wife's past. She might better
have told him. Like de Maupassant's
heroine, she might have blamed it on
the moon,. or she might have para
phrased that young lady and said.
After all, it was jazz who was nv
lover" ~
AS it was she found explanation diff
ficult. The Prince left her and she
went as near insanity as movie
heroines ever go. Finally a friend of
Prince Zilah challenged the wicked
and tattletale Menko to a duel and
killed him. zilah then agreed to
forget and the film ended as happily
as possible under the circumstances.
1t seemed to us trifling and sillv
chronicle, although it was screened
with skill and discretion. Miss Fred
erick was somewhat lacking in the
necessary fire. but she played with
good intent and understanding. John
Miltern was an attractive figure as
Prince Zilah
AS rule travel pictures are fear
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