New-York tribune., 1918-07-15
On the Screen

A"VoAiIe WrlCer, and 1nASmuch
as MS review of the movies in the
current issue Of "Smart Set" might be
termed seathing, we went the rounds
| yesterday determined to bring ourself
TO state of mind where we would not
be classed with persons who buy post-
cards with isingglass stuck on the
cathedral windows or others bearing
the degend, Don't spit on the floor,
remember the Johnston food" There
that sentence is almost as lono
as one OF George Jean Nathan's own,
nut nc really did say that motion
pictures were designed to please q
class OF people who liked that kind
OF postcards, also persons who liked
living skeletons, fat ladies and ladies
with boards and colored gentlemen who
o"elt IN cages and ate bananas
speckled to look like rattlesnakes
And when we had finished reading we
1elt as though he had said "This Means
You"
80 1t was with the memory of this
accusation fresh in our mind that wo
VISITED the theatre yesterday and saw
Jack pickford and Louise Huff in
SANDY at the Strand and Enid Ben.
heto IN Ihe Vamp" at the Rialto. And
we would rather own to a weakness for
colored postcards and living skeletons
tnan 10 deny our pleasure in the
SANDY" is based on the novel by
read and so can't say whether tho
screen story follows the original closslv
or not. This we do know, we enioved
every foot Of the picture-because Tho
story Is simple but interesting. and it
makes no play for popularity by irving
10 conceal something from the snec-
taators; because Louise Huff is better in
tnls than in most anything she has
done; because Jack Pickford is in II
and we love Jack; because RAYMOND
hatton is in it and we love Raymond.
because James Neill didn't die and he.
cause Edythc Chapman didn't nrove
every minute that she had histrionic
ability. '' "'''i 'o'ic
Some one said the story was improb-
aole .a because girl named Nelson, of
thH I, Nelson's of Kentucky, you know
leil IN love with Sandy Kilday, who
came 10 America from Ireland as a
stowaway But that doesn't make the
slory 'mproDablc. No, indeed It is
becoming quite the thing row to marry
for love, even in the best families.
Sandy Kilday and his dog, wonder
1ul pull terrier with one brown ear,
decided to come to America. and as
they had no money, Sandy climbed in
a lifeboat. War had not then heen
declared, SO Sandy had no reason to
believe that the lifeboat would he
needed: he was apprehended, how
ever, after he had been out for q couple
OF days and was to be sent home, when
KIND little girl, named Ruth Nelson,
persuaded her aunt to pay his passage
and let him stay in America.
Sandy learns that Ruth's destination
is Somewhere in Kentucky" so he
buys some books and pins and micro
scopes and becomes peddler. His
partner is Ricks Wilson, a jockey in
lll-repute, who is trying to beat his
way to Kentucky for the races. Ray
mond Hatton is this same jockey.
OF course, kind judges don't adopt
ltinerant statesmen every day, but Judge
Hollis did adopt Sandy after Sandy
tainted on his doorstep, and then
Sandy got TO be gentleman, although
he always talked with "A nice little
accent like Thomas Meighan's.
The rest was easy;; Sandy had only
brother, Carter, from the gallows, pre-
vent her best friend from clipping and
propose, to be accepted. Anyway, it is
a most pleasing picture, and it hasn't
any cabins. or whatever they are called,
showing "a deserted cow pasture in
New Jersey with fat girls in cheese
cloth dancing around red velvet chair
to sho" little boys idea of heaven"
Although Mr. Nathan expressly says
that the only meritorious pictures are
the comedies, We couldn't wait to see a
GoldWyn comedy called "Billy's Or
portunlty." 1t was written for Billv
Parsons.
Giuseppe Aldo Randegger played "St.
Francis Walking Upon the Waves" and
it was the first time we ever reallv be-
lievod that he did it. AS an encore he
played "Etude Caprice" but the people
didn't like this so we'll, for it wasn't
loud enough to drown their conversa-
uon. The greatest offenders were two
soldiers, one to the right of us and one
to the left of us, who told their girls
all about camp life while St. Francis
walked upon the waves. Can they not
De court-martialled for this?
The overture was Thomas's "Mie
MN. NIaCe I1Oinan sang, and the
soldiers did stop talking while she took
the final high f.
,,1, An amusing little comedy called
THE Vamp" is at the Ralto, with Enid
Bennett in the title role. Some people
DO not care so much for Miss Bennett
on the screen, and we always have
wondered if our liking for her was first
inspired by the fact that she has brains
and breeding; We happened to meet
her here in New York when she was
en- route for the Coast to make her
debut in pictures, and she is so charm
ing that one finds it impossible to di-
Vorce that impression from the impress
SION one receives of her on the screen.
Anyway, whatever the reason. we
like her, and she seems admirably
suited to the role of "the van,p." q
sincere, ingenious little creature, who
wanted to get married
Nancy Lyons is assistant wardrobe
mistress in theatre which abounds in
real vamps. One night Nancy heard
one OF the chorus ladies who owned her
own car say: "The way to land a fell
low is vamp till he's UNCONSCIOUS. then
call the minister quick"
Nancy needed the words of her sis
TER, under the skin, and being madly
IN love with a young minister who
boarded at the same house, she invited
him to supper in her room, borrowed
an evening gown, burned incense in the
soup dish and was his affianced bride