New-York tribune., 1918-02-19
On the Screen
Elsie Ferguson Is Seen in
The Song of Songs
at the Rivoli

AT the Rivoli yesterday woman
who sat in one of the logcs sent her
young daughter home because she
thought that "Thc Song of Songs" was
not proper picture for her to sit
through. She thereby deprived the
young woman of chance to see some
wonderful acting and. incidentally. of
having that truth driven home-"the
way of the transgressor is hard"
Or at least she believed she was de-
priVlng her daughter of these things
when she ordered her TO put on her
hat and furs and leave the theatre.
But, as matter of fact on our WAY
out after the picture WAS over we saw
daughter standing in the back of the
theatre downstairs.
Our sympathies were all with her,
tor we know what we should have done
had any one ordered us TO leave the
theatre in the middle of "Thc Song of
Songs"
How Elsie Ferguson does tug at ones
heartstrings, You find yourself sit
ting on the edge Of your chair and
following her every movement There
IS something about Miss Fargusons
personality which makes YOU feel as
though You yourself were playing the
part on live 1T with her, and so we
say without fear of contradiction,
There is no greater artist on the
screen to day" There is wistful
quality. too. which always makes YOU
feel sorry for her, even when she is
having good time. at is a feeling of
sadness and longing that is not akin
to PAIN Some one said that Miss Fer
guSon filled Il long felt want, but we
should hardly express it so, for you
can't miss what you never had and
Miss Ferguson is creative. But if we
should be deprived of her now--well, it
is simply unthinkablc.
Sudermann would hardly have recog-
nized his "Song of Songs or his Lily
as presented on the screen. The screen
version is not taken from the book. 1t
follows the play rather closely.
When the screen story opens Lilly is
living with her dilettaite father and
her dissolute mother, but there is only
glimpse OF this. and then her father
goes away and her mother kills herself
and Lily is thrown on the world.
From that time on there are men in
Lily's life--plenty OF them; but she is
q much better sort of person on the
screen than she is in the book
ulGklllG
picture we remember asking her who
was her leading man at that time. and
she answered with her funny little
smile. ITS difficult to say. I'm making
The Song of Songs you know But
among these leading men three arc
conspicuous. They are Cecil Fletcher
as Steve, Crawford Kent as Dick Laird
and Frank Losee as Senator Calkins.
The Senator came first. then Dick
and then Steve, but Dick it was who
captured her hand. if not her heart,
and appeared with her in the final fade
away
Remarkably good types these men
were. We were rather disappointed at
not seeing Elliot Dexter as Dick Laird.
but Crawford Kent looks so much like
hlm that had he been a little taller we
should almost have thought it was he.
Frank Losee looks exactly as we al
ways believed Senator Calkins looked.
and Cecil Fletcher is an excellent
Steve.
Corene Uzzell has a small part, in
which she IS most delightful, only We
could have wished to see moro of her.
She is the cast off mistress of tho Sen
ator, who is compelled to live on in
his house and spy on her Younger rivals
as he brings them home.
INC picture is beautifully done. 1t
was directed by the late Joseph Kauf-
man and was the last picture which he
made before his death
Madam Butterfly" was the overture,
with Hugo Ricsenfeld conducting.
Helena Morrill, sang "Whon You Are
Away from "Thc Only Girl sup
ported by the Rialto Male Quartet. The
quartet also rendered "Jerusalom
Mornin'' and "WcN Never Let the
Old Flag Fall"
The comedy was called "IIs Gencr-
oslty,' with Mr.. and Mrs. Sidney Drew