New-York tribune., 1918-09-09
On the Screen
Charles Ray Has New Kind
Of Role in The Law of
the North, and Scores

Often when we hnve expatiated on
the ability of Charlie Ray and have
made long speeches anent his histrionic
talents, his good looks and general
likableness, msanthropes have come
forward and said, ooh, Charlie Ray
isn't acting. He's just like that, any
way. He can play only ono sort of
parts"
But there were people who had not
ure which Ray did some seasons ago,
and he has since been portraying most
~ young SONS of we'll known variety
and country boys. His new picture,
"The Law Of the North" which is being
shown at the Eialto this week, gives
Ray a part which is entirely different
from anything which he has done be-
fore and if any one thinks that he can
not act let them go and be convinced.
We like him even better as Alain de
Montcalm, "rhe Eaglet," than we do AS
an nsophisticated Yankee boy, and he
has n chance to do some really splendid
things in the role of the young French
man who seeks to avengc the death Of
his father and the abduction of his
sister,
There is wonderful scene in which
Ray discovers the body Of his father
left where he was struck down by the
hand of his best friend. Few actors
could have handled this scene in such
a mastery way.
Little Doris Lee, an ingenuc, who is
too often eXasperatngly sweet, was
rather nice in the role of Therese LIE
Noir, the girl in the case, but the per-
formance of Gloria Hope, as the sister
of Adam, was better handled. She
plays with true feeling and has real
charm.
Robert McKim, as Cesar lie Noir, the
wolf, and Charles K. French, as Michael
were both more than adequate.
The scenery in this picture simply
beggars description. Never for a mo-
ment is the interest allowed to flag or
rected by Irwin V. Willet, and it is ex-
cellently done.
The overture is "solonclle," with
Hugo Riesenfeld conducting. Annie
Rosner sang mime" and Deserc La
Sale sang the prologue from "Pagli-
acc.' The comedy is His Wife's
Friend.'
Very much Douglas Fairbanks is the
new picture at the Rivoli. 1t is a
screen version of "He Comes Up Smil-
ing and after seeing the picture one
wonders how it ever could have been
adequately produced in any other
medium. 1t seems essentially a cellu-
loid play, there is so much Of it. And
most of it is extremely amusing, if not
new.
When the story opens Douglas is
Jerry Martin. who is only bird in a
gilded cage. There is an amusing open
ing scene which shows a canary bird
leapng about in a cage, and suddenly
the bird changes to Douglas, and he
bends back the bars of the cage and
escapes. SO one knows when he sees
Jerry being cashier in bank and tax
ing care of the presidents pet canary
that he is going to break out and fly
away, and he does
Then follows lot of amusing adj
venture, and, difficult as it sounds,
Fairbanks has thought up some new
and amazing stunts to perform
jerry becomes tramp, but he finally
marries beautiful millionaircss
named Marjorie Daw. We are sure
that no one else on the screen could
have effected the mctamorphious so
Standing is excellent in the part of
Mike, a fellow tramp, and Bull Montana
is fascinatingly ugly as Baron Bean.
The picture was directed by Allan
Dwan.
An O. Henry story called "Transients
IN Arcadia" was extremely we'll done.
Edward Earle and Agnes Ayres are the
chief players.
The overture is "Southern Rhap-
sody." Gladys Rice sang "Mavis" and
Riccardo Bonclli sang Amy Woodforde-
Flnden's "Temple Bells" The light
opera number was from "The Three
Twins"
At the Strand Wallace Reid is ap-
pearing in "Thc Source" This will be