New-York tribune., 1918-02-12
On the Screen
Marines Assist at Opening
of New War Picture
at Rivoli

Even IN these days, when patriotism
is rampant and martial music stirs the
blood and makes the pulses pound, when
the sight of the Stars and Stripes
brings the people TO their feet, cheer
ing, and olive drab and blue are the
only colors man may wear and be
populer-even in these days the dem
onstration at the Rivoli Theatre yes
terday was notable, for Here Are Ma
rnes es'-not pictures Of marines, but
and the buglers and drummers join
with the orchestra in a stupendous
rendition of Sousas "Semper Fidelis, "
and then, with the colors waving over
his head, Forrest Robinson delivers
Sergeant Percy Webb's poem of the
same name.
All of this served to introduce the
patriotic feature picture called "The
Unbeliever." This is surely the best
war picture which has yet been shown,
and there have been several. 1t was
made at the Edison studios and is
based on Mary Raymond Shipman An
drews's story, "Thc Three Things"
Raymond Mckee is seen as Philip
Landicutt, young idler, who sees the
boys marching away in khaki one day
while he is playing golf, and is imme-
diately inspired to follow in their
footsteps. He rushes home to obtain
the consent of his mother, as he is
still under age, and when she learns
that his heart is set on going cover
there" she makes no objections. 1t is
then that Raymond announces that he
is an unbeliever. The three things
which he refuses to renounce are his
disbelief in God, his class prejudice
and his race hatred.
He is won over to a belief in God
when his life is miraculously spared on
the battlefield; his class prejudice is
wiped out when a former chauffeur who
is fighting side by side with him carries
MIN through No Mans Land and there
by loses his own life, and his race
hatred all fades away when he sees a
Jewish rabbi crawl out among the
wounded soldiers and give to those who
cry for it crucifix. Later in the hos
pltal he finds that there are kind
hearted and suffering Germans who are
lust like human beings when they are
sick
Inns part OIL the picture Will PROB
ably not be convincing to most people,
lor when the average American is
asked to believe that it is possible to
love your enemies when they are Ger
man enemies-well, they are the unbe-
levers. And yesterday was hateless
Monday. too.
The scenes which show the actual
trench warfare are wonderfully we'll
done, and there is nothing in the pict-
ure which is found in the usual war
picture.
One of the best bits of acting was
gone by Karl Stroheim, as Lieutenant
hurt Won Schmeditz. He is the most
convincing German officer we ever
saw The way he struck down old
women and children with his sword
was certainly true to life, and how
gratifying it was when Emanuel Null
ler' conscript musician, shot him
uown IN his tracks! Emanuel was the
only nice German in the picture, and
ne was an American citizen who hap
pened to get caught in the mill of the
war gods
Marguerite Courtot is Virginie Har-
prok, Belgian girl who is saved from
sne s,e Huns by the advent Of the United
otases Marines. This is the best thing
MISS Courtot has done. Real marines
OF the Sd Battalion, 9th Regiment. now
'n ou'y overseas, are seen working in