The Republican journal., 1918-06-06
Colonial Theatre.

Can Enjoy the Best Phosoplays Obtain
able.
Thursdays feature bill at the Colonial
includes the favorite Harold Lockwood in
his latest Metro play, broadway Bill"
Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew in Metro
comedy and others. Harold Lockwood
plays one of his most popular roles IN
ssBroadway Bill" The character ne
enacts is that of young man of great
wealth who spends his time in disslpa-
ton, and to whom the sobriquet "Broad-
way Bill" has been applied. His sweet
heart, Muriel Latham, takes him to task
for his frivolity, and Bill, realizing that
unless he makes amends he can never
hope to win the girl, determines to fight
his old enemy and prove his worthiness
to Muriel He goes to lumber camp in
Maine, and through letter of introduce
ton from the camps owner obtains en-
ployment as lumber jack. Buck Hardi-
gan, the foreman of the camp is robbing
his employer He believes Bill is sent to
camp to investigate the irregularities,
and, working on the basis that dead men
tell no tales, he tries to put Bill out OF
the way How Bill illustrates Hardigan's
plots, wins the respect of the community,
and proves his worth to Muriel, forms
one of the most exciting and gripping
plays of the year.
If you were passing dark house in
lonely street, and if girl told you OF a
man dying within, what would you do?
That situation confronted Marcel Levig-
net, an amateur detective and clubman OF
wealth, portrayed by Wallace Reid in his
latest Paramount picture, 'The House OF
Silence" which is to be displayed Friday.
The story of this exceptional photoplay
is intensely dramatic, and in the Develop
ment of the plot hatpin and woman's
purse are the only clews Levignet can
discover in his effort to trace the slayer.
He finds her at last, only to learn that
the Staying was legally justified, but it
did not need this conclusion to inspire
love for the distressed girl in the heart of
the clubman-detective. After series OF
thrilling incidents he unmaSkS the secret
of the mysterious house and wins pretty
bride. Ann Little plays the part of the
girl in the case with rare effectiveness.
The picture is based upon the story by
Elwyn Barron, the scenario was written
by Margaret Turnbull, a scenarioist of
ability, and the production was directed
by Donald Crisp.
Saturdays feature picture will be one
for the whole family to see, Vivian Mar
tin in 'Unclaimed Goods" This is a
Western comedy, but of different sort.
Miss Martin, as Betsy Burke, is sent by
express to a mining town. When she
arrives at her destination no one claims
her The reason for this is that the town
has been captured by gang of wild out
laws and they have locked up the citi-
10 No haf hour
pleasant interference. AS is the custom
with unclaimed goods, Betsy is put up for
auction by the outlaws, and the leader of
saved from this humiliat ton by man to
sacrifices his life in an exciting gun
fight. Betsy finds happiness with the
express agents into whose care her ia Their
had placed her at the beginning of the
trip. The synopsis tells you that the
and such a plot is rarity. With Miss
and cast including Harrison Ford, Cas-
Reno, George Kunkel ana Carmen Phil
be presented in the manner it deserves.
Frederick, the noted character and emo
tional actress, was decided upon by the
Paramount scenario department as "Mrs.
Danes Defense" the drama by Henry
Arthur Jones, celebrated as one of Eng
lands foremost dramatists, and which
was one of the most successful stage
plays of its time, having created veri-
table furore. 1t was a striking Realistic"
problem play and gave the public thrill
after thrill by its tense dramatic moments
and its remarkably clever drawing.
Margaret Angin created the role of Mrs.
Dane in America and achieved memoir
able success. The play is one Astounding
in situations that are poignant in their
intensity and the character of Mrs Dane
is one that suits Pauline Frederick's dra-
matte technique to a marked degree.
"Mrs Danes Defense" will be shown
Monday, as also one of the popular Judge
Brown stories.
"The Blue Bird an Aircraft picture,
will be shown Tuesday. 1t is an adapta-
ton, by Charles Maigne, from Maeter-
linck's masterpiece, which has attracted
wide attention in the dramatic and liter
airy world. While it dealt with subjects
of great profundity in an allegorical man.
ner, it was easily understood. The great
author took for his central figures little
boy and girl, and for them he drew aside
the curtain of life, delved into the past
and touched eloquently upon the great
Beyond. In the form of a play, as pro-
duced in London and later in New York,
the story teemed with dramatic interest,
and instead of a heavy preachment or
dry sermon it developed into a virile prem
sentation, sparkling with vivacity. l.
adapting this work to motion pictures,
director Maurice Tourneur, who staged
the production for Aircraft, has carried
out the idea of the author in making the
photoplay understandable. He discussed
the scenes with the tiny actors, who are
theoretically the leading characters, be-
lieving that if these children can grasp
the story, the average patron of moving
picture theatre, with the aid of the lucid
titles which embellish the film, should
easily follow the play and understand the
allegory. The result is unique play: of
stupenduous magnitude, in which is in
corporated the highest technique of pho
graphic art with multiple film exposures
requiring infinite care and patience. Set
tings of colossal size and ensembles of
hundreds of people make this photoplay
mighty spectacular offering in which the
artistic details have been carefully looked
after.
Cou;p0 IN "Wednesday William Hart