New-York tribune., 1918-01-07
Charles Ray Appears in His
Mothers Boy" at the
Rialto

Having seen Charles Ray many times
on the screen, in fact. just as often as
we possibly could, and having been each
'lme impressed anew with his fine art
we were still unpreparcd for tho
Charles Ray whom we encountered
yesterday at the Rialto Theatre in a
lhomas 1nce picture called "His
Mothers Boy"
Inc picture is a delight every inch of
IL and 1t does seem now, with the
memory of it still fresh, that no one
could have been quite as perfect in tho
ufle role as Charlie Ray.
The first time you see Raw Won saw
""hy. he isn't acting at all: he was
chosen for the character because he is
the character" And then when vou
see MN play part which is so differ
eht you conclude that he must be that.
700. ana hnally you decide that there
is not one Ray. but a hundred. And
so there are all sorts of Rays: oniv
Tor the sake Of a long-suffering pub
nc winch has been forced too often
10 endure marcelied heroes with long
eyeiashes, please. MIR. Ray. never hc-
come an eX-Ray.
His Mothers Boy" is filled with
opportunities, too, for this versatile
young star. The scenario is we'll
oohe by Ella Stuart Carson from the
story by Rupert Hughes, and if Victor
l.. Schertinger. who directed the pict-
ure, is responsible for all the little
human touches in it, then the specta-
tors owe him debt of gratitude as
we'll.
Matthew Denton is the only son of
his mother" q widow living in a
small village, somewhere in Illinois.
Some oil stock which his father had
sold to number of the natives sud-
denly stopped paying dividends, so
Matthew volunteered to go West and
investigate. He landed in place
called Hell's Hole, and although it
was filled with dens of iniquity, where
gambling men and dancing damsels
whlled away the hours, his did not in
any way resemble the usual entry of
the tenderfoot into the Western min
ing town.
Matthew did not become a hero over
night. After he had been in the town
1or some weeks he still wore boiled
shirt and suspenders and the hat, two
sizes too small, which his mother had
bought for him before he left home.
But he did break the shackles" and
when this happened one of the best
tights that ever has been screened was
the result. Matthew ceased to be
little Boy Blue and saw rcd, and he
mArrled the heroine, and ever after
they called him Matt
1t really doesn t seem to matter
very much about the rest of the cast
when Ray is in picture, but Doris
Lee was Mabel Glenny. the girl, and
she was decidedly pleasant in the part.
William Elmer had rather important
part, which he played for all it was
worth, and Joseph Swickard was more
than adequate as Tom Glenny, the
drunken father, who finally redeemed
himself by refusing to turn the valve
and divert the flow of Oil from its
rlghtful owners.
AS a final admonition, "Go and see
His Mothers Boy"
The comedy vas called Tanning
played as the overture, with selections
from "Sari" as the light opera number
Madeleine D'Espinay sang the Mise
rere" from al Travotore."
If it is a critics duty to judge per-
formance from the viewpoint of the
audience, then the tabloid grand opera
which was inaugurated at the STRAND
yesterday with a condensed version OF
"Carmen" is going to be big success
Tor the audience at the matinee ap
plauded until the house had to bt
darkened to dampen their ardor
Anita Tagel was a very acceptahl,