The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-08
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE.


 Professor Baer ....... Lynn Hammond | (Cl HANDING out in front of tha M Strand yesterday friend of mine rushed up and said: What's the trouble? Where on
 earth did the crowd come from? I be- lieve every woman and child in this whole town is here"
 I replied. laconically:
 Little Womenr
 These two words told the story; the
 big throngs going in and out of the big theatre to see the photoplay of Louise M. Alcott's masterpiece, tes- tified to the loving appreciation and tender affection in, which this story is still held by thousands.
 There wasn't crack or crevice that people were not tucked away in at the Strand yesterday anxious to see Meg" and "Jo" and "Beth' and Amy" dear Mrs. March and Aunt March, Professor Baer, John Brooke and the others.
 Truly no book in all our several lives has ever appealed to us more than Little Women," when as girls we read this beautiful story and laughed and wept over the four Little Women,'' who are now real world heroines. For half a century the Little Women Meg, Jo. Beth and Amy-immortal characters in American literature have eXerted their charm upon the millions of readers of Louise M. Ai- cott's books. This world famed story was written 50 years ago, in 1868, and a few years ago for the first time was shown on the stage. Today the first photoplay of it is seen and superb realistic and thoroughly enjoyable en- tertainment it proves.
 l don't suppose there was woman or girl in the vast audience at the strand yesterday who hadn't at some time in her life read Little Women" and of course everybody watched and waited for each thrilling scene, thoroughly familiar with it, and they were not disappointed when the screen flashed some memorable episode of the story, for in the screen adaptation few of the good points of the story are sacrificed and almost every title fash ed upon the screen was some long re- membered quotation and therefore easily recognized by the vast audience.
 Little Women" as a picture, leaves little to be desired; it is admirably pro- duced and splendidly acted and from the many compliments passed upon. it from the many people with whom l talked afterward, I believe there was not disappointed person who sat in the large audience
 To attempt at this time to retell the story of Little Women" would serve about as good purpose as car ry1ng coalS to Newcastle. The story has been faithfully followed by the producers. It tells how Mir March. a New England chaplain, has gone to the front in Virginia, leaving his wife and four daughters Meg, Jo. Beth and Amy with their mother in Concord. Mass. The girls are known as the Little Women" and they are happy in their mutual love and in their rev erence for their mother, whom they call "Marmee"
 Mrs. March gets news that her hus- band is dangerously i'll in a hospital in Washington and she sends an ap- peal to Aunt March. an irascible old woman of wealth, for money to defray he expenses of her trip to Washington. Believing the appeal will be vain, T., who IS a writer of promise. sells her uxuriant hair to wig-maker for $25 l md offers the money to her mother in 1 triumph. In then develops that Aunt 1 March had meanwhile relented and l given Mrs. March ample money. so i hat Jos sublime sacrifice was use ess.
 MT. March is brought home to his | -amlly and one by one the girls are ] married but Beth. an invalid, clinging l weakly to life, finally succumbs, but l lot until she has embraced Mag's | wins
 The entire story deals with the pure l nome life. the joys and sorrows of ! he March family and their tender de- 1 'otion to each other. Jo becomes ia l nous and finally is won as a bride by | Professor Baer
 It is a classic of American litera- | -ure and in the screen form none of l ts beauties, are lost
 By truly artistic photography. care |