The Washington times., 1919-11-29


gaining its dominanceover the Ameri,.
can public it had already developed a.
static ending from which il rarely
varied--until latterly. Eyeryb9dK
knows with what exasperating r6GW
larity the final clinch between hero
and heroine was bound to come. And
how. after much heartbreakina p
humor. the leading man, with bas
wistfulness registered on his face
lently seizes her and either kissd
IL within an eighth of an inch of KISS
ing her as the scene slowly fades
out. r,.
Now it is a patent thing that ~f1e n
thing becomes patent its relation
to art is in serious danger That
final love scene, that final clinch, has
been very much evident among those
set features. In three recent pEsasse :.
tions, one starring the magtrtffsAH
Geraldine Farrar. the other tweEf9H-
ring the droll VIII Rogers. theNW1I
wyn company has ssfullySxMp
mated this too common devi3G -
creating an effect and thus paw =
way for a further enlsrgementlH.(ef
acting scope OF the silent drama.
Problem Is Divided.
The problem of ending a picture has
more than one division, 1t must be
admitted II is not merely question
Of the unhappy ending. which seems
to be coming into it's own, by the way;
it is question. a well, Of register
ing romantic happiness without CIV
ing the Interpretation most common
because obviously appealing. Again,
there are pictures in which tn.
"clinch' is undoubtedly the inevitable
and artistic ending. so that TO arbi-
trsrily eliminate ii altogether from
the field would be in some cases hurt
full to truth. But Flame of the Des-
ert" and almost HUSBAND an
"Jubilo" show that the universality
of the clinch can be modified with
gratifying results.
Take the Farrar picture, PLANE OF
the Desert" for Instance. Here is a
star with a distinctly emotional ap-
peal and a story of adventure thrilling
with the story of the late Egyptian
rising. The star plays the part OF
an English girl unconsciously in
volved in the intrigue of the eastern
nrs which leads 10 bloodshed andsa a
perilous time for her. She is rescued
by sheik with whom she has fa1isA
in love and who, after the victory 1of
the English, is reported to have re-
turned to his own people For her
services in the hours when Eritonis
rule seemed shaken, the girl is to be
decorated by the new Sirdar. Va
The last scene Of the picture is the
decoration, when the new official 10
lieYed of the disguise Of "A darkeneh
skin and Egyptian costume. proves
to be her lover. silence! a thousand
eyes are watching u.s. he says. under
his breath; were 1t known that he
had been a spy his life would have
been worth nothing. Tho picture
fades away with the Iove-1ight mani
fest in their eyes only. "a
Another Happy Finis.
In Almost a Husband" the final
closeup displays Will Rogers and
Peggy Wood talking to one another.
She indicates her intention to stay
married to him-although the tying
of their nuptial knot was nothing
less than an accident. In "Jubilo"
the final closeup displays the girl
looking at him adoringly; they are
seated in a field, and she rests her
hand lightly on his arm. He looks
into the skies and from the express
sion on his face it is not improba b lie
that he sees light there.
SO II is gradually coming about
that the elimination Of the final
clinch or at least the subordination of
it, is matter Of the near future.
For which we may offer up thanks
to our household gods and to the
gods of the motion picture house
around the corner.