The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-08-21

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over the celluloid world. While it is
true the native screen drama has
passed thru a trying period, the fact
must not be lost sight of that it had
the whole globe to itself. The
world war swept all competition
aside.
What use did the American producer
make of his opportunity? Technical
advances? Many and considerable.
Artistic advances? In measure.
Literary advances? Almost infinite
sinai. The American makers OF
screen plays have been too busy with
cut-throat competition among
themselves to look very far into the
future.
Many eminently fine productions
have been made. A few have struck
the fire of the superb. One at least,
David Wark Griffith's Broken
Blossoms" marks the first distinct
step forward since his epoch-maklng
Birth of Nation" For, in its note
of poetry and beauty, it touched
something of what the future photo
play must be.
"Broken Blossoms" will have its
effect upon the photoplay's immcdi-
ate progress, we are sure. Other I'M
dcrcurrents of advance are manifest
routine manufacture of screen
dramas is ending. On every side
fewer and better productions arc be-
ing planned for the coming year. We
look for great things during the next
twelve months.
First of all, let us select the ten
best photoplays of the silver screen
year ending August /, 1919:
1, Broken Blossoms" 2, "The
Turn in the Road" 3, Shoulder
Arms" 4, "For Better, For Worse"
S, eyes of the Soul" 6, Don't
Change Your Husband;" Z, "Thc
Souaw Man." s, "The Girl Who
Stayed at Home;" 8, ave Cant Have
Everything;" 10, "The Avalanche"
And the second list would number:
! /, "Secret Service" 2, "The Firing
Line" 8, "The Girl Dodger;" a,
"Pettigrew's Girl" 5, Heart of HUI
manity;" 6, daddy Long Legs" T.
Common Clay" 8, "The Brandt" 0,
"The Busher;" 10, peggy Does Her
Darndest"
1t is interesting to note that ten of
the twenty are original stories writ
ten for the screen and that eight
were photoplays in which there was
no star. Of the directors, David
Griffith not only maintained his
leadership, but produced the best
photoplay of some five years. The
most consistent directorial advance
was registered by Cecil de Mile,
who has four productions in the Sc
lected list of twenty. Maurice Tour
ner, who did such markedly artistic
work the previous year, came nearest
to making a place with his rambling
chronology of femininity, "Woman,"
which, however, had flashes of rare
beauty A newcomer, King Vidor,
forged his way to the front with his
dramatic preachment, "The Turn in
the Road" upon the Christian Sci
ence philosophy that God is love.
Hugh Ford offered some interesting
work during the twelve months, no
tably with "Secret Service" George
titzmaurice did some distinguished
work.
Here, too, we must pause in our re-
view of the year to comment upon.
the seasons best acting. We doubt
if any single performance came up to
teh flashing brilliance of MN. ALA
Nazimova's untamed grisette of
Revelation" of the previous year,
but Lillian Gish's touching and
poignant little waif of Limehouse in
Broken Blossoms" at least comes
mighty near equalling it. Broken
Blossoms" had unquestionably the
best cast of the year, too, with Rich
ard Barthelmess' poetic and finely re-
strained Yellow Man and Donald
Crisp's self-satisfied, vain-glorious
brute, Battling Burrows, as unfor-
gettable screen Characterization.
Then there was Charlie Chaplin's,
humorously lovable soldier in
shoulder Arms" Elsie Ferguson's
finely contrasted Characterization in
"The Avalanche" David Powell as
the debonaire, courageous waster-
husband in "The Firing Line" Wynn
dam Standings infinitely touching
blind Larry in eyes of the Soul,
Elliott Dexter's squaw man and Ann
Little's Indian wife in "The Squaw
Man." Fannie Wards excellent por7
trayal in Common Clay" Dorothy
Phillips colorful work in Heart of
Humanity" and, in lesser way,
Clarine Seymour's jazz baby in "The
Girl Who Stayed at Home"
Which brings US to the discoveries
of the year. Richard Barthelmess is
certainly the dominating masculine
find. And let us not overlook Elliott
| Dexter's advance. 0f+the women we
nominate the gloriously blonde
Wanda Hawley, the picturesque
Gloria Swanson, piquant Clarine
Seymour and the icily beautiful
| Katherine Macdonald.
The big rulers of the celluloid en-
pire have been taking things rather
easily. Douglas Fairbanks continu-