New-York tribune., 1919-06-23
On the Screen
Cillette's Famous "Secret Ser.
vice" Proves Great Picture
Success

William Gillette's famous play Csc
cret Service" made its bow as a motion
picture yesterday at the Rivoli The
atre. 1t proved an ideal subject for the
screen. Many of the opportunities for
spectacular treatment and elaborate
settings necessarily neglected in the
stage presentation have been most sue
cessfully realized in its new form.
Among these are the fall OF Richmond,
several battles. the episodes in the
beautiful old Colonial mansion of the
Varney family and in their garden, and
the closing scene in the cemetery on
Memorial Day.
The scenario is by BeVlah Marie Dix
and the picture was directed by Hugh
Ford. OF course, every one remembers
tnat the story is about brave Federal
officer who is ordered to perform a pa
ticularly irksome bit of secret service
work. While on his mission he is
obliged to shoot his brother and play
traitor to his Southern sweetheart. But
all is fair in love and war;" so the
Northern man and the Southern girl
are united in the end.
Robert Warwick, just returned from
overseas service, plays the part Of
is simple thing for him to act hero.
He has the stature, the curly hair and
the winning smile. which never deserts
him, even when he is about to be shot
as a spy. Wanda Hawley, as the little
Southern girl, is called upon to do little
except look pretty and be pathetic, and
she does both very well. Theodore
Roberts, Irving Cummings, Robert
Caine, Guy Oliver and Edythe Chap
man are other efficient members Of the
supporting company.
u 80
nett comedy, Hearts and Flowers, -
complete the screen features of the
programme. Another attraction is "The
White Poem" tone poem, by Charles
Critics, staged by Adolf Bonn, with a
special stage setting by John Wenger.
The overture is Schubert's "Rosamond.' -
James Harrod, q tenor with an unusu-
ally fine voice and clear diction, sings
Garry Me Back to Old Virginny."
Two we'll known young men with the
front name of Charles are at the
Rialto this week-Charles Ray and
in Hay Foot, Straw Foot by Julian
Josephson, directed by Jerome Storm
and supervised by Thomas II. Ince. The
title Of the picture is not alluring.
1t merely suggests the type of rural
comedy to which this highly talented
actor at present confines himself The
story is all about Ulysses S. Grant
Briggs, who is expected to live up to
the honor of being named after his
fathers favorite general. 1t is there
fore somewhat disconcerting to the old
gentleman when he makes a surprise
visit to the training camp to learn that
his grandson is in the guardhouse.
Grandfather Briggs, however, never
n ia
descendant, and pretty soon the dear
old thing is rewarded by hearing the
young man pronounced "a soldier and
gentleman" by the officer in COM
mand. The guardhouse episode was
due to the doughboy's chivalry in pro-
tecting his sweetheart, who finally con-
fesses her cscapade and offers the only
appropriate reward for Ulysses S.
Grant Briggs's noble silence.
Mr.. Rays ingratiating personality
triumphs through every scene in the
ing Mary Pickford's passion for pets
Doris Lee, William Conklin, Spottis-
w0ode Aitken and L. P. Lockney are the
others in the cast.
Chaplin is seen as q policeman in
easy Street." which he succeeds in
changing from rough to a p1easanr
place. after many vicissitudes and
much action on the part of his ubiqui-
tous feet.
"Sundown," Bruce scenic, with mu-
sic by Percy Granger; the Rialto
Magazine, the overture from Strauss's
Bat" marimbaphone duet, played by
Frank Wolf and Harry Edeson, and
Caro- Nome" from Verdi's "Rigoletto, ,"
sung by Rosa Lesca, complete the pro-
grammc AS a member of the Trib
une's music department, we are glad
OF this opportunity to express our ap-
probation of the fine music, excellent
ly played, which invariably is feature
at both the Rialto and the Rivol We
wish every one in the audience always
shared this feeling. K W.