Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-02
HOLIDAY MOVIES
ON MANY SCREENS
Gay Crowds Fill Theatres Seek
ing Amusement-Fine
Music Played
with Elsie Ferguson story by A T. W.
Mason and directed by George Fltz.
maurice. ArtCraf play.

STANLEY-'The witness for the Defcnse.' -
With Elsie Ferguson. story by a. F, "
maurice Ertcr6ft play.
While actors of the speaking stage
are having their difficulties the audi
cncPs and critics Of the silent drama
are having their own in keeping up
with the good productions in which
, Elsie Ferguson is appearing of late.
Her recent play, "a Society Exile.
on view at many theatres this week. is
a fine piece Of work, while her new
creation in this current play at the
Stanley will gain many new admirers.
The woman in the case is the MUIR
dcrer of tho man. but it takes over an
hour Of RAPIDLY moving film to bring
this fact TO the surface. There is n
mystery story contrived with suspense
that should satisfy the most cxacting
in regard TO this style of motivation
The jury in the cash brings in YER
dict of acquittal, but the fact that it
believed the natives were the murder
crs of the man had no bearing upon
what the tormentors of the girl thought
and tried to make her feel. In the end,
love triumphed.
Beautiful Photographic shots were re
corded. The directing of George Fitz-
maurice can always be counted upon to
give the fans a touch of the artistic.
There was a special musical program
under the direction of Albert +. Wayne.
! The projecting Of new Fatty Ar
buckle picture also met with favor.
with Wallace Reid story by Peter r
! Kyne and directed by James Cruze.
Paramount play.
| This picture, one of the first OF the
new Wallace Reid series of plays, was
well received by capacity audiences at
the Labor Day showings. There is al
ways something fascinating about trees,
and when they are big ones, like those
shown in this picture, they deserve to
have something special written about
them. The California redwood trees are
giants indeed, and Peter Kyne laid his
plot about their being owned by the hero
and then had a crowd of exploiters try
to steal title to them. OF course, the
wrongs were righted and the love in
terest came forth triumphant at the
crucial moment.
Wallace Reid is a good actor. and
he is also a fine athlete, which brings
out the fact that with the combination
of these two arts he is a magnet for the
film fans. The star put up n good
! scrap" with the gang of dishonest
lumbermen, and he also made an ideal
lover with beautiful Grace Darmond
as his Wis Wis. Kay Laurel, who may
be recalled by the Follies followers as
the girl who sat atop the revolving
papier mache globe and represented the
waking day, is In the picture. Marion
Fairfax is responsible for the scenario,
which was we'll handled by James Cruze,
the director. Fine night photography
was introduced.
VICToRTA--"The Egg Crate Wallop" with
Charles Ray Directed directed IsIo by Jerome Sy story
mount play.
This play, like the other vehicles in
which Charles Ray has appeared, has
had the supervision of Thomas II.
Ince. 1t is rather difficult to tell just
where the touch of the supervisor comes
into this production, because Jerome
Storm is a very capable director. Per
haps it is in the censoring of the list
of settings and furnishings which other
movies seem to have and which the
plays in which this impersonator of
rural types appears do not need.
Many vacationists have seen big boys
moving egg crates around the platforms
of small stations as they waited to be
taken to their summer boarding house.
1t was just this sight which prompted
the author to make it into the play
which met with approval at the Vic
toria. There they found a big, strapping
boy handling the very light eggs. But
the lifting of these light things brought
strength to the muscles of the rural
lad which aided him in winning a prize
fight in which he took part. When the
hero landed what the followers termed
''The Egg Crate Wallop' the rest may
be imagined.
Charles Ray seems to have a happy
faculty for selecting pretty girls to be
his leading ladies, and Colleen Moore
is no exception. There is a regular
''city Teller" who is after the girl, and
Jack Connolly gave that character a
; realistic touch.
REGENT--"Nobody Home" with Dorothy
by Elmer Cliften. Paramount play.
When the powers that be decided
that they would make star Of Dorothy
Gish, Adolph Zukor, directing head of
the Paramount company, said she
would never do, as her hair was not
of the right color. Now she just had
to be made n feature player. and 80 u
black wig was purchased for her. This
added ornament has been seen in many
plays since the little artist appeared in
Hearts of the World" but now story
has been woven around it.
| Because the heroine had black hair
and her sweetheart had blond she wor-
ried, and a person supposed to be able
| to be a teller of fortunes was brought
in to make the plot complicated. Thieves
and newly welded couple added to
the mystery, which would be spoiled by
its telling here, although in the end