New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
On the Screen
"lhe Fall of Babylon" Second
Offering of ID W. Criffith's
Repertory Season

II 1t were left for US 10 decide, we
snould say emphaticaly that we pre-
Ter The Fall Of Babylon" without anv
interruption from dancers, singers.
snakes or chorus girls. But il is not
ieit TO US, in fact our opinion will
count Tor nought and there were plenty
or people in the George Cohan Theatre
last night who rapturously applauded
,he lady contortionist who could make
her arms undulate like the body of a
snake.
For the second offering in his roper
tory season, D. W. Griffith has chosen
great, overwhelming spectacle pict-
ure as different as may be from the
IRA. irall and lovely Broken Blossoms. "
ne Fall of Babylon" is part OF Grit
tth's masterpiece, Intolerance. and
Its magniticence is still quite as stag
shown
With this grandeur goes all thu
beauty and cmpicity which is the
great Griffith gift to loaers of the mo-
tlon picture, and the episodes where
IN real characters appear only break
the spell and diminish the charm.
single figure on the stage seems
Such puny and ms gniiicant thing
when one has ones eye accustomed to
lhe vastness of the Bahylonian halls
ana tne action of a thousand figures
res decldedly. the real persons were
only an interruption to the picture
Wnere one mind was snatched back
more than five centuries and one found
ones self prosaically sitting in tbs
George NJ. Cohan theatre
Particularly did we resent the intru.
Falling"
but the picture is and always will be
a marvellous achievement Surely
nothing like it ever has been done and
IL is produced with all of the Griffith
aids of light color and music. Con.
stance Talmadge, rather Younger
piumper Constance than the present
day one, played the chief role, that OF
tie mountain maid who loved her King
'lshazzar. Some Of the scenes are in.
terpolated ones and have been recent,
taken, and a close observer could de
tect the more finished work Of Miss
lmadge and a more slender figure
Seena Owen IS the favorite Of Bel
shazzar but we could not recognize
IN this sensuous, brunette beauty tn,
calm and digniied Seena Owen Of to.
day.
fully Marshall, Elmer Clifton. AL.
fred Paget and Elmo Lincoln play i'm.
portant parts, and Alma Rubens. Nil
dred Harris Chaplin and Pauline Stark
appear in small roles.
In foreword Mr.. Griffith says that
the people of Babylon worked, lovct
and lived the same as we of to-day
He evidently believes this, too, for
ms characters are made 10 express
themselves In quite a modern way
Only we wonder would a mountain
maid wink AT a prince, and Miss Tai
madge does this IN one of her scenes
with Belshazzar but she does it very
prettily.
1t seems doubtful if THE Fall OF
Babylon will be as we'll liked a.
Broken Blossoms" though it was
received with every evidence of appro
baton b. last nights audience
AS for us, we do not alter our state
ment that Broken Blossoms" is the
most beautiful picture we ever saw OIL
ever hope to see. II. L.
Through the Wrong Door" is at the
Strand this week, and those who 90 tt
see 1t may rest assured that they ar,
not making any mistake. 1t is one o.
the most thoroughly enjoyable picture.
we have seen in long time. 1t is sc
beautifully played and so well-directec
and the story is so consistent with nc
iooSe enuS lelt mapping IN the breeze
to annoy you afterward
Madgc Kennedy, the star, needs nc
eulogies. Every one who HIS seen Miss
kennedy's work knows how entirely
satisfactory her quaint comedy is
Theer is no one quite like her But
we must speak word Of praise for
John Bowers, the leading man. Never
has he appeared to such advantage as
he does in this Goldwyn picture. In
their many scenes together he and the
star do some bits of acting which are
as delightful as anything we ever saw
When it is so easy to be natural and
act like human beings why do so man5
people refuse to do it, or isn't it easy
And the titles are so restful never
once do they make you feel like slay-
ing the author.
Miss Kennedy is Isabel Carter, who
gets a taste of the West when she goe:
with her father out to Nevada to lool
at a mine. While she is out on a traml
she is chased into a tree by Oscar, the
pet bear. He wants only candy, bu
Isabel believes that he wants her life
She is saved from a horrible death by
Burt Radcliffe, who happens along ant
calls off Oscar. There is a semi i-comi'
fiance who never seems to do thing
just right and Radcliffe has a tiance.
also, only his is in Philadelphia.
1t so happens that Isabel lives il
the Quaker City, too, and is Vera, th
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