New-York tribune., 1919-09-14
1t Is Pretty-But
Is IT Entertainment?

treats of labor much as did "The Lost
Paradise" produced around 1890. And
informed critics complained that "The
Lost Paradise was behind the times.
Neither work has ever heard Of unions.
arbitration boards, nor factorv in
spectors; the workers strike out OF a
romantic. instantaneous, personal i'm
pulse, like the rioters against the in
PRODUCTION of machinery; capital is con-
veTted by an appeal to it's heart: labor
( leaders do not exist, and between the
men and the master is only the man
ager of the works. This is a simple
soul, lately out of overalls; in 1890
when it was pointed out to our
economic innocence that the very least
he could possibly he getting was ten
thousand venY-heaven knows how
much less than that he would look
at nowadays--it was possible to pre-
sent young lady as proving her cruel
but refined elegance b. refusing his
offer of marriage with the words: "I
think. sir. you forget 20 whom vou adj
dress yourself. You are oN,.f one Of
my fathers workmen." And the capi-
taIst heroine of "The Right to Happi-
ness voices her refusal Of practically
i the same man with the same tasteful
and gracious dignity. Nor can We QUIZ
selves regard with anything but wonder
the manager O. the steel works OF a
r.ulti-millionai1c WHO lodges himself
and h.s old mother in what is i:,iown
to small renting agencies as "a cold
water tenement".
The same Grass and heavy touch,
wooden.y false 10 all we know either
o. n!"tlve, EXPIRE ssion or experience.
mouids haraNgue which is never d
play save III the preliminary Russian
lAoiodrama, and even there The action
only hammers and confuscs our inter
est by rushing and banging about
without getting anywhere, emotion&lly,
IKE : trapped June bug. Miss Doro-
ny Philiips's acting IS indeScYiba
5'y fuss? ana smiri:.~ and industrious
aud cheap as the nigh class heroine.
oat hen BolsheNist is honestly studied
and capitaiiy observed. pvt over with
abounding ginger and conviction, even
some humor, SO ion% as the angricr
passions rise: her death scene falls to
about the same reality as Little t,va's.
Through an intense distaste for see
inc horses forcoI o,.,, ,;4> 49,, l..
tens thrown down wells We have long
avoided the pictures OF Eaoul Walsh.
BAT to see rsvange.inc is INN cdiatcly
20 ieel Us charm and to feel il with
respect. If you like the poem you
VIII IKE the picture: nothing has been
thought of but to reproduce the orig
'nal; TO convey to the screen. even in
movement. all that blending Of poetry
and sohrioty, Of simplicity aud state
which marks the movement OF the
verse. The picture has great scenic
ana Photographic beauties, with many
daring experiments in colorin., but ali
these nave been studied with the de
voutcst diligence to represcnt as per
iccti.' as may be the beauties of Long
fellows feeling in this work. Nj
Walsh has mono or the spirit Of the
director who, when asked why he had
changed the namc or "'The Scarlet Let
teH' to-~if our memory serves us
Glove Eternal" replied that, in max
ing the book into a picture. the
Charges had improved it 50 much it
oidn't seem quite fair to tie it up with
the old title.
And "Evangeline" comes doubly vel
come as piece Of historical express
SION; whereas, save for an occasional
'Western,' the screen treats us. as in
deed We treat ourselves, like nation
without past. The burning of Grand
Ere and the deportation of its inhnb,
tants by the British may have been
originally Canadian incident, but the
refuge III Louisiana and the journey up
the Mississippi are ours, while Long
fellows capture of the story has made
1t coubly an American possession. Mr..
Walsh has succeeded in making these
woods and waters and sudden homes
speak OF country alive and human in
period when we are TOO apt to think
OF 1t as a kind Of juns,ed map.
There Is only one failure in "Evange-
'.ne,' but that, alas, is the crucial
failure OF not making that last, that
dcathbed meeting of the old, time
Worn lovers a supreme meeting. With
no charge in time or emphasis or
polenance from the rest OF the move
mcnt it slips through Mr.. Walsh's
otherwise so careful and sensitive
myers. we know not how, unless in
Ne"o IN lis having grown beard on