New-York tribune., 1921-05-29
In the Realm of Curtain and Cue
Nv oman God
Changed Tells
Plot Backward
Remarkably Difficult, bat
of Screen Realism, Marks
Vignoia's Presentation

The power of the photoplay Co carry
slons the spectator is exemplified by
sThe Woman God Changed" the Rob
ert G. Vignols production for Para
mount which, after run at the Rivoli
Thcater, begins weeks engagement
at the Rialto Theater to-d day. The
chotoplay almost teAs its story back
ward, the narrative being told in a
courtroom where young woman is
on trial for murder, yet, in the course
Of the photoplay, the action is visioned
with such realism that very obvious
facts are forgotten by the spectator,
the recalling of which would have
taken the thrill out of succeeding
scenes.
Seens Owen plays the part of 8
young dancer who killed her rich, old
lover when he took another woman
into his home. 1t is for this crime
that she is tried. A maid tells of
the quarrel which followed a lively
>
the other woman had been invited. The
second witness is waiter, who testi-
fes to having seen the prisoner enter
the fashionable resort, firing the fatal
shot and escaping. AS each witness
testifes the testimony is visualized on
the screen.
Drama of South Seas
Included in the Plot.
The third witness is the detective,
played by E. K. Lincoln. He had been
sent to the South Seas to bring the
fugitive back to the United States and,
few days after setting sail from
Tahiti found himself alone on a desert
island with his prisoner. The detec-
tive seemed loath to tell the jury what
happened, but, on the look of approval
from the beautiful prisoner, tells how
she had urged him to forget his oath
to bring her back to civilization dead
or alive" She had pointed out that
she had saved his life and urged that
in saving him from drowning she had
stoned for the life she had taken.
When the officer refused to make the
bargain, she fired. 1t is merely a
flesh wound in the arm and when the
detective turns and cynically urges her
to try again, reminding her that she
had fred with better effect when she
hlled her former lover, the interest
hAeo Lo 4L
the second shot will be fatal. Yet,
Just second before, the audience
had seen the detective seated on the
witness stand, unhurt by the shot. SO
graphically is the scene enacted that
the impression of the courtroom scene
is forced entirely out of the spectators
mind
Similar Effect Achieved
In the Shipwreck Scene
A similar incident happens in the
shipwreck scene. The vessel is struck
By a typhoon, the cargo shifts and sets
the ship afre. There is a rushing
about the decks and there is lively
fear for the young woman and the de-
iectve, Convincing acting in the
'aashbacks'-the thread of court
room narrative is shown through turn
ing back in the story-makes the spec
tators forget the obvious facts.
Telling story backward, as "The
Woman God Changed" does, places
heavy responsibility upon the players.
Ihey must, above everything else, por-
Tray their roles with fullest power,
beng denied much of the strength
which story carries through surprise
situations. The cards are first laid on
'ae table, the spectator is taken into
confidence and then the players must
enact the story with such realistic art
aa 10 cover up completely the sub
structure Of the device. 1t is a dan
gefous method of telling story-one
wat Is more often responsive for the
failure than the success of a produc-
'ion' but it is handled SO ably by Mr..
''gnola in "The Woman God Changed"
as to spell conviction.