South Bend news-times., 1922-12-17
BY JAMES j. MONTAGUE.

BY JAMES ~. mONlAUtE.
When you live in the country and
have no place to go but out 10 the
movies. you can't help noticing the
people that play IN them.
That leads TO confusion and 10
disiIlusionment.
If the same people would play the
same kind of parts, ii would be all
right. You would get used TO their
charact You would know what
to expect.
But directors never seem 70 under
stand that one play IS going % be
followed by another one, ana that
the movie audiences, having put
their trust in one character or de-
veloped an intense dislike for an
other, are going TO be put under a
heavy strain when these characters
do not run according TO the dope.
For example for three consecutive
films we saw a nice old man step in
just at the critical stage Of the play
and pay off the mortgage on the
Ford so the hero could continue IN
the nice little neighborhoOd bootleg
ging business he had built up by
honesty. sobriety and industry; order
off the premises the bonus noble
man who was making love TO the
heiress and expecting 20 elope with
chorus girl after he had married
her: and stop the machinery IN T. .
old mill just as the gang saw was
about TO slice the impecunious young
lumberjack into strips.
That was fne We took great
liking to the old gentleman. who had
a fine erect figure. and curly gray
hair. and q benignant countenance.
But the next film was something
else again. The old gentleman came
in early IN the play bringing with
him the same erect figure. the same
curly gray hair and the same be-
nignant ccUntenance.
The Benevolent Old Bird POisons
Banker,
But instead of beginning at once
10 do something noble and inspiring,
so as TO renew our faith in him he
took bottle OF prussic acid from the
side board. poured half Of IL into
glass that stood on a table. and when
q venerable banker who, u seems
knew the benignant faced gentleman
for a former counterfeiter. came in.
filed up the glass out OF a bottle
labelled "sherry' and gave It 70 him
10 drink.
The aged banker. after drinking
the mixture. put his hand swiftly on
his heart and expired in what was
obviously considerable pain.
We couldn't have been more
shocked had we found our own
grandfather armed with a wrench
taking the tire of our neighbor's
automobile in the dead OF night.
The benevolent faced actor was
hack In his moral character next
rtrne we saw him. lie was distrlout-
frg baskets OF chicken a Ia king 20
-t,a moor Of tenement district. and
we felt that we had been mistaken
about him. and almost wanted 20
apologize.
But in the film that followed two
evenings later he was raising
check for eight dollars which his
daughter had been given for her
months wages TO eight hundred
thousand dollars. altering the name
OF the payee 20 his own and collect
ing 10 az the bank.
II we have seen any OF the other
actors in the cast. especially the one
who played the hero. doing anything
like that we shouldn't have been so
pained and surprised.
But when this kindly old gentle
man did il II gave as cruel jolt.
Now when our friend comes on
the scene we don't know whether he
is going TO leave a fortune 20 the
widows and orphans in his election
district or stuff a ballot box. II is
very q .scOuceTllns