Grace Washburn in “World Film” (1915) 🇺🇸
Grace Washburn, a beautiful girl of American Indian extraction, is to be starred by the Charles K. Harris Feature Film Company in a photodrama “When It Strikes Home.”
With her in the picture will be the “Thanhouser” beauty, Muriel Ostriche, and the picture will be released by the World Film Corporation at an early date. Miss Washburn’s great-grandfather was a Cherokee Indian Chief, and thereby hangs a tale. Several years ago, Miss Washburn registered a great personal triumph at the New York Winter Garden in the “review,” which is a perennially favorite form of entertainment at that delectable resort.
Two years ago a bevy of American beauties were exported to London, England. That dear old town, ever since the days of Henry E. Dixey and Fay Templeton (who at the Gaiety Theater in the Strand wore next to nothing seductively and gracefully), always extends a cordial welcome to American pulchritude on the stage and off it. Seriously, good looks and self assurance from this side of the Atlantic unfailingly go well on the other. Grace Washburn was in the troupe and soon found herself the star at the London Opera House in a ragtime review Come Over Here, by Wilson Mizner and Max Pemberton. The London Opera House, thanks to Oscar Hammerstein, is a classy music hall, resorted to by the best boys and girls in town.
Grace, a real American blonde, descendant of Cherokees and other scalpers, took London by storm. She smiled, danced, talked, insinuated her way into the good graces of the most generous and most appreciative public on the globe. Newspapermen, artists, of the best type, wrote about and sketched her. She became known as “the American beauty” and her fame for loveliness of face and figure and scantiness of attire packed the London Opera House.
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“The Bond of Friendship”
Two-part Alhambra in which a dream opens the door to realization and prevents a broken friendship.
Reviewed by Margaret I. MacDonald
In spite of the fact that one or two points of this production may be open to criticism, it is an exceedingly attractive one, and revels in the joys of careful staging. Donald MacDonald has directed the making of the picture, which, along with others from the hand of this competent producer, tends to emphasize the fact that an evenness of quality from him may be depended upon. In the whole production there is but one missing link, and that is a rather insignificant one. This occurs in the dream portion of the picture when a telephone message is received by the husband telling him of the intended elopement of his wife with his friend, previous to apprising the audience of the fact, or signifying the location of the couple.
Dorothy Davenport and Rupert Julian play opposite one another, with Lee Hill and Benjamin Horning closely associated. The opening of the story is placed amid western surroundings, and contains a thrilling incident, where the young woman of the story falls over a cliff, and in the attempt of her two admirers to rescue her, one of them seeing that the rope to which they both cling is about to break, sacrificially allows himself to drop a great height in order to exclude the other from an even worse fate. He is picked up unconscious, and during the convalescence of the woman and the man, placed always near one another, the way is paved for a matrimonial union, which afterwards proves unhappy through the neglectful attitude of the husband. At this point of the story, and during a visit from the unsuccessful suitor, a dream which takes place, while his wife and friend are at the theater, where he has lazily refused to accompany them, awakens him to the danger in which he has placed his matrimonial craft, and tends to strengthen the bond of friendship between the two men.
Scene from “The Bond of Friendship” (Alhambra).
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“The High Hand” Cast.
In the last release of the Favorite Players’ “The High Hand,” a six-part photoplay, John Sheehan gives a wonderful rendition of the part of the little political jackal, Franques. Douglas Gerrard is forceful and admirable as the political boss, while Neva Gerber, the only girl in the photoplay, is sweet and pretty as the girl.
William Brunton as a political scoundrel of the approved type, Harry Kernan, as the father, and Richard Willis, as Bob, the foreman, are all ably suited to their parts.
Carlyle Blackwell, as Jim Warren, who works out his “big idea,” is his old self at his best, and wins admiration all through the production.
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Alliance invades the Hawaiian Islands.
The Alliance Films Corporation, through its representative, Nat. A. Magner, in San Francisco, has arranged to have the entire Alliance Program shown in the picture houses of Hawaii and the surrounding islands, beginning March 20.
As soon as President Cobe received the report of this transaction he immediately wired to Mr. Magner to arrange if possible to have the pictures shown to the unfortunate shut-ins of the leper colony before being returned.
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Gene Gauntier with Universal.
Gene Gauntier, whose reputation as an actress with the Kalem and Biograph companies and later as an independent producer of feature pictures extends over many years, left New York on March 7 with Jack Clark and a company of players to become a member of the Universal forces working in California. Mr. Clark will continue to be Miss Gauntier’s director and leading man in the making of three and four-reel pictures that will be released on the Universal program under a brand name not yet selected. The Gauntier studio at 517 West Fifty-fourth street, New York, has been rented by Gustave Frohman for use by the producing company which he heads.
Miss Gauntier’s work with the Kalem Company in “From the Manger to the Cross” and many other productions gave her a world-wide reputation. For a time she was scenario editor as well as a leading player of Biograph. The pictures made at her New York studio were always well acted and carefully presented.
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Fashion Notes in Hearst–Selig Weekly.
Dame Fashion is going to have a great deal to say in the pictures henceforth. The Hearst–Selig News Pictorial has instituted a department for the presentation every week by Lucille, Lady Duff-Gordon, of New York, of the very latest frills and foibles that are dear to the feminine hearts. Latest fashions in Milady’s gowns will be shown on living models. These fashions are the very latest word from Paris and elsewhere. Women long ago learned to visit the motion pictures to get the latest in fashion hints. This latest innovation can be termed an “animated fashion department.” Many fashion journals which have for so long enjoyed great vogue among women will find their occupation gone for the Hearst–Selig News Pictorial will be first in fashion’s realm; with the up-to-the minute styles.
Collection: Moving Picture World, March 1915