Jack Hopkins (1915) 🇺🇸

From the pulpit to the stage is such a common jump that Jack Hopkins is not entitled to any special distinction because he studied for the ministry. The fact is mentioned merely to put him under his proper classification of 6-b-927. He never was — and isn’t a regular minister, but he has been three and a half kinds of actor, and two kinds of director — full and assistant. Seeing that he only drinks soda, this classification will be understood to mean that he has put on pictures alone, and has assisted other full directors. He also worked with the Colonial company.

He started his career of crime as a regular comedian with the Lubin players under Arthur D. Hotaling. He was selected for this position both on account of his ability, and because he was a brother of Mae Hotely, who married Mr. Hotaling some time ago. He later obtained some good positions as comedian on the strength of his work, and without being related to any one in the company, and made good in the whole gamut from slapstick to polite or parlor comedies. He is one of the few men with soulful eyes and long hair who will stand for a seltzer siphon in a comedy instead of starting to talk an argument about the time he played dramatic leads. And the harder the work, the harder he works. Versatile is his middle name, but he was not baptized that way and so he does not use it. He has worked as lead with almost as many feature companies as there have been organized in a single prosperous month, but they cannot be listed here because he lost his card catalogue. He has also played in a number of the regular releasing companies and is at present with the Edison players in Ashley Miller’s company. He really is that scarce person, an all around actor who can change from comedy to drama and back again with the changing of his dress, and in his three years in harness he has done everything from second lead in Seats of the Mighty next to Lionel Barrymore, and leads in many feature productions of Lubin and Ramo slapstick comedies. Few on this side of the water ever saw the Ramo comedies, but he was in lots of Lubin pictures before he changed his boarding place and company at the same time and came back to New York. He is a member of the Screen Club; one of the early members and rests content with that.

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“The Bachelor’s Romance”

John Emerson, in four-part Famous Players subject, gives good interpretation of quaint character.

Reviewed by George Blaisdell.

It is an interesting interpretation John Emerson gives us in his portrayal of the young-old man whose mild adventures are depicted in The Bachelor’s Romance, the four-part subject released by the Famous Players on February 11. Mr. Emerson finely draws the character of David Holmes, the retiring, woman-fearing man, to whom marriage seems so far away. Chief in his support is Lorraine Huling as Sylvia, the ward of David. Miss Huling, who has been seen before in Famous Players pictures, has a pleasing personality. Maggie Fisher, as Aunt Clem, to whose care is intrusted by David the child so suddenly thrust into his quiet life, is one of the figures of the story. She finely typifies the housewife of the small community — strict in her ideals and as warm in her affection as her outward aspect is frigid.

There is nothing sensational in The Bachelor’s Romance. It is a story of a bachelor, a literary man, into whose heart slowly creeps the girl for whose upbringing he had declined the direct responsibility. For three reels the interest depends much on the character work of Mr. Emerson. The last part is where most of the action lies, and in this division of the story there is appeal as we see the guardian and the ward gradually but surely being brought to an understanding.

The opening of the story is of the office of David. We see him struggling to avoid the women callers. Then comes to his home the child of whom he is to be the guardian. The unnamed little player by her work arouses the interest and the sympathy of the onlooker. When Sylvia has grown up she has as a suitor a young man who is a competitor for a ten-thousand-dollar literary prize. David is the judge to whom has fallen the decision as to the winner. After David has determined that The Bachelor’s Romance is the best story, he learns by accident the identity of the author. Not knowing who is judging his play, the young man asks David if he may have the hand of Sylvia in the event of his winning. David, who already has been unsuccessful in surrendering his task, reluctantly consents. Then comes the inward struggle to decide according to his convictions and against the dictates of his heart. It is the young woman who with true feminine determination and skill brings about the situation where she rests in the arms of David. She is obliged to simulate a fall from a cliff to accomplish it, but the scheme works out just exactly as she had planned.

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Scene from The Bachelor’s Romance (Famous Players)

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Makoto Inokuchi in Selig Character Parts

Makoto Inokuchi, the Japanese actor, so successful in comedy character work, has gone to Los Angeles, Cal., where he will undertake character parts in Selig Polyscope Company Pictureplays. Mr. Inokuchi is a graduate of Princeton University, Class of 1908. Among the dramatic productions in which he has appeared are: Paid in Full, The Daughter of Heaven, and Bought and Paid For. He has also been very successful in motion picture work.

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Gladys Hanson in “The Climbers”

Miss Gladys Hanson, the Broadway star who has been leading woman for Daniel Frohman, E. H. Sothern, Kyrle Bellew (1850–1911), Henry Miller (1859–1926), David Belasco and other prominent producers, will be featured in Clyde Fitch’s The Climbers, which the Lubin Company is making into a feature photoplay at the studio in Philadelphia. The scenario for the production was written by Clay M. Greene and the play will be directed by Barry O’Neil.

The Climbers is a powerful society drama and in the character of Blanche Sterling, originally played by Amelia Bingham, Miss Hanson has a strong emotional part particularly fitting her temperament and one which will give her a wide scope for the display of her remarkable ability.

Among the well-known Lubin players who will appear with Miss Hanson are George Soule Spencer, Jack Standing, Charles Brandt, Ruth Bryan, Rosetta Brice, Peter Lang and Ferdinand Tidmarsh.

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Fenwick and Judels Play Leads in Kleine’s “Commuters”

George Kleine announces that Charles Judels has been engaged to play opposite Irene Fenwick in the Kleine filming of the popular James Forbes comedy, The Commuters. Director Fitzmaurice [George Fitzmaurice] is busily at work with his star cast at the Kleine studio, 11 East Fourteenth street, where the big film is being rapidly completed.

Collection: Moving Picture World, February 1915