Jacob P. Adler (1914) 🇺🇸
Jacob P. Adler, the great romantic actor, who will be seen in the title role of Michael Strogoff, the big five-reel feature which is the first production of Popular Plays and Players, Inc., has had an interesting career on the stage. Though nearly sixty years old, his carriage is as erect, his step as firm, his eyes as bright and his hand-clasp as eager as thirty years ago. His remarkable dignity of bearing makes him a conspicuous figure.
Mr. Adler is well known in this country, where he has been appearing on the legitimate stage for twenty-eight years, in England and in Germany. His repertoire of speaking plays includes more than 200 different productions. He was born in 1855. He has been on the stage for thirty-six years. His first appearance was in Russia when he was twenty-three. Nearly thirty-two years ago, on November 9, 1882, he first appeared on the stage in England in The Robbers, by Schiller. Twenty-eight years ago he came to America, where he has remained most of the time since, and was first seen in Uriel Acosta at the old German Theater in Eighth Street.
Mr. Adler has a following of thousands of theatergoers in the United States. Some ten years ago he toured the country playing Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, and also in The Kreutzer Sonata. Mr. Adler has his own theaters in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago. He has a high reputation on the stage as a master of facial expression and pantomime.
“I am greatly pleased with the selection of Michael Strogoff for my appearance in motion pictures,” he said. “Of all the plays in my repertoire, I think this best fitted for the screen because it has many thrilling and spectacular scenes. There is the burning of Moscow, the blinding of Strogoff, the burning of Irkutsk, the river ablaze as the fugitives escape by raft; Bohara, the big Tartar camp, and the big court and palace scenes. I think the picture is good. I’m sure we produced it very carefully and with enormous ensembles in the battle, fête and court scenes. The costumes alone must have cost a small fortune.
“I am very glad to be associated with Popular Plays and Players, Inc. You know I am under contract for two years to appear only in their pictures, so, perhaps, I will be seen soon again in another of my plays. I hope so, anyway, because I like moving picture work.”
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“The Struggle Everlasting” (Lubin).
A vigorous society melodrama in which Henry Dawson is arrayed against his own father. The young man being possessed of a high sense of honor discovers that his father’s immense fortune has been built upon the crookedness of high finance methods, he refuses to participate and leaves his home, mother and the girl of his heart. He also joins forces with the district attorney becoming his second and when the crash comes it becomes his duty to prosecute. The ordeal is tense and the old man dies of heart failure under the merciless grilling of his own son. Honesty, however, prevails and Henry wins a glorious victory. The story is by Shannon Fife and the photoplay produced by Edgar Jones. The cast includes one of the best selected from the Lubin forces.
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An Exciting Scene from The Struggle Everlasting.
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“The Silent Witness” (Victor).
A boy and girl who loved each other and the out-of-doors, a villain who sought to come between them and incidentally enrich himself, and a camera; these are the principal actors in this human and thrilling drama of the West. Things looked black for the boy. The villain, his foreman, had contrived to compromise him in cattle stealing that was going on, but the eye of the camera told who the guilty party really was and also where the girl’s heart really lay.
Lately the demand has been so strong and persistent that Warren Kerrigan appears in a series of the roles that first made him famous on the screen, that “The Silent Witness,” and others to follow, is the result. The atmosphere of the West is vivid, there is a delightful romance in the story and the action is stirring.
Jack comes into the cattle town broke, looking for work. This he secures with a ranchman and, in that this ranchman has a pretty daughter, Vera, the position particularly appeals to the young cowboy. As the days pass Jack and Vera become attached to each other much to the disgust and anger of the foreman, George, who seeks Vera for himself. This foreman is the secret head of a gang of cattle thieves and he has been planning raids on his own boss’ ranch.
Jack, in the course of his work, comes to suspect the foreman, but can find nothing on him. The foreman, on the other hand, schemes to compromise Jack in the cattle raids with the assistance of a Mexican. They plant on Jack’s saddle an iron used in making over the brand on the horses that have been stolen. How a camera saves Jack, gives him the girl and the position of foreman, is the substance of the rest of the play.
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Smallwood and Grandin Leave Universal.
Ray C. Smallwood, director-photographer for Imp pictures on the Universal program, and Ethel Grandin, who has been featured in his productions, have announced their leaving that company this week.
Miss Grandin, although only twenty years of age, has been a motion picture favorite for the past three and a half years. Her first appearance in pictures was as leading woman of the Imp Company, where she followed Mary Pickford, playing opposite King Baggot. She later appeared in Bison 101 Ranch, Kaybee, Gem, Victor and Power’s brands. For the past year Miss Grandin has appeared exclusively in Imp releases.
Mr. Smallwood is one of the pioneer independents, having been a member of the United States Film Company, of Cincinnati, six years ago, which company was a member of the old Motion Picture Alliance. Later he was associated with Méliès, Imp, Kaybee and Universal.
In addition to being a capable director, Mr. Smallwood is one of the best photographic and technical experts in the motion picture industry.
Neither Miss Grandin or Mr. Smallwood have as yet announced any plans for the future. Mr. Smallwood is a member of the Photoplayer’s Club in Los Angeles and the Screen Club, New York.
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Bringing the Eggs to Market
The Wharton brothers, Theo and Leo [Theodore Wharton | Leopold Wharton], who comprise “Wharton, Inc.,” of Ithaca, N. Y., came down to New York City the other day with their first production, a five-reeler, entitled, “In the Revenue Service.” The negative was sold to Pathé Frères the same day for a mighty tidy figure and the boys took the night train back to the Feature Farm at Ithaca to raise another crop of thrills.
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Picker Purchases Burland Theater.
David V. Picker, lessee of the Metropolis Theater, Third Avenue and 142nd Street, Bronx, New York, has purchased the entire stock of the Midas Amusement Company, controlling the Burland Theater, 985 Prospect Avenue, Bronx. The Burland is one of the biggest exclusive picture houses in the Bronx. Mr. Picker has resold to Mrs. Mary Matchet the Nostrand Theater, situated at Nostrand and St. Mark’s Avenues, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Collection: Moving Picture World, June 1914