"THE SPY SYSTEM"
—9 : AND "THE BABES IN THE WOOD." When America entered tlio war it was anticipated that propaganda favouring tho internment of German subjects likely to prove dangerous would take novel forms. One of these forms is presumably the Fox film ontitled "The Spy System,' screened by tho Williamson management before a large audience at the Grand Opera House last evening. Its author— Georgo Bronson Howard—evidently conceived the notion that his countrymen would need something with a dramatic thrill to thicken up its horror of German methods, and ho has managed, in tho • course of a not vory convincing story, to pile horror on horror in his narrative of the fate that overtakes an American spy operating in Berlin. This is Mark Quaintance (Dustin Farnum), one of New York's idle rich, who, feeling the call of country, volunteers to endeavour to securc a list of the German spies in America. From the outsot he is shadowed/by German agents, and Grata Glaum (Winifred Kingston), a very pretty spy, is instructed to secure him "body and soul." In her effort, however, she falls in love with him, and deserts the cause. For this offence she is submitted to torture in a rat-infestod don. In the meantime Quaintance .presents himself before the American Ambassador in Berlin; arranges his campaign, and insinuates himself into mill* tary society. A terrible man with a rattrap mouth and a Kaiseresciue moustacho named Wittschaeft (William Burfcss) inveigles the willing American into accepting a title provisionally on his becoming a spy in the German forces, and incidentally shows him a bbolc containing tho names of 10,000 spies engaged in tho service of Wilhelmstrasso in tho States. On the day that America declares war, tho American Ambassador, with a curious idea of the fitness of things, gives a ball, at which Quaintance onco • more meets Greta, who has been given a last chance to entrap the American. That night, whilst Wittschaeft is still at the ball, Qunintanco enters his house, acetones the strong box, and secures the coveted book of spies. At that moment Greta reveals herself and the alarm is, raised. Quaintance pressos tho book on her to give to his Ambassador, whilst ho faces the music. Greta gets clear away, and doss hor work, bnt is again arrested. Tho two are submitted to horrifying tortures (suggestive of the great scene in "La Tosca") in order to get information about tho lost book (Wittschaeft being a bad gticsser), but both of them refuse to reveal its whereohouts, and are shot. The final scene shows the book in the possession of the authorities at Washington, who do proper reverence to tho,memoiT of the heroic Quaintance. The story is presented on dramatic lines that are ultratheatrical in style, but the p lotography is strikingly good, and (he acting of tho principals in several of the scenes is vivid enough to please the most phlemm As C 'a relief to tho turgid horrors of "The Spy System" is "Tlio Babes in the Wood," an adaptation of the oldfairj tnlo to a modern domestic tnanglo drama, in which the second wife of n well-meaning man, ill-treats his cb'W'® • and carries on with her husbandsJrotlier. To test tho position, tho h sb. ml disappears purposely, leaving all i»monoy to his two golden-haired childten with'a reversion to the wife, sliould a thing hanpen them. The inoyilable is about to happen, when the husband sud(lenlv returns. Then ensues_ a scono in winch ho tells his own nf "The Babes m tho Wood, and tno wholo tiling is acted <:h.jnniiwy by some elevor children, notably by Francis Ui nenter and Virginia Corb'n a® he Tn the ond. rtmorse soimss the soul ol cne listening woman, and all live over and ertfr. The pictures will be presented up till and including Fndnycvenins. -
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 113, 5 February 1918, Page 7
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636"THE SPY SYSTEM" Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 113, 5 February 1918, Page 7
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