March 30, 1917, Friday
The Bay City Times Tribune, Bay City, Michigan
THE STAGE
REMARKABLE PICTURE AT THE BIJOU.
“Masque of Life” a Succession of Thrills and Weird Happenings.
There seems no limit to the wild extravagancies producers will indulge in or the madcap dangers actors, directors and camera men will risk in thrills for the delectation and astonishment of their audiences. “The Masque of Life,” now showing at the Bijou, would seem to be very close to that ultimate in its magnificence of conception and uncontrolled expenditure of detail. The theme is developed in an odd blending of the allegorical with the real in telling the story of the love of Evelyn, a little circus girl for a young prince, and the characters are so real and portrayed with such sincerity that the heart interest is established from the first and does not wane, notwithstanding the succession of very spectacular incidents which interlace the story. They had planned an elopment [sic] which the sudden death of the king prevents and Evelyn, the girl, thinking herself deserted becomes a wanderer with an itinerant circus. The young prince who in the meantime has ascended the throne is informed that the girl and their babe have been drowned and he weds one of royal blood. The wanderings of the circus brings it to the capital where is the royal palace. A chimpanzee belonging to the circus has become attached to Evelyn and follows her with docile adoration. Her babe dies and the animal with instinct almost human, realizes she is mourning for the child and conceives the idea of securing another for her. The brute invades the nursery of the king and seizing the royal babe, climbs to the top of a skycraping [sic] chimney with it. Evelyn, equipped by her circus training, follows the monkey and rescues the babe. This is the first of a series of spectacular incidents which climax in the burning of a circus building in which a performance is being given for the king, the death of the queen and the final reuniting of the lovers. The burning of the circus is thrilling in the extreme and well it might be, for the staged fire got beyond the control of the film makers and became a reality, taking a toll of human lives as well as those of the magnificent lions used in the production. It is a remarkable picture.
Tomorrow the Bijou has arranged a special performance for the kiddies, having secured the film of “Modern Mother Goose,” which will be staged at 10:30 in the morning. A perfect revel of nursery heroes and heroines is promised the youngsters (and elders too) in this picture.
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“Modern Mother Goose.”
“Modern Mother Goose” which is scheduled to be shown at the Bijou theater Saturday morning is a children’s entertainment showing the adventures of the old woman who lived in a shoe. The first of the five parts show the sad experiences of Tommy, the boy without a birthday party. Tommy wins the regard of a fairy, who takes him to a place in fairyland from which he can see into Mother Goose’s realm.
Tommy sees the house of the Old Woman who lived in a shoe. He sees the children go to bed in the toe of the shoe.
The children ride on the goose to a party in the Moon Garden of Mistress Mary Quite Contrary, but they have too good a time and stay too late. A terrible giant lives near, An old witch tells him about the children and he captures them at night.
Old King Cole, ruler of Gooseland, and Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines, lead the Gooseland army to rescue the shoe children. The giant rushes out but is overpowered and dragged to King Cole’s palace.
After the release of the shoe children all Mother Gooseland rejoices. The fairies come out and dance, and Tommy, who has been a thrilled spectator of all these occurrences, reluctantly returns to earth.
“Modern Mother Goose” is for children, and for grown-ups who have not forgotten that they were children once.
Bay City, Michigan: The Way It Was 