THE WOMAN WHO WAITS (Paramount and Artcraft Press Book May,1919)
THE WOMAN WHO WAITS (Paramount and Artcraft Press Book May,1919)
Paramount and Artcraft Press Book May,1919
THE WOMAN WHO WAITS
She is the Central Character of David W. Griffith’s Great Artcraft Picture “True Heart Susie”
Does Man or Woman Do the Wooing? * * * Is There Anything More Brutal than the Treatment Civilization Gives to Womanhood? * * * “True Heart Susie” is Dedicated to the Plain Women of the World.
WHICH stands the best chances of getting married? Which does a man choose for a wife? The painted and powdered, fluffy, shortskirted, silk-stockinged coquette, or the plain honest to goodness, truehearted girl? Since the beginning of time men have told women that the honest heart and plain simplicity mark the kind of girl a man wanted for a mate. Does he mean this, or does he only think he means it? Does the plain, real girl, following out her duty through life to God and man win the best husband?
Have you read the story of how many chorus girls have made brilliant matches? Not that there may not be plenty of good girls in the chorus, but when she is, does she not know that fluffy ruffles and gaudy clothes mean more to a man’s heart than sweet simplicity? This is the subject of “True Heart Susie.” Another point—does man or women do the wooing? “True Heart Susie” is dedicated to the plain women of the world—just the ordinary, honest to goodness girls —the women of this day of modern civilization. In theory, a woman is free to marry whom she pleases. Is this the truth? In the first place there are many more women than men in the world. In what sort of an environment does civilization put a young girl? Childhood past womanhood—all the old, primitive cry of womanhood that screams within her—to love and to be loved —that cannot be drowned by all the preachments, the philosophies and religions created since the dawn of time until the last speck of life left on this earthly planet. Say it, preach, talk what we will—nature must have her way. To attempt to stop this is death or perversion. Is there anything more brutal in the world than the treatment civilization gives to womankind ? The Woman that Waits—From New York to California, through all our civilized globe—the woman is taught she must wait—it is the man who must make the advances.
Suppose you were an ordinary, plain girl—what chance do you stand of marrying the man of your choice? You have no more choice than a weed in an ordinary garden that desires the sun. On front porch and back porch, in church and on sidewalks you may see the millions searching after happiness. For women, the greater part of this means the right man — where is he? You sit on the porch in any one of the thousand country towns from Maine to California and wait for the man to come—and wait, and wait. They go by—the ones that you would like—it is a free country ; you have your choice. But how, in the name of God, are you going to make that choice? Most of them either keep on waiting and he never comes, or else take some poor pitiful, stunted, weak-kneed, swaybacked, imitation of her ideal and, holding this poor pitiful excuse of humanity close to her heart goes on through the rest of her life lying to herself that this is the ideal creature. The Woman That Waits—the heroine in “True Heart Susie” is one of these girls—just a sweet, ordinary girl who hasn’t the money to buy clothes she would like, with a heart as big as humanity, palpitating with sweetness, love and selfsacrifice, but the heart is hidden behind plain clothes, beneath an ordinary exterior. What man in the world has eyes keen enough to look through this and see the beauty of the human heart? Wars may come and wars may go, but the search for happiness, the search for love, goes on forever —and no battle more pitiful, no struggle more heart-rending, no tragedy deeper than that in the little, sweet, tender heart of the woman who waits. Could you look into this heart you might see more sacrifices, more beauty, more God, than is enthroned in all the religions of the world. Laugh at religion, if you will, laugh at the stars if you are so pitifully low, laugh at the moon or a child’s face or a dying deer, or a man being crucified, but don’t, if you value your soul’s salvation, laugh at a woman that has been denied all life, whom we vulgarly call “an old maid”—one of those who have waited.
Advance Press Stories of “True Heart Susie”
To be Sent to the Newspapers Immediately Prior to and During the Display of David Wark Griffith’s Latest Photoplay
An Artcraft Picture
CHARMING STORY OF TRUE GIRL’S LOVE IS ‘TRUE HEART SUSIE”
David W. Griffith’s New Artcraft Picture is Delightful Production
CHARMING indeed, is the story of “True Heart Susie,” David W. Griffith’s new Artcraft picture which will be shown at the theatre for days. It is one of those pastoral themes which rise to the dignity of screen classics by reason of the artistry of this master producer, and which invariably hold their own against criticism. In this fascinating story of a little Hoosier girl who loves a boy with rare devotion, the heart interest is supreme and the suspense wonderfully compelling. Susie May Trueheart loves William Jenkins so well that when a politician fails to keep his promise to send William to school, she sells butter and eggs and even her cow to raise funds for the purpose. So it happens that William goes to college, but he is unaware that his good angel is Susie to whom he writes desultory letters. So it happens that when he leaves college and is ordained a minister, he comes to his home as pastor of the village church. Then the tragedy of poor Susie’s life is born. William weds a flighty beautiful girl who repays his love by accepting the attentions of less worthy men. But she is punished by fate. Susie, although she never has forgotten that she was the bearer of flowers at the wedding of the man she loved, protects the erring wife, and it is only after the latter’s death that William comes to a realization of Susie’s great love and both find happiness. Sweet Lillian Gish plays the part of Susie and Robert Harron is William Jenkins. Clarine Seymour plays the role of Betty the butterfly wife. The support generally is of the finest grade.
SMILES THRU TEARS; HEARTBREAKING; OH, “TRUE HEART SUSIE!”
Highly Impressive Scene in D. W. Griffith’s New Artcraft Production
PERSONS who have ever had to smile while their hearts were breaking, will never forget the performance of Lillian Gish in “True Heart Susie,” the latest D. W. Griffith Artcraft picture which will be displayed at the theatre on next.
Since her appearance in “Broken Blossoms,” Mr. Griffith’s tremendous artistic success that has been the sensation of New York, Miss Gish is conceded by all the metropolitan critics to be one of the foremost actresses on the screen, but many believe she has surpassed all previous work in her characterization of the heart-broken little girl who hoped to marry her girlhood sweetheart, and found him, instead, with his arms about a comparative stranger, whom he had asked to marry him. With her aunt she is invited to the minister’s home, to hear him play the little church organ, quite a social event in the community. Just for a little surprise, she joyfully runs ahead of her aunt, tiptoes through the open door, and sees — . The tumult of her heart seems to surge in her face. The man for whom she has worked, and secretly helped and selected for her mate, turns with a casual smile to her as an old friend, and she smiles back, a smile gracious with courtesy and well wishing, but palsied with the horror of surprise.
Women should love that smile, for it is a triumph of their sex. It is one of the soul-searching touches which Mr. Griffith has put into “True Heart Susie” and which makes it a human document as well as a delightful diversion.
SOUL OF VILLAGE MAID IS THEME OF “TRUE HEART SUSIE”
Three Strong Characters Are Central Figures of New D. W. Griffith Picture
INTO the rural village for the setting, and into a woman’s soul for the theme, David Wark Griffith has gone for the materials of his new Artcraft picture “True Heart Susie,” which will be shown at the theatre next He has chosen three characters, typical and definite in the domestic life of America, familiar to the residents in every small place and most large ones. One is that of a lovable, loyal girl, who never has a chance to marry but one man, and when that man passes her by, ages her soul with tears, and wearies her days with waiting. Another is a young man who goes to college, returns with comical conceit, the premier of swains, as serious to himself as the measles. And the third is a girl who considers marriage never a union of hearts but a necessary patronage, a wife of subsidy rather than of love. With these persons, Mr. Griffith has arranged a story of wondrous charm, piquant in the delightful subtleties of character delineation, a warm, wholesome story of love won and love denied. He devotes his deep perception of the infinite varieties of each heart, to these three young persons, each whetted by nature to realize the fullness of life’s experiences, yet each held from doing just what he or she should.
Lillian Gish appears as the girl who waits, a repressed role which absorbs the full power of her acting. Robert Harron, as the boy who becomes a minister, will remind the world of some it knows, and give to it a chuckle never forgotten. Clarine Seymour is introduced as a merry young milliner from Chicago.
ADVANCE PRESS STORIES
WIFE OF MINISTER DANCE? OH, HORROR!
Clarine Seymour Has Strong- Role in “True Heart Susie’’
WHAT could shock a sedate and church-going community more than to have the minister’s wife dance? Not only secretly dance in her own home, but go out at night with a young chap called “Sporty” and dance in the neighboring town. She knew the latest ‘shimmy’ and she danced the lightest step, and she came capering into the life of “True Heart Susie” to become a troublesome and delightful figure in D. W. Griffith’s latest Artcraft picture which will be shown at the theatre next week. But she would dance. The minister had never seen a dance, and his horror at finding his bride dancing with the gayest young man in the countryside, with the music played on the organ where he practiced all his church hymns, was beyond expression. The irrepressible character of this little milliner who stitches a strange garment of life for herself in the drama, is played by Clarine Seymour, the “Cutie Beautiful” of ‘The Girl Who Stayed at Home’. Her vivacity and fascinating selfishness in the role make it distinctly a part of vivid interest and true human proportions.
ROBERT HARRON BOY IN NEW PHOTOPLAY
Supports Lillian Gish in New Picture “True Heart Susie”
ROBERT Harron as a lanky, long-necked country boy who goes to college and becomes a minister, with wise opinions about selecting a girl for a wife, but hasty and lacking judgment in doing so, plays the part of a character familiar to millions in D. W. Griffith’s new Artcraft picture “True Heart Susie,” which comes to the theatre next Even before he leaves for the small college, his innocent complacency at being a favorite among the girls of the small community, led him to strut and council with the confidence and wisdom only a boy at such an age could assume. And when he returns from the college for his vacation, with a new suit, a moustache, and a new importance in his carriage ; and grandly invites Susie to attend his royal and triumphal progress to the village grocery store in search of a “sody,” Mr. Harron makes all the world his debtor for one of the most deep-seated laughs the screen has ever offered.
Lillian Gish and Clarine Seymour play the leading women’s roles. The cast generally is of the highest Griffith standard of excellence.
LILLIAN GISH BUYS AFFECTIONATE COW
Animal Wins Her During- Filming of “True Heart Susie”
IN her new character of. “True Heart Susie” Lillian Gish has to surrender her greatest asset and dear friend, a cow to which she has become greatly attached. When she goes into the field, the cow approaches, stands contentedly near, sniffs at her shoes, calmly and tenderly licks her face, and otherwise demonstrates her affection. “True Heart Susie” will be shown at the theatre next While taking the scenes, Miss Gish was so impressed by the friendliness of the cow, that she made it a pet, and when work was over after several days, she bought the animal. It is the first of a herd Miss Gish hopes to have some day, although it may go as a gift to her sister, Dorothy, for it is the first cow Miss Dorothy ever could fondle without disaster.
Splendid Photography
THE soft and exquisite photography of which D. W. Griffith is the inventor and developer appears with new vigor of improvement distinctive among photographic effects in “True Heart Susie,” an Artcraft picture which is on view at the theatre this week. Trenchant, delightful, glowing with the charm of youth, and electric with the tumult of rival love, bristling with humanities, significant as a study and absorbing as entertainment, “True Heart Susie” is a most remarkable photoplay.
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