Love and Hatred

Roy Norton's "The Greater Hate," furnished the scenario for this picture. It would have been better if it had furnished only the situation. It seems that more than half of the film was used up in stating the situation. Much of this preliminary work was of use in the story as giving what is called "local color." The incident of the teacher's birthday presents was useful chiefly for that purpose, but added very little to the development of the action. It sometimes takes pages to give local color to a story; a picture is full of it the instant it is thrown on the screen. Consequently, it is a waste of time for a picture producer to linger on such scenes. He should grasp only the kernel of the story, its central situation and picture that in action, if he wants to be powerful. None of the players gave any special significance to these early scenes. Later, when the woman's true lover and her faithful husband meet, there is a dramatic and powerfully-acted scene. The heroine looked pretty, but the picture was not a very fortunate choice as a vehicle for her expression. She has done better work in romantic comedies. - The Moving Picture World, November 18, 1911