Show Strong Man 77 Farnum Often I I in Trouble I William Farnum finds that strength Is not always an asset It has taken the moving picture to bring this confession confession con con- from him In so EO many of the William Villiam Fox pictures pic plc- tures In which Mr Farnum appears he has to fight tight to see that right triumphs tri tri- I I in the end There are always villains who get et et in the way and these I mea IDu m a must be ruthlessly hurled aside before iho tho path of virtue This is what has made strength th a handicap to William Farnum Ho He tries to be gentle genUe with his opponent but itIs it itIs itis Is like a lion trying to to bo kind to a ai a. mouse He lie finds that the claws clas will willi glide forth often before he knows it I and it requires the fullest lung power of his director to recall them That ThatIs Is the pathetic side of ot William Farnum Farnum Farnum Far Far- num the man of power Forgets H His is Strength There was A Soldiers Soldier's Oath In which Farnum had to strangle tho man whose crime had condemned him an Innocent man roan to life imprisonment His Ills histrionic ability mastered his sense of the unreal and Farnum found after the scene had been played that Herman J. J Herbert who played the part of Lazare was blue In the face Then came Fighting Blood with a similar motive running through It Once more Farnum in the role of Lem Hardy Hard was unjustly sent to pris pris- on He comes coms from confinement anew anew a anew new man converted to a love lovo for the Bible by the faith and humanity of the prison chaplain He finds find that his first sermon Is almost broken up by a gang of toughs who come to the church to nag the new minister His fighting blood gets the better bettor of him and single handed he rushes at the crowd They disperse hurriedly After After After Af Af- ter the film had been taken for this scene three of the intruders found themselves bruised more than their contract had called for It was v.-as another another another an an- other Instance of Farnum's powerful strength conquering the man This Was a Picnic The Bondman had another fighting scene of enormous moment It began with a wrestling match between Stephen Steph Steph- en Arry Amy William Villiam Farnum and Patrik- Patrik sen a champion Stephen came off victorious and then had to fight Pat- Pat brother who was furious on learning that the championship had passed from his family The men who played the part of the fighters were specially selected for their large frames and strength At last the director thought Farnum would meet an equal But the bout was almost childs child's play for the actor He came forth from the two combats fresh as he had entered ready to tackle all comers And his opponents had injuries to show that they had played their parts obediently William Farnum's strength has thus made him one of ot the most pathetic figures figures figures fig fig- ures on the screen It is a force stronger than he Is which conquers him unconsciously and masters the theman theman theman man no human being has been able to master Many have said that the sad side of the actors actor's art is portrayed more ably in Farnum's face than in that of any other person on stage or screen He shows in every expression the tragedy tragedy tragedy trag trag- edy of the man whose muscles get the better of his brain unless the brain la is overactive and alert In his newest picture the gigantic actor found it harder than ever to control himself Fate is against him throughout the story and the very combativeness of his nature makes him rebel against fate as well as against more palpable things s. |