New Pictures

The Black Pirate. Douglas Fairbanks' openings are major matters in the yearly history of the screen. This present opening was further interesting because the picture was in color. The Black Pirate proved to be the most beautiful thing Mr. Fairbanks has ever done. Perhaps it was just a trifle less loaded with excitement than some of his great pictures.

The star plays a worthy young man who becomes a pirate to avenge his father, murdered by other pirates. Vanquishing the leader of the wicked crew, he assumes command and takes the next prize singlehanded. Thereon he finds a lovely girl (Billie Dove). Subsequently he humanizes the pirates.

Mr. Fairbanks is his usual volcanic self. That should be more than enough for any picture. Yet the coloring seems principally important in The Black Pirate. Somewhere they have found a process which eliminates the vagrant greens and reds that blurred earlier attempts. It is not yet perfect. Yet it is distinctive and a decided advance in cinema decoration.

The First Year. William Fox has made a celluloid comedy out of Frank Craven's brilliant play and done it badly. As you may infer, the plot is about first year married life. Most of it was shrewd character drawing and the small shot of family bickers. These things do not come down well for pictures. Nor were they well interpreted by Matt Moore and Kathryn Perry.

Miss Brewster's Millions. If you had a million dollars and did not want it, you might be viewed with alarm. Bebe Daniels, in this film, did not and may be viewed with a great deal of amusement. She did not want it because if she got rid of it she could get five times as much from someone else.