One of the best Action Pictures is an old Griffith Biograph, recently reissued, the story entitled “Man’s Genesis.”  In the time when cave-men-gorillas had no weapons, Weak-Hands (impersonated by Robert Harron) invents the stone club.  He vanquishes his gorilla-like rival, Brute-Force (impersonated by Wilfred Lucas).  Strange but credible manners and customs of the cave-men are detailed.  They live in picturesque caves.  Their half-monkey gestures are wonderful to see.  But these things are beheld on the fly.  It is the chronicle of a race between the brain of Weak-Hands and the body of the other, symbolized by the chasing of poor Weak-Hands in and out among the rocks until the climax.  Brain desperately triumphs.  Weak-Hands slays Brute-Force with the startling invention.  He wins back his stolen bride, Lily-White (impersonated by Mae Marsh).  It is a Griffith masterpiece, and every actor does sound work.  The audience, mechanical Americans, fond of crawling on their stomachs to tinker their automobiles, are eager over the evolution of the first weapon from a stick to a hammer.  They are as full of curiosity as they could well be over the history of Langley or the Wright brothers.

The dire perils of the motion pictures provoke the ingenuity of the audience, not their passionate sympathy.  When, in the minds of the deluded producers, the beholders should be weeping or sighing with desire, they are prophesying the next step to one another in worldly George Ade slang.  This is illustrated in another good Action Photoplay:  the dramatization of The Spoilers.  The original novel was written by Rex Beach.  The gallant William Farnum as Glenister dominates the play.  He has excellent support.  Their team-work makes them worthy of chronicle:  Thomas Santschi as McNamara, Kathlyn Williams as Cherry Malotte, Bessie Eyton as Helen Chester, Frank Clark as Dextry, Wheeler Oakman as Bronco Kid, and Jack McDonald as Slapjack.

There are, in The Spoilers, inspiriting ocean scenes and mountain views.  There are interesting sketches of mining-camp manners and customs.  There is a well-acted love-interest in it, and the element of the comradeship of loyal pals.  But the chase rushes past these things to the climax, as in a policeman picture it whirls past blossoming gardens and front lawns till the tramp is arrested.  The difficulties are commented on by the people in the audience as rah-rah boys on the side lines comment on hurdles cleared or knocked over by the men running in college field-day.  The sudden cut-backs into side branches of the story are but hurdles also, not plot complications in the stage sense.  This is as it should be.  The pursuit progresses without St. Vitus dance or hysteria to the end of the film.  There the spoilers are discomfited, the gold mine is recaptured, the incidental girls are won, in a flash, by the rightful owners.