This German-made film, released under the auspicious name of the Eclectic Company, does not fulfil the expectations evoked by the title. The German Bioscope is responsible for the production. It belongs to a school of kinematography which has made no advance since 1908. I need not say more. Emmy Destinn, the famous singer, appears in the film. Miss Destinn, in appearance, is a somewhat abbreviated German edition of Marie Dressler minus the American's comic gyrations, vibrations and undulations. The singer is on the film but a half minute at a time, altogether about four or five minutes. She does nothing of importance. One of the guests bets her $50,000 that she will not dare enter the lion's cage and sing to the animals. In view of the fact that Miss Destinn had then just left the lion's cage and had shaken hands with the most amiable and harmless collection of lions in captivity this bet of the guest sounds alarming. Did he mean to insinuate that even these good-natured, sleepy-looking beasts would be roused to a frenzied rage if Miss Destinn were to try her vocal powers on them? Miss Destinn accepts the bet, walks into the cage, sings about five seconds and comes out unscathed. Miss Destinn is not The Lion's Bride. The Lion's Bride is a short, stout lady more remarkable for her weight and girth than for her beauty or power of acting. From the lion's point of view, she was an ideal Lion's Bride. In all the other plays with Lions' Brides the brides have usually been selected by artists who thought more of the audience than of the lions. In the selection of this bride the tastes and appetites of the lions were consulted. I hope the reader will not infer that anything happens to the lady. I can give him the unqualified assurance that she escapes without a scratch. She has a sister who represents the other member of the Jack Spratt family and she does a sort of eel dance with the lions at a safe distance and candidly yawning. She faints, nevertheless, and seems overcome by terror. The thin lady is in love with a bashful youth and just before the final curtain it turns out that the stout sister also loved the somewhat rapid-looking youth. Greatly to the timid swain's distress, the stout lady tells him she loves him to distraction. Getting no response, the stout lady then dresses as a bride and, as described above, feeds herself to the lions. In the very midst of the play, Miss Destinn comes to this country and we catch a glimpse of her and Caruso embarking. We also are favored with the sight of an ocean steamer presumably carrying the two singers to their destination. - The Moving Picture World, June 20, 1914
