Reel World

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 36, 10 February 1917, Page 17

Reel World

I Movie* |News<

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A SECRET! Billic Burke'e reason for retiring from the screen at the completion of "Gloria's Romance," has finally been divulged. It is a girl; her name is Florence Patricia Ziegfeld, which will be a disappointment to those who think it ought to be Billie Burke, jun., and her debut was made on October 23. Oh, yes—almost'forgot to mention that the happy father is doing as well as might be expected. BILLIE BURKE. Billie, who made such a hit in "Peggy," is to be seen again at the Strand this week in.the commencement of a serial entitled "Gloria's Romance." This is the story of the first episode, "Lost in the Everglades":— Gloria Stafford, daughter of Pierpont Stafford, millionaire banker, and sister of David Stafford, goes to Palm Beach, Fla., with her family to spend the winter. There they meet Judge Freeman and his daughter Lois, old friends of the StaffonlH, and Gloria is introduced to Dr. Stephen Royce, a good-looking young physician, who is attending Judge Freeman. Gloria, resents the tasks set by her governess, who has cared for her since the death of her mother, and welcomes the assistance of Dr. Royce on solving her algebra problems and other lessons. David Stafford grows to admire Lois Freeman, but finds he has a rival in the person of Richard Freneau, a young broker, who strikes up an acquaintanceship with both the Freeman and Stafford families. One night Gloria slips away from beneath the watchful eyes of her governess, and goes for a spin along the beach in her brother's big racing car. Suddenly the steering gear goes wrong, and the big motor swerves straight out into the Atlantic. Gloria manages to get safely out of the car, her dress wet and bedraggled, and sets off for the hotel afoot. She loses her way, however, and dawn finds her a lonesome, homesick little maid, wandering in the Everglades. A VITAOEAPH "BLUE 8188 ON " At the Grand this week, commencing to-day, an exclusive feature by the Vitagraph Company is being screened, entitled "Through the Wall." It is a sensational tale of fraud, force, and almost super-human cunning, full -of strange and uncanny scenes. A charming love story laughs its way through the rush of exciting events, and George Holt and Nell Shipman are responsible for the leading roles.

THE TRIANGLE. "We've got a million pounds' worth of faith in you; go to it." They are the conditions under which Griffith, Sennett, and Ince are producing the Triangle photoplays. They have £1,000,000 to spend in motion pictures, and with that vast sum they can do those things that for.years they have set their hearts on doing. .Price alone held them down, but then they started producing pictures on their own. It needed but one of these pictures to be shown, and they found they had a credit of a million pounds—a cool million. The men behind Griffith, Sennett and Ince lifted the financial lid, and the fur began to fly with a vengeance. Each of these great directors had up his sleeve wonderful things he 'd been wanting to do for years. Here a certain stage star was the needed last-touch; there a tremendous mob scene; still again some amazing mechanical effect that would cost a fortune but would revolutionise the producing side. Directors—cameramen— actors outdid each other. Stage stars who had always shied at moving pictures listened—and came!

Louise Glaum, the Vampire-spy, in "Somewhere in France," showing at the Strand and Lyric this week. "A WOMAN'S FOWEB." Mollie King, the well-known star of the World Company, will be seen this week at the Globe Theatre in "A Woman's Power." This picture is considered one of the best yet turned out by the new World Company. It has a powerfully acted plot, and this delightful artist at once places herself in the very front rank of the profession.

MOLLIE KING. The eighteen-year-old star of the World Company, Mollie King, is the surprise of "Fate's Boomerang," now screening at Everybody's this week. In spite of her youth, she has had a stage experience running into more years than many older .actresses, and in this film she has a role which fits her admirably. She is the '' Little Mother of the Hills,'' and soon captures the heart of the hero. The story develops quickly, and is full of strong situations. The scene in which the drunken driver causes the death of himself and his passengers is a wonderful piece of work, the fall down the enormous cliff being amazingly realistic. IT IS A TALE OF CONTRASTS. The society life of New York against the free life of the Western tills.

•"FATE'S BOOMERANG."

George Castleman, an engineer, succeeds in securing a position constructing a railway in the wilds of the Western country. Mildred, his wife, hates country life, and elects to stay in the*eity, where flirtation is plentiful. George, in the camp, meets Zell, a beautiful girl of the-mountains, and they fall in love. Zell. is known as the Little" Mother of the Hills, and eventually casts in her lot with George. Mrs. Castelman is infatuated with Arnold Morgan, and the two plot to get rid of George. They learn of his conduct with Zell, and arrive at the little wayside station to procure evidence for a divorce. A drunken driver topples the carriage over the cliff edge, and all the occupants are hurled down the chasm to death. After the sad news is brought to George he provides adequate burial for his wife, and turns to Zell and her babe, free to make her the wife and mother of his little home in the hills. "Pate's Boomerang" will be shown for one week at Everybody's Theatre, commencing to-day,

"SOMEWHERE IN FBAHOE" is the name of the new Triangle showing this week- at .the Strand Theatre, which features Louise Glaum, and is a dramatisation of the last story, written by -the late lamented Richard Harding Davis, one of the most celebrated American war correspondents and- a novelist of high standing. Louise Glaum, noted siren of the screen, is presented in the most legitimate vampire part that has been enacted for moving pictures. Ever since Kipling wrote hie well-known- reference to "A fool there was, and he made hie prayer To a rag, a bone, and a hank of hair " dramatists of both the screen and the speaking stage have been impelled to write stories for the vampire type. Louise Glaum will be remembered before in "The Wolf Woman" and "Honour Thy Name."