THE Reel World

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 11, 12 January 1918, Page 16

THE Reel World

SIMPLE ABDUCTION. What money and nerve can do is shown in " Broadway Arizona," where the Queen of the Midnight Follies is kidnapped under the eyes of all New York. It -svould be a shame to explain the device that was used, but let it be remembered that Olive's face when she wakes up to find herself in the middle of an Arizona cattle ranch, is something worth seeing. Her dainty boudoir has vanished, and log walls surround her. The street noises and flashing electric, signs of Broadway have given placed to the desert silences, and a grumpy In-, dian squaw is doing the " chores" stead of the smart French maid. It all has been done in a few hours,, too. ——— THE SECRET KINGDOM. ;f THE TRAGIC MASQUE. 13th EPISODE. He sees an opportunity to make money and gain power. Plotting with a confederate, they render the king insensible and then await the money which the king is expecting from his bank. Detectives breaking into the room believing they have the crooks—take the king to the station house. Meanwhile, Ramon, tne secret agent, plotting against the king, intercepts a note of Julia to Phillip and changes the place of appointment. The crook—following his clue—gets the note, goes to the spot and is killed. Ramon believes he has killed Phillip and escapes with Julia to Europe. What is the king to do? Ho is penniless and disconsolate, and his fiancee is on the way to Alania. See how he gets back home. See how he begins to regain the power that rightfully belongs to him. In short, see the fourteenth episode—"The Portrait of a King"—which will bring you up on the edge of your seats because of its interest a*nd suspense. THE PORTRAIT OF A KING. 14th EPISODE. At the end of his rope—the king, made to believe tbat Ramon, his secret agent, holds the proof of Phillip's right to the throne, forces bis daughter to marry the count. Julia resents this move, and tells her father all she Knows. Meanwhile, Madame Savatz, who in reality has possession of the papers, promises to give them to the count on the day he marries ner. He attacks her, but she is too clever for him, and he is forced to retire—beaten by a woman. Again does the princess accuse her father. Then when "the portrait of the king" which hangs in the great hall, falls, the usurper breaks down and confesses. See tbe events that crowd this episode with punch and colour. Come prepared to see an episode that will thrill you— hold you and make you wish 'every photo.-play you saw bad the dramatic power of "The Secret Kingdom." THE TOCSIN. FINAL EPISODE. It was a ruse—Madame drew the count away—then delivered the proof of Phillip's right to the throne, to Princess Julia. In return, Princess Julia allowed Madame Savatz to don her wedding gown. In the dim light. Madame instead of the princess, is married to Count Ramon. Meanwhile the small principality is up in arms Having heard of Phillip's return—The Tocsin rinos— sounding the fact that rioting is takinoplace. Phillip now secretly gains admittance to the palace—he dons the uniform of his father—and stands in the frame of the picture and with sword in hand greets the usurper and says:—"You are too foul a thing for mc to kill." Then comes the psychological moment —the king's guards seize Phillip and lead him to be executed. The king is then seized with a fit and falls unconscious. See how Phillip is dramatically saved from the execution and how hp comes to his own in 'The Secret Kingdom." It is an episode equally as positive in its beauty, charm and romance as any that has preceded it, plus the fact that the entire mystery is cleared up, and you are absolutely satisfied that you have seen the most dramatic, beautiful and' inspiring serial ever produced.

KING'S THEATRE. A Metro, drama, " The Silence Sellers," is to be shown for the first time to-night at- tne King's Theatre. Olga Petrova, who will appear as the heroine, is said to have a role well suited to her temperament. Tlle story is said to expose the methods of certain society journals. The editor of the "Tattle Tale" set* out to secure damaging evidence against persons of wealth and position. Laura Sutphen loves Donald Loring, who, appearing untrustworthy, determines to show his real character. Guests at Mrs. /SAitphen's house party are the rich Mrs. and the fortune-hunter, Yonwho place Mrs. Schuyler in a c'b'ttjVromising position, and Donald Lor78ft sells the news of the escapade to l,B Thf Tattle Tale." Exciting incidents " T f6liow.

BOUGHT AND PAID FOR. The meaning of marriage, as it is understood by a certain class of man, comes in for a merciless handling in this strong drama. A wealthy business man becomes infatuated with a pretty and gentle typiste, marries her, and "surrounds her with every luxury. He has a vice, however, and in its power he loses all sense of decency, and becomes little more than a beast. The drama contains a number of really great situations, and in it Alice Brady proves that she is one of the supreme screen stars in the portrayal of intense emotion. In the terrific scene, when she locks her husband from her room on one of his bad nights, the dramatic intensity of the acting of both characters elevates the play to the highest level possible of modern drama. " Bought and Paid For " vvas produced in Australia with Muriel Starr in the leading role, and it will be well remem bered. A WOMAN TO EE SOUGHT. "When I got you, I bought and paid for you—and anything I pay for belongs to mc." "When I married you—did I become your property? Do you own mc? 'Have I surrendered all rights in myself? If so. then marriage is "horrible—and lam worse than women of tlie street." These quotations explain the great central incident in "Bought and Paid For," the world super-feature which has created such a sensation lately in Sydney. Montague Love as the husband who expects to treat his pretty girl wife as a money-bought chattel, and Alice Brady as Virginia, are nobly matched in this startling play. Settings and photography are superb, and the drama will rank as one of the great achievements from the World Studios. The story goes that Harrison Fisher, the well known artist, visited the 'Roof" entertainment. Next day he asked to sketch the "beauty of the ballads, and then lie proclaimed her America's most beautiful woman. Olive was doubly famous already, and still in her teens!

BROADWAY ARIZONA. This is the best and brightest of the Olive Tnomas stories, and is full of what the Americans call '' pep " from opening to close. Broadway, called " The Great White Way," is one maze of gay life roof gardens, all night cabarets, theatres of every kind, ice gardens, and lobster pajices. Into this giddy land arrives a millionaire cowboy, and immediately falls in love with the ruling queen of all the kingdom of gaiety. The carelessly cruel joke played upon him breaks his heart for a while, but his recovery is sudden, and things happen with such a swing that his boasted " Broadway" out in desolate Arizona proves to be more exciting than the New York street of frolics and ginger. Olive's dresses are bewildering, and* she must have changed a thousand times when the film vvas being made. Dancing costumes (these on the size of them ought not to take much time to put on), dainty boudoir frocks, convalescent robes, street gowns, and finally the quaint Indian and other outdoor costumes of her Arizona imprisonment, appear in bewildering succession. She is equally pretty in each one. ADVERTISING DODGES. A theatrical star lives on newspaper 1 publicity. Steady boosting is the breath of life to her, and if, in these whirling times, she is not to be forgotten, her name must be kept before the public. This provides the reason for the number of times actresses get robbed of huge wads of jewellery. In " Broadway Arizona" the Press agent for the Follies' Queen is in high excitement when any chance arrives for free newspaper stories about Fritzi Carlyle. And so a heartless joke Is perpetrated on tlie millionaire cowboy who proposes to her. ''Great stuff,"* Pressman scribbles on his card, when the impetuous lover is pouring out his heart's story. "If he proposes, accept him." Next morning the papers are full of it, and next night, of course, there is the contradiction. "Fritzi Carlyle has not succumbed to Cupid." But Fritzi aforesaid had reckoned without her cowboy's nerve, as those who go to see this unique play will see for themselves. •Musical comedy found and crowned Olive Thomas, but the films made hen one of the world's royal 'family of fame. Two years ago she was the "find" of the season, and the sensation of New York** smartest show, "The Follies."

It is no longer a great mystery-secret, that Jack Pickford-Olive Thomas romance. On October 25, the former Follies star announced that just a year before on the same date, she and Jack were married, prior to Jack's departure for the Coast. Then in the spring Olive quit the bright lights ror the sunlight, and became a Triangle luminary. She made no secret to friends that it was on Jack's account. But the" news of the marriage was kept from the public because, as the beauteous Olive says, "I didn't want people to say that. I'm succeeding because of the Pickford name.-' Now that she has "shown 'em," Miss Thomas is not averse to letting the world know that she and Jack have been one for one year. Among film folk they are regarded as the most devoted couple in Movieland.

There, is a suggestion box in the Keystone studio, where all may offer ideas for the betterment of conditions. So far the replies have been all asking for raises in salaries.