AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 62, 15 March 1922, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS.

AMUSEMENTS GUIDE.

•WAY DOWN EAST." As you sit watching the unrolling of ibt film story of "Way Down you experience exactly the same feeling that yau da when reading one of those surprisingly popular American novels by such a writer as Joseph 0. Lincoln —a pleasant story of Innocent country mice and knowing town rats: bright contrast between rural simplicity and city artificiality: odd bucolic* who "seem to have been born merely to amuse folks: the wisp of a country girl who is caught by the glitter of the heartless young man with a well-tailored exterior and a really bad interior: the exceptional farm youth with the face of a. poet and the arm of a Sandow; the hard but just old farmer himself, and the farmer's soft-voiced old wife—they are all In -Way Down East" to th« life. Life "in these American stories isn't tb« pinnacle of intellectuality, and the sentiment is rather sugar-coated, but there i» no mistaking the fact that it Is tremendously popular and hits off the present "day taete to a nicety. Last night's full house at His Majesty's Theatre for the first showing of Uilk remarkable film indicated that something good was expected, and they were not disappointed. The producer is l>. W Griffith, who has a very high reputttion, and it would be difficult to imagine more admirable from a photographic poinc of view than "Way Down East." The Sew England scenery in summer and winter is portrayed in n very charmin? manner. The thing looks simple when done by such a master as Griffith, but it rakps genius ti> know just what, and how much, to film in order to get the open-air feeling that th« country imparts. And there are little touches that mean so mucb —a tame pigeon, an affectionate puppy, a sleepy cat. a. bird no nest feeding it? young, and a fussy old hen busy over her eggs. The animals fie In so astonishingly well and so naturally that the cleverness and uncommonness are often overlooked. As fur as the story is concerned it is just the usual trapping of the innocenc country mouse by the usual smooth-tongued bad man ca perfect bounder quite obviously to everyone but the unfortunate mouiiel. The bad man digs up a mock parson and go?s through what the mouse thinks is a marriage ceremony. When the mousewakes up to the realisation that she has been tricked she gravitates back to the country, and wandering hopeless and homeless down the lanes she lights on the Bartlett N>W England farm full of the likeable and crudely amusing people one meet* In Xew England novels. You know quite well thnt David, the youth who leans up against the verandah post and has that easy job on a Xew England novel farm—dreaming day dreams —Is the person who eventually makes up to the country mouse for the rotlcn time sh« has l-.cen having, but the method of worklne out the inevitable sequel Is splendidly thrilling. When the farmer finds that Anna can't produce her marriage lines his New Englaml conscience won't let her remain under hi* roof, and out she goes Into the snow. Then follows a wonderfully thrilling scene on the frozen river. Anna falls fainting on the ice. which breaks vii. and she is In terrible peril as the noo is swept down tt ■what looks like certain death. Mr. Kicnard Barthplmee as David comes to the rescue. Hie desperate dash across thp perilous ie« Is one of the most startling things imaginable, and Inst night roused the audience to enthusiasm. A feature of the performance is the wort of the large orchestra, conducted by Mil» Xellie niack. In sympathy with the qutrkly changing film the orchestra varlei the music and the sentiment of the story, and the airs synchronise very cleverly. •"Way Down East" wilt b<- shown nightly, with matinees on Wednesdays anil Saturdays. WIRTITS CIRIXS. Virtu Bros.. Ltd.. will offer their annual circus entertainment at Auckland on Saturday. M.irch 18. on the Old Dock site for a spawn of nine niahts and three matinee*. The star artists are said to be all of such hlyh standard that it is dimcult to differentiate, but the bill is headed by Alfred Clark, the world's champion trick rider, whnse recent encasement In England by Mr. fleorce Wirtn. if a matter of congrjirulation for all cont-erned. Among others encased by Mr. G. -Wirth on Wβ jn*t concluded world tour are tbe Four Aerial IJnyds. sensational American performers: and they aro -iosely followed in point of interest by Apdale's animal circus, absolutely the tnosr entertaiuinz act of its kind ever w.en in this part of tbp. world. Jfany Japanese acrobats have displayed thplr. .it times, almost inipornarnral aT>slitv. but the Royal T'yeno troupe, with Wirtb's this season, are said to go one better: whllp a scoro of Arabs give a wonderfnl display of tumbling that ie aptly style* •whirlwind.•' Other stars in their p»r-llt-ular linos contributinc to the big bill Include Miss Maieie. principal lady trick rl'ler. Mi«s Ethel, in a beautiful serpentine dance on horseback; La Bell" Onra. the otieen of thp trapeze: to notbins* of the performing horses .md the huse ragefnl of linns, which, born and reared with the circus, arp now perfect specimens of leonine grace and beauty, and take par: In a performance that is at rtuce the ndrairn tion and wonder of all- The dox plan Is at Lewis R. Eady and Son., Ltd.

HIB MAJESTY'S —"Way Down East." OPERA HOUSE— Fullers Vaudeville. PICTURE THEATRES. THE NATIONAL —Oeorge Larfeln in "The Mali Trackers" anrt Edith Hallor in "Just Outside the Door."' THE HIPPODROME— Maurice Flynn In "Burkina the Line," Shirley Ma=on In '•Jarkl.. • THE TIVOLI— lames Kirkwood in "Tlie flreat Impersonation." THE LYRIC —Mr. and Mrs. Carter Ue Haven In "My I.ady Friends." THE PRINCESS — Ethel Clayton in "Bpyonri." THE QUEEN'S —Harry Carry in "The Wellop." EVERYBODY'S— "FouI Play" and "The THE ~ 3MNO-' in "TBe Forum" Huntpr." THE strand —Anite Stewart in "Sowinjf tlif> wind." THE BRITANNIA -Tom Mix in "Hand; Off." WEST END —-'The Woman l"ntam»'i."