"WAY DOWN EAST."

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17409, 21 March 1922, Page 9

"WAY DOWN EAST."

The ice-break scene in this master draaa cf D. W. Griffith has provoked some extraordinary scenes iu audiences, but none more exciting than on it» initial New York presentation As the great floating masses ©£ ice rush grinding and emashing towaids the tremeudoufi waterfall, and David is Been fighting his way across the ice pack towards Anna, the audience hold its lieath. At the last perilous moment of rescue, they amply stood and cheered and cheered afimn. It wag » marvellous -victory of the dramatic power of the producer, for as one man the whole immense crowd felt ond believed in the rcalflv ~f the danger to the belpl«e heroine. In its presentation at the Theatre Royal, Chrietchurch, the effect will be tremendously helped by tho special musical score and the useV new and extraordinary cifects. fh« b« plan will b* .opened, at The Bristol oa

EVEEYBODT'S THEATRE. Whether considered lnm ihe eta]sdpoint c , the motion pj ctllw p rogramme> or {rom tno point of Tiew the yaried Md Aiminhlr played selections by the Sclect Orchestra, tr.e new bill tt ETerybody . s Theatrej mb . rrutted to a l ar&9 lmd appreciative ancJie:lc <, last rught, would be difficult to surpa£o . The manager, Mr Harry Waters, and the! conductor, Mr W. J. Bellingham, have been \ most successful in hitting the popular taste, | "? w hy the warm appreciation | of last night a audience. There ate com- I paratively few who are not acquaint*! with : tiiat original, and at the same time lovable, ! character, Cappy Ricks, through the medium ! of t ne novel written by ids creator, Peter B. : j\ W a differ ent thing, however, to! read about a character and to see him, as is I almost possible on the screen, in the manner ! WiT. he lived - All wno witness Charles : Abbe s representation of the crotchetty old Biupowner cannot fail to be impressed with, ns absolute correspondence with the character as portrayed by the novelist. The same remark applies with equal appropriateness to Thomas Meighan's presentation of tho character of Captain Matt Peasley; it is welt withm tho mark to eay that the part is one of tho best and most convincing that. this popular screen actor has been seen in. Quito as realistically convincing *s the actor who takes the part of tho big Swede—"Alt hands and feet"—Captain Ole Peterson. Agnes Ayres makes a charming and adorable Florrie Eicks. In fact, the motion picture version of "Cappy Eicks" fs in overy respect worthy of the story on which it is based. Tho Paramount Studioa have rarely produced a picture of euch outstanding merit. The storm scene, in which Matt) Pcasloy with a tug gets the Florrie B. off tho rocks,. is a veritable triumph, from tho point of view of realism, and ia most convincing. Tho same artistic treatment of detail is noticeable in all the outstanding incidents. The scenes on board the schooner, especially tho fight between Peasley and Peterson, are admirably pictured. •'Cappy Eicka" is one of thoso productions that no appreciator of motion pictures should miia fleeing. The Paramount comedy-drama, "30 East," featuring charming and piquanj Constance Binney, ia a fittting companion to tho star picture. As Penelope Pcnn, tho parson's daughter who staTts off to win fame as a prima donna, but attains the samo end in musical comedy, Constance Binney confirms previous estimates of her talent as a versatilo artist. The comedy element ia strong, and is provided chiefly by the characters residing in a superior boarding-house. These are all- admirably represented, and from first to last tho incidents of "39 Eastkeep the beholder in a ripple of merriment. j The items, played by Everybody's Select j Orchestra, under the capable baton of Mr i W. J. Bcllingham, F.S.M., included a number of works of the modern, school by two of tho great names of this period, Claudo Debussy and E. Guiraud. Such compositions as "The Children's Corner," and tho selection from "L'Enfant Prodigue," ara known to pianoforte students and singers, but -their orche3tial settings have never previously been attempted by an orchestra in Christchurch. Everybody's Orchestra is to be complimented on the - introduction of these orchestrations, which are of distinct interest to the musical public. Familiarity with the intricacies of these involved works on the part of both listener and performer ie essential to a- full appreciation of the majority of the compositions of the modern school, and particularly of euch a work as tho "Children's Corner" suite. The performance last night showed a considerable amount of skill and insight on tho part of conductor and orchestra. Everybody's String Quartet upheld their reputation by their < playing of the "Allegro Con Brio" movement of the Bth Beethoven Quartet in F Major. This quartet, which hae become an institution at Everybody's, is always a welcome feature ot the musical programme. An example of ..what can be- done by rearrangement and interpretation was shown when a full house enthusiastically demanded on encore for Mr Bellingham's treatment of \n old popular favourite, "Love's Old Sweet Song." JNotable among the other items on a varied and interesting programme was the overture "The Merry Hives of Windsor" (Nicolai), Mr. J. Mercer's solo "Romance" (Schubert), operatic selections, "Tom Jones" (German), "Pinafore" and "Pirates of Penzance" (Sullivan). The same programme will be given for the remainder of the week.