"CARACTACUS."

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18486, 14 September 1925, Page 5

"CARACTACUS."

In* connexion with the forthcoming production of "Caractacus" at the King Edward Barracks to-night, at 7.45, it is gratifying to know that the principals and chorus are to be supported by an exceptionally fine orchestra, consisting of 40 members, under the leadership of Mr Sydney Smith, with Mr G. P. Allen as principal of the second violins. , .. , .. In addition to the players mentioned, the Orchestra will bi augmented by members of both the Wools Ton and Derry s Bands, assisted also by members of the Christchurch Orchestral Society, and by Messrs Herb. and Fred Fox the well-known cornet soloists, and the well-known harpist, Mr Harry The Orchestra will be an especial feature of this concert, and should be well worth hearing, as they are all high-grade players, and especially chosen for their ab.lity to interpret the many difficult passages in the orchestration introduced by the composer into Ue score of this very fine work. They have been working hard and enthusi«*tir<dlv so that a really good performance m«v safely be promised. The -whole, production is under the condnctorship of Mr Sidney Williamson, DJJ.CM.Ii.

LIBERTY THEATRE. "THE ARAB." A TALE OF THE DESERT. Enthusiastic and appreciative audiences witnessed the screening of the new programmo at the. Liberty Theatre on Satur- ' day. There was a very largo attendance 1 oi pations.-at the matlneo in tho afternoon j and at night the '\b'u]i House" sign was : hung up at an early hour, and many people | turned away, 'lhe programmes of pictures j and music are. both good. Many pictures have been made since the ' well remembered film "Tho Sheik" in the hope to win portion of the praise given by public and l'res3 alike to 'it. But, alter viewing tho excellent programme at the Liberty Theatre, it is quite safe to say that the only rival "The Shick" has had since ; its record screening in this city is "The , Arab," a Metjo masterpiece, which is the ! headliner on>tho current bill. Undoubtedly j it is tho finest thing of its kind filmed sub- j sequent to tho "shooting" of "The Shirk" | on the gTeat Sahara, desert. The Oriental j settings aro magnificent. In some instances ! they surpass those in "The Shiek." The : wilcrMxmds of marauding Arabs and the i deeds, good and had, performed by them I stirred the emotions of all those in Satur- ' day's audiences who long it? red-blooded adventure and the East. The fleeing horsemen, with flowing robes of white, careering , madly across tho shifting desert wastes, i piercing the night with jets of flames from | their muskets, made one's blood tingle with j strange excitement. Tho terrible storming of tho defenceless Christians in ihe bar- i ricaded mission village by fiendish Arabs, who, swooping down from tho desolalo wilds, left dead bodies in their wake, was thrilling. Their yells of defiance to the "white dogs" could almost be heard, so realistic were tho numerous scenes. But these. Arabs worked not only at night; in the daytime, when tho merciless suil was at its highest, heavily clad tribesmen, diguised in odd garbz, cpied out the land. And then at night tho band would charge and plunder and kill. The story running through the picture is excellent. One sees Jamil, stalwart son of a great Bedouin shiek, thrust out from the midst of his people because it was believed that he was a thief. Exiled from his father, tho powerful Shiek, Jamil, rode far from his father's .border-line to the wilds of Tunis. There, 'clad, as was tho custom, in the drab garb of a dragoman, he rubbed shoulders- with the white people, and finally becomes interested in the missionary work there. Now old Dr. Hilbert, tho missionary, had an attractive daughter, about the same age. as Jsrnil, and they talked much together. At first they were merely friends, but later the acquaintance ripened into love. The governor of this particular part of Tunis was a cunning villain, who secretly worked in with wandering bands of outlaw Arabs and shared with them in their spoils. It so happened that while Jamil was in Tunis the wily governor planned for a horde of fierce infidels to stoim tho mission village and thus do away with Christianity for ever. He persuaded the strong Jamil to go bac'ki to the land of his father, and he sent his own Eoldiers many miles away from the gates of the village, leaving the place at the mercy of the oncoming band of Arabs. What follows is too good to be betrayed in a review. Cast in the role of Jamil is the popular actor Ramon Novarro, who equa.ls Rudolph Valentino in the dress of the Arab. Playing the part of Mary Hilbert, daughter of the missionary, is Alice Terry. Supporting the featured players is an exceptionally 6trong cast of popular players. Youth, love and speed are all mixed up in the second attraction on the bill, enfft*ed "Daring Youth," which features Bebe Daniels and ,Norman Kerry. The picture is purely a comedy-drama of love, life and laughter in New York's high society circles, and ill tells of the trials and tribulations of a nWv married couple. Lavish scenes are numerous. Excellent pictures in support of the "starred" ones include Charlie Chaplin in "Easy Street." 'Die Liberty Quality Orchestra, under "Howard Moody, provided a magnificent programme of incidental music. The entracte thU week is the popular foxtrot, "Why Did I Kiss That Girl" (King), which was excellently played, and received *™" Reserved encore. A fine selection from /WildC«" (Stothart) introduced Banana. Casi.no. and other favourites. Ball "£ Memories" <Bayses> «clud«df Mfy Old Shako" "Down ihe Vale," "Good Cop- " Absent" Two new foxtrots mC/ed and ''Boodle" (Buchanan). "I de DreamoT.Egypt" (Woodforde> Finden) fitted well with the Mf Moody plays the piano, solo "Lotys L«d (Cy»l Scott) "Other numbers, inelude: The Goldfn Cockerel" (RAmsk/ Kersakov ; suites "Thais and Talmall" (Cambell),. Omar Khayyam" (Cudman),. "In * P«wn Gard7v'( Lehmann); overtures . "Figaro Mozart), "Athiele" (Mendelssohn) ballet, . Fera mors" (Rubinstein).