"BEN HUR."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19151, 7 November 1927, Page 6

"BEN HUR."

FURTHER EXTENSION OF SEASON.

GRAND THEATRE, TO-DAT. "Bon Hur'' is to be shown for a third week at the Grand Theatre, as its immense popularity is undiminished. Little more can bo said in praise of this great epic than to reiterate its unfailing appeal and "devotional nature, its enormous and beautiful Bets, and the dignity and powor of its sacred story. Three years in the, making, the company making trips to Rome' and Asia Minor to secure fidelity . and historic -backgrounds, costing some millions of dollars to produce, and necessitating the' engaging of thousands of players, "Ben Hur" cannot fail to make a lasting impression. The co-operation of Governments was secured, as well as the sympathy enlisted of cmininet diviues and literary men. No stoue was left unturned ' to make the picture not only the most enduring thing materially the screen has .ever seen but also tho most beautiful story of all timo in its true .guise of love and poetic feeling. To be sure, tho famous chariot race is all some people know of "Ben Hur," is the most remarkable aspect of tho production, several teams of blood horses competing in a most realistic and spectacular race, fvamon Novarro, in the title role, drives in this scene a team of pure Arabs, while Iraneis X. Bushman, as his rival, the .Roman Messala, controls four fiery blacks. The Bea fight between pirates and Roman triremes was fought out in the harbour of Genoa, and the old days of Roman might and glory are vividly recalled as these stately galleys sweep across the screen manned by mailed legionaires and propelled by miserable slaves. Although featuring these purely worldly parts of the great drama, "Ben Hur" is essentially the story of the Christ, and those many parts of the picture which concentrate on this angle are beautiful and reverent in the extreme. Some of the greatest masterpieces of painting havei been made into screen tableaux for "Ben Hur," quite tho most memorable of which are . Da Vinci's "Lost Supper," and Tissot's exquisite "Pool of Siloam." The cast of players enact their roles in excellent manner. Apart from Novarro and Bushman, already mentioned, there are Betty Bronson, as the Madonna, giving a perfect piece of acting in an honoured role, May McAvoy as Esther, Nigel de Brulicr as Simonides, and Winter Hall as Joseph "the Carpenter, a grave and silent piece of acting. Mr David McGill, in a prologue, sings "Star of Bethlehem," while a quartet of choristers, during the sequence depicting the Carrying of the Cross, sing "Abide WithMe." The Grand Orchestra, specially augmented for "Ben Hur," plays the special score written for the picture. The box plans are at The Bristol Piano Companv I where seats may be reserved. "'