WONDERFUL-CHILD ARTIST

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 88, 8 January 1919, Page 7

WONDERFUL-CHILD ARTIST

•"■ ••"•""'.■;• /'" '.V " ; ' ; - —' •■; ■" IN '"HEARTS aVoRLD." Children of the stago and the motion 'picture .are ever ..'a. constant wonder to grown-up's;.-.- The latest juvenile wonder ' to be seen, on, the .screen is Master Ben Alexander,' eix-year-old son of Mr. and. ■ Mrs. Charles; Alexander; -of: Pasadena; California, who appears as The Littlest : Brother in D: AV.-Griffith's "Hearts of : the World," to be screene'd.-at the Grand ' Opera-HousV on Saturday night next. ' This little fellow; so' small that he appears almost ■' a babe in arms, truly is . a wonderful child actor While "Hearts of the AVorld" lias been a- tremendous -. triumph far Mr; Griffith, for. the beau- . tiful Lillian and Dorothy, Gish. and for the other principals, who spent 18 months on the battlefields _of France, surely when the final score is counted, all who • -have ceeri- this ''remarkable.. production- . wiibgiy.e credit- to little ..Ben. as., 'being ■ wholly, worthy'of .the Order of Merit ' ; 'and the War Cross far Bravery. The little chap accompanied Mr. Grif'Oth and-his company to Prance and to the battlefields; where, within' actual ran of the giant guns, lie proved hinv self : as bravo" is .'any. oft his'older. "• assbciates,'.acting,his boautifill scenes often during bombardments by- the_ Germans, In one sceno especially tins.tiny young- " stir -risked; his' precious 'life" to: h_elp in ■ ;secririiig a very vital situation in the 'story. In th.ii.. scene, by a fortunate' circumstance, little' Ben was unhormed when'buried'voider, an' avalanche of plaster and laths. When.audiences .look upon this Ec.eni and see the tiny actor buried under the wreckage, there is, a catch at the heart strings, for to many it appears as'. though he were "caiHii i'.i '.the awful, holocaust. When tlie dirt is dii? away siiid his little form , moves, the H'liiienqe.-sighs with relpif .on ?°Mng liiin lilmk through the dust and filth: and when he looks u.p and smite, shpwinß that-he is unhurt,, there is a general feeling, of.-, gratification. •.-.-.■■ ... .. •> •'' All thisi and 'roore is brought out .=o remarkably by'little Ben that it is diffi■ciilt- to lwlim-e. lio-.is.-..;of:'snpli tender ■years. -.-His. .emotional -iictinij:-.. is • equally ! unusual,.and'-ho-.iie.ver. fails to bring tears to the eyes of- his .audience .when, with ; "ills' own "little" clre'eks wet' with the.tenrs ; of. sorrow, he bid's farewell-to his hig j (".■ other, who is , going forth to fight for France, and for liberty..—(Published by .itr-rangeinent.) "