'THE DARLING OF PARIS'

Evening Star, Issue 16782, 10 July 1918, Page 5

'THE DARLING OF PARIS'

* ——— The popular King's Theatre opens as a permanent picture show, commencing at the matinee on Saturday afternoon next, •with a picturisation of Victor Hugo s classic ' The Hunchback of Notre Dame.' This work has always been one of the most strangely fascinating works in French literature. The beuutiful o-d cp.thedral seems symbolical of many things, *nd always one thinks of Hugo's masterpiece in connection with it. William Fox naa now given us a film adaptation which he has called 'The Darling of Paris,' with Theda Bara in the title role. France of the early 15th century has been faithfully reproduced, and equal attention has twen paid to the costumes. The story baa been altered here and there for the purposes of the screen, and a happy ending ias been added. Theda Bara as Esmeralda, "the darling of Paris." has caught the SBirit of the role. The prologue tells the story of a girl-child stolen from ror ■wealthy'parents by gipsies, who put their deformed babv bov 'in her place. Years later we find" the" deformed boy now a roan, bearing the name of Qmwnnrdo. and the bell-ringer of the cathedral, intensely devoted" to Frollo, his tester father, who saved, his life. Meantime the baby girl stolen by Clopin ha* grown into a beautiful woman, and is famous as "the darling of Paris." While dancing in the streets she catches th» ey,> of Frollo. and he becomes her slave. She is, during a quarrel, told her story, and longs to meet her own mother. dTie hunchback is employed by Frollo to kidnap the girl, but she is rescued by v.Uptata Phoebus, and Quasimodo is bound in the city pillory, flogged, and exposed to public "ridicule-." The gipsy girl takes pity on him and gives him water, which act he never forgets. The captain hj murdered by Frollo while Esmeralda ia on a visit, and she is accused of the deed. The trial scene and her wonderful escape are finely staged. The hunchback effects her rescue and secures for her the tuary of Notre Dame. Frollo confesses to the crime, and is flung from the gallery of the cathedral to the floor beneath. while Esmeralda is reunited to her mother. King Carnival hold- swsy in Paris that night, and all drink to the future happiness of "the darling of Pan's." The box plan for the season is now open Rt The Bristol, where already the booking denotes a large opening attendance.