MALE AND FEMALE

Evening Star, Issue 17454, 10 September 1920, Page 4

MALE AND FEMALE

Teb immense success which attended the screening of the photo-play. ‘ Male .and Female, now snowing at the Lctagon, was preassured. The picturised version of a play by such a famous author as Sir James M. Barrie was bound to arouse interest, a pd all what have so far had the opportunity of seeing this stupendous film have been filled with admiration and amazement at the pnenomenally successful way in which it has been transferred to the screen. The story is founded on Barrie’s great play, The Admirable Crichton,* adapted for the kinema by Jeannie MTiierson. The Admirable Crichton is a butler in i the household of a titled English familv, aho regard him somewhat in the nature of a useful piece of furniture and no more. ’Their private yacht is wrecked on a desert island. Then things get down to bedrock values, and Crichton becomes his master’s master because he is the better man of the two—and that is all that counts on a desert island. In the old life he cherished a secret, hopeless love for his master's eldest daughter; in the new, she wilhngly and joyfully - consents to be his bnae, and is on the point of pronouncing the fateful marriage vows (a clergvman being included in the wrecked party; when a boat appears in sight that is destined foresees them. Even at the eleventh hour Lady Mary—the almcst-bride—bees ] le r quondam butler not to give the signal that will mean their return to England and the enslavement of previous conditions; but Crichton sees what he considers to be his duty, and gives the signal. The party return, to civilisation and the members ‘take up tneir old life, but, in the case of Crichton and Lady Mary, at least, there is a dinerence. The Jailer’s fiance avails and claims her and yet she hesitates, loving Crichton, but iceiing tenfeiv the irvi^'h! l3 laws which forbid her, a great ladv, from marrying her butler. In the end," Crichton, who feels the situation as keenly as she, cuts the tangled thread by announcing his engagement to Tweeny, a little scuilerymaid v, ho has long cherished as seemingly hopeless a passion for the butler as the butler has for hfis.mxi ten’s beautiful', proud, and imperious "daughter. And La «y ar 5’- She weds, in the end, the noble lord who has wooed her before she dreamed of being the butler’s bride. The chief roles are taken by Gloria Swanson, Thomas ..leighan, and Lila Lee. Appropriate music will be rendered bv an augmented orchestra controlled by Mr R, Caulton. The box plan is at Begg’s.