ENTERTAINMENTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 July 1924, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPERA HOUSE—TO-NIGHT. “BELLA Dtfts T NA.” ' To-niglit for one night only the management will present “Bella Donna,” one of the greatest love stories in history, starring Pola Negri. Travellers who have visited Cairo and the lower regions of the Nile will find in this picture more of the real Egypt than they were ever privileged to see during their actual visits. According to Dudley Stuart Corlett, special technical adviser and a noted Egyptologist, real Egypt can only be found far from the points of contact with European civilisation. Inasmuch as “Bella Donna” calls for the Egypt of the Egyptians, Corlett has supplied the picture with genuine and little-known scenic backgrounds. Perhaps the most beautiful and slightly known is the temple of Abul .Simbel in Upper Egypt, which was reconstructed for this .picture by George Fitzmaurice, the producer. This structure, carved from the living rock on the bank of the Nile, is so constructed that its interior is illuminated by the rising sun for only five minutes of the day, just at dawn. The temple. serves as the background of a meeting between Pola Negri in the title role of this Paramount picture with Baroudi, played by Conway Tearle. Other members of the cast are Conrad Nagel, Lois Wilson, Claude King and Macey Haram. An excellent supporting programme will be presented.

GRAND THEATRE—TO-NIGHT. MAE, MURRAY IN “THE FRENCH DOLL.” That indefinable charm which pervades all of Miss Mae Murray’s screen characterisations is again strongly evident in “The French. Doll,” "which opened last night at the Grand Theatre. The title of the picture alone is expressive of the atmosphere which Miss Murray disseminates the moment she appears on the screen, chic and sprightly. Miss Murray's characterisations are marvels of nuances—a fine blending of lights and shadows, a gentle but firm manner, and a delightfully impertinent, saucy way of handing out her favours or displeasures that seemingly captivates her co-workers, on the screen and certainly never fails to captivate the imagination of her audiences. The supporting-programme is excellent. “The French Doll” will be screened finally to-night.