PICTURES AND PLAYS

Maoriland Worker, Volume 10, Issue 422, 9 April 1919, Page 2

PICTURES AND PLAYS

—^——■ I A drama which seems to have been j made toorder for Mabel Normand is now being screened at The King's. Thi3 is *'Puck*9 Bad Girl," from the celebrated story of the same name. The film in a Goidwyn production, aud the supporting caste has been chosen with great care. The story tells of a young girl who had .such an excess of the joy of life that she kept the , whole village in a. state of alarm as to what her next performance would m be. In this story her principal exploit is to close a bank and cause a ; riot, but she makes amends lalcr by waylaying- a gang of burglars who are out to rob the bank. .More than this, i she fascinates the detective who is on their tracks, and the picture ends -with | an early marriage in prospect. There is a good excuse for fine dresses in \ part, of the story, but Mabel mixes low-cut dresses and high-cut cami- ' soles rather amusingly. An effective caste consisting of ; Bessie Barriscale as the star, with Howard Hickman and Jack Livingston is seen in a convincing story in the ; Foursquare drama, "The Cast-off," now screening at The Empress. The ■ story tells of an orphan girl who receives very unpleasant treatment in I the boardinghouse where she is working, and eventually has to leave owing to a compromising situation in j which she is found. Later, when she has achieved fame on the stage and { is the rage of fashionable society, the man who had been responsible for her j plight at the boarding-house wishes to become one of her numerous ad- , jiirers, notwithstanding that he is " now a. married man with a young - child. The actress determines to be revenged on him, but a chance-meet- fl ,ng with the child arouses the mother love in her heart and Causes « her to forego her attempt. In doing so she■'-finds happiness with a man whom- she loves sincerely. An unusual complication occurs in the Vitagraph drama "The Seal of Silence," now screening at Everybody's, with Grace Darmond and Earle Williams in the lead. A frivolous wife, to be. revenged on her husband, leaves him, and never reveals i the fact that she has made him the'.' father of a son. Her death follows, and the doctor's female assistant, who " has been a friend of his wife, and • who has sworn to keep the secret of j ( the child's existence, is eventually j conipelled to- take care of the child, and brings it to the doctor's residence, where she resides. It is not surprising that the doctor forms a. wrong conclusion regarding the child, but he \ cannot help loving the girl. However,' his study of hereditity to him eventually that he must be the father of the \ boy, and, w'th the girl's character j cleared, the way is open for him to j ; follow the mutual dictates of their hearts.