The Movies

Free Lance, Volume XVIII, Issue 988, 11 June 1919, Page 11

The Movies

By Cinema

NEXT Saturday new features to be screened in "Wellington and advertised elsewhere on this page include a notable attraction, namely Maurice Tourneur's seven-reel masterpiece entitled "Woman," to be shown at the King's. "Woman" is descr'bed as "a tribute to mo.dern womanhood in contrast wiitli. that of other ages" ajnd is claimed to rival "Intolerance." It is said to be a magnificent spectacle. There is a gripping story running all through it of six women and . six men. It is a contrast in civilisations starting from the days of ancient Home and ending with to-day. * * * * There is always a fascinating atmosrphere about cowboys and rough riders, especially the American type, and in the Triangle feature "Untamed" (starting at the Empress on Saturday) there is ample opportunity to enjoy optically the romantic side of ranch life on the Mexican border. Roy Steward appears in a stirring Western role. Plenty of colour is provided in the shape of Spanish senoritas, Mexican bravos, flashing steel and sixshooters, while the settings are said to be beautiful. A thrilling love story winds its way through the machinations of the treacherous Mexicans, and is charmingly assisted to a happy ending by Ethei Fleming, a young lady of many attractions. * * * * A converted desperado and two-gun man dealing out vengeance for an atrocity committed by a tough town, which he decides to wipe out by burning, for its sins, is the final touch in the Triangle feature "Hell's Hinges," in which William S. Hart is starred aa JBlaze Tracy. This picture will be next Saturday's special feature at Everybody's. The duel of faith between a •weak-minded parson, totally unfitted for his calling and a reprobate, to whom religion appears for the first time through the medium of a good woman, results in the elimination of the weaker man. The rough and ready faith of the big "Westerner helps him to clean up an undesirable spot. Big Bill Hart in his usual manner gives a life-like characterisation of the part. * * * * One of the exciting episodes in Douglas Fairbanks' new Artcraft picture "Something for Somebody," is that of the screen athlete climbing out of the window of a speeding Pullman, continuing up to the roof of the car and running along on the top of the train, then jumping to the swinging arm of a water feeder from which he leaps on to the back of a horse. This is the start of the thrilling chase in which two hundred cowboys pursue Fairbanks for miles up into the hills. Arrangements were made with the office of the Director-General of Railroads for the use of an entire train for fclhe scenes above described. An aban-

LOUISE HUFF, A popular Paramount star who will appear in future as leading lady with Ernest Truex in Paramount pictures .

doned track in the San Fernando dessert was selected for the location, because of the scenario demanding the desert atmosphere. * * * * Mr Wm. W. Wadman, travelling representative of the New Zealand Picture Supplies, leaves shortly on a business trip to the United States on behalf of the firm and the l>enby fireproof spool. * * * * Captain Robert Warwick, an old favourite with New Zealand picture-goers, has recently returned from France, where he served on General Pershing's staff. He is already back in the movie studios and was at latest engaged in a big Famous Players-Lasky production, entitled "Secret Service." ****** The screening of moving pictures at Sunday services in some American churches is quite the thing nowadays Of course, only pictures of a certain fire shown; times have not progressed so far as to admit of the showing of Chaplin comedies! and the like. For instance, on the first Sunday of March last a film production entitled "Our Teddy" was screened at the University Heights Presbyterian Church. This picture featured the life of the late Colonel Roosevelt and was of quite a select nature. It proved such a success that other churches in New York were reported to be making arrangements for its exhibition. * * ♦ * Mack Sennett, producer of the Par-amount-Sennett comedies, very seldom gives out any statements in praise of his own comedies. Therefore when he does it becomes something .of an event.. "I always like to keep faith with the exhibitor a," said Mr Sennett. ' 'Therefore I never say anything about mv own comedies unless they really impress me as unusual. I think I can conscientiously recommend "Rip Stitch Tailors," which is< to be released shortly, as one of the finest comedies ever turned out at this studio. It has more variety, quicker laughs and more of them than any play we have sent out for a long time. We think we have in Teddy, the dog, and Pepper, the cat, two of the moat remarkable animals ever seen on a screen. In this comedy, Teddy fairly Overdoes : himself. I believe this is one of the comedies likely to get laughs from the whole family—from the kiddies to the old man. ****** Irene Castle, famous dancer and Paramount star, is to wed again. The lucky man is Robert E. Treman, a captain in the Air Service. ■*■*** That there is no necessity to take a motion picture company abroad to get locations, but that better effects can be obtained right in the studio, is the claim of Hugh Ford, who is directing the Paramount-Artcraft special production of "The Woman Thou Gavest Me." from Hall Caine's novel. As it is known to those who have read the atory, many foreign countries are used in settings for the picture— Egypt, India, England, etc. All of these locations are of course being constructed in the studio, but instead of regretting the impossibility of actually going to these lands for making the picture, Mr Ford Is of the opinion that the results were this done would not be so good. So Instead of going to Cairo, for instance, we have erected a building that is almost a fa-csimile of Shepheard's - Hotel in that city. Those who are familiar with the original will hardly know that the scenes weren't taken there. In the same way Ford has built Indian bungalows, English streets, etc. •# * * » What is said to be the world's record in time for getting motion pictures from the street to the screen was recently by the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation in New York. Pictures were made of purchasers of War Loan Bondsi, and three hours and fifteen minutes after the reel was taken from the camera, according to report, the pictures were thrown on the screen. * * * * Paramount is to film "Peg o' My Heart." Cecil M. de Mille will direct and Wanda Hawley has been engaged to play the part of Peg. * * & * * * If there is an actress in motion pictures who can "wear clothest" it is Ethel Clayton, in the opinion of thousands of women, and men too, who frequent the picture theatres in this country, and she is said to be given an opportunity to display some most attractive creations of the modiste's art in the new Paramount picture, "Men, Women, and Money," which ahe is now making under the direction of George Melford. In "Maggie Pepper," Miss Clayton's next Paramount release, she will be seen in a role which, in the respect mentioned, is an exception until the latter part of the picture. The play is said to lend itself admirably to the screen and Miss Clayton is said to be absolutelv at home in the role of the shop girl who forces her way to the top through a labyrinth of difficulties.