IN FILMLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18197, 16 September 1922, Page 8 (Supplement)

IN FILMLAND.

Ono of the most extensive and "P;todate estates in Hollywood is " Pickfair. It contains swimming pools, gardens, truck farms, stables, garages, and kennelsEvery morning and night, Mary and her husband make a tour of inspection and hear the various reports. Every morning Mary devotes an hour to the house be.ore going to the studio—where she is made up and ready for work at nine. The swimming pools are their chief relaxation in the evenings, but if they desire to see a motion picture- play, they have only to adjourn to the living room. All the earmarks of popular success are to be found in " Nero," a ten-reel I'ox film-spectacle—companion to " Q» cen °| Sheba"—which was privately exhibited at tho Alhambra Theatre, London, recently. Nero fiddling, Borne burning, chariots racing, niohs hurrahing, martyrs dying, iions prancing, pomp, licentiousness, riots, and religion-all the. ingredients that made the fame of " The Sign of the Cross, and some of those that made tho " Queen of Sheba" popular, are in this new header into ancient, imaginary history. ' Tim chief requisite for a perfect picture is an " honest to goodness " story. It is on that type of dramatic tale that David Griffith has based his latest photodrama "Tho Love Flower." Ralph Stock was the author and the story had a very popular run in Collier's Weekly. It is> filled with action and suspense—the story of a girl's great love for her heart-broken father who has been hounded to a desert island to escape being convicted of a crime ho never committed. Their adventures and the girl's loyalty to her father against her own interests* makes one of the most powerful stories ever screened. The Queen a few weeks ago paid a visit to the offices of Pathe Freres Cinema, Limited, in London, to see a private exhi- ! bition of the film taken of Princess Marv's weddins presents. Before the performance negati the Queen was presented with a bouquet. The film of the wedding presents was then shown, and the Queen was obviously very much interested. This film is remarkable because it was the first ever taken inside St. James' Palace. At the conclusion the Royal party had their greatest surprise, for, although they had only been there about 40 minutes, they were shown a film depicting in every detail their arrival at tho building. The film camera has been put to a novel use by the Maharajah of Kapurthala, who has been staying at the Savoy Hotel, London. The Prince of Wales visited Kapurthala in his Indian tour and the Maharajah, whose estttcs are said to give him an income of £186.000, did away with the traditional " visitor's book" by engaging film-camera men, who recorded the garden party held in the Prince's honour, the people's fair, the enthusiasm of the crowds, and the great State banquet. This remarkable film has been shown at a private reception at the Savoy Hotel. The Maharajah of Kapurthala is.one of the greatest ruling chiefs of the Punjab. " The Love Light," the next United Artists' production to be released, takes one to a little fishing village on the shores of the Mediterranean, in Northern Italy. Mary Pickford surprises us with a new characterisation. In this film, she takes the part of an Italian girl whoso life holds much tragedy as well as happiness. Mary plays this emotional role as effectively as those in a lighter vein. The scenario was written by Frances Marion in Italy, where she and Mary met on their honeymoons. Many of the players and properties were taken from Italy to America for the production. Jean De Briac, Mary's leading man, was principal lead for several years to Sarah Bernhardt.

J Napoleon himself would have been staggered by the enterprise of a certain . French firm, which came over from Paris to London a few weeks ago and obtained permission to borrow Portland Prison, its walls, grounds, and quarries for a scene showing the escape of four convicts! One of the stage managers of this thrilling affair was Mr. Gerald Ames, who plays the title role in the photoplay concerned, a screen version of Mrs. Henry Wood's novel "Within the Maze." Weymouth, which is adjacent to Portland, had the thrill of its life when it saw a motorcoach containing thirty convicts and armed warders—local unemployed—roll through the town towards the prison and disappear into the quarries for a day's work.

America's greatest outlaws, Al. and Frank Jennings, who thought no more of robbing a bank than most men would of eating their lunch, are now reformed. Al. Jennings is a prosperous solicitor in New York. Ho was pardoned by President Rooseveldt, who knew his career from boyhood. To «ay Rooseveldt did a wise thing is putting it mildly._ Not only has Jennines done great things in making other outlaws go straight but he has taught the boya who admire the " dashing bushranger " that a career of honesty is the only one. In " The Lady of the Dugout," Al. and Frank Jennings enact a chapter from their own lives. It abounds with thrills, and those who t«e it will certainly have no desire to leave the straight path and become outlaws. Al. Jennings was for five years in the Ohio Penitentiary with the late 0. Henry, the famous story writer.

A Persian rose garden, with fountain splashing in the silvery moonlight, a poetic youth and a beautiful maid! The streets of Naishapur, bustling with pilgrims, natives, vendors of everything imaginable, caravano of camels, bands of Bedouins on Arabian steeds, and beggars! A tavern, with bibulous youths, roistering in the immemorial manner! The Temple of Zorcaster, with its myßtio fastnesse», the minaret where the muezzins chant their call to prayer. The dungeon cell in which the doomed await their execution! The potter's shop, emblematic of the scat of the Maker of Mankind, and the clay on tihfl wheel as the clay in His hand's! Here are a few of the features in the film, " Omar the Tentmaker," which as a play served for four consecutive years as a stage vehie'e for Guv Bates.Post, one of America's distinguished actors, under the management of Richard W. Tully, who was also tho author. The production Btaff is busily engaged and possibly by now the United States is the scene of a transplanted Persia.