KING’S THEATRE

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12211, 8 August 1925, Page 2

KING’S THEATRE

" “SACKCLOTH AN)£ SCARIiET.* The long-iooked-for screen version of George Gibbs’s -fine novel,; “Sackcloth and Scarlet,” has at last arrived, and was screene/T for the first time at the King’s Theatre yesterday. This gripping story, has been magnificently mounted by the Paramount producers, and the whole production can be classed as one of the finest seen locally lor many a long day. The plot tells of Polly. Freeman,’ who falls in love with a mountain guide at a holiday resort. They are married, Polly using an assumed name. Fearing that the man is below her station, she leaves suddenly and returns home. To her sister John she sobs, out the whole story, withholding the fact that she had'married the man. Joan is stunned, but she makes every effort to save the good name of her sister, and hastily 'breaking her own engagement, she takes the sister to. the continent, where" the baby is born. Polly, selfish and self-willed, refuses to have anything to do with the child, and the care of the hoy is left to Joan. In their secluded rptreat,Joan is found by her former fiancee,, who does not ask, for an explanation, and so her. own name is lost. Polly, only thinking of / herself, thinks that Joan has explained the situation, and clears out.. Years,after Joan has found happiness in the care of her “son” Jack in Washington away from the friends who knew her. To Washington comes Stephen Edwards, a young ■ Congressman, and through an accident to .Jack ho -meets Joan and a friendship grows which soon ripens nto love. Someone sees Joan out with .Edwards, and he is warned by his party that he must not he seen with a woman of her reputation. He goes to her houße, determined to marry her that evening, only to find her ready to leave. Polly, broken, in spirit and health, chose this night to come to her sister. Meeting Edwards, while Joan' is out of the room, she recognises him as her husv band and realises that Jack is their son. • - This is by no means the end, which', after farther dramatic, incident, hits home with stunning force, and is a. fitting climax to a. great picture. Alice Terry plays the part of Joan with fine realism, and others in 1 the cast who help to make the pictnre the sucwho help, to make the picture the gruat success it undoubtedly, is are .Orville Coldwell 1 ,- - Dorothy Sebastian, Otto Mothieeon, Kathleen Kipkham, and Jask Huff. Among the supports are a comedy,_ the latest gazette, and a scenic, while the King’s Orchestra, under the Baton of Mr A. H. Jerome, plays a specially-selected musical score.'