THE PICTURE HOUSES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14689, 22 August 1918, Page 3

THE PICTURE HOUSES.

m» " THE PALACE. The great success of "The Patriot" will be followed at the Palace by another special feature to-night. It is from the famous Vitagraph studios, and is entitled "The Blind Adventure." Edward Earle and Betty Hawe play the' principal parts. The slory shows: Geoffrey West is fascinated by a girl he sees m the breakfast room of the Carlton Hotel, London. She is reading the agony column of the Times, and to gain her interest he appeals next day through the personals. She responds through the same medium, and '•' demands' that • he proves himself an interesting person. He replies with a recital of a mystery murder that induces her to hurry to his help. She finds the whole thing is a hoax, concocted to gratify her fondness for romance and mystery. Supporting this great picture will be the grand opening chapter of "The Double Cross Mystery," which is easily out-distancing all previous serials. The unique method of introducing the principal characters of this fine story is much appreciated, and the story itself is guaranteed to enthral everybody for the next fifteen weeks. Mollie King impresses patrons right from the start as the heroine, and the succeeding numbers will show that she has been well chosen for the difficult part she has to play. "The Double Cross" is certainly the most, mystifying picture ever produced. Among the supports, also, is a rollicking L-Ko comedy, entitled "Love and Blazes," m which Ford Sterling,' the popular comedian, assisted by a whole galaxy of capable funmakers, provide the frolics. This programme will be screened till Friday night, giving way on Saturday to Viola Dana, the lovable little Metro artist, m that company's great production, "Blue Jeans." EVERYBODY'S. The very attractive Triangle photoplay, "I Love You," now showing at Everybody's, has given great delight ia. nil who have seen it, and should have a big run for the short season. Tramping th rough sunny Italy, Mardon, a young French artist seeking pleasure and Inspiration, comes upon Felice (Alma Reubens)' among the flowers of her father's garden. Smitten, he gets her consent to pose, and, fatalist that she is, she believes him to be the true lover whom she has long awaited, and yields to his woing. With the completion of his picture, Mardon returns to. Paris to win fame as the painter of "The Passion Flower." Crushed and embittered, the neasant beauty awaits his promised return* Armande, rich and discriminating, buys the picture and sets out to find the model-, whom he marries. They enjoy great happiness and Mardon crosses their path again. Armande knows nothing of the old attachment, and m his eagerness to have his wife painted as the Madonna, he takes the artist into his home. Felice resists his advances, struggles with him, but is carried away by brute strength. Armande, believing her guilty, closes his door'to her when the plague strikes their child. By a kiss she carries the germs to the drunken artist before losing her mind- Before the^ altar of a country chapel, however, the child's kisses restore memory and love. Few pictures have a setting - which is so consistently beautiful, and the scenes showing the Venetial Carnival are memorable. The seventh episode of "The Great Secret," "The Yellow Claw." and other supports ore included m this programme. "The Yellow Haw" is a startling chapter. The 'iero. by a mysterious ruse, has' gone to Beverly's aid. Wee See, the popular vnlet, also takes an active part for the rel--a?e of the heroine. This programme will \>3 repeated to-night and to-morrow ni.«rht. On Saturday nis;ht the great Selig special feature, . "The Garden of Allah." an eight-reel production from tlv: popular novel, will be shown. HIS MAJESTY'S. Probably no film ever shown m Gisborne has attained the stupendous success achieved by William Fox's presentation of Charles Dickens' immortal romance, "A Tale of Two Cities," at His | Majesty's last night. The building was I packed, and it is no exaggeration to say that. hundreds of would-be patrons had [to be turned away. The story was followed with almost breathless interest, and it was unanimously voted "splendid." The photography is superb, and William Farnum m the dual role of •Charles Darnay and Sidney Carton achieves the triumph of his career as a film actor. Nearly everyone has read, the novel on which the play is based, and anart from its historical value the play throbs with every emotion and every passion of the human heart, which the masterly Dickens m his genius could so faithfully present: That the film is a Fox production is an absolute guarantee that the play preserves with accuracy all tho characters, features,., and scenes of Dickens' masterpiece. The story hark'; back to the French Revolution, and the main roles are filled by William Farnum. His portrayal of the softspoken aristocratic Charles Darnay and the devil-may-care, dissolute English barrister. Sydney Carton, is a screen classic. "Never before," says a critic, "m the history of photo-dram production has a masterpiece been filled with so notable a cast of players as have been gathered by Mr. William Fox. The entire setting is ono of the most complete and magnificent things ever erected, for a motion picture." The scenes include the' trial at the old Bailey, the secret revolutionary meetings of the terrible Do Farge, the attack on and the fall of the Bastille, the reign of terror, the trial of Charles Darnay before the revolutionary tribunal, the saving of Darnay by Carton on the morning of the execution, the flight from Paris,' and the heroic sacrifice by Carton as he ascends the guillotine to suffer for his friend. The powerful and absorbing play requires from start to finish 8000 feet of film, and up to the present it holds the first place m the world of moving pictures, no matter what aspect it is viewed from or what standard it is judged by. The play will .be particularly welcome to the many students of Dickens, and it should assist m cultivating and diffusing " the spirit which pervades the works of one of the few writers of fiction who has a place among Ihe classics. It will be screened again this evening. The box plans are at the London Music shop. ——____—___■—____■