THE SHADOW WORLD

Southland Times, Issue 20010, 26 October 1926, Page 11

THE SHADOW WORLD

LATEST REAL NEWS OF REEL PLAYERS.

ATTRACTIONS AT THE ALBION. To-night: De Forest Phonofilms (speaking pictures). “Watch Your Wife” (Virginia Valli, Pat O’Malley), “A Broadway Butterfly” (Dorothy Devore, Loumt-Fiazenda. To-morrow: De Forest Phonofilms (speaking pictures), “Stella Dallas’" (Ronald Coleman, Belle Bennet) “The Great Divide” (Alice Terry, Conway Tearle.) Saturday: “The Set-Up” (Art Acord), “Happy Ending” (Fay Compton, Jack Buchanan). HEARING PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE INVISIBLE. The photographing of the visible, and the projection of those photographs on to the cinema screen, is not less ingenious because it is an everyday fact. The photographing of the invisible is clearly a far greater achievement —something new to science. De Forest Phonofilms (speaking pictures) to be seen and heard at the Albion Theatre to-night and to-morrow, show how both sound (the invisible) and actions (the visible) are simultaneously projected from one film, having been simultaneously recorded on it. Eye and ear are appealed to instantaneously, and thus for the first time in the history of scientific research, absolute synchronisation is effected. It is the faculty of speech which has given man his supremacy in the world. It is by adding “movie” speech to “movie” action that the cinema will leap to supreme heights of perfection.

One of the most daring and most spectacular railroad wrecks ever filmed will be seen in “The Transcontinental Limited,” the new Chadwick special production, which has recently been completed. An engine and a long train of cars, speeding at sixty miles an hour, were completely demolished to produce this stirring thrill. This feature will be screened shortly at the Albion.

Art Acord makes such amazing’ falls in his pictures that spectators are surprised when the player gets up uninjured. He explains this by remarking that his early career brought him untold falls until he mastered the art of bronco busting. This star will be seen in 'The Set Up” at the Albion Theatre commencing Saturday next. The direction was by Cliff Smith.

“Stella Dallas”—a girl who gave all her love. Greater love hath no woman than “Stella Dallas.” As vivid as a bolt of lightning; as colourful as the rainbow; as romantic as springtime love; as beautiful as a Rembrandt; As joyous as a babe’s laughter; as vibrant as a heartstring. Millions thrilled with the book and play; many millions more will be enthralled with the photoplay. Coming to the Albion tomorrow.

Every members of “The Bat” cast, soon to be screened at the Albion, including Jewel Carmen, Jack Pickford, Lousie Fezenda, Einily Fitzroy, Robert McKim, Eddie Gribbon, Tullio Carminati, Arthur Houseman, Andre Beranger, Charles Herzinger, Lee Shumway and Sojin, Oriental character actor, was required to take an oath not to reveal the roles portrayed. Producer Roland West established a “deadline” on the sets, beyond which no one not actually working in the various scenes was permitted to venture.

There is just one American drama that critics have agreed is truly great. That’s “The Great Divide.” This masterpiece by William Vaughn Moody has now been screened by Reginald Baker for MetroGoldwyn, and it will be shown at this theatre for three days beginning to-morrow. The screen version was made in the Painted Desert of Arizona, where the thrilling drama of a puritanical Eastern woman forced into marriage through a marauder’s lawless desire is unfolded. The leading roles are played by Alice Terry and Conway Tearle, and the cast includes Huntly Gordon, Wallace Beery, ZaSu Pitts and George Cooper.

An unusually good cast has been assembled by Warner Bros. forJ“The Limited -Mail,” which starts at the Albion shortly. Monte Blue, Vera Reynolds and Willard Louis have the principal roles, with Edward Gribbon, Tom Gallery, Master Jackie Huff, Lydia Yeamans Titus and Otis Harlan among the other players who appear under George Hill’s direction.

Jack Dempsey may well look out for his laurels! In “A Broadway Butterfly,” one of the casrrent at the Albion, Lousie Fazenda comes to the rescue of the little butterfly, played by Dorothy Devore, and in a thrilling moment saves her from the clutches of that handsome portrayer of villainous roles, John Roche. During the special scenes, Lousie as ever, was endeavouring to put every ounce of realism into her characterisation when, suddenly, in the excitement of the moment, she landed a sharp hook to the jaw and felled the. thunderstruck actor. It was not necessary to take the count, for it was about fifteen minutes before the actor was able to sit up and take notice. “A Broadway Butterfly” is a Warner Bros. “Classic of the Screen” from the pen of Darryl Francis Zanuck.

A social service bureau with a section devoted to supplying unattached men with a female escort or companion, and at the same time barring love. Such is the unique idea behind “Watch Your Wife,” Universal-Jewel co-starring Virginia Valli and Pat and now being screened at the Albion Theatre. “Watch Your Wife” places romance on a business basis, and is a most appealing domestic comedy drama. It is featured by many striking sets and handsome gowns. Among the players are Helen Lee Worthing, Nat Carr, Albert Conti, Aggie Herring, and Nora Hayden. “Watch Your Wife” was directed by Syend Gade.

‘lStella Dallas,” one of the finest ever made, is truly a dramatic and emotional masterpiece. What a picture! Truly a masterpiece. We unqualifiedly believe it to be one of the finest pictures ever produced. Frankly we doubt if it has ever been equalled and are sure that, it has never been surpassed in the tremendous sweep of its emotional appeal or the poignancy of its soul-stirring drama of mother-love and sacrifice.

“Stella Dallas,” considered by readers of the novel to be fit material for the great American photodrama, has been re-created for the screen with distinctive types of personality. Each and every character in tfap film version of Olive Higgins Prouty’s book is recognisable as a person within the circle of everyday friendship. Stepping out as they do from the pages of the book on to the celluloid in the Henry King production, they become living, breathing people, part and parcel of any community. And as a romantic drama with universal appeal of intimate folk one knows, it comes as a Samuel Goldwyn production to the Albion Theatre very soon as a United Artists Corporation release.

AT THE CIVIC. To-night: “Tony Runs Wild” (Tom Mix), “The New Klondyke” (Thomas Mcighan-Lila Lee). Wednesday. “Too Much Money” (Lewis Stone-Anna Q. Nilsson), “Introduce Me,” (Douglas Mac Lean). Saturday: “The Grand Duchess and The Waiter” (Adolphe Menjou— Florence Vidor), “A Man Four Square” (Buck Jones). Won’t the girls rave when they see Richard Dix in “Let’s Get Married!” He’s a great laugh provider, this boy, and he’s climbing into a high place among the most popular stars. He’s to be at the Civic. A sparkling, delicately wrought farcical tale is “The Grand Duchess and the Waiter,” one Of Paramount’s current releases which Is to be seen at-- the Civic on Saturday. It is - a story of scintillating action and magnificent mounting. This is the Paramount film version of the sensational French stage success by Alfred Savoir. Adolphe Menjou and Florence Vidor are the central characters in the fun-filled story, which details the exploits of a rich Parisian Beau Brumniel, who. masquerades as a waiter in order to be near the outwardly haughty, inwardly emotional, Grand Duchess, who has caught his fancy. The ease and sophistication with which Menjou registers his comedy points stamp him as an actor without a peer in the field of Continental characterisation. Miss Vidor, gloriously beautiful in a variety of Paris gowns and the latest French bob, fits the role of the Grand Duchess down to the last dot and dash, and is the personification of feminine charm and regal hauteur.

Her husband’s sense of duty to his country was stronger than his sense of duty to his wife, so she engaged in a flirtation. This is said to be the kernel of the latest Corinne Griffith film “Infatuation,” scheduled for early release at the Civic. It is an adaptation by First National of “Ceasar’s Wife,” the recent W. Somerset Maughan Broadway hit.

If you like rip-roaring western films you’ll get a great kick out of Buck Jones’ newest Fox production, “A Man FourSquare,” at the Civic on Saturday. Jones as Craig Norton is called upon to help a friend who, though innocent, has been convicted of stealing cattle. Buck runs down the guilty in his usual dashing style and incidentally wins a beautiful bride. “Tony Runs Wild,” Fox Films latest western, starring Tom Mix, and now playing at the Civic Theatre, gives this actor’s wonder horse, “Tony,” a featured role and “Tony” comes close to running away with the honours of the picture. The story centres about a love at first sight affair, in the wild horse country along the Apache trail, in the heart of the most rugged and picturesque of Arizona’s magnificent mountains. Jacqueline Logan, cast as the heroine, is merely coquetting with Tom Mix, but she sees the magnificent herd of wild horses and “Tony,” the leader, catches her attention. She wants the horse—and gets it, after much exciting incident is shown on the screen. Tom Meighah has one of his most likeable roles in “The New Klondike” now at the Civic. “The New Klondike” is Florida. Just as millions were made overnight in the rush to the goldfields at Klondike, so are millions made in the same way in real estate in Florida. Hence the name. Tommy gets stranded in Florida and starts in on real estate. He wins a fortune and the girl. Laughs and chuckles are very frequent in this picture, which is really most enjoyable. ‘Then it’s war?” Doug. Mac Lean asked that of his best friend when they both saw the beautiful young girl in the Paris railway station—and the friend met her and refused to introduce Doug. And it was war, too—war for the prettiest girl they had ever seen. It made a dangerous enemy of his very best friend—for all was fair in this great game of love. It made him attempt to climb the most dangerous peak in all the Swiss Alps. And it used to make him dizzy to look out of a second-story window. This is just part of the plot of “Introduce Me,” Douglas Mac Lean’s latest Paramount release, at the Civic to-morrow. It is Douglas Mac Lean’s first photo-play from an original story since he became an independent producer. It’s filled to the brim with'- original twists and packed with Mac Lean humour and lift-you-out-of-your-seat laughs. Imagine Lewis Stone and Anna Q. Nilsson in comedy! They get away with it, too, in the First. National picture at the Civic tomorrow. The title, ‘Too Much Money,” indicates the curse of a superfluity of wealth, in consequence of which a wife is swept off her feet in a whirl of gaiety to the detriment of her domestic obligations. Friend hubby brings her to her senses in a manner thoroughly humorous, though the cure went very near to causing a tragedy.

The joyous abandon of Armistice Day, when the cup of life brimmed over with the spirits of good fellowship is captured in the adaption of “Recompense,” the attraction soon at the Albion Theatre. Marie Prevost and Monte Blue co-star in this Master Picture.

Does it harm a romantic actor’s popularity if audiences know he is married? Lou Tellegen thought so, and for that reason denied himself the congratulations of his friencte for a year and a half after his wedding. Then he turned from romantic leads to the richer field of the character actor, assuming a “heavy” role for the first time in Phil Goldstone’s production, “The Verdict,” coming soon to the Albion. When Mr. Tellegen decided to remove the veil from his private life, he had not only his wedding to announce, but also the existence of a six months old son—a dual cause for congratulation.