AMUSEMENTS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LVIV, Issue 1, 4 October 1926, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS

KING'S THEATRE "LORD JIM." TO-NIGHT ONLY. The finest traditions of the merchant marine are glorified in Joscpn Conrad’s “Lord Jim, n whicJi Victor Fleming has produced as a Paramount picture, with Percy Marmont, Shirley Mason, Noah Beery, and Raymond Hatton in the principal roles of the cast. Marmont, in the tit 1 - role of the story, deserts His ship in a. moment of danger, and spends the rest of his life regretting the act and trying to live down the iramo “Coward” which follows him everywhere. Nobody wants him —he’s “through."’ as far as the sea is concerned. A friend finally pities him and gives him a, position on a distant, almost unknown tropical island of the far-flung Archipelago' among the savage Malays who inhabit it. The story of Mannont’s atonement is a drama of astounding conflict. The lone Caucasian triumphs over a whole island if copper-coloured savages. To them he becomes “Lord Jim,” and makes himself their king. He faces courageously perils that make paltry a leakv steamer in a typhoon. Love is his final and greatest conouest. A ravishing girl offers him such love us Oriental poets sing about. Then a white man, evil, cunning, and revengeful,' penetrates Marmont’s last reiugc on earth. Jn a terirfic battle against a thousand odds the astounding climax of the. kaleidoscopic career of “Lord Jim” is brought to an end. You’ll feel yourself breaking the handles off the seat" watching this one. It’s real drama, the finest tiling Conrad ever wrote. “Lord Jim” was adapted for the screen by John Russell, a. close friend of the late author. George Hull wrote the screen play. Other popular players in the cast are Joe Dowling, Duke Kahananiokn, the swimmer’; George Magill, and Jules Cowles.

MISS STARR’S VISIT. A WONDERFUL ACTRESS. ' Miss Muriel Starr, supported by a particularly well-balanced company, appeared at the Stratford Town Hall ■on Saturday night, when she pi'esented . “The House of Glass” a drama in four acts in which she played the role of Margaret Case. Briefly, the story is that of a young New York stenographer who becomes engaged to a “crook” without knowing that he is anything but the honest chauffeur he has led her to believe. Although innocent of the crime of which she is accused she *is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, from which she is later released on parole. Resolved to forget the past she leaves New York, incidentally breaking her parole, and goes to Kansas, where she makes good and marries a local railway magnate, Harvey Lake. The latter subsequently accepts a big position and with his wife returns to New York, where one day he is visited by De • t’ectiW Carroll, who is making inquiries regarding the prosecution of a dishonest employee of the railroad. Carroll it was who arrested Margaret ten years before and he recognises her. events move rapidly to the happy ending, with which even the detective is not ill pleased. Miss Starr proved conclusively that she has lost none of the ability which enabled her to sweep large audiences off their feet when she first visited New Zealand in “Within the Law”. If anything, she has developed in her •art, and the manner in which she instantly changed from lightness bordering on comedy to the highest plane of emotionalism and without apparent effort swayed her audience from laughter to tense ■sympathy, showed her to be an artist in the truest sense of the word. She was really magnificent in the third act, •when after a cat and mouse, episode with the detective she disclosed to her husband the true position \ in which she found herself. She was so .natural that one forgot, one was in a theatre, and not actually peeping into a room where a teal-life tragedy was being enacted. Never did. she over-act and never did she strive for effect. Where, a less-ex-perienced actress might have become melodramatic, Miss Starr was natural and convincing. She is & truly great actress, possessed of a splendid personality, and one whom it is to Mie hoped will come this way again. Mr Harvey Adams as McLellan, the lawyer, leapt into popularity on his his first appearance. He proved a worthy associate for an actress of Miss Starr’s outstanding ability, and .gave a performance that A\ r as altogether delightful. Mr Kenneth Brampton, an old favourite, lived up to his reputation and presented a con vincing portrait of the husband. Mr Raymond Lawrence, as Burke the reformed “■Crook”, gave a satisfactory redering of a part that called for a good deal of effort, while Mr •Charles Lawrence as the railroad president was also very good. Mr Augustus Neville, as Detective Cairoll, was convincing, and effectively portrayed the blustering sleuth whose tvpe seems to be an integral part of the American police system. Mr Fred Coape, as the Japanese servant, was remarkably good in a hard character part, while Miss Clarice Kingsley, as the servant in the first act, portrayed the part of a cheeky >young person in such a way that < made one wish she had more to do. Other characters were also well taken by Misses Bertha Ballinger, Bete Sco tt, Messrs. Felix Bland and Kyle Sylvanoy and although these parts were not large ones all the artists did good work. Mr Adams produced the play, and has every reason to he proud of the result. The J audience was good despite the weather the circle being fully occupied and the downstairs portion well filled.’ A visit from an artist of Miss Starr’s ability happens but once in a long while, and there is no doubt that had the elements been kinder, there would not have been a vacant seat in the building.