SCREEN JOTTINGS

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 12 May 1925, Page 13

SCREEN JOTTINGS

When a polished screen favourite makes love in liis inimitable way under, the direction of Wm. Christy Cabanne, the result is bound to be unusual. Lew Cody’s latest picture, “The Beloved Cheater,” which will be shown at the Theatre Royal on Saturday next, is so remarkable that it marks an epoch in, photoplay production. “The Beloved Cheater” is a tingling, tangling romantic carter. Here is a hero who bears all tho earmarks of the proverbial; villain, that is, any man who possesses undue attraction for the members of the feminine sex is usually a villain—r in tho movies. To add to this unfortunate character, this hero kisses a young man’s financeo and wins her love. Now here is where tho touch of the master hand is seen. Without reformation —nor a miracle such as we sometimes sec—the hero brings this amazing tale to a surprising conclusion.

Doris Kenyon, who is a member of the all-star cast enacting “Born Rich,” coming to tho Theatre Royal Tuesday and Wednesday, has appeared in many photoplays, but never has she been I given a role that satisfied her as much as that of Frances Melrose in this production.- Slie likes dt becauso it is fa, ‘hvicked” characterisation. That is the term she herself applies to it, but it realiy dgn’t as bad as that. The fact is that Miss Kenyon has played the part of a “good girl” so often that she. is eighty .tired .of it, and her exultation over the new role i§ merely a natural reaction. It has reached the point where when fa director needed an actress to portray the sweet, untarnished',- lovable heroine, with all the virtues and none' of the vices, he thought of Miss Kenyon. And now the worm has turned. “For the first time in my career I can do and say and' think just what I please,” dedared the actress, with a laugh. “When I, was, playing sweet young' girls I had to.Mve up to my , roles. Now I" am embarassed with all my liberty.” “Born Rich,” which is based on the novel by Hughes Cornell, was produced by Garrick Pictures. Others in the efafci '-are Claire Windsor, Bert Lvtell, Cullen Landis', .T. Barney Sherrv, Frank Morgan. Maude Turner Gordon, and Jackie Ott, the five-year-old boy swimming champion and actor. . I • • • ■' 1

Human nature will ever strive after the Unattainable, hence it is .easy to understand the teelings of an unsophisticated country girl suddenly plunged into .the swirl of college life —-with young women and young men possessed of more means than lierself enjoying life in a hectic way. The wild motor rides had thrills for her, and cigarette smoking intrigued her, she even finding unthought of pleasure in cocktails. None of this had ever come her way before, the picnic at Thanksgiving time was the limit in excitement when' she was home on the farm—and so she longed—longed to be with the others — and when it came about the change was to her like a door opening suddenly to a person groping in the dark—but where did it all lead her to ? All this is told in “Daughters of To-day,” with Patsy Ruth Miller, Ralph Graves, Edna Murphy, Philo McCullough, Geo. Nicholls, Gertrude Claire, Zaru Pitts, and a host of others in Sclzniek’s Seven Act Special, of modern flapper life—with its false excitement and extremes of gaiety. This remarkable picture comes to the Grand on Tuesday.

The most thrilling stage play ever produced is the general characterisation of “Tho Tornado,” Lincoln J. Carter’s great emotional melodrama. Using the same name Universal Pictures cornoration has made an even more thrilling version for the screen, which w?.l be shown in the Theatre Royal, commencing Thursday. House Peters is the star, and the surmorting company includes T?nfh Clifford, ss leading woman. Piehc'd Tuelrov. Pnitz Edwards and Kate Price, King Bairgot. directed and rpost of the scene-, ta]ron on locaL’cn in tho heavily timbered region of Idaho.

« • » 6 Have you a radio set ? Aro you interested in everything about the radio? Then wo. know that you will be interested in “Tho Story Without a Name,” the thrilling picture that will be'the chief attraction at the Grand Theatre next Saturday. Tho stfars are Antonio Moreno and Agnes Ayres. A great invention is found and there rre thieves who steal the plans but cannot make it work. They kidnap tho inventor, and then ; . ; ; But “The Story Without n Name” is too thrilling to tel! here: See it for your self on Saturday, ' "

Culminating one of Hollywood's most popular romances, the quiet wedding of Mario Provost and Kenneth Harlan attracted more nttention. than any event of tfio past year (writes a Jjos Angeles correspondent), Messages of good wishes for the popular pair of screen stars poured in from scores of “fans” ns well es from their motion picture friends, Marie Prevest imps zvq Bhortly in “Being p£ ‘the other woman-H

NOTES FROM THE STUDIOS.

An entirely new screen technique 3$ introduced in “The Clean Heart,'* tu; “Tho Cruelties of Life,” A, M. Hutchinson’s famous novel. It is an exceptional Master picture, and is tiro result of several years’ experiment by J. Stuart Blackton. It has been declared a tremendous advancement in tho motion .picture art. _The new technique consists of the effects produced by the various characters upon one another, rather than the direct action of the character, which has hitherto boon the aim of directors-. This produces an effect of visual eos* versation, photographing for the spectator a person’s thoughts in addition to bis actions, making a far more complete and satisfactory pictorial portraval of a life drama. • a # • ■

Noted the country over for its merit as a stage play, “Cameo Kirby,” by Booth Tarkington and Harry Leon Wilson, has been done into pictures and will open at the Grand Theatre for two davs, commencing on Thursday, John Gilbert plays the title role with Gertrude Olmsted in the feminmo load. The story deals with the picturesque Life of tho old Mississippi river gamblers.

In “Classmates” Richard Bartholmess presents the greatest work of his screen career, a performance that will overtop the strength of his mountain boy in “Tol’able David,” the lyrio poetry of his Yellow Man in “Broken Blossoms.” and his fine psychological study of a crippled war veteran in “Tho Enchanted Cottage.” The picture affords Dick an exceptionally well balanced cast. As the girl in the story, Undue Evans, remembered - for her original child roles in earlier years, returns to the screen and scores a triumph. Other good acting is presented bv Claude Brooke, Charlotte Walker. Reginald Walker, Reginald Sheffield, and Antrim. . * * » » Alice Joyce, after nearly ten years’ absence, has returned to Hollywood. She has been living in retirement in Italy. She will play in one Master picture, “The White Man.” Then she is going back to New York to her: husband and two young daughters. Having the privilege qf choosing her own cast, she picked Kenneth Harlan for the lead and Walter Long for the heavy. # . . Lew Cody has returned from Europe filled w'th excited reminiscences and denials. . Ho acted as second to Mike Gibbons when Mike knocked out Jack Bloomfield, the heavyweight, in London, and he didn’t get engaged to Nora Bayes. He says that he and M'ss Baves were motoring together and the machine was wrecked. The gallantry of his rescue made the English reporters think they must be engaged or something. Lew Cody plays the male lead in.Luhitsch’s great production, “Threo Women.” .*- * •

I Under the title of “Joe,” Beaumont | Smith, the Australian producer, has i recently released his latest jiicture. ! The leading character, who is impersonated by Arthur Tauchert, is a station hand, who marries his employer’s daughter; and, later, becomes entangled in the affairs of certain city folk. Fun and drama have equal shares in the picture. “Joe,” which is based on Henry Lawson’s book, “Joe Wilson and His Mates,” is one of the several films which Beaumont Smith has produced from well-known Australian stories. * » • * “Captain Blood” is a romance of the sea in tho days when buccaneers ruled the Spanish Main. It is in the episodes of the sea that “Captain Blood” surpasses any picture ever released. The forty-gun galleons of the ocean marauders with castellated prow and stern have been reproduced in full size, and in one of tho greatest naval battles ever screened, these ships are shown in battlo array, and in full action. Thousands of extras are used in the hand-to-hand fights when piiyite ship moors itself to enemy nian-o-war, and the buccaneers wield no quartergiving cutlasses. Love and piracy 1 They sound a strange combination. But tlioy combine to make a good entertainment, in the screening of Rafael Sabatini’s highly-coloured romance, “Captain Blood,” with all its thrills and beauties of life on tho Spanish Main. • » « » Ernst Lubitsoh picks his own pictures and players, and Marie Frerost a.nd Monte Blue are Iris choice for his, next Warner special.

I The new film laboratory at Warner ■ Brothers’ studio, Hollywood, will be all complete by next week, according to announcement by Harry M. Warner, general manager of tho studio. Tho laboratory contains 10,800 square foot, and has a capacity of two million foot of film a week, it is said, Both positive ami negative will bo printed in tho laboratory, in addition to tho titling. Tho equipment includes five stoiytgo vaults, and ioo plant, filtering, plant for water and chemioals, a ventilating system, threo projection rooms, and eight cutting rooms.

“Gnptain, Blood,” the plcturlsation of Itafpol Sabatim's muslorpieco, is the most stupendous motion picture of Jove, romaneo and ndventuro yet mado for tho scroen, Warren Kerrigan and Jean Paigo head tho brilliant pasta, You will never forget tho wonderful 6cones of a fleet of 17th century battleships destroyed in action, “Onptain Blood" was the most famous of all buoremanrs, and liis band of trusty rnon , fought p rates, and tea cacti duuinals in 1 j d stress,