Stars of the Screen

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16923, 23 December 1922, Page 5

Stars of the Screen

Paramount, fn pursuance of thei • usual New Year policy, will release sev uml special productions in the course of the next few. weeks. They will be shown at Everybody's and will include I'orever, > starring Wallace Reid and Klsie Forgxtscn and A ‘ Grandma’s Boy. * Harold Lloyd’s first five-reel comedy’ which it is confidently assorted surpasses any previous effort of this great screen comedian. Tho heights of realism that progress in motion picture producing have rendered possible are strikingly shown in EaxtLbound,” a Goldwyn super-film, from the story by tho noted author. Basil King. Tho picture comes to th»» Grand Theatre very shortly. The manner in which the producers, by the use of double exposure, timed to solit seconds. cause the spirit of a murdered man to mingle with the living, is uncanny. Tt is a remarkable film. The “ Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam ” i- a remarkably fine picture of infinite l canty and strenuous action, gorgeous t- tic- sense of .sight and replete with Orion till ism in its most exciting, diversified and thrilling aspects. ft is a splendid departure from the usual t« ri)i ot motion picture in which has l -.’on instilled a philosophy an deep as lib itseli which, whether it is accepted a- such or not, will interest, entertain 5 n<l b'ive_ food for profound thought, ‘ Omar Khayyam ” will he screened tit the Liberty on December 30. Next week’s programme at Every body’s will ho headed by “Is Main monv a Failure?” a Paramount production with an all-star cast, which includes T. Bov Barnes. Lila Lee, Lois Wilson, Walter Hiers, Zasu Pitts and Tully Marshall Tho picture is descrih*'i as a roaring comedy. The fun is wholesome and the story shows what w.uild happen if through some legal technicality, about 50 per c*»nt of the married men of a town suddenly discovered that, after having lived hau of their lives as husbands, they are not really married at all. Eleven reels of splendid screen art are seen in “ Little Ixird Fauntleroy,” they United Artists special production lo ho shown at the Liberty Theatre on January fi. Mary Bickford is the central figure and takes a dual role. Fir t she plays tho little lord, and is the boy of tho hook to the very life. As “ Dearest,” the gentle loving mother. she is perfection. Mention must also he made of the wonderful characterisation of the old Karl by Claude G filingw ater. Other specially good figures arc Hobbs the grocer, and Mrs M’Ginty, the old apple woman. Tlic settings are superb, and tellingly English in evorv wav. The stow is enlivened with choice hits of fun, and sparkles with /plaint, whimsical humour. Should a modern disciple of Christ wed a Magdalen—a woman rich in hn - and tenderness and loyal to her t>i Iy benefactor, deprived of the early advantages of the well to do, and endowed only with the richness of a musician’s temperament and a golden voice, in order to save iier soul? Such is the problem dealt with in a magni- \ -Inch is <ni the current programme at th«*- Liberty Theatre. There arc number-- of New Zealanders who have heard “ Romance” and Doris Keane from soldier sons or relatives who saw the pi ay in London during tile war. Jt ran ),.» over two years there with wonderin' suce-' -s and now comes tlic pictuny'timi as delightful as tho play itself. nr Doris Keane is the star in the Kieen presentation. I was one of these privileged to witness a private screening of William Fox’s special feature, “ The Queen of Sheba,” and for two hours I watched the development of the biblical story which was presented with a mngnifi ence and completeness which must be

ed this week in "Wellington, is descrih od as of exceptional dramatic force. It is the story of a beautiful young woman forced to sell flowers to keep a drunken father, but later escapes and meets a young playwright. The cul minating situation is fulL of dramatic power. May Beth Carr, a daughter of Mary Carr, who was the central figure in 1 “ Over the Hill,” bad a part in the prologue of “Silver Wings.” another Pox production in which Mary Carr is the star. With continued reports of Nazimova’s determination to forsake the silent drama for lie speaking stage, comes an evcr-growin~ whisper that Olga Petrova will return to the screen, unless she can secure a drama suitable to her particular talents. The New York “ Herald ” says that it has learned on excellent authority that Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Bickford contemplate a world’s tour next spring, probably including Australia.. They will charter a steamer, and will l e accompanied by fifty friends. They vill sail from the port of San FranEvery moving picture house and theatre in Belgium will close for an indefinite period on April 1 , 1923, unless the demands of the owners, musicians and others connected with the industry for lower taxes are not met by the Government before March 31. Because of high taxes all the moving picture houses and theatres were closed on September 12 last as a protest-. “ ‘ Make no mistake about it, this is one of tho matchless pictures of the year.”—“ New York Sun ” comment on Jackie Coogan’s “ Oliver Twist.” “ A screen masterpiece of human interest. It- is the best picture we’ve seen ill months, splendid cast, wonderfully photographed, superbly acted, as good screen entertainment as one could ask.”—“ New York Evening World.” After three years of experimenting, Maude Adams, the well-known American actress, is ready to present for practical use an invention designed to permit the showing of motion pictures without dimming the theatre lights. 'I he invention is said to be a type of light that can he used for theatre illumination, and left burning while pictures are being thrown on the In “Manslaughter” a realistic motor smash was filmed and there was no fake about it. A motor cycle travelling at a high rate crashes into the car driven l>y Beatrice Joy. The daredevil who rude the cycle risked his life to provide tins thrill. Recently .Paramount which produced the picture announced that 5000 dollars, would be given to anyone who could prove the smash was faked in any way. Now York friends of " Charlie ” Chaplin and Pola Negri declare they have received intimation that the two cinema “stars” have been secretly married at Los Angeles. While the report has not been confirmed, it is admitted that they planned to be married in January, the Famous Players Comporation having agreed to cancel l In* clause in Miss Negii’s contract forbidding her to marry during the currency of her engagement. Just belore Prohibition came to America one of the producing firms turned out a picture dealing with tho evils of drink. Belore they could release it Prohibition arriwed and made their picture a dead issue. At least so they thought at that time, (says an American magazine). But a.few weeks ago some one had the brilliant idea of recutting and re titling it so that it became a bootlegging picture. And row, sure enough, it is being shown all around as “The Bootlegger’s Daughter,” starring Enid Bennett.