SCREEN and STAGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17035, 8 May 1923, Page 5

SCREEN and STAGE

TO COB RESPONDENTS. “ Gloria.” Will endeavour to answer your query'to-morrow.—Moving Picture Editor. Coming to the. Grand on Saturday are the world’s three most famous screen artists. Charlie Chaplin in “ The Idle Class, 5 ’ Mary Pickford in “ The Hoodlum ” and Douglas Fairbanks in “ Manhattan Madness/’ Andre Skalski. the Polish pianist, will appear at the Choral Hall tonight. when he will give the first of the two recitals he intends performing in Christchurch. A high-class programme has been drawn up and it should be appreciated by all who hear it played. Newcomers to the Opera House last night were Marvel and Daring, and Peggy Fay. The first-named pair proved themselves acrobats of no mean order, their balancing feats being particularly good. Peggy Fay was well received and had to respond to a double encore for her singing of songs suitable for a soubrette. New tunes were also given by Nash and Anderson, George Dixon and Tubby Stevens. “ The Cowboy and the Lady.' - ’ presented at Everybody’s last night, has several novel comedy features. For instance, there is a ranch owner in Wyoming who has a penchant for immaculate clothing, and wears a different suit each day of the week, and sometimes two and three a day. Also he mounts his cowboys on motorcycles. Tom Moore and Mary Miles Minter play the name parts in this entertaining Paramount film—and are supported by an excellent cast, including Robert Sellable. Viera Daniel, Patricia Palmer and Guy Oliver. Some of the most lavish and unique settings ever seen in any motion picture constitute a big feature of ‘ Missing Husbands.” at the Liberty. A considerable portion of the aoch»n takes place in the palace of Antinea, queen of a desert kingdom in the Sahara- A luxuriant oasis, fragrant with tropical flowers, upon which has been erected a veritable dream palace topped by soaring towers rising at the blue water’s edge, a. palace of rose-tinted marble, rich in mosaics of brilliant jewels and voluptuous in its bodily comforts. The pomp and splendour with which Cleopatra surrounded herself is eclipsed. These settings are of such overwhelming beauty and extravagance that they hold the spectator in a maze of astonishment. “The Power o£ a Lie,” screened at Greater Crystal Palace last evening, is shown by the tragic consequences of a deceit practised by an otherwise upright. and manly character. The figures of the story are all society people of the “ ultra ” olassifi at ion. To play the roles Universal secured Mabel .Julienne Scott. June Elvidge, David Torrance. Earl Metcalf. Maude George. Phillips Smalley and other popular artists. The adaptation of the story presents its strongest elements in logical continuity, and was prepared by Charles Kenyon, a scenarist who came from the stage and wrote such successes as “ Kindling,” one of America’s live greatest plays in the judgment of the Drama League. The results of yesterday’s competitions at the Theatre Royal and Choral Hall will be found on another page ./f this paper.

NOTES ON CURRENT AND COMING SHOWS

There is both quality and variety in this week's programme at the Grand. An adaptation of Sir Hall Caine’s famous novel. “ The Christian.” shows the author’s son. Derwent Hall Caine, to be a screen artist of no mean ability. • Freckles,” one of filmdom’s most popular actors, plays a. clever comedy part iu *• Dinty. " in addition to these pictures there is an excellent comoclv, •• Pa and Ala.” Broadway Rose.” screened for tin.* first time at Greater Crystal Palace last evening, proved to be a picture produced on a most lavish scale. It is an absorbing story of how a little dancing girl forsakes the bright lights of Broadway in order to satisfy her love for the son of wealthy society people. As the gay dancer, Mae Murray is seen at her best. Apart from the life, she gives to her character she wears some very attractive drosses. This week’s programme at the Strand is one of good all-round quality “ Ann s Finish ” is a pieturised version of the highly successful stage play ol the same name. Margarita Fisher is starred in this production, as is Betty Compson in “ Ladies Must Live,” a Paramount production. “ Rented Troubles” is a comedy which would make the .veritable cat laugh. The playing of the Grand Orchestra at present reflects much credit on Miss Agnes vShearsby. who conducts it. She has worked the orchestra, up into a fine band of nmsicians. This week’s programme at this theatre includes the following selections:—” Les Huguenots.” (Meyerbeer), “Jack o’ Lantern.” “Air de Ballet” (Boroh), “ Canzonetta (Herbert), “Serenade 55 (Moskowski) “ Mignonette ” (Friml), “Chant Sans Paroles” (Friml)* Egyptian Da nee 5 ’ (Fri ml). ‘ ■ Cinderella’s Bridal Procession ” (Dicker) and “ Andantino ” (Lemare). Walter George’s Sunshine Plavers presented a. new revue at the Opera House last evening entitled “In Sunny Japan.” This piece was well produced as is Mr Walter George's custom. and apart from containing plenty of comedy there were a number of musical items pleasingly interspersed through the dialogue. Amongst the best of these were “ Aly Oriental Moon,” sung by Robert Raymond and chorus, “ Where Have You Been Hiding?” bv Yorke Gray and chorus, • One P'ine Day,” by Hazel Fuller, “ I’m the Waiter,” by George Storey, and “I’m a Middy in the King’s Navee,” by Georgie Martin. A popular item was the hornpipe attractively danced bv Miss Vera Sewell, who also had charge of the ballet girls. These giris are a. bright combination and put plenty of dash into their work. That some of their number have very good voices was demonstrated in last week’s revue. The thirteenth annual festival of the Christchurch Competitions Society com me need yesterday at the Theatre Royal and the Choral ITall. The first series of finals was decided at the Theatre Royal last night after the Mayor. Air J. A. h les her, had officially declared the festival opened. In the course of his remarks the Mayor said he considered the competitions an excellent institution. As far as the elocutionary items were concerned, they encouraged the young people to pay attention to their pronunciation of English. Everybody will agree with his Worship on this point, as it is an undeniable fact that “ colonials ” are much given to sluggish pronunciation, and this has become more evident since the war.

In “My Wild Irish Rose,” showing i at the Liberty, Pauline Starke lias one j of the most appealing roles of her i whole career. As Moya, the old \ priest’s niece and housekeeper, she ’ gives a delightful interpretation of a dainty young Irish colleen. Alova falls iu love with Conn the Shaugh- ; rann, the hist being a. local name for : scapegrace and ne’er-do-well, ami Father. Dolan frowns on the match. In the end it is Conn’s heroism and 1 self-sacrifice that save the day all around. A feature of the musical programme i being played by the Grand orchestra I this week is the entr'acte, for which : Aliss Agnes Shears by has selected the j “ Maypole Dance.” during which Mr W. Dobbie plays a piccolo solo in excellent tone and manner. New numbers being played by the orchestra at© “Alimi,” a fox trot, and “Wild In “Room and Board,” Constance Binney is seen in a most delightful role. * The story concerns an Irish castle and Aliss Binney plays the part oi an Irish girl who takes a position as a housemaid in order to carry out her scheme for ridding the caetle to which she is heir of its heavy mortgage This lady provides most of the humour of the story, which is an attractive one right through. In addition to the two big pictures a most entertaining j comedy is being screened at Every- 1 body’s. Getting arrested and going to prison I lor lour days was the unique experi- j ence of Jeanie Alacpherson in order to ' obtain the proper atmosphere for Cecil ; B De Mille's new Paramount picture. “ Manslaughter.” When it was decided that Air De Mille’s next picture was to be “Manslaughter.” from Alice Duer Aliller’s novel, Aliss Alacpherson lett Los Angeles to confer with Airs Miller in New York. On her way East Aliss Alacpherson stopped of in MidAN estern city and arranged with the police to be arrested and imprisonend in the State penitentiary. There she spent four days under the same conditions as applied to all other prisoners in the institution. Leatrice Joy plays chief feminine role, her splendid work in “Saturday Night’ having won t'other this new enviable part. “ Alan slaughter ” will be shown at Everybody's next week. When Cecil B. I>e AJille constructed a redwood forest in the Paramount W est. Coast studio for scenes in his new production. “ Adam’s Rib.” he used 300 carpenters and plasterers for about ! three weeks. Some strenuous searching and special inducements were used to get these men in all parts of Los Angeles. One night Mrs De AXille complained bitterly about the fact that men who had been renovating the D© Mill© home hod suddenly quit work and had said they wouldn’t lie back for two weeks. Air De Mille was sympathetic, but didn’t offer any explanations. Pola Negri herself has been surprised by the results which American motion picture technique have accomplished for her in her first picture made in this country. "Bella Donna.” The picture was completed recently under the direction of Georg© Fitzmaurice, and Aliss Negri wired Jesse L. Lasky in New York as: follows I am almost too happy to find words to tell you that I think “ Bella Donna,' which I saw tonight. is not only my best picture, but the most enthralling film I have ever

Paramount production units were recently scattered half way across the face of the earth. James C'ruze and his immense company making “ The Covered.. Wagon” were in Utah: Thomas Aleighan and another company were m Panama making “ The Ne’er Do Well,-’ Alice Brady and a, company weie in northern Canada making scenes in “The Snow Bride.” Betty Compson. was in Hawaii doing “The White 7 Flower. 5 and other companies were at work in th Long Island and Hollywood Studios. In filming scenes of the Panama Canal three different ways for Thomas Meighan's latest Paramount picture. “The Ne’er Do the interesting facts were developed that it takes seven hours to go through the canal bv boat, two and a half hours to cover the. distance by railroal and twenty minutes to fly over the canal. Scenes from the air, the railroad and the. boat will be shown in th© picture. Sigrid Holniquist, known a.. ‘ ‘The > Swedish Mery. Pickford ” instead of Glare Windsor, as previously announced, has been chosen for the role cf Patricia in support of Pcla Negri in “Bella. Donna,” George Fitzm an rice’s production. Aliss Holmquist is one of the best known European screen stars, having appeared in Swedish Biograph productions which have been widely distributed in foreign countries. She played the leading feminine role in Cosmopolitan’s “Just Round th© Cor- ! ner,” by Fannie Hurst. Trying to pick out a nice leopardess with a temperament suitable for motion i picture work Was the task J. Clarkson Miller took upon himself. He sought I the animal for use in Alice Brady’s next | Paramount picture, “ The Leopardess.” \ for which he wrcc« the scenario. Miller i expected to spend a week near the ©age j of the varfcuis spotted specimens of the animal kingdom trying to figure out j which one would be the most likely to i get along well with Aliss Brady in j studio surroundings. * * tr Style designers have some funny orders put up to them at times bv movie 1 producers Recently Cecil B. De Alille I ordered costumes for Anna Q. Nilsson, j Pauline Garon and Julia Faye without ; 1 a stitch in them. They wort* cave j were* ultlm a tel v fastened with strips of \ skin and st’eks of wood, and were worn ! in Mr De Mille’s latest Paramount pro.. ! Auction “ Adam’s Rib.” TO NIGHT’S SHOAYS. Theatre Royal.-—Christchurch Com ! petitions (day and evening se.=- j Choral Hall. —Christchurch Competitions (day sessions). Choral H&ll.— Andre Shalski’s Recital. Opera House. —-Walter George’s Sun- j shine Players and Vaudeville. Liberty.— “ ALissiug Husbands” and • “My Wild Irish Rose.” Everybody's.— “ The Cowboy and the j Lady” and “Room and Board.” Greater Crystal Palace. —“ Broadway ! Rose 5 and “The Power of a I Lie.’ ! Grand.— ' Dinty ’ and “ The Chris- j Strand. “ Ladies Must Live.” Queen’s. —“ Boss of Camp t ” and j *• Lights of the Desert ” King’s (Sydenham).— “ Calvert's A al- \ ley ” ” and “My AYild Irish j Rose.”