SCREEN and STAGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17159, 1 October 1923, Page 5

SCREEN and STAGE

NOTES ON CURRENT AND COMING SHOWS

Idiva’s Seals will be at the Opera, use to-morrow night week.

Gardner and Durham, acrobats, will make their first appearance at the Opera House on Monday evening next.

“ Antonio and Son ” is the title of Cor*. Moreno’s eighth production which will be staged, for the first time at the Oper House to-night.

“Tracks.” an interesting ranch story having Texas ns its locale, is the chief supporting film of tho leading feature at Greater Crystal Palace to-night.

“ The Gilded Lily .” a melodramatic story of New York life, supports the chief picture at the Grand this week Mae Murray has the leading feminine role.

MTver and Scott, Scottioh dancers, make their first appearance at the Opera House to-night. This couple have won warm praise in other centres for their dancing.

Mello and Nello, who have been pleasing Opera. House audiences nightly for the past fortnight with their comedy hand-balancing act, will conclude their season on Wednesday even-

Keith Desmond appeared at the Opera House for the first time on Saturday night and gave a number of monologues, humorous and otherwise. He was accorded a. good reception and had to respond to several encores.

“The Little Wanderer” is one of the attractions on the Queen's programme this week. Tn this picture Shirley Mason is reputed to have a role entirely suitable to her style of characterisations.

“ Adam’a Rib” is said to be Cecil B. de Mille’s best achievement to date. Surprising scenes include the history museum, with 30 foot skeletons of million year old monsters. It is a. story of the modern people and prehistoric times.

Walter Hiers will be seen shortly in his latest comedy-drama “ Sixty Cents an Hour.” Tb contains sixty laughs a minute with .jolly Walter a.s a small-town soda clerk in love with a bank president’s daughter. The picture is said to lx* very funny. Jacqueline Logan is also featured in the cast.

“The. White Flower” to be shown at Everybody’s to-night is said to be a real novelty filled with. mystery, thrills and charm. It\js a pretty romance filmed in Hawaii, the famous island of the Pacific. Betty Compson has the loading role in which she is sure to please her great army of ad-

Mary Miles Minter is said to have the best role of her career in the Paramount Picture “ The Trail of the Lonesome Pine.” This story from the novel by John Fox jun., is known and loved by millions. Antonio Moreno and Ernest Torrence, two well-known Paramount players, play opposite. Miss Min ter. A great supporting cast makes it one of the season ; outstanding hits.

To Charlie fTiaplin goes the credit of discovering the gifted Za Zu Pitts, who may be seen in one of her most diverting roles in the Gasnier production of “ Poor* Men’s Wives,” to be shown soon at the Liberty. Chaplin met the S’chulberg player at a dinner given in honour of some film luminary and immediately engaged her for A Dog’s Lite,” cn which 3io was working.

About 2000 men and women were hired for the mob scene in “ The Little Church Around the Corner.” The director explained to them that t.heir violence was to be as realistic as nossible, without actually being the real thing. The mob, however, saw red when the time came to play the part, and Hobart Bosworth bad to run for his life, dodging stones and missiles as best he could.

Coming to Christchurch soon is “Shadows, ’ an adaptation of "Wilbur Daniel Steele’s prize story, “ Citing, Ghing, Chinaman.” It is a remarkable story of a. Chinaman's influence on the people who have despised him. At the head of the cast is Lon Chaney in the role of Yen Sin, the Chinaman whose character characterisation the outstanding feature of this film.

The film “ Y ia- Radio ” shown at the Liberty for tlie first time on Saturday night created a great deal of interest, more so on account of the innovation made by the management in having a wireless apparatus installed in order to receive the music supplied from Station 3 A.C., situated on top of Robert Francis and Co.’s buildings in High Street. The music at the'station wa.s played by the Lilac Jazz, Orchestra, and by the use of nn aplifier in the Liberty Theatre the audience could scarcely tell whether the music was being played in the theatre or not. The innovation was. a decided success from every point of view. Wireless musio will be provided during the screening of the picture each evening this week up to and. including Friday night.

“ Something fresh at last !” was the verdict of the Sydney audiences when they saw the first screenings of “ The Jsle of Lost Ships.” Their opinion was quite justified, for neither social nor sex problems enter into this strange story of adventure. “Omar, the Tentmakeiv” starring Guy Bates Post, is a, story of the Persia of old. when it was the centre of civilisation, and the home of romance, luxury and adventure. It is based on the famous Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, and will he screened her© soon. “ A Fool There Was,” a. Fox produotilon adapted from Kipling’s poem, will be the main attraction at the Queen’s this week. The picture is said to contain many very pretty and effective scenes. Estelle Taylor, one of the screen’s most popular actresses, is at the head of a strong cast. “ The Woman Who Fooled Herself ” to be screened, here soon, is a story of romance and high finance. May Allison plays the part of a, New York chorus girl, who accepts a position as cabaret dancer in a South American cafe. Tliere her adventures begin, and ‘‘ The Leopardess,” a. Paramount picture which was released recently, reveals Alice Brady at her best. It is a romance of the wilds, with a wild South Sea maiden, and the man who tried to tame her. It is picturesque, thrilling and intensely dramatic, with a strong cast including Montague Love and Charles KentWanda Hawley and T. Roy Barnes, as a young married couple, provide much fun in a comedy drama “ Too Much Wife ” to be screened at Every body*-a to-night. Miss Hawley as a fond little bride, eager to ensure the marital happiness of herself and her I bridegroom takes advice from her ' “ masterful ” mother hut also privately from her henpecked father. Her effort to reconcile and act on both conflicting counsels makes the story—and ail enjoyable one at that.

Two delightful children play the leading roles in “ Timothy’s Quest,' Kate Douglas Wiggins story, non showing at the Grand. Joseph Depev portrays Timothy, and Helen Rowland aged three*, plays his little companion Kate Douglas Wiggin says of her thai no child could come nearer to the on; of her dreams. “ A little, elf all novel of sunshine and smiles, a- fairy witl fluffy red-gold hair and a. bewitching way with her that I felt when I wa< creating her years ago,” she said. .

Veteran theatregoers who iran al ways predict the end of a screen story are invited to chance a. guess on the climax of “ The Shock,” the Universal Jewel thrill-drama that begins a; Greater Crystal Palace to-night. Lot Chaney and Virginia Valli are featur

ed at the head of splendid cost whic includes Christine Mayo. Jack Mowei William Welsh and others. The stor is vivid with the colour of San Frar cisco and ends with an unexpected an spectacular climax.

Nearly four decades ago. when S; Bernhardt's histrif\nic power v

strongest. Victorien Sardou scizet upon the story of the infatuation o Theodora, the Empress of the. East for g. traitor Greek and made. it. int<

a. play for Tier. In America. the hysterical frenzy of this French melodrama was conveyed to large audiences by Fa.nnie Devenport.. But neither the passionate. Sarah nor the stident Fanny, could crowd into Sardo>u’s play half the excitement the the Italian producer, Ambrosio, lias produced in bis film version. “ Tho-se who believe- that a. film star's life is just one round of amusement between working hours are. muc mistaken.” said Edith Clayton, whose latest release ‘‘Tf I Were Queen” will be shown here soon. “The fact is that, the general public has very little idea of the amount of exercise, necessary to appear fresh and vigorous on the screen.'* Certainly it. is a strenuous part Miss Clayton plays in ‘‘lf T Mere Queen ” in which she becomes entangled in the political intrigues of a Balkan kingdom. Those who enjoved ‘‘ The Prisoner of Zend a, ’ will find this picture equally entertaining. Helene Chadwick and Richard Pix a.re two of the most prominent film players t-his year. They have risen practically step by step together, and lately discerning directors have made a Dix-Chadwick combination. It is not so many years ago since Miss Chadwick was earning her living posing for advertisements. Then Path© gave, her a small part in a picture, anti sine© then, she has never wanted an engagement-. Christchurch pictu regoers will remember these two clever artists in

*' Dangerous Curve Ahead,” and before long they will be seen together again in “ The Glorious Fool.” “ The Sheik’s Wife” is the sequel to ‘‘ The Sheik,” but without Indasia bath salts and perfume. She, a French blonde, married a Sheik. Then, as his wife wandering in the desert, she found herself face to face with immemorial custom and rigid tradition. He had sworn ”by the beard of Allah ” that she would be his only wife, the sole light of his harem, but after three years, his love for her is overruled by the clamorous demands of ills tribesmen, and he prepares to take a. second wife. However, a flight and a fight change these events.

Louis Calvert, internationally known actor, stage director, producer and Shakespearean authority, died of cerebral hemorrhage in New York last month. He had suffered a slight nausea, the night before, but his physician had administered treatment which appeared to have relieved him. Louis Calvert was sixty-three years old. He was born at Manchester, England. November 25. 1850. coming from a celebrated family of actors. His mother. Mrs Charles Calvert, in addition to being a brilliant performer, was the author of “ Sixty-three Years on the Stage.’’

With a background of the beautiful scenery of the Yosemite Valley, and a, good strong plot, “ The Cave Girl ” will be one- of the starring features to be shown here soon. Teddie Gerard, well-known on the London and Paris stage, returned to her native- America to make her screen debut as Margot, the title role. The story deals with the romance and adventures of a girl who isolated herself from civilisation, and led a life of hardship in. the wilds. In the final reel. Miss Gerard is set adrift in a. canoe, with her hands bound, heading down stream to the brink of a great waterfall. How she is rescued, and other adventures afford thrills aplenty.

For the sake of art Richard Barth el mess in his new First National picture. “ Fury,” endures more punish ment than falls to the lot of the sparring partner of a champion preparing for a world title battle. The author. Edmund Goulding, wanted to draw a picture of the lives of the rough, seagoing characters who live by force- and settle every dispute with the fist or knife. That the bumps and thumps ho received at the hands of Tyrone Power were of a character that could be felt wavs shown when Mr Barthelmess was obliged to take a. short vacation before going on with the making of the picture in order that his bruised body could bo made normal again. Mr Power was in his college days a cele brated athlete., and he put force behind every blow he delivered. The star, realising that the study demanded such treatment, accepted it as another incident in the chapter of life before the camera-. “ Fury ” is now being shown at the Liberty. Dorothy Gish plays opposite the leading male star.