SCREEN and STAGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17180, 25 October 1923, Page 5

SCREEN and STAGE

NOTES ON CURRENT AND COMING SHOWS

Nat Hanley, comedian at the. piano, and Keith Desmond, monologist. conclude their seasons at the Opera. House this wee!;. “ Pay Day.” Charlie Chaplin's latest comedy, showing at the Liberty this week, brings the inevitable reflection that, pay day comes only too infrequently. “If Winter Comes ” will be produced at the Theatre Royal on Saturday night by a. specially organised J. O. Williamson Company. Tt will run for at least six nights, and will be followed by “The Cat and the Canary.” “ Sherlock Holmes.” adapted to the screen from Conan Doyle’s famous detective story, will be the leading feature of Everybody’s new programme next week. John Barrymore "ill be seen in the. title role. “ Snowdrift.” the latest. William Fox production starring Charles Jones, at the Queen's, is a. story which deals with the gold fields of the Yukon, and gives the popular Fox star an unusual opportunity for some lively, interesting action. That a pretty little girl may also be a brave little girl and willing to take chances for the sake of her art is dramatically revealed by Gladys Walton, star of the Universal photodrama, “ Sawdust,” which is now being screened at Greater Crystal Palace.

Virginia Brown Fairs, who plays opposite Guy Bates Post in. ‘ Umar the Tentmaker.” his latest screen offering, a First National attraction, to be shown at the Liberty on Saturday, got into the films through the medium of a beauty contest. But she demonstrated that in addition to beauty she possessed the ability to act. and it took her only three years to reach the point of playing leading woman to one of the greatest dramatic actors of this day. Something unique in the way of scenic backgrounds makes its appearance in The Cave Girl, tue Liberty The film was made in wintertime with the Vosemit© Valley for its settings and the pristine glories of nature* arc revealed most, appealingly. Frozen cascades, of gigantic altitude, hug© water fa ITs and huge snow slides all contribute their moiety to give a festival of beauty for nature hungry Mae Busch, the ingenue. Rohina Toole, in Rupert. Hughes’s “Souls for Sale.” at Everybody’s, was born in Australia,-educated m New Jersey, and started her theatrical career ou the musical comedy stage, with.'Eddie Foy. Her first screen appearance v, u* _ also with that comedian and with Wcbor snd Fields. Her first. big chance came with Erich von Stroheim in ' She Devil's Pass Key ” and next in field wy n’s Map rice Tournier picture, “The Christian.” Because of her fine work in that production. Goldwyn gave her a. long term contract, and cast her in “ Souls for Sale.’ - Barbara La ATari*. the screen vampire in the Goldwyn Rupert Hughes picture, “Souls for Sale,” at Everybody's, is a native of' Richmond, Virginia, where she was educated in St Alary’s Convent and at the Convent of the Sacred Heart. Her first stage engagement was in a stock company when she was seven years old. Her first role was that of the child in “ The Squaw Man.” She remained in stock until she was fourteen years old and then took up stage dancing. She appeared as a dancer* iu vaudeville at Bustanoby's and at Rector's iu New York. She went west to write rnotioi. picture scenarios, of which she has had a round dozen produced. Her first screen appearance was as the vampire in Douglas Fairbanks’s production of “ The Nut,” less than two years ago. Since then she has appeared in “ The Three Musketeers,” “The Prisoner of Zenda.” “The Hero,” “Trifling Women ” and “ Poor Men’s Wives.”

Pauline Starke was recently selected j ns one of the six most, beautiful screen | actresses. J.t is said that Poia Negri has for- i saken Charlie Chaplin to roll those devastating eyes of hers at William : Tildqn. tin; tennis champion. Who!" was it who remarked that tennis is a love game that keeps the players m the courts most of the tuner' No Mother To Guide Her.” one of the hig Fox special productions .just finished at. the New York Studio, furfinished the opportunity for another former “ Follies ” girl to carve a career in motion pictures. She is Dolores Rousse, .who. following her fine workin her first screen role in this picture, has been signed for a series of Fox pictures to bo made on the West Const. Barbara Ca.stleton. the charming ingenue who will he seen in a prominent, role in “ The Streets of New York” when that picture comes to Greater Crystal Palace next week, has come tt be known, insofar as during her screen career she has appeared in so many eminently successful pictures, as “the actress without a failure.” Since she made her debut- before- the camera she has scored heavily in a number of big pictures, among which may be mentioned “ The Child Thou Gavest Me.” “Sham.” “Dangerous Days.” “Out of the Storm ” and “ The Branding Iron.” in the last-named of which she registered a tremendous personal triumph.

In one of the scenes in “ The Face on the. Barroom Floor ” Henry B. Wnlthall. as the dissolute artist, Stevens, draws the face- of Morion (Ruth ( lifford), his eweetbeart, for Ins friends. As he crumples up beside the. picture, Marion, who has not seen him for months, enters and comes over to him. Walthall, iu this pictuie, is afforded, unusual opportunity to display his dramatic and appealing talent, while Ruth Clifford makes of her role a charming bit of character portrayal. “The Face on the Barroom Floor” will be shown at t l.e Queen's nex» Charles Heslop. Mr Hugh -I. Ward's leading man fop " Tons of Money.” has a. greater admirer in Mamie Watson, the fascinating “O'Brien Girl” who is now captivating Sydney theatregoers at-the Grand Opera House. Miss Watson played with .Mr Heslop in England, and describes him as " fearfully handsome ” and a. most ougaging disposition. 'He is certain to he popular in Australia. ' Mamie added. “ In my opinion he is the funnest. comedian in England to-day.” In fact, he. is the only comedian I have ever played with who could really make me laugh on the stage.” Marguerite De La M.otte, the charm- ' ing leading lady in the Preferred Pic- • t.ure, “ Shadows,” which " ill be shown j at the Liberty on Saturday, started! her professional career as a dancer. ; Madame Pavlova, the celebrated artist, of the ballet, saw little Miss De La Motto dance at a. school entertainment. She sent for her and urged her to m:*k« i a. serious study of toe-dancing. When j Miss Do La Motte graduated she i followed the advice given her by Pav-J leva, but her ambition for dramatic 1 work was too strong and she left ! Duluth, where she had. always lived, j and journeyed to Hollywood to break j into the movies. Though hardly past her twentieth birthday Marguerite De i La Motte\s name is known to everyone ! who appreciates an attractive person- ; alitv plus real ability to giro a finished performance. 15. P. Seoul berg, presi- : dent of Preferred Pictures, who per- : sonally supervises productions, was so ! impressed with Miss De La. Motte when j lie saw her play opposite Douglas Fair- ! hanks in “ The Three Musketeers” ! chat he offered her the principal fern in- I ihe role in lb? Tom Forman production, j “Shadows.” which is the most, inter- ! esting part she has yet attempted. “ Shadows ” is an adaptation of Wilbur ! Daniel Steele’s prize story. “ Ching, i 'flung, Chinaman,” and the author j himself expressed his approval that • the character of Sympathy Gibbs had j been entrusted to so capable a player. I