GENERAL FILM GOSSIP

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17190, 6 November 1923, Page 2 (Supplement)

GENERAL FILM GOSSIP

Most of the great .spectacles that have been given to the screen have been, alter all. mainly n series of episodes : the picttirisation of great events that call lor massive effects and great numbers of people. In this particular, ••Theodora.’' the Italian -produtcion commencing at the Liberty Theatre today, ha> ly'en hailed by t.iio motion pictnre press as by far the most stupendous or »ll kinema< creations, but there is a real story -probably one of the greatest dramas that the speaking stage bus known, for the screen creation follows to the last detail Yietorien Sardou’s play which was first produced by Sarah. Bernhardt, and in which many of the world’s most famous actresses have heen seen. With only' the settings oi' the painted theatre drops. Bernhardt made this play ono of the greatest hits of her career. The most universal thing in life is the home. Every race and creed of

I people knows a home life and a love I of family. Every one has experience ; or will experience the breaking of lion, ties, and therefore the Associated E:. hi bit or s’ feature. “ Breaking Hem. Tie-." showing all next week at Create. Crystal Palace Theatre, makes an ap peal to everyone because it strike them right where they love—-home j Written, directed and produced b 1 Frank X. and George I\. R*~ (lands and inspired by the won’. • j •* Father, Father, why hast thou for J gotten us-” of the ancient folk song • Fill. Eili.” “Breaking Home Ties’ tells the story of a family that is sep j a rated tor years by the crime of tin i son. committed in a rage of anger an I jealousy. The parents lose all trace o their son but through the years o j iheir loneliness and reverses their *>n j thought is a taniily reunion; while th* I son finds no happines in lore or suc-ees-j until he finds his parents. I Daddy. - ’ -Jackie Coogans latev. j production, a First National picture (which is now showing at the Grand j Theatre. i« unique in that it is probably the first photodrama to be writ Jr.cn* bv the parents of a famous star. ( and for that star. H it who better i titan Mr and Mrs Jack Coogan arc-' I fitted to ci cute a vehicle that will hest | bring out the precocious ehurm of theiv - inimitable child 1- “ Daddy i, u charming story, in which Jackie is ahly (directed hv K. Mason Hopper and sup- ! ported hv ( carol.ravim. Arthur Cur | c j n . K . gedewiek. Bert Woodruff, I Anna Townsend, William Lewis and I Georm Kuwa. Another important I tr.emhcr m the cast i, “ Mildred, 1 ' who ! i. just plain pig, b it she is the source : ot much laughter, as she follows Jai \ about in the hope that lie will milk I the cows and feed her through a nurs- '• ing bottle Ja< 1 ie’s . d ■ ntures on th< j lavm constitute the majority ol the I picture’s comedy highlights. • •The Custard Cup." the William ; ilarv ( arr, \t liich oh Mo J day m a bri Jit an-l entertaining story I optimism I I •■ characters .1 re all hu- ( man. ’ many oi them delightfully -o. • and the humour t- rich and plentiful, j Skilfully blended into the plot are ; ’ number of sensational episodes, a tliril- .... .. . i being among them. A novel feature o i this incident is the introduction of = ■ hydroplane m the "'ork or rescue, j raid on a counterfeiter’s den which jn volves Penzie " the character player I f - Mary Carr, is another ot the draJ matio episodes of tiie picture. Myrtx B ■ Miriam Battista. Jerri L> \ ine. Ernest M’Kuv. r - v Shav\ !. lie Leigh. Eroderiek Hour. I and lien l.v.jn are members 01

tim east. The ot.ho?- attraction is John Gilbert in “ A Californian Romance.” Heart throbs and pleasing glimpses oi child life are found in tho plot oi ■ • \ M Pi . . ' the William Fox production which comes to the Queen’s Theatre on Monday next. Written by a .new author who prefers to be known as *‘ Mr X.” the picture has proved one ol tlie big hits of the year. Tho unbroken thread of human interest running through the plot lias won it a hearty welcome from screen patrons. Tire always vital question, a parent’s right to forbid his daughter to marry the man she loves, is one of the main motives of the story. .1. Searle Daw ley directed the picture, which is a big special from every point of view. While thoroughly domestic in its atmosphere, it shows the strongly contrasting life between the rich and the Door, and the opportunity for ela-

borate and beautiful settings has not >een lost. Roger J.ytton, Florence Bil.ings and Niles Welch are among the aading members of the cast. A new•omer to tlie sci*ec-n. Peggy Shaw, a ormer •• Ziegfekl Follies ” beauty, has on new honours by her work in this deture. Wealth and poverty——luxury and pialor —t lie glamour of life and its hjeot bitterness—are all woven together in the Warner Brothers’ classic n the screen, " Orphans < 1 the Mine ” • The Little Church Around the Cor■r ”1 which will b< shown at the Lib- ;■ ty Theatre next Saturday. Claire .'indsor. Kenneth Harlan. Pauline Starke and many otlier popular screen flayers are to lie seen in this film mas■.erpiece. Briefly, tlio story of this >o\verful drama can be summed up in Mi*- sentence-—there’s a little church in •very person’s heart. Mingled with the jury of harrassed souls, pulsating with

dramatic climaxes that hold you spetljoimd. this photodrama will live in the memory after many others have been forgotten. ••For Those 'We starring 1 - 1 1 ( ban rill \ 1 • V mlrvith a and bablv one-of the to-day. The story races along, full of incident and adventure, mainly concerning the “town sports” and their rich quickly. A robbery, involving the death of one ot the clique, brings about a line dramatic iicene, which proves there is still honour among thieves. Lave that turned to hate is the subject of the celebrated drama. • Thorns and Orange Blossoms.” coming to the Grand Theatre shortly. The nliiv is an adaptation of Bertha M. Clay’s famous story by the same name which has been a. favourite for many years among lovers of fiction and devotees of the theatre. Its advent to a picture version is a welcome ono. The them© of the plot is the consuming love of Rosita, Spain's favourite prirna donna, for a young American merchant, and how, through jealousy, this love turned to hate which separated him from his friends and sent him behind prison bars. ‘■ Sailors tell strange tales oi the :;ot where ruined ships, derelicts from di parts of the oceans, form a great sland, ever changing, ever wasting, yet ‘vcrlasting ; where, in the ballroom of die Atlantic, draped around with enireling weed, they drone away their ives balancing slowly in a mighty tourjiiiion to tlio rhythm of the Gulf •stream.” This description refers to ; h,* weird Sargossa Sea, the background for the novelty film ‘The Isle of Lost Ships.” featuring Milton Sills and Anita Nilsson, which will be shown at the Liberty Theatre on December 1. \ powerful First National production. ••Children of the Dust.” will be rconed at the Liberty Theatre on Deember 1. Tt is a picture of an orphan ,v and a little girl, which shows them ,l childhood and in after life. The boy

is played by Frankie Lee, and Johnnie Walker carries on the same character in manhood. The grown-up girl is played by Pauline Garon. Lloyd Hughes is the man with whom her family have selected for her husband. Bert Moodruff plays an important part as caretaker of Gramercy Park, where the first part of the picture is staged. • Bella Donna.” Pola Negri’s first American made picture will be released in New Zealand next mouth. The manager of Paramount New Zealand offices Jias received the following letter from the head office. Sydney —Sir George Fuller has desired me to write expressing bis appreciation of the picture *■ The Covered Waggon ” which lie had the pleasure of viewing at the Crystal Palace Theatre. The Premier considers the picture of great historic and educational interest, and is of the opinion that

the presentation of pictures of this type is greatly to be commended.Your, faithfully, R. S. Coates, private secretary. Bob M’Guire, of the North-West Mounted Police, rode far into the interim- of the North-west Canadian country to place an engagement ring on the huger of a litde Freneh-Canadian girl whom he loved. The night that he returned to the little trading post he was drugged by the gang ol smugglers that he had been assigned to “ get.” The next morning he learned that he had been married to Katie, a dance hall girl and member of the gang. This is only one of the many dramatic incidents in “ M.'Guire of the Mounted,” the Universal screen play starring William Desmond, to be shown at Greater Crystal Palace on Monday. Mary Pickford’s picture. •• Rosita,” which is based on “Don Csesar cl© Kazan,” and which is due for release in New Zealand shortly, was recently given a private screening in Sydney One writer subsequently said : The star is a Mary Pickford different and greater than at any time in her screen career : a Mary Pickford with her hair done up. pretty as a picture, and dis playing acting ability few thought her capable of. In ” Rosita ” she tops the splendid work of “ Stella Maris,” the greatest picture she ever made until this feature. Miss Pickford plays the title role of a Spanish street singer, with whom the King falls in love. Ah the story progresses, many thrilling incidents are noted, and the culmination is one that will not be forgotten. for Mary Pickford in a “ mad” scene rivals anything that has been done on either stage or screen by the> greatest- actresses. The production marks the debut of Ernst Lubitsch aj a director in America. •’• Merry-Go-Round ” is the story of a Count and a peasant girl, but it is not a fairy tale. They don't fall in love, marry and live happily cvei after. It requires a war—its grim lessons and pitiless levelling of humanity, to bring into being the consumation of their desires. The story involves the great tragedy of Austria and the downfall of its pretensions glory of before-the-w ar days. The cast includes a score of well-known artists. among whom are Norman Kerry as the Count and Mary Philbin an the organ grinder, supported by George Hackathorue, Caesare Gravina. Dale Fuller, Maude George, Spottiswooct j Aitken, and many others. Kerry’s I work iu the picture is so good that Universal have signed him on a long term contract, and Mary Philbin will be starring in six further Jewel productions with the Universal Company, during the coming year. “ The Covered Waggon ’’ has just completed a triumphant season in Melbourne. where all previous records were smashed. Mary Pickford’s new film. “ Rosita.” ; is meeting with phenomenal successes in j New York. * : D. W. Griffith is making a picture of , the American Revolution. It will be i Known as “America."

Betty Blythe and Betty Compson have completed their English engagement and returned to America. Bert Lytell. who left the legitimate Stage to become a screen actor, has deserted the screen for a time to appear in vaudeville. American papers report the death of Bernard Burning, one of the most promising of the younger directors, and the husband of Shirley Mason. In Germany the kinema's influence is actually changing the character of German modern dramatic art and the taste of the general public which flocks to the theatre “to see ” and not “ to hear.” This exaggerated tendency has culminated in a cult for the plastic; in other words, for pose. The ' aim of German screen actors would seem to be to excel in tableaux vivants. The day is not far off. according to Joseph M. Schenck, a prominent American producer, when tho bigger features will enjoy much the same privileges as the legitimate stage show —an indefinite run tor as long a period as it is able to draw. This will bo true, believes Mr Schenck, not only in a few instances in one or two cities, but in every large city, with every production which is worthy of longer runs. The first screening oi' ‘ A Woman of

Paris,’" Charles Chaplin's first venture ns a director of a picture, was given in Los Angeles on September 26. All the city executives and the entire Who's Who of Fildom attended, and the result is summed up in the following Press message:—ln subtlety of dramatic touch and. insinuation rather than fulfilment of action, the production marks a. great step forward. The sheer drama of life is relieved at moments by comedy. The appeal is deep and the motive rings true. Edna Purvianee gives a great performance,

but Adolphe Menjou is outstanding; throughout. Lillian Gish is to re-create the life Story of the most famous of all French heroines, Joan of Arc. According to an announcement by Inspiration Pictures. Inc., Miss Gish will begin work on “ Joan of Arc ” soon after she completes c: Itomola.” her next big picture. which she is making in Italy. In accordance with the company's policy of making pictures in the actual locale of the story. ‘‘Joan of Arc” will be produced in France.