SCREEN & STAGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17350, 15 May 1924, Page 5

SCREEN & STAGE

1 NOTES ON CURRENT AND COMZNG SHOWS. S

The ever-growing popularity of the little blonde, Wanda Hawley, is easily explained Her pictures always appeal tc the public taste. Her new offering Bebbed Hair,'* now at the Greater Crystal Palace, is not a domestic comedy for, as Polly Heath, she has the yearnings for a lover like Dante. So she runs away from home and joins a friend in a futuristic art colony, where she cuts her hair and wears strange clothes. The fun, of the satirical type begins and it is held together by a strong thread of dramatic interest. Greater Cyrstal Palace patrons place Laura La Plante. Universal’s latest star, among their favourites. Her next picture will be "ah uio Man’s Darling,’ a story of college life and a big town scandal. Madge Bellamy, who wr.s with First National for a long time, her cleverest acting being in “ Lorna Doone,” and Charles De Roche, who has been seen in Chnstchurch in “The Cheat” ana “ The Law of the Lawless,” both Paramount i ictures, are working for I.mversa 1 now. The first picture for them is Rupert Julian’s “Bugler of Algiers.” No stage could possibly convey the grandeur and primitive wildues.i and beauty <_f the Canadian Northwest country in the manner effected by the motion picture camera in T iger Rose.” Tin -e is no doubt that in the matter of scenic backgrounds the p Liot«n>lay has n decided advantage over a stage production. “ Tiger Rose ” will be shown at the Liberty Theatre soon, with “Jealous Husbands ” as the second attraction. “ The Cocopah Ivi«! ” is the strangely sounding title of F>*ot Gibson’s next film Hoot will be* seen as a youthful cuwbody vlio plays bandit to make his fiancee think he is heroic. His characterisation is jyalistic and Gibson has to do much hard riding and No finer entertainment for those who enjoy cleverly-c-.onstructed stories of life could he found than “The Light That Failed ” which heads the current programme* at i)be Queen’s Theatre. Adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s famous novel “ The Light That Failed ” has all the tense drama of the story of Ktmance and adventure. The acting commands attention. Jacqueline Logan (Bessie), Percy Marmont (Dick Heldar), David Torrence (Torpenhow), and Sigrid Holmquist (Maisie Wells) are happily cast.

There is good in every man. “ The Bad Man,” coming to the Liberty Theatre on Saturday, exemplifies that. The villain, played by Holbrook Blinn, has a propensity for* stealing cattle and removing portable chattels but when he finds that "the people are in need be becomes a modern Robin Hood. Mexico is.'the scene of all the action of this comedy.

Sam Marsh, the proprietor of a large hunting and training stable in England, may' now regard himself as a film actor; for he plays the part of the jockey-hero, Jim Straker, in the Stoll racing picture. “ Long Odds.” Besides this he provided all the horses in the splendid racing scenes, and found the necessary jockeys to ride them “over the - sticks.” “Long Odds” will be shown at the Liberty Theatre on Saturday.

Melodramatic romance of the south with psychological value is the type of story which “The Night Message” unfolds. It is a story of a feud between two families with members of each marrying each other. Gladys Hulett, whose work as lead in “Tol’able David ’ will not soon be forgotten, is the star and Howard Toriesdale plays opposite her.

Convincingly illustrating the fact that there is more thau one side to every divorce, actual or contemplated, “Cause For Divorce,” coming to Everybody’s Theatre, is a drama of marital life. The plot deals with the popular,. The plot deals with the emptemptations of two wives who arc dissatisfied with the lives they are leading, and two husbands who do not realise till it is almost too late that a. home, like a business, needs attention if it is to thrive.

For the first time in films, the period of Philip TV. of Spain has been filmed. It is in the new Pola Negri film “ The Spanish Dancer,’ which comes to the Queen’s Theatre on May 26. One of the finest and most lavish of the current season’s releases is “The Spanish Dancer.” Miss Negri came to work under the banner of Paramount. some months ago and since then she has made ‘‘ Bella Donna” aud “The Cheat,” both of which have been marked successes for her. Her versatility is remarkable. She is just as at home in modern society drama as in costume plays, not only in atmosphere but in her actual portrayals. Simplicity is the keynote in the making of Charles Chaplin’s “ A Woman of Paris,” yet it is proved that big, gripping, human stories of real life can be placed on the screen in almost a natural state of reproduction and he made to hold the interest end quicken the heart. There are daring scenes in it; there is comedy relief of the usual Chaplin variety. It is a most interesting picture. “A Woman of Paris” is to be shown at Everybody’s Theatre on June 9. How an American, played by Tom Moore, extracts himself from a mix up and how lie learns while in the guise of a Chinese that his American friends had been false to their trust and his meeting' romance while in a Chinese palace forms the basis of an exciting photoplay “Thundergate.” which is showing at the Liberty Theatre. Owen Moore is convincing as the American. Five turns, with twelve artists presenting them, are on the vaudeville programme at Fuller’s Opera House. The acts are those of the Mirano Bros, Folies Bergeres Quartette, Victor the Great, Nell Crane, and Chas E'. Lawrence. The best yet of the year. “Woman to Woman” is a great film overpowering in its human appeal and dramatic force. Again last night, Everybody’s Theatre had the “full house” sign displayed early. Telling a beautiful story of love and mother sacrifice, “Woman to Woman” will appeal to any man or woman. As Louise Bouchier and Deloryse, the dancer, Betty Compson carries all before her, and in the force of her acting she has the audience’s sympathy with her throughout her

l bat a chain is only as strong as its weakest link is fact. That a film can be no stronger than the story will permit is another. But only onfe result can be expected with a good story in the hands of such a reputed producer as Mack Scnnett and the leading role portrayed by a star of the magnitude of Mabel Xormand. Wonderful results are attained in “ Suzanna.” In this film, which comes to Greater Crystal Palace on Monday, Mabel Normand takes every opportunity to portray the love, romance and adventure of these beautiful and sentimental days of Southern California of the Spanish days and their characters of almost a hundred years ago.

An interesting problem will hold the attention iii “ Man and Wife,” a picture coming to Everybody’s Theatre at the next change of programme. The story tells of a physician and surgeon who had married a second time, believing that his first wife was dead. Later, he learns that he has been grossly deceived by a man whom he had trusted and that his first wife is still alive though hopelessly insane and his present wife is her sister. The plot is dramatic, without being overdone. Gladys Leslie, Maurice Costello, an idol of days bygone. Robert Elliott and Norma Shearer head the

troubled young life. Viewed from the point of art, “Woman to Woman” is a triumph. The settings are grand, while the lighting effects are marvellous. * * Two pictures of a widely diversified nature are attracting business to the Grand Theatre. A charming Irish play “My Wild Irish Rose,” from Diori Boucicault’s famed Irish play, “ Conn the Shaughran” gives Pauline Starke a role in which she can exert her wonderful dramatic acting. “Venus of the South Seas” continues to please. The living mermaid Annette Kellerman does some fine acting and swimming in the. New Zealand-made film. Takahe, Nelson, was the locale of the fine underwater scenes while the exterior scenes were shot in a studio erected in the Coliseum, Gloucester Street. “Venus of the South Seas” is well worth seeing. Two more nights and George AY allace will leave Christchurch for Dunedin. A more original comedian has not been seen at Fuller’s Opera House, while Marshall Crosby will leave a firm impression of his capabilities both as an actor and a singer. Tom Lincoln’.s dry humour will remain and the names of Marie Myman, Sadie Tilburn and Bebe Scott will long be remembered by Christchurch patrons. George AVallace and Co let themselves go in their final revue “Athletic Frolics.” In “AYhite Tiger,” Priscilla Dean’s latest success now at Greater Crystal Palace, a careful analysis of criminal character is given. A trio of international thieves are jiortraved truthfully with al lthcir wrangling, treachery and petty jealousies. It shows that crime is not. and cannot be, romantic, that “honour among thieves” does not exist. , The underworld is painted in vivid colours. The world is composed of main streets and main streets are little worlds. The characters found in “Main Street,” the famed novel, can be found any day in any place. ' For that reason “Main Street” as a film has much to interest. It relates the efforts of an educated girl, the wife of a physician, to life a small town from the easy-going rut of life. Florence A’iclor and Monte Blue give dash and life to the characters. With “Ruggles of Red Gap,” the Queen’s Theatre have a sure entertainment special for next week. Few will be able to resist the humour of the situation in which an English valet finds himself when someone tells a Western American town that lie is a. colonel. Edward Horton, a new player to the screen, is Ruggl<*s, and the meek simplicity with which he endows the valet used to long service to an English lord, makes one of the best characters drawn for the screen. Lois Wilson is the dainty leader of the Tohemian set of the town.