SCREEN & STAGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17351, 16 May 1924, Page 5

SCREEN & STAGE

NOTES ON CURRENT AND COMING SHOWS.

Mae Murray's delightful’ farcic.il comedy, “ The French Doll,” and

“Tilly's Punctured Romance,” are. to b© shown at the Grand Theatre tomorrow. Directional genius of a high order must have goq© into the making of ” Main Street.” the Sinclair Lewis stem- which will b© told for the last time at the Liberty Theatre to-night It, must have been no slight task reproducing everything to he found in any small town. But everything can b© found in “Main Street.” which is drama, with humorous incidents. A picture that has actually been marl© in New Zealand is of particular interest to Now Zealanders. In producing “ Venus of the South Seas ” amidst the natural beauty of Nelson. Annette Kellerman showed much initiative. and the film, which is at th© Grand Theatre for the last time today, can he described in glowing terms. She plays the part of an island maiden, who, being an expert swimmer and diver, hunts pearls at the bottom of the sea and oft times struggles with native pearl thieves. Air L. A. Quinn (late of the Queen’s Theatre), who is now exploiting business for the United Artists, Ltd., and other big exhibitors, is at present in Christchurch making arrangements for “ A Woman of Paris.” which will he shown at Everybody’s Theatre on June 9. Douglas Fairbanks’s latest and greatest, film. “ Th© Thief of Bagdad.” has also been secured by Everybody’s. Nino acts and a film gazette will fill the breach on Saturday night at, Fuller’s Opera House caused by th© departure of the George Wallace Revue Company. Curley Sherwood, who will be remembered as a principal in a revue company seen here about a year back, will make her first appearance in Christchurch as solo. She : s a soubrette. The popular entertainer at the piano. Chas. L. Sherman, will make a welcome return. Two more turns have yet to he announced, but the following artists who are now appearing will bo retained : Chas. E. Lawrence, Nell Crane, Folies Bergeres Quartette, the Aliranos and Victor tho Great.

George Wallace is to “go mad ” to-night, h©' himself - declares. A ten weeks’ season of laughs for his. audiences apd success for him, George and his happy revile company will bring their Christchurch season to a close to-night. The company have won immense popularity, and when thev travel in th© train to Dunedin to-mor-row, it is a hundred to one that they will smile when they think of the farewell Christchurch gave them. The demand for .scats already gives evi dene© that there will lie scores of disappointed would-be patrons to-night. Jim Gerald and his revue company open in Auckland on Monday. The personnel of the company is: Jim Gerald. Essie Jennings; Ernest Crawford (who was with Walter George), Sophie Vivian ( a Dunedin girl). Reg Haythorne (the revue company yodel-

ier. popular with Fuller patrons here). Mona Thomas (last round with Hugh Huxham’s Serenaders). Howard Hull (o baritone, who presented a solo turn her© some time ago), Lance Vane (character man) and Polly M’Laren (ballet mistress, and one of the best, solo dancers in Australia). There is a ballet of six.

Priscilla Dean, the dynamic dramatic actress whose high rank as a screen star is based on such successes as “Outside the Law.” “Conflict” and “ Th© Flame of Life.” is at Greater Crystal Palace, in a new underworld story. “White Tiger/' “ AVTiite .Tiger ’’ is the story of three experts in high-class crime who came from London to America to steal millions from the hacks of societv matrons. Wallace Beery. Raymond Griffith and Matt Moore support Dean. Life. love, a chauffeur’s uniform and the “roaring road” are the elements of drama interwoven in “ Sporting Youth,” the. Universal-Jewel feature coming on May 26 to Greater Crystal Palace. Reginald Denny, famous in the picture world as the hero of th© “ Leather Pushers,” is starred as a chauffeur who becomes a racing diiver. The story was written by B>rou Alorgan. author of the “ Saturday Evening Post ’’’ stories, many of which were filmed for the late Wallace Reid. Laura La Plante, new Universal star, plays tho romantic lead opposite Denny. About the remarkable resemblance that a young man has to a Chinese lord. the story of “ Thundergate ” from Sidney Hersrhel Small’s “ The Land of Thundergate,” is woven. In “Thundergate,” which will be shown finally at the Liberty to-night, the young man, played by Owen Alooro, is forced t© masquerade as a Chines© lord, and then finds himself the possessor of a wife. It is the solving of that problem, makes good drama.

The beautiful plot of “Woman To Woman,” th© big draw at Everybody’s Theatre, centres around the love which suddenly flames into the life of the child-like little French dancer, Louise Boucher. It turns her into a woman - beautiful, trusting, self-sacrificing. Her own happineps never counts for one- instant with her when the welfare of her loved ones is at stake. Unlike most stories and plays, “Woman to Woman” can boast of no villain. The nearest approach to it. is Vesta AlisonPond, and when the test comes, she, too, has a change of heart. A version of on© of Rudvard Kipling's greatest hooks. “The Light That Failed.” is being screened at the Queen’s Theatre. Paramount have mad© a fin© photoplay of Kipling's story, and Jacqueline Logan and Percy Marmont head a strong set of players. “ Th© Light That Failed ” is pur© drama. with many pathetic touches, and a climax that, though happy, is thrilling. Placed amid th© grandeur of the court of King Philip IV., of Spain, “The Spanish Dancer,” has many gorgeous scenes, and altogether, is a most lavish production. Tho story is that of a. young and beautiful Casti- , linn dancer, who is taken to the court [ and loved by a noble. May 26 is (the date set down for Pola Negri’s ; latest, to he screened at the Queen’s Theatre. • • “Colonel Ruggles,” he was introduced to Red Gap where the war social circles were in full swing. There was a. bid as to who would entertain the Colonel, but lie was only a valet. The situations that arise ar© said to be very mirthful. The Queen’s Theatre should re-echo with laughter next week when ‘‘Ruggles of A-ed Gap’’ will be filmed. _ Quite a numi her of prominent Paramount players ar© : in the cast. j The cross-country racing season in New Zealand has started, and that .being so, “Long Odds” is more than welcome. To see it is for one to build hopes of seeing the National ’chases. “Long Odds” is a racing picture with th© feature a hard ridden race

between the flags, with a big climax Liberty Uneaxre will show “Dong Odds” to-morrow. Partly, the title is a. misnomer. “The Bad Man” does concern an indiscreet. Mexican for some part of the story, but then he turns and, like Robin Hood, robs to feed the poor. A neat comedy is “The Bad Alan,” which comes to-morrow to the Liberty Theatre, with Holbrook Blinn starred. Scenes full of old world charm compos© the colourful and vivid background against which Mabel Normand shows her artistry in “Suzanna,” which comes to Greater Crystal Palace on Monday. The story, the characters, the costumes, settings and general atmosphere are those of the early days of Southern California, when the story, a comedy, of the love of Suzanna and Ramon is set. Barbara La Alarr. Lewis Stone, and Ramon Novarro head the east of “Trifling Women,” a photoplay of Paris. “Trifling Women,” which the Queen’s Theatre has secured. for screening in June 30. was produced by Rex Ingram, the maker of “The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse,” and “Prisoner of Zenda.” That “Alan and * A£ife,’ ’ an Everybody s Theatre attraction, has a. great cast will be agreed after a glance at the names of the players. And it boasts as its star. Gladys Leslie, one of the most popular of players. That favourite of the early days of pictures, Atourice Costello, returns to the screen as the father in the gripping story which “Alan and AVife” tells. Costello was a star with the old Vitagraph firm ! for seven years. Norma Shearer, who 1 has often played opposite Norma TalI ma.dge, and Robert Elliott and th© other prominent artists. “ Alan and AVife” is a domestic play with a number of new features. Beside its story, which provides food for thought as well as entertainment. |‘ Cause For Divorce” has a most cap- , able east, and beautiful settings. The j home is the setting for most of the 1 action. “Cause For Divorce” is a i human story of married men and women J who find their greatest difficulty in : seeing th© other side of everyday questions, and the problems that constantly arise. Fritzi Brunette, Helene Lynch. Pat O’Malley and David Lynch stand | 'out prominently in the list of players. I Charging habitual intemperance, a suit for divorce was recently filed in j the Californian Court by Francelia Cuneno. wife, of Lester Cuneno. prominI ©nt motion picture actor. In her suit, . Mrs Cuneno stated that her husband’s , alleged intemperance interfered to a | great extent with him in bis work. AVhen engaged in pictures, the actor j received £ls a day, she stated.