THE THEATRES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17347, 30 September 1924, Page 5

THE THEATRES.

ATTRACTIONS FOR THE WEEK— Grand “ Safety Last ” Harold Lloyd Grand •• Tlip Woman He Married ” Anita Stewart Greater Crystal Palace . "The Fighting: Adventurer" ... Pat O'Malley Greater Crystal Palace . "The Fog” Mildred Harris Liberty " Monna Vanna " Lee Parry Liberty "Marriage Morals" Tom Moore Queen's "The Tents of Allah” Monte Blue Queens "The Hell Billy" Jack Pickford Sydenham "Monna Vanna" Lee Parry Svdenham "McGuire of the Mounted” .... William Desmond Everybody’s “ Ashes of Vengeance ” Norma Talmadge Fuller’s Opera House Vaudeville. Theatre lloyal Vanbrugh-Boucicault Co.

One of the greatest thrillers and also one of the greatest laugh producers that has come to the screen is Harold Lloyd’s latest release. * Safety Last,” which is now in its second week at the Grand Theatre.- The film is a sevenreeler, and the greater portion deals with Harold’s experiences as a counterhand in a big stoft-goods store. This is the section which contains the bulk of the humorous situations. The final two reels show Harold climbing the side of a twelve-storey building. He meets with many unexpected adventures, which provide both thrills and laughter before he reaches the roof. The temptations which beset an artist's model in the studio of a famous artist painter arc shown in a fascinating manner in “ The Woman He Married.” a Master Picture showing at the Grand Theatre. Anita Stewart is cast as Natalie Lane, a model, who poses for Byrne Travers. He is partial to pretty women and tries to make love to Natalie, but she repulses him. Love enters her life when she meets Roderick Warren, son of a millionaire, and she marries him. Later his father tries to separate them, believing his son has married below his station in life: and exciting complications ensue. Donald MacDonald plays the. part of the artist. while Darrel Foss is cast as the youthful husband.

Although there is a plenitude of mediaeval battling and sword play in “ Ashes of Vengeance." the Norma Talmadge picture now showing at Everybody's Theatre, pre-eminently the film is an entrancing story of love based on a new theme, the story ol a love which overcomes pride and a desire for vengeance. The plot relates to happenings in the picturesque France of 1572, and the scenes range from the grand ballroom of the Palace of the Louvre to the very slums of Paris ; and from gardens of luxuriant splendour to the flower-col-oured fields of the city’s environs. Every detail of the historical romance is worked out with minute fidelity to the turbulent era about which the plot is woven. Some idea ot the magnitude of the production can be gained from the fact that 10,000 “ extras " were employed for the mob scenes and 1,500,000 feet of film was “ shot ” in order to secure perfection in the scenes, which by the way, total 610. Miss Talmadge gives a striking interpretation of her role, and her acting ali through is characteristic. The supporting cast is a notable one, including such well-known artists as Conway Tearle, Wallace Beery, Courtenay Foote, Josephine Crowell, Betty Francisco, Claire M’Dowell and Winter Hall. Nathan Forge, as played by Cullen Landis in “The F'og” at Greater Crystal Palace, is just such a youth as Kipling must have hail in mind when he wrote “ If,” one who could meet every emergency. And there were plenty of things to stand up against- a scheming hypocritical father. poverty blasted love affairs, disillusionment and misrepresentations that kept the sensitive boy in a maze of fog until he found the ideal love of which he dreamed. Nathan Forge is one of the best character studies seen on the screen, and he is portrayed by Cullen Landis with fine sympathy and restraint. Mildred Harris gives a beautiful interpretation of a difficult role as Madeline Tlieddon, the girl whose love was the light that pierced through the fog of Nathan's'life and brought him happiness. Executives of motion picture companies are always happy when a picture has been completed without hazard. ' But the executive of Universal Pictures Corporation were unusually so when Director Thomas Forman announced that the last sequence of “The Fighting Adventurer.” now being shown at Greater Crystal Palace, had been “shot.’’ This picture has some of the most hazardous aeroplane stunts ever filmed. Aeroplane accidents have happened very frequently when the stunts were less thrilling The story is about a college youth, who, expelled from college anrl cast off by his father, goes to China, and becomes mixed up iri a revolution. The story was written by William E. Olliver, ■winner of the inter-collegiate scenario contest for the scholarship offered: by Carl Luemmle, president of Universal Pictures Corporation. l*at O’Malley Mid Mary Astor head an all-star cast.

j In “The Tents of Allah,” at the Queen’s Theatre, Monte Blue, as the chief of a tribe of desert- bandits, has one of the *best parts of Ins screen career. Mary Alden, though a young woman, has attained great fame for her mother characterisations, and in ' “The Tents of Allah” she plays a mother part, but one widely differing from anything she has previously done. As a- desert princess and the mother of the daring and headstrong hero, there *s also romance woven about her. Mary Thurman lias- the part of an American girl whose visit in Morocco takes a sudden turn from the commonplace, to a situation full of danger, daring and romance. “The Tents of j Allah” is a tale of the adventures and , romance of an American girl who l brought a. year of bad luck to Morocco, and of a. daring young bandit I chief who plundered caravans. After a fairly lengthy absence .Tack Pick-ford comes back to the screen in i ‘‘The Hill Billy,” now showing at the : Queen’s Theatre The stony was writ- ; ten by himself, in conjunction with sister Alary, and deals with the Kentucky mountains and the people of that region as they were fifty, years ago. Jack Pickford appears .as a mountain boy v ho meets with many adventures, some of a highly sensational character. Lu-

cille Ricksen plays the leading feminine role. Spectacular action, dramatic climaxes, elaborate settings, superb photography and the beautiful pathos <>> Maurice Alaeterlinck’s love storv all help to make the William Fox screen version of “Alcanna Vanna,” now showing at the Liberty Theatre, wliat is regarded as one of the biggest pictures or the year. The story of “Alonua Vanna” is a beautiful apd inspiring one. combining all the nobility and sincerity of a Jeanne d’Are with the meekness and humility of a Lady Jane Grey. Aliss Lee Parry, who plays the title role, is of an adventurous mind, and early in life felt that yearning which, calls artists to their vocation Accordingly, one day a pig-tailed maiden presented herself at the studios and requested that she might have a trial. Miss Parry got her trial and from that day has, in her sedate and girlish way. proceeded equably from good impressions to success. The opening scone of tlio picture is Venice- a Aon ice crowded with peace-makers, sightseers and * those who make great the occasion and opportunity for carnival. The great mob and fight scenes are realistic, and thrilling to a degree. Tom Aloore with his gay smile and irresistible manner is up to all sorts of mischief in “Marriage Morals,” Master Picture now showing at the Liberty Theatre. He is a rich young spend* thrift who is full of good intentions, which unfortunately get no further than being intentions. Ho sees a Vfautiful girl working in a. beauty parlour and offers her marriage, and pi onuses to reform if she becomes'his wife. She had grave doubts about the- value of his promises, but ultimately decided to take tlio chance. AN hat occurred .subsequently provides incidents that make “Marriage Atorals” a most entertaining picture. Ann Forrest lias the part of the girl who undertook the task of reforming the irresponsible spendthrift. ••The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which comes to Greater Crystal Palace and Everybody’s Theatre next week, i. s described as a kinematograpic masterpiece in the truest sense of the word. The sets include representations of the | Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Court I of ARraoles, Place de Parvis, the Palais du Justice,, the Bastille, and many streets of Paris of the period of Louis XI A remarkable individual performance is given by Lon Chaney in the role of Quasimodo, the deformed , bellringer of the Cathedral of Ndtre Dame. Others in the cast are Patsy ! Ruth Aliller, in the Vole of Esmeralda'; Ernest Torrence, as Clopin, King of the Underworld; Norman Kerry, as j dashing Captain Phoebus; Tully Marj shall, as Louis XT.; Nigel de Brulier |as Dom f?laucle ; Brandon Hurst, as ! Jeliman ; and Raymond Hutton.