ON THE SCREEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17697, 18 November 1925, Page 5

ON THE SCREEN.

THE THEATRES

ATTRACTIONS FOR THE WEEK. LIBEHTY THEATRE “A CAJPU IK CAIRO ” LIBERTY THEATRE . . “ COOS OF TUB WEST ” OTTBEN S THEATRE “ WINGS OF YOUTH ” QUEER’S THEATRE “ THE X.AW ARE THE LADY ” GREATER CRYSTAL PALACE . . “ THE MEDDLER " GREATER CRYSTAL PALACE . . “ THE TRUTH ABOUT WOMEN EVERYBODY'S THEATRE “ THREE WEEKS ” GRAND THEATRE “ T?B WHITE SISTER ” STRAND THEATRE “SALLY” STRAND THEATRE “A WOMAN'S FAITH” HILLER'S OPERA HOUSE VAUDEVILLE

Pearl White, famous serial actress | Cif the screen, is now the star attrac- ! tion at the Lyceum Theatre, London, ! where she is appearing in revue at a salary of £6OO weekly. When the Fullers’ St James’ TheBtre is opened in February next it will house the productions of the Hugh J. .Ward Theatres Ptv.. Ltd., with a capital of £500.000. of which Sir Beniamin fuller and John Fuller are co-direc-tors with Hugh J. Ward The nearly perfect movie theatre will ronsrst of the folJwing: Padded seats that do not make us feel, after a halfhour. as if we were sititng upon a tree trunk. An arrangement in the ceiling by which a cannon ball will drop upon the head of anyone who starts reading the subtitles aloud or who, having seen the pictures before, starts elucidating the plot to the person beside him. —“Motion Picture Magazine.” Miss Fav LanpliVer. who won the fill* of “Miss America” at Atlantic Ft tv this vear. will have the tit’e role in Paramount’s “The American Venus.’* Miss Adrienne Do re. who v. as Miss Los Angeles in the pag-nnt. has Seen given a free seholn*si,ip in the Paramount Picture School. A private letter received in New York front Betty Blythe states her trip to Berlin did not pan out as a brilliant venture. She was cast for the chief role in Rider Haggard’s “She,” a Master picture. Bv' way of starting a run of bad luck, some scenery fell down md nearly killed her In her letter Betty says that as “She” her costume consists of “my usual string of beads.” A notable musical attraction to be presented early next year by J. and N. Tait will be a concert season by the celebrated young Australian pianist-composer, Percy Grainger. For the last five years Grainger has given over 150 piano recitals in Europe annually. playing before enthusiastic and crowded audiences in the artistic centres of Great Britain, Germany, Holland, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Bohemia and Switzerland. “Percy Grainger stands alone; he is the one cheerful, sunny composer living.” wrote the eminent London critic, John F. Runciman, in the “Saturday Review,” referring to the joyous end ecstatic. personality that permeates all the works of Percy Grainger.

, In “The Gold Rush”. Charlie C'hap- • tin achieves the outstanding personal i triumph of his career. establishing himself once more as the world’s mod; appealing clown and exhibiting such gorgeous sense of the ridiculous that it becomes somewhat embarrassing for a critic to attempt to translate that seme into cold print for the benefit of his readers (writes a New York Walter C'ornock** of he V Gayle Wyrr Revue Company. relates an amusing experience of a touring company. “An actress found one of the chorus girls at the t’-eMfc fliriing with her husband. She'thereupon wrote to the girl thus. ‘I -nw you kissing my husband t o-i la v. If von will call on mo on Mondav next wo will love the matter out.” The girl replied. “1 have attend the general meeting on Monday.’* _ “Glorious New’* Zealand.” non showing in Wellington, is replete with extraordinary interest, and provides a feast of snpor'ai ive l.eaiitv (says “The Dominion”). Not a mere panoramic production of photogtaphic views, hut a delightful presentation of cameo gems of New Zealand scenerv full of life and colour. Mr Tano Fnirta lectures during the showing of the film, and tells manv strange facts relating to Now Zealand fl >ra. fauna, native customs and early Maori history. Actors will have hereafter a place to tell their troubles without bothering the traditional policeman (says an American movie magazine). The prodiners have formed a joint grievance committee before whom all complaints of unfair treatment are. to be made. The committee consists of Joseph Schenok. John M’Cormick. Western repfesentative of First National; Irving Thalberg, of Metro-Goldwvn-Mayer: Jack Warner, of Warner Brothers, and Fred Bectson, local representative of Will 11 Hays. Mr Schenck has given his word that no actor shall be blacklisted as a penalty for coming before this committee, and that, pressure will bo. brought to bear on any producer who has been unfair with an actor. More than two hundred professional dancers were engaged for the filming of a single sequence in “ The Teaser,” the Universal-Jewel starring Laura La Plante and Pat O'Malley.

GREATER CRYSTAL PALACE A modern romance of the vivid type is given first place on the programme at. Greater Crystal Palace. “The Truth About Women” is nothing if it is not colourful and absorbing and those who see it follow its development from its opening scenes of happy married life to its unusual end, with obvious interest. Miss Hope Hampton takes the part of the heroine. The cast is a good one. and all members of it work well together. Mr William Desmond, one of the. most popular players at Greater Crystal Palace, is back there, again as an amateur bandit. who finds it necessary to imprison a ranch owner and his daughter in order to save them from outlaws, and who brings about the arrest of a .tang of "cattle rustlers." The amateur bandit is really an American millionaire who becomes a bandit to show his sweetheart that lie is worthy of her after she returned his ring, with the biting remark that he was too colourless to love. A Century comedy and an International News film complete the picture programme. The Symphony Orchestra contributes a number of delightful selections of music. QUEEN'S THEATRE. Two excellent features are screened at the Queen’s Theatre this week. The first attraction is “ Wings lof Youth, 1 ’ and how the wings of youth were clipped is shown in this 'production. It is the story of ' three girls, who have been left independent fortunes by their father The mother has implicit faith in her daughter s , and they are allowed to pursue their separate courses, while the mother devotes her life to her pet charities. The girls indulge in a series of riotous parties with their college friends, until their actions are finally revealed to their mother Madge Bellamy. Marian Harlan and Katherine Perry portray the daughters and Ethel ("layton is seen as the mother. The second attraction is “The Law and the Lady." It is a picture crowded with thrills ad exciting situations. The supports include a bright comedy and the latest News. Incidental music is rendered by the. Queen's Orchestra under the direction of Mr 11. ElUvood. EVERYBODY’S THEATRE.

Nothing more beautiful than Elinor Glvn's “ Three* Weeks ” has ever been presented to Christchurch movie-goers. Nothing more tensely dramatic or more artistic in its presentation could be wished for. “ Three Weeks ”is a screen 'triumph. Tt stands out among the many notable productions which have been brought to the screen in recent years as a masterpiece of the producer’s art, a photographic gem which reflects the greatest credit on everyone concerned in its production. Produced under the personal direction of the novelist herself, this film version of a popular story is true to the book. Every detail rings ’ true. The actors and actresses fit into their parts just as if the characteis they interpret had been created to suit their individual talents, and the backgrounds are just those backgrounds that,every leader of the hook must have visualised. To an infinite capacity for the proper welding of constructive detail the producer has added the results of much careful preparation, and with'the assistance of a cast of talented screen stars he has produced a screen triumph. Every possibility has been exploiter!. It is clear from the first that neither pains nor money was spared in the,- production of the picture. Presented in natural colours, the climax is one of the most beautiful, one of the .rvest elaborate that were ever brought to the silver sheet. From the point of view of a spectacle photo-play alone. “Three Weeks’’ is a motion picture triumph, but it is in its story and the inimitable way that that story is told that the picture scores its greatest success. As the prepossessing queen, so noble in character, so fervent in her love, Aileen Pringle scores the greatest triumph of her career. She interprets her part with all the grace and charm, all the sweetness and dramatic intensity that have won for her a name amongst the greatest screen artists of the day. Every expression, every movement she makes is eloquent and telling. Conrad Nigel, who plavs opposite her, shines in his role of Paul Verdavne. This voting player has a great reputation, and this his latest photo-play, will be the means of winning him further laurels. The other players are all talented people who hold front rank positions in the film world. Mr W. ,T. Bellingham. l‘\S M.. has arranged a soeoial and Ilielily entertaining musical programme, in keeping with the atmosphere of the photo-play. LIBERTY THEATRE. Photographed against some of the most beautiful natural backgrounds ever brought t.o the screen, and produced on a scale which assured success. “ Code of the West.” the big Paramount production, which heads the programme at Liberty, is one of the most thoroughly 'entertaining photoplays which have been shown at the popular picture house for a long time. Adapted from Zane Grey’s novel of the same name/ the picture is truly a great one. The theme itself is novel, the acting of the clever people who have been entrusted with the interpretation of the various roles is superb, and in its presentation “Code of the West ” is all that could be. wished for. The producer has caught the atmosphere which the author created in his splendid book, and many details have been brought out in the film version which could not possiblv have found a place on the written page. Imbued with all the mystery, all the fascinating uncanniness of the Eastern world, “A Cafe •in Cairo,” the second feature on the bill, is a photoplay which must be written down as an emphatic success. That, is due in a large measure to the fact that Priscilla Dean fills the leading feminine role. The Liberty Quality Orchestra, under Mr Howard Moody, provides an excellent programme of incidental music.

GRAND THEATRE. \ Many patrons of the pictures who like to see the latest and best developments, and who failed to see “ The White Sister ” at Liberty Theatre last week, will be pleased to have an opportunity to see it at the Grand Theatre, where it now is being shown. Miss Lillian Gish, who takes the part of the White Sister, is the object of unstinted admiration. This is called forth not only by her prepossessing appearance and her very charming personality, which is reflected from the screen into every theatre in which her pictures aie shown, but also by her clear emotional

acting, the result of high training on a foundation of natural talents. She has been in many notable pictures, but never in a character in which her brilliance shines forth as it does in the Metro-Gold wyn masterpiece .now shown at the Grand. She dominates every episode in each of the thrilling scenes, but her acting is so clever that she seems just to fit in as naturally as possible to every little incident, as well as into the. story as a whole. Another remarkable feature of “ The White Sister ” is the way in which the atmosphere of the story is reproduced on the screen. This has been .worked out so cleverly that those who see " The White Sister,” after the first few feet of film have run through, lose the sensation of looking at a story, and seem to be actually lookers-on at developments in lives of real men and women. Added to Miss Lillian Gish’s amazing interpretation are the acting of many other clever players, the theme of the story, the deep study in human nature, the wonderful setting, the dramatic element—the eruption of Mount Vesuvius is as realistic as the most exacting patron can demand—and the studied immense and most effective climax. The prologue is staged again with marked success. Mr Arthur Frost, formerly of the J. C. Williamson “Spring ('leaning ” Company, has been specially engaged to conduct the orchestra for “ The White Sister.”

Air A. J. Al’Credie. who. recently was appointed assistant engineer to the Christchurch Drainage Board, has written to the hoard stating That the matter required a little consideration, and that lie hoped to reply definitely in a few days. The Works Committee reported to the hoard last night: “In view of the unsatisfactory nature of Air A 1 ’Credie’s letter. the secretary was instructed to reply, informing him that his services would not be required.” The hoard discussed the report in committee. On the board resuming, the chairman stated that the report had been adopted. “The Feeding of Poultry for Table Purposes” was the subject of an address delivered by Mr 11. P. Lecvcs to a meeting of the ( hristchurch Utility Poultrv Club last evening. Mr TI. V\ ili:4ms presided. The lecturer described the methods adopted in England, and illustrated the use of the cramming machine. The lecturer explained that bv the use of the cramming machine, and the employment of milk diet, extra weight was obtained, and the quality of the flesh was greatly improved. A demonstration of the use of the cramming machine was given.