GENERAL FILM GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17758, 30 January 1926, Page 20

GENERAL FILM GOSSIP.

“ Lorraine of the Lions ” and “ The - Siren of Seville ” will be the principal attractions -at the Queen’s Theatre next week. South Sea jungles and palatial roof gardens figure in the elaborate sequence of “ Lorraine of the Lions,” a Universal-Jewel production. The ac- ( tion of the picture starts in Australia, passes to the South Seas for twelve years and finishes in San Francisco, i Norman Kerry is the star and Patsy Ruth Miller plays opposite him. As the daughter of a circus owner the girl is wrecked on a deserted isle with animals the only other survivors of the wreck. She grows up with them. In San Francisco is a young mystic who looks into a crystal and sees the girl still living. The grandfather of the girl rescues her and returns her \ to civilisation. A giant gorilla is brought back with her. It becomes extremely jealous, refusing to allow the girl to have human companions. The murderous fury of the beast at sight of the girl’s intended husband leads to a startling and sensational climatic thrill. The story is an amazing study in animal psychology through which the threads of a powerful drama are woven. Norman Kerry and Patsy Ruth Miller have the leading roles. “ The Siren of Seville ” is a colourful romance of sunny Spain, in which Priscilla Dean has the leading role, supported by Allan Forrest and Stuart Holmes. In this feature the beautiful star is given every opportunity to portray her ability. The film is rich in adventure and intrigue, and is exotic throughout. A First National screen version of Edna Ferber’s story, “ Classified,” will be screened at Everybody's Theatre on Monday'. The leading role is taken by Corinne Griffith, who appears as Babs Comet, a working girl who is ambitious to marry a young millionaire, so that she can live in the fashionable quarter of the city instead of in a back street. She meets a young mechanic, and in spite of her prejudice against admirers who lack wealth she learns to love him. One evening he is late for an appointment, and, picqued, she consents to go for a drive with a young millionaire. From this point the story is skilfully worked up to a dramatic climax. The picture is a comedydrama, and is full of delghtfully amusing incidents. As the piquant, pert . and prettily primed giri who takes ! “ wanted ” advertisements over the ! counter of a newspaper office, Miss Griffith undertakes a characterisation that is new to her, and her excellent work places her as one of the screen’s r most versatile actresses. Jack Muli hall appears as the mechanic. “ Scaramouche,” a Rex Ingram proi duction for Metro adapted from Rat fael Sabatini’s novel of the same name, i will come to Greater Crystal Palace on 1 Monday next. The scene of “ Scaral mouche ” is laid in France at, the time - of the Revolution. Forced to flee from - persecution for his revolutionary acti- , vitics, the hero joins a band of strolling 1 players and takes the part of Scara- - mouche, whose rogueries, witticisms T and adventures fit his own nature to •- perfection. His adventures, to their - final ending, are many and thrilling, and the story of his carrer is a* faithful and illuminating picture of France r during the Reign of Terror. “ Scaramouche ” is so human in its characterisations, so exciting in its moveg ment that it carries the audience with it. There are mobs, marvellous mas--0 sive settings, and picturesque settings »> of French villages, the Palace of the s Tuilleries, vast public squares, castles of the nobles, narrow streets of Paris t filled with the. yelling mobs, and scores of other impressive settings. The play s is splendidly acted by a cast of thirty if well-known players. Ramon Novarro ,t makes an ideal hero, and is excellently r supported by Alice Terry as the tens der and beautiful Alice do Kercadion. s The proud and haughty aristocrat, e Marquis de la Tour, is portrayed with 1- consummate artistry by Lewis Stone. sc Harold Lloyd has made many fine comedies, but it is doubtful if he has lc made a better one than “ Girl Shy,” n now showing at the Grand Theatre, c- The be-spectafcled comedian has seldom >t done anything better than his por-

trayal of a tailor’c apprentice in a small town, afraid of women, and beloved of them. His bashfulness is but a lure for all the women in the sleepy town, but, as is usual in all happy tales, there is the one woman, and for her the hero loses all his bashfulness, and becomes the stern lover, meantime convulsing his audience with his fun-making propensities, given full expression in an unsmiling manner that is doubly effective. There is a most exciting chase, and the novelty of Lloyd’s role shows up against the many sensational things that happen during its enactment. The scenes in the sleepy town are contrasted with quick motion in the city, whither our hero goes. One has to see Lloyd in “ Girl Shy ” to appreciate his real art, for it is an unusual role for him. Playing opposite is dainty little Jobyna Ralston, the diminutive star who has been the vis-a-vis of the spectacled favourite in many of his most recent releases. “ Little Annie Rooney,” the principal attraction of the current _ programme at the Liberty Theati e, is an exquisite blend of the pathetic and humorous, and provides Mary I lekford with one of the finest roles in which she has ever been seen. _ She never was sweeter or more engagingly clever than in her present guise as the tombov daughter of an East Side cop. The picture begins with a prolonged scrap between two gangs of New \ ork street urchins, with little Annie Rooney at the head of one, and her hatred rival, Mickey, at the head of I the other. Over and through the rickety backyards of the tenements the

battle rages, with no quarter on either side, and Annie holding her own manfullv. It is a wonderful picture oi unrestrained and untidy youth on the rampage, and shows Miss Pickford at her hovdenish tricks once more. 1 here is an interesting story of East bide policemen and gangsters unfolded m this picture, and the little star is called upon to run the gamut of her art. mingles tears and laughs in the same old way, and all the way through the picture she stands out as the sl ” ce '® and compelling screen actress that she has always been. “Soul Fire" and ‘‘The Teaser” constitute the principal attractions at the Strand Theatre. In ‘‘Soul hire Richard Barthelmess appears as Eric fane, a young American musical genius, whose quest for his great symphony leads him from Italy to Pans and Port Said, and finally to the. beautiful isles of the South Seas. The young man’s pilgrimage carries him. to the pinnacle of success as a writer of jazz music in the Latin quarter of Pans, and to the depths of despair as a derelict in Port Saul, the wickedest city in the world" It is amid the simplicity of nature in the lonely and love, lv isles of the South Seas that his genius finally strikes fire, and there comes the great symphony that makes hml world-famous. Quite a different type of picture is “The Teaser." a Univer-sal-Jewel comedy-drama in which Laura La Plante has the leading role, that of a girl who has quite a number of admirers, whom she keeps at arm s length. Complications pile up fast