GENERAL FILM GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17835, 1 May 1926, Page 21 (Supplement)

GENERAL FILM GOSSIP.

In a few weeks’ time “Tess of the D’tJrbervilles” will be shown at the Liberty Theatre, a Metro-Goldwyn picture adapted from Hardy’s famous book. The sentiment of the romance is essentially mid-Victorian, and the sentiment of this period and that of the present day is as far apart as the poles. Noth'withstanding this, “Tess’’ is a storv that has a strong and lasting appeal. It refers to all people and all times, and consequent!}-, when the tale has been handled by Metro-Goldwyn, a superlatively good picture results. The theme has been adopted by many authors, but never with so dramatic and ruthless a touch. It is more pitiless than tragic, for Tess, in her simplicity and sincerity, seems to dispel any suggestion of overbearing tragedy. With the evil star of her existence still dogging her footsteps, her husband standing aloof in disdain, Tess murders her betrayer, and despite all the influences at work, pays for her crime on the scaffold. No other English writer has written so honest a book, and has treated the subject more fearlessly and delicately than Hardy, and endowed it with so much romance and pathos. The producers have kept closely to the book, and the picture was photographed in England. Blanche Sweet and Conrad Nagel appear in the leading parts, Stuart Holmes completing the triangle as Alec JD’Urberville. The work of Miss Sweet in this film places her on a par with the most polished tragediennes of dramatic art. 55 :*: The modem «girl, ever since she became modern, has had flung at her with tiresome regularit}\ all the jibes and phillipics that the righteous tongue of man could frame, and therefore it is a relief to turn to something that presents the poor “modem girl” in her true light. Colleen Moore is to be thanked for the good deed, and when she appears at Everybody’s Theatre soon in “We Modems,” it will be to dispel any fears that the Pharisaical hold on the absorbing subject. As Colleen shows. Miss Modem may be unconventional, a bit wild, perhaps, independent, and a good sport, but beneath all her wildness she has a kind heart, an abundance of common sense, and the saving grace, a sense of humour. In “We Modems” Mary Sundale, played by Colleen Moore, is the leader of a fashionable set in London, bored to extinction with their “dull” life, in the truly outrageous amusements they invent to brighten things up. There is the inevitable suave and sheikish villain. a quiet fiance and the usual breaking of bounds, until the ultramodernist finds herself in a pretty dilemma with only the quiet lover to help her. A happy ending caps a happy picture, in which, the most outstanding feature is the sparkling acting of Miss Moore. She excels in these irresponsible roles, a fearless, daring, engaging flapper who, at the crucial moment can be as stout as her grandmother. Jack MuThall, a good actor above all things, supports the star, and both give sterling performances. “ Those Who Judge,” to be released throughout New Zealand by Universal, is a romantic society drama based on Margery Land May’s famous novel published under the title “ Such As Sit In Judgment,” and is replete with thrills and suspense. It deals with the danger of being too quick to judge the acts and motives of others. 55 55 55 A powerful historical American spectacle to be piotnrised from the novel B laek Xvoryy” by Polan Banks, the y oung-writer on Americana, is announced by Warner Bros., who state that they anticipate producing an elaborate Master Picture photoplay of panoramic magnitude that will reflect the colourful, romantic New Orleans of the old Creole days. t-: The Master Picture “Recompense ” is a stirring drama, involving one of the greatest life puzzles ever devised, the mating of two hungry souls wrung with anguish in war-torn France when all the world seemed wrong. Just a few short hours of happiness—then long, bitter years of recompense to still a complaining conscience. Monte Blue and Marie Prevost have the leading roles of Peter and Julie respectively. 55 5*5 In “The Golden Princess,” one of the current season’s Paramount releases. Betty Bronson establishes conclusively her right to stardom. In this powerful romance of California in the golden days of ’49, Betty is by turns tender and wistful, prankish and mischievous, and deliriously glad—one minute a teasing, laughing, romping tomboy, unbelievably lovely in her rough mining outfit, the next, a tearful, woeful, griefstricken girl. s*: s*s *At last Great Britain has proved to the world that in the making of motion pictures she is not a back number,” says an American critic. “Sir Martin Harvey in the ‘Only Way,’ the latest film by Herbert Wilcox, Britain's leading director, gives to the world a film which Britain has full reason to be proud of. Rarely, if ever, has anv film been produced which will enthrall, its audiences as this great British achievement.” It will shortly be released in New Zealand.

A championship prize fight, in which will be seen the most realistic ring battle every screened, is but one of the big scenes in “ His People,” a Universal' Jewel attraction to be released shortly. This is a human moving narrative in which is revealed the pride and joy, the suffering and disappointments of a typical Ghetto family. The central figure is the stern aged rabbi, in which role Rudolph Shildkraut, doyen of European actors, makes his first American screen appearance. 55 5*2 55

Paramount’s biblical spectacle, “The Wanderer,” which was screened at the big Capitol Theatre, Melbourne, early in April, has broken the records in the matter of the box office receipts of this theatre, the business at Easter time exceeding anything previously seen at the Capitol since the opening in 1924. A huge cast is headed by William Collier, jun.. Ernest Torrence, Greta Nissen, Wallace Beerv and other well-known players. Announcement of the release of “The Wanderer ” in New Zealand will be made at an early date.

55 55 55 “The Far Cry,” a First National production, is a society drama based on the successful play by Arthur Richman. It deals with the social unrest of the present generation. following the careers of Claire Marsh and her mother, who become members of the hast American set in Paris. The picture is rich in characterisation and has strong dramatic climaxes thrown against a colourful background. Numbered in the cast are Blanche Sweet, Jack Mulhall, Hobart Bosworth, Myrtle Stedman, John Sainpoh's and Dorothy Revier.

- Mary:-Bickford has completed her new picture ' Sparrows,” which the star considers the high-water mark of her career. “Sparrows” is the story of a baby farm in the swamp country, and will be released through United 'Artists. _ The story of "Sparrows” is dramatic in the extreme, and the action is fast from the start. It deals with the adventures of a band of orphans, led by a little girl known as “Mama Mollie.” the role assumed by Miss Pickford. Their experiences form a #tory that provides suspense and

thrills, hud Miss Pick ford has an' ideal roje of the type that blade her famous, The Longford Lyell Australian production,_ “Peter .Vernon's Silence,” which.is being released bv Paramount, had its premiere at Hoyts de Luxe, .Mel’ bourne, on April 17, when a huge audience showed their appreciation of this very fine story. Easily the best'effort yet put. forth m the matter of local production, the picture promises to please all classes of audience. Rawdon Blandford is seen in the role of Peter Vernon, and other featured -flayers are

Walter. .Hunt, Loretta May,' Iris Webster, Rene Sancfeman, John FauJkiner, George'Chalmers,. Beryl Gdw and. Billy Ryan. “Peter Vernon’s Silence ” is due for early ' release in New Zealand. Lillian Gish, it is claimed, has again made film history in her latest production .’for Metro-Goldwyn—“Romola.” a faithful reproduction of George Eliot’s novel of. the same name. It was filmed in Italy, and is.historically correct. The producers claim that picture patrons. will see one: of the supreme .events iii history—the execu-

tion of Savonarola, who was at one I time the idol of the Florentines. They will see . Lillian Gish trampled on as she protests against the mob’s attack on Savonarola, and then rescued by Tessa, the peasant girl (played by Dorothy Gish). The pirates’ attack on the merchant ship is another of the spectacular scenes in this drama of the days when life was held cheap but hon- | our high. ’Lovers in Quarantine,” with Bebe Daniels as the star, which will be released here shortly, is a pepful joy^-,

romance of a daring young society girl who acts first and thinks afterward. The theme: Harrison Ford plans to elope with Bebe’s sister. Miss Daniels gets an idea that he is really in love with her (Bebe) and considers it her duty to prevent the elopement. She goes on board ship herself, and it is three days before Ford discovers he has the wrong girl. When the ship’s passengers are ordered to a quarantine island for a week, the “bride and groom” find themselves in a precarious position. Many amusing situations develop’in this fast-moving comedy. As^

a play it enjoyed, immense popularity in New York last season (1925) Paramount announces a-number -of very big attractions for the year 1926. The biggest picture to be released will be “ The Wanderer ” —the Biblical story of the Prodigal Son. Its keynotes are massiveness and power of story. Zane Grief’s story, “The Vanishing American,’ comes to the screen under the « title of “ The Vanishing Race.” This ] is a story of the American Indian—of j the time that he was in his zenith and < his present day decline. “The Pony ] Express.” a James Cruze production, is

one-of the . biggest Western pictures, ever made. There will also be several, important offerings from Douglas , M’Lean and Harold Lloyd, arul the names of Gloria Swanson, Pola Negri, Richard Dix, Raymond Griffith, Thomas,. Meighan, Betty Compson and Jack Holt loom largely in the coming Paramount offerings. A collection of fifty-eight different short subjects has been received by film exchanges in the United States from the Universum Film Aktiengesellschaft (U.F.A.) of Berlin, Germany, made during the past year under the superyision of the company's scienu--.^

lie department, (says a Ney/ York paper.) These subjects, with and with out plots, run the gamut from pictorial Illustrations of optical illusions to ex peditions to the furthest corners of the world. They include an expo sition of the evils of the dope traffic and a clarification of Dr Sigmund Freud’s theories of psycho-analysis. Films on biology, medicine, art, literature, astronomy, and so on are included in the importation. The subjects are short enough to be sandwiched in between the feature film and the newsreel or comedy on the - picture - theatre- ShU, , .