DRAMA OF VANISHED GLORY COMING TO EVERYBODY’S.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17997, 6 November 1926, Page 6

DRAMA OF VANISHED GLORY COMING TO EVERYBODY’S.

GREAT PICTURE OF VIENNA’S DOWNFALL, j The greatest tragedy of the war was j —is—Vienna. Once a gay and brilliant metropolis, echoing the music and songs of a thousand artists, scintillating with the social pageants of Europe's proudest aristocracy, she lies now but the pitiful shadow of her former splendid / self. Vienna is Europe’s most interest- | ing city, and when Edith O’Shaughnessy wrote “ The Viennese Medley.” she re- j gi stored faithfully the vicissitudes and ' pangs of a broken city. This widely- ! read book lias been adapted to the 1 screen for Fist National by June Mathis, and under the title of “The Greater Glpry ” will open a brief season at Evierybody’s Theatre on Monday. Not a war picture, not even a martial picture is this colossal screen achievement. It is more than a picture, it is au epic, for it brings to the prosaic Silver sheet the emotions of a nation, not merely those of the characters. A story re.volving round the aftermath of the war in Vienna, where the impoverished nobles look up with scorn and hatred to the Jewish profiteers, where the soul of a broken people is bared to a careless world, laughter is heard, the brave laughter of a hope that never dies; romance sweeps along unfettered, a romance that is strange, that understands all, that forgives all. That is “The Greater Glory.” It is the glorifying of life In surroundings when life seems the most futile of things, the most sardonic. Vet no trace of cynicism has crept into this powerful and exquisite talc. Sincerity is the keystone of its artistic construction. and while no bombastic, insets or side lights have been introduced to give the picture “punch” and "thrill,” it is engrossing enough without these ulterior effects. The story it tells is for the greater glory of humanity, for the greater glory of the world, for the greater glory of life. It puts n new. a deeper, wider construction upon the word “ sacrifice,” and although the picture is primarily interested iri the telling of a human, beautiful story, in the background, bulking large, is always the epic note of a people in turmoil, a world in the throes of reconstruction, and this note is brought home with a realism to shock the most phlegmatic out of their composure. It is at once a picture of surpassing sweetness and in-5 tense power, a potent. drama woven 9 round a place and people so little understood by an unsympathetic world. There is not anything depressing, about 1 lie story. The line between stark tragedy and pure comedy Is fine indeed, and the courageous humour and the unforced wit throw into bolder relief the full significance of the Four Riders sweeping the heavens on a red trail of conflict. When the floodgates of human emotions are flung open. when an embattled people feel the steel ring of defeat slowly closing in, fighting like wolves for food, while- human birds of prey fatten in the lean years—then the Great Glory comes to shed its aureole on the world, a wonderful something that makes life, even in that medley, supremely worth while. The players in this production number two thousand. ' The cast of artists who enact roles of | immediate interest is of course, of the I average size, and is headed by Conwav ; Tearle and Anna Q. Nilsson, two clever, t popular stars who attain their zenith i in this picture. The picture is signifi- j « ant, too. in that it brings May Allison I hack to the screen after an absence of a j few years, and her work is as sincere and beautiful as the film itself. Ever since that most maligned of ! women, the tactless Eve, discovered the ' fineness of texture and beauty of colouring of fig leaves the entire race of women have wailed in one voice, “But I liave nothing to wear.” It is on record that one waspish cynic has retorted, “We know it, but why have such capacious wardrobes to put it in?” All of ■which is the preamble to announcing "A Slave of Fashion,” the second picture on the bill. Norma Shearer, beautiful and talented, has the chief part in this piquant comedy drama, and she brings a thousand little feminine foibles to her characterisation, which will surely be a surprise to the men, but will be but mirrors to the ladies. Lew Cody appears in support. Everybody's Select Orchestra, under Mr W. J. Bellingham. F.S.M., will play a special programme of orchestral music, including the following:—Overture, “Soaring” (Nowawieski); violin solo, “Ca.priccio Viennoise” fKreisler); symphony, “Milllaire” (Haydn); opera, “Dei* Demon” ( Rubinstein); suite, “L’Arlessiene” (Bizet); entr’acte. “Serenade” (Gounpd>; fox-trot, “I’m Waiting” (Olman); waltz, “Destiny” (Baines). The box plans are at The Bristol Piano Company, where patrons are requested to book their seats.