GENERAL FILM GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18043, 31 December 1926, Page 20

GENERAL FILM GOSSIP.

AHSWBHB TO COESESPONDBNTS. The Sheik—-Thanks for expressions of which were most acceptalfie. 1

Geoffrey Farnol’s popular romance, “The Amateur Gentleman,” that fascinating and intriguing story set in the most delightful period of English history, the Regency, is to be presented in screen form at Everybody’s Theatre next week, with Richard Barthelmess playing the romantic, pugnacious Barnabas Barty, alias BeverJev, 3lias the pretender to Beau Brumniel’s throne. In this story there is more pure romance, more thrilling duels and more skirmishes than can be found in the average red-blooded romance of merrv England when gentlemen always carried swords, and fair ladies fainted at the-suggestion of a fight. The doughty Barney, inheriting a fortune, goes up to town to become a gentleman. He buys a racehorse, wins a steeplechase and becomes a firm favourite with the Prince and all his merrie men. The lovely Lady Cleone. a haughty maid, comes into his ken, and the fighting Barney is enmeshed in her net. Then, after a brief hour of romance and a great deal of thrilling intrigue, the innkeeper’s son is revealed and disgraced, and is .effectively shown the door of Society. He does not, however, com-

pletely fade into oblivion, for two forces combine to keep his memory green. The Lady Cleone follows him to his little village, and the young wags and bloods of London become enamoured with a new and exquisite cravat Barney had introduced during his brief reign. The producers of the picture have captured the elusive spirit of the period, and Dick Barthelmess acts with' a vigorous abandon and delightful air of romance that are altogether charming. The picture is superbly dressed, all the vain glory and splendour of the period being splendidly reproduced, ss That blonde and brilliant actress, Greta Nissen, stars in “The Lucky Lady,” the chief attraction at the Crystal Palace Theatre next week, the story of a princess who loved a commoner. was betrothed to a prince, and plotted to escape her fate. It is, to outward view, an old story, but “The Lucky Lady” is most pleasantly different in every way. She has recourse to all the old wiles of woman, does not disdain to use the most conservative blandishments, but in one thing she is supremely original, and most uproariously amusing. Disguising herself as a cabaret coquette, she makes her princely fiance fall out of love with the princess and fall in love with the coquette, while the princess continues her sincere affair with the commoner. So the King’s Ministers decide to put a stop to the nonsense, and send the commoner and the coquette out of the country. And all goes merrily as a marriage bell. There is a wealth of stealthy and humorous court intrigue in the course of the story, some beau- 1 tifullv romantic sequences and some straight drama, in all of ■which Greta Nissen is a polished artist and a most alluring little person. William Collier is an ideal lover, Marc MacDermott is a 'most unsympathetic Cabinet Minister, but it is Lionel Barrymore, as the recalcitrant prince, who is the bright particular star of the piece. ITis acting is a delight to watch, and with the airy comedy of Miss Nissen, he makes the picture the thoroughly enjoyable production it is. “The Lucky Lady” is magnificently mounted, the casino at Monte Carlo being reproduced in many sequences. At the Libert}* Theatre next week, there will be presented the great dramatic production, “Every Mother's Son.” a poignant, moving story based on the theme of the Unknown Warrior, delicately handled, acted with masterly discretion and a tribute, not so much to those who fought and died, but to those who stood and waited. It speaks to the mothers and fathers of the world, not in any sentimental inane manner, but with a calm strength and a nobility of purpose which ranks the picture with the proudest achievements of the industry. It is, at the same time, a wonderful study of psychology, the mind of an English .soldier who had become embittered through the war, and whom only the return of the Unknown Soldier could win back to peace and sanity. Tt is a difficult theme to handle so as to make entertainment, and perhaps it is mainly in this respect that “Every Mother's Son" scores so heavily, for it is entertainment throughout. Its drama is powerful and effective, but it is agreeably shot with glimpses of delightful humour and comedv, and the romantic element has not been neglected. Captain Rex Davies, M. 0., and Gladys Hamer play the leading roles in a brilliant manner. k “The Bat.” the mysterious comedydrama that is intriguing all Christchurch, is to be continued at the Grand Theatre for another week, and this extension of the season is well merited. It is a tremendously “creepy” story, with thrilling, eerie situations following thick upon one another, never giving the audience time to form an opinion or a conclusion, which would doubtless be wrong in any case, and at the same time, a most amusing comedy. There are two things which the public dearly loves, and they are comedy and mystery. provided there is a little romance sprinkled about the story. Any audience will thrive in delight upon that fare. Such is “The Bat,” and with all the facilities afforded by screen production, the picture becomes much more thrilling and amusing than the stage play. The characters are in the capable hands of a large cast, chief among whom are Jewel Carmen, Jack Pickford, Emily Fitzroy and Loui«e Fazenda. :: At the Queen's Theatre next week “The Gold Rush,” that phenomenally successful picture of Charles Chaplin’s, will be presented. It is broadly a comedy, as are all Chaplin's films, but there is more than a suggestion of pathos about it, for the simple reason that the star has endeavoured to depict life on the screen, and he has succeeded in doing so in a brilliant manner. There is really no humour in seeing the familiar D’erby and cane and baggy trousers being buffeted about the stormy wastes of Alaska in search of gold, even though Chaplin is still his inimitable self. lie has introduced all mining and villainous types into his picture, besides the gentler ones, and for its htyman interest alone, apart from its hilarious comedv and burlesque, “The Gold Rush” is a unique classic. There is something vitally different about the picture, not only the influence of Chaplfn's personal itv, although that is strong enough, but the story is so simple and tender and handled in so equally, simple a manner that the whole entirety becomes a wonderful achievement, even for 'this extraordinary rtiftn. Georgia Hale is his leading lad}-, and he has surrounded himself with an exceptionally brilliant cast, all of whom do credit to the picture and the star. tom Mix adds to his long list of successes in “The Rainbow Trail,” the sequel to “Riders of the Purple Sage,” which is one of the features of the new programme at the Strand Theatre. "The Rainbow Trail” is a story of the deserts in Arizona and of a man’s hunt for the girl of his dreams. The search leads him to Surprise Valley, where his

uncle, Jim Lassiter, a woman and the girl have been held prisoners for years by accident. A band of outlaws try to prevent him carrying out his object, but after many desperate fights and by overcoming almost insurmountable obstacles, he succeeds. Lionel Barrymore has the leading role in “The Bells." his most pretentious screen offering. As a stage play it was made famous by Sir Henry Irving, whose portrayal of Mathias was one of the greatest pieces of work. “The Bells” is a fast-moving drama, set in a most colourful locale.

A Universal-Jewel soon to lie presented at the Grand Theatre is “ The Flaming Frontier.” a stirring drama, of that thrilling and essentially romantic America of the Presidency of Ulysses Grant, when the Red Men were a power to be reckoned with, and an atmosphere of dread hung over the great prairies and towns of the growing nation. In the leading role is Hoot Gibson, playing the finest part of his career, one which calls for plenty of action of the Gibson brand, a role that is replete with adventure and drama from start to finish. There are moments in “The Flaming Frontier” that are classic in their own particular line, it is a classic of thrills and adventure, and the popular Hoot never tires of giving his public a great deal of this kind of thing. Anne Cornwall heads the supporting cast, which includes many popular and well-known names.

An extraordinary film in every way is “ The Black Pirate.” Douglas Fairbanks’s latest production in technicolour for United Artists, and which is soon to be seen in this city. Not only from its story-telling point of view is this picture notable, but as an achievement of the silver sheet it will surely set a precedent for all other producers. It is a new process of technicolour which Fairbanks has perfected, and the twelvemonth he spent in ex- : perimenting has amply rewarded him. It is an artistic delight, never palling to the aesthetic senses and never tiring to the eye. The story is a typical boyhood romance of bold bucaneers, the magic Spanish Main, cutlasses, many Long Tohn Silvers, and one fair lady, far surpassing all other maidens, and of course the prize of the Black Pirate himself. This bold fellow is a duke really, for no romancer, no matter how democratic, could possibly ask Miss Billie Dove to wed merely a brave though lawless seadog. So the Black Pirate is a duke, and after many thrilling and romantic adventures steers his refractory ship and his equally wayward heart into sale port, and the exciting and occasionally all too realistic story, comes to a joyous conclusion, as should all good stories. The cast interpreting the many onerous types in this picture is .composed of brilliant players, the star outvieing them all in sword play, tricks of the trade and the gentle art of winning the lady. A trained white mouse nets its owner ten dollars a day for acting in the movies. According to reports received from the various film studios at Hollywood (says an American paper), the coming year will see more motion pictures produced in Hoilvwood than ever before, which is taken ns an indication of nation-wide prosperity and bright prospects ahead. The Film Guild *is an American organisation aiming toward the artistic uplift of the cinema. '1 he membership consists of movie actors, producers and writers, and Milton Sills is the president. One of its specialties is the screening of productions which have not been seen in public for some years. Hoot Gibson, the. popular star of many Western productions of the highest calibre, has turned out another outstanding picture in the Universal attraction, “The Texas Streak. The picture is composed largely of light corned}* in whion Gibson . has distinguished himself so many times in the past. Blanche Mehaffey plays the feminine ## “The Prince* of Tempters,” featuring Ben Lyon, scored instantaneous success on its release in New \ork. It is the etorv of a monk who gives up his call ing to face the outside world, and it, has been classed as one of the most appealing pictures ever produced. It. has a powerful cast which includes the soulful Lya de Putti, beautiful Lois Morran and winsome Mary Brian. Tom Mix is enjoying a well-earned rest after completion of his third starring vehicle on the current Fox release schedule. This is “The Canyon of Light,” which was filmed in the Yellowstone Park of. America, a natural setting which made a splendid background for the action of the story. The other Tom Mix features finished are “No Man’s Gold” and “The Great K and A Train Robbery." Although born in Sweden. Warner Gland, celebrated character actor, has the reputation of being one of America’s foremost authorities on spoken English* He has made many phonograph records and has appeared in Little Theatre plays all over America. Oland plays an important part in the forthcoming Universal-Jewel attraction, “ The Marriage Clause.” starring Billie Dove and Francis^ X. Bushman. The purple ray of light which furnishes the motif for “ The Unknown Purple,” a Universal release, has always been looked upon, even in scientific circles, as something of a mystery. It is more than a coincidence that the X-ray gives forth a purple light. In Roland West’s adaptation of his play, the purple ray used gives the possessor the power of making himself invisible. , “The White Black Sheep,” Richard

Barthelmess’s latest effort for First National, features the famous star in one of the strongest roles of his screen career. In this picture Barthelmess plays the role of Robert, son of Colonel Kincairn. who goes to Palestine, joins the British service and redeems the stigma attached to his name in his aristocratic London circles. Patsy Ruth Miller plays the role of Zelie, a Greek dancing girl. Fox Films have made something more than a mere picture in “The City.” from the stage play of the same name. They have made a splendid psychological study besides giving excellent entertainment of the dramatic, kind. The story deals with a smalltown family who go to the big city to try their luck. The different manner in which the metropolis affects their lives and characters proves very entertaining. The cast is headed by May Allison and Richard Walling. “The comedy knock-out of the year” is the verdict given of First National’s production “Ladies at Play.” The story concerns the high jinks of a couple of spinster aunts who are determined not to permit their niece to marry a “Sh*eik” in order that they may succeed in inheriting her large fortune. A well-known critic declared it to be the most hilarious production made bv First National since Harry Langdon ; s “The Strong Man.” Doris Kenyon, Lloyd Hughes and Louise Fazenda have the featured roles. Moore’s latest picture, “'J winkletoes,” i.s announced for earlv release in New Zealand. The story is by Thomas Burke, author of “Limehouse Nights,” and the scene is laid in Limehouse, London’s waterfront slum, one of the world's most interesting, colourful and picturesque settings, and the mystery, romance and picturesqueness of which has been got in “Twinkletoes.” Miss Moore is ably supported by Kenneth Harlan, Gladys Brockwell, Tully Marshall, Julian Johnson and other well-known players. The settings for John Barrymore’s new picture. “Francois Villon”—the title of which has been changed to “The Beloved Rogue’’—are quite nightmarish and dizzying (says an American writer). Towers, buildings, and even the chimneys on houses, of which there seem to be a multitude, project at all sorts of strange angles. The production is supposed to reproduce Paris in the time of Louis XL, and that must have, been a wild, weird period, for we are told that the sets are absolutely authentic. Which is always an interestingsounding word, at any rate. “The Return of Peter Grimm” is one of the latest films to be finished at the. Fox studios. The screen version of this famous Belasco stage success is one of the most entertaining and human on the important release schedule, which commences its New Zealand season with “Fig Leaves.” That fine character acter, Alec B. Francis, gives a splendid portrayal of the kindly Peter whose spirit returns to *pght a mistake he contemplated in the flesh.

Jan>et Gavnor and Richard Walling play the romantic leads, while other important parts are played by John Roche, John St Polis and Mickev M’Ban.

More than the success of an estabed company and a few artists is at stake, depending on the popularity of “For the Term of Ilis Natural Life" (says an Australian paper). Rather does the entire Australian film industry depend on the releasing of this film to inspire confidence and greater power. This great epic of the convict days and the struggling colony that was then Sydney, now almost complete, is the greatest attempt at world marketable films ever made in Australia, and it is considered the first definite steps toward the producing of successful Australian films. “For the Term of His Natural Life" is a Union-Master picture, due for early release in the new year.

In “Go West,” his latest picture, Buster Keaton is at his best as a young adventurer, who essays life in the West, and this master of pantomime seemingly risks his neck time and again in some of his daring comedy "stunts.” As the title suggests, the picture tells the story of a young man who drifts into the wild and woolly country, famed in exciting fiction. The plot thickens with a succession of funny situations, in which bandits, train robberies, wild steers and a dainty girl play important parts. One of the picture’s .most ludicrous and thrilling sequences is the escape and flight into a busy city of 5000 wild steers, with Keaton garbed in the red fancy costume of a devil, at their head. A fashion show that is the last word in chic styles, a New York night club scene in which the entire revue from the famous Clipper Night Club of New York takes place, one of the most extraordinary displays of fur wraps ever shown on the screen, some of the most famous scenes of New York Central Park, are merely a few f the features that will be seen in the latest First National photoplay, “Subway Sadie.” Dorothy MacKaill, Jack Mulhall and Charles Murray are the featured players, with Gaston Glass and others in suport. The story of “Subway Sadie” has a gripping human apeal. It is the story of a snappy, good-looking working girl, who gives up her life's ambition. a trip to Paris, to marry a poor subway guard. That German cinema audiences are losing their taste for American films and that there is indeed something in the nature of a boycott against them, is the opinion of many prominent persons in the Berlin cinema trade (says a London paper). American authors are nowadays writing scenarios for servant girls, they complain, forgetting that in Germany many servant girls pay money to see Bernard Shaw*’s “St Joan.” or to hear “Parsifal.” and object to see “rubbishy stories” on the films. Some of the best output of Hollywood has been greeted with hisses and booing by Berlin audiences recently. and there has been a distinct falling off in the attendance at cinema the-

atres showing American films, which cannot be explained solely by the fine weather.

The American filqj colony is much alarmed about the “invasion” of foreign directors and players to shores, and seeks to have a curtailment placed upon these importations. **on the grounds that thev are depriving Ai .e----rican studio v.oikers of employment (says “Motion Picture Magazine"). A short time ago, it will be recalled, there was a great outcry in England about the preponderance cf American films in that country and the demand was made that a ban be placed upon American films. To which the Americans replied: “Make as good films as we do, and }*oit wont have to worry about American pictures.” It now seems as though the logical thing for the foreign invaders to say to American screen artists is: “Display as much ability as we do, and you wont have .to worry about any further invasion of foreigners.”

Here arc the twelve players who. according to "Photoplay's” rating of “best performances.” scored the outstanding acting hits of the year. John Gilbert gets top place with three "best performances” to his credit: “The Big Parade.” “La Boheme," and “Bardelys the Magnificent.” Others with two “best performances” are: Rudolph Valentino in “The Eagle” and “Son of the Sheik": Clara Bow in “Dancing Mothers” and “Mantrap"; John Barrymore irt "The Sea Beast” and "Don Juan”; Adolphe Menjou in “The Grand Duchess and the Waiter” and “A Social Celebrity”; Lois Moran in “Stella Dallas" and “Padlocked”; May Allison in “The Greater Glory” and “Men of Steel": and Gloria Swanson in “Stagestruck” and “Fine Manners.” Four players who made single hits are included in the Honour Roll because of the high excellence of their work. They are Emil Jannings in “Variety”: Ramon Xovarro in “Ben Ilur”; Belle Bennett in "Stella Dallas”; and If. B. Warner in “Silence.” These performances were chosen from the record in “Shadow Stage” from December, 1925 to November, 1926, inclusive. After hundreds of film tes.fi?'had been made and thousands of applicants -interviewed. Universal has at lift discovered a “Little Eva” for its lpng-in-pro-duction “Uncle Tom’s Cabin'’ A writes a Hollywood correspondent). She is Virginia Gray, aged 9 and no Cinderella tale could be more dramatic than her eleventh hour discovery. The mother of the child works in one of the departments at the studio. Recently Harry Pollard, the director, stood on the steps of the office, in which the girl’s mother works, and directed the tests of more than 200 ; prt> s.pective little Evas, while Virginia stood in the window and watched with who-knows what wistful longings, the aspirants being photographed. Then, suddenly, when the director was almost in despair over finding the exact type required, one of the men “discovered” that the little Gray girl, who had been walking in and out of the studio with her mother for weeks, was just the one they wanted. They made a film test of her and a few hours later) she was on her way to film fame.