1923-03-29 — Page 9

THURSDAY MARUH - 29, 1923

THE FILMS

PROGRAMME FEATURES.

TO-NIGHT.

Coronet Theatre.-"The Sheik's

Wifo."

World Thestre-Justine John- stone inSheltered Daughters,

Star Theatre.-Enid Bennett in "The Virtunas Thief."

ATLANTIDE.

19

(THE QUEEN OF ATLANTIS).

of u

The mystir charm of the Saharn Desert, the bewildering fascination beautiful woman, faultless direction, super settings, These are the elements that go to make "Atlantide" the great success that js, It is a strange and usual story, amid extremely unusual sur- roundings, and with a stranger and more unusual ending.

THE 'VIRGIN QUEEN.”

USEFUL CINEMA PRO- PAGANDA.

THE CHINA MAIL.

a

put hie

experiments in that country, looked at from the front, in broad inge like the shutting of a door, or recall the abadowy image of a mule A British, firni of Alm exporters, Fannlight, the screen is no longer the clangour of an alarm clock, be- violently, kicking inca punch bowl, bearing i rumour that success, had white in colour, but is of a dull grey come part of our own dreams dur-¡ just after Lloyd lins filled it with attended M. Bertron a experimits, appearance and in fact hardly ing aleop..

about a fifty-por-cent jolt ofia vor went carefully into the thatter, and visible,

There was a time, of course, anorgètic fluid; at present in exile," has bought the patent rights for The result is that when a film is when everybody was mad on the The particular glimped 18... the this invention for the whole world projected on to the screen a start- subject of dual roles. Producera aule cost na little trouble. This with the exception of Belgium. Aling clear image is obtained. The and directors broke their necks to much I'll any as a starter, however syndicate has boon formed, known back projection gives additional and outdo each other in the number of they didn't build a bowl to fit the Do the Cindojour Syndicate, Ltd., important advantages, one of which such pictures. They had actors mule and then try to put him inside 204, Charing Cross Road, London, is that there is no distortion or eye shaking hands with themselves, of it. No, hardly. That would CHINESE TRAVEL FILMS to which all inquiries ne to the strain, however close the viewer is handing themselves books and have been a uselessly expensive patent rights should be addressed.placed to the screen. A stereoscopic papon, and thanks oftentimes to enterpriso, even if the rambunctious LADY DIANA COOPER'S NEW

Like most important inventions, and most life-like effect is aleo the presence of a neol living double animal could have been induced to the Cindojour is quite simple in secured, and the picture is remark even falling on their own necks stand for it. FILM..

design, and the following details ably visible oven when viewed from or fighting themselves.

First, the bowl itself was photo All countries and certainly all may be of interest.

distances exceeding those usual in

No double exposure of the kind gmplied close up. The camera had, For several reasons the film "The British Colonies will not be nhove

the largest ordinary picture provided, it is a double exposure, to be placed right above it looking Projection is arranged from the theatres. Virgin Queen, which was shown paying attention to an interesting back of the noreen, which consists

and most of them are-can be made down, so that none of the appa for the first time at the Empire experiment just carried out jointly of a simple linon sheet which has don exhibition of this system were of the actor portraying the two roles spilled. Then the mule. A parti The Prese comments on the Lon-successfully unless the movements ently precious punch would be Theatre, Leicester-square, last by the Society for the Propagation undergone a special preparation. exceedingly favoumble to the new are timed to the fraction of a cularly temperamental one was month, is of far greater importance of the Gospel, the London Mission-The basis of the system consists of invention, and it is expected that second. In very difficult scenes a secured. He needed only elight than the average stage play. ary Biociety and the Church Mix a series of "volos" of deflectors the system will have a very great metronome aide in keeping the pro-oncouragement to start warming In the first place it is largely an sionary Bociety. The value of the arranged in front of the screen, with vogue. The pictures can be seen per tempo, and always, when the the air with his hoofs. Fortunatelly "all-British" production. La the innovation need not be depreciated the object of cutting off reflected equally well either in daylight or in action is in progress the camera na one had to be in his vicinity at second place some interesting of because it is under religious light. Their appearance is some-arkness, so that the system is an counts one, two, thron, four, the time, not oven the camera man. portments have been made with suspices.

what similar to the bellows of an admirably, suited for use in open-air Prizion natural colours und tints.

The actor will be in- for he was photographed at a dis- Entitled The Toiling Millions ordinary photographic carca, the ests. It is perhaps hardly neces-structed to speak on the count of tance of fully & hundred feet so that In the third place the scenes, intor of Modern China," a film repre-screen, being pluded at the smaller sary to set out in detail the many twenty, to laugh on the count of his dimensions might appear to iors as well as exteriors, have been senting every-day scenes in the life end. tcted and photographed in the of the working masses of China is foot the deflectors would extend for alms can be used, but their advan- thirty, and to shake hands with bowl. The film was, of course, ray With screen 9 feet by other purposes for which daylight enty-four, to look insulted at approximate those of the punch castles, abbeys, and palaces of the now being shown at the Central ward in front of the screen approxi-tages in educational work and for himself at thirty-Eve. Record is through the camera twice. The Elizabethan period which still exist. X.M.C.A; buildings in Tattenham mately 12 feet.

The result is a picture which Court Road. Apparently the main

industrial propaganda at trade kept of this count, so that when the mule was tightly tied so that he really reflects old-world England. Incidents are taken from Hongkong, colour, and being scientifically is gratifying that the spread of this same film, of courag the actions of kept from scooting out of focus.

Those deflectors are black in exhibitions may be mentioned. It second exposure is made on the might kick at his pleasure, but be In fact, the whole film is excep- Canton, Amoy and Foochow Hung arranged, do in fact cut off practi-system is due to the initiative and both characters which a star plays, fionally picturesyjne.

chow and Shanghai, the North

a

T

China provinces, and Tientain and cally all reflected light, so that, energy of a British firm.

The street RCENTER

The tale of how good Queen Bees renounced her love for a man Ec- Peking, and the films, as they-ure cause of Her love for England is

shown are described by well-known long way from being in accordance lecturers on China. In securing with the history booke. But there the pictures the aim has been to is plenty of dramatic incident, plot give as faithful and as adequate on account as possible of the teeming and-counter-plot. duels, romance, and adventure. And at least the life, growing industry and changing See--Antinue, the mysterious, authors have not travestied history.

habita of the people under though queen of an impregnableThey have treated great historical, Western influence. In this way it fortress in the middle of the great

personages with dignity-which is hoped to broaden the bond of mare in the kinema theatre,

sympathy with China and to call Desert, though rich beyond dreams, though bewitching beyond imagina-

attention to her probleme.

were parti- tion, in a lieart only a woman, a coquette, a bourt-breaker, who glovies in her love, and lives, for love alone. Yet une comes who spurns her love, and in her weak- noses who sets his best friend to kill him. She thus has her revenge on both, for the murderer, though he manages to escape from her clutches, cannot annihilate the mysterious hold she lus on his heart and soul. The lure of Egypt has got him, and above all, the lure of fascinating Antinue. For her ho braves the dangers of the arid Desert, and regardless of conie. qiences, with alinost, vertain death staring him in the face, he mounts his camel, and disappears beyond the horizon

It is a marvellous picturization of the famous novel "The Queen of Atlantis by Pierre Beneit, and certainly lends a mystic charm by mugans of the elaborate and captivat ing settings which are thus enabled to greet our eyes. The noting is subtle und faultless, and the diree- tors and artists alike are to be com- plimented on their perfect render. ing of a very difficult piece. To say that the scenery in wonderful, and that the beautiful Naporkovska, the artists, finds a suitable background for her charm is to put it mildly Acting, direction, setting, and plot eem to be but portions of a har monious whole, and it would be iicult to say to whom the most credit is due. The author of the plot. Pierre Benoit, and his colla- borator, Jaquca Peyder, who made such a faithful screen version of the original novel, have certainly giren na here a captivating story which will haunt us for many „day.

BALZAC AND THE KINEMA.

The latest recruit to the ranks of unwitting scenario writers

is

Lady Diana Cooper has played the Queen. She is a long way from cularly effective, and there is no being Elizabeth as most of us con- doubt that the spectators were im- coive her to have been-for one pressed by the naver-ending stream thing Elizabeth was not exactly a of pedestrians and manual labour beauty, according to the historyers who abound, and especially by books. But Lady Diana shows more impressively than in any of ries both people and heavy goods. the wheelbarrow trafie which car- her previous work that she deserves Undoubtedly the ordinary onlooker, her place as a film star because of unconversant with the East, obtains her abilities as aft actress, not mere from the pictures shown an almost ly because she is a celebrity of nightmare sense of Chinese con- society.

gested life and labour. It ie difli- cult to say what impresses the turee of this nature. Ordinary British spectator in pic-:

No doubt he is impressed by the strength of the Chinese worker, in view of the Honoré de Balzac, whose romance which have to be pushed about and gigantic proportions of the burdens of "La Duchessa da Langeais" has carried. He is also impressed with somehow turned and twisted and the extent to which female labour curtailed itself into the "intest atar- is used, and by the explanations of ring vehicle" for Miss Norma Tal- the lecturers that the daily wage madge, called in the curious langu-varies from eightpence to tenpence aga of film-makens The Eternal per day,, and the hours begin at Flame." It is even responsible for half-past four in the morning and a lyric" about beams and dreame only end late at sunset. and love-light in the eyes whichr The films show the modern im- accompanies the picture and under-provements brought about by the lines the sentiment with a heavy permeating of Western influence, hand; and it gives the occasion for They reproduce the large number of the flashing of mony thousands of Christian schools and colleges, as pounds' worth of diamonds lit by well as the institutions for the blind, the most expensive electric system who are tought weaving and basket in Los Angeles in the hands of an work. Perhaps they too, lay stress incredible number of electricians. on the fact that much of Chinese Miss Talmadge never did believe architecture is comparatively new; in spoiling her ship for a ha'porth of thus, many bridges and buildings. anything. The Eternal Flame," have solid foundations of wood; with its unforgivable happy ending: which in time become rotten, and is so very much more the "star so-compel complete reconstruction, than it is Balzao that one can only The film shows the essentially be thankful that Miss Talmadge modernized parts of certain of the is one of the most competent of the large towns; indeed, there is a curi American film actresses-indeed the ous intermingling of old and now, whole cast is a solidly competent as exemplified in one scene where rno,and if she never rises to any Chinese trades unionists are in pro- heights of genius: she can. break session. hearts, ond crush rivala, breathe penitence in a munnery, and return to the world a sadder and a better woman with something very like conviction,

and

Oby New York Americas Misi Lorna Ambler,

Miss Lorna Ambler, a pretty Australian actress' at present in Europe is said to have had something to do with breaking up the romance of Lou Telleged and Geraldine Farrar, the well-known. film stars.

DOUBLE EXPOSURE.

HOW IT IS DONE.

SOME RECENT EXAMPLES.

at cetera.

DESERT HARDSHIPS"

**THE SHEIK'S WIFE."

may, by identical timing, bo made to synchronizo. Even with these precautions a man playing two rûles will occasionally get angry a bit too soon or become insulted too late, or also shake hands with himself, at the wrong time-with very weird resulta of dismemberment, owing

One of the most interesting facts to the division of the scene into two about "The Sheik's Wife," the big parts. Then the entire proceeding Vitagraph special production, which will have to be gone through again. is being shown at tlie Coronet

"LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY.

To

Picture technicians nearly all Theatre this week, is that the whole agrea that oha of the cleverest dual picture was made in Arabia. role features' was Mary Pickford's accomplish this, the actors had to "Little Lard Fauntleroy." Here undergo many hardships. Soveral Miss Pickford played two widely extensive trips by caravan into the varying characters, and in many interior of the desert were neces scenes these appeared together. Bary. A base camp was established The young Lord Fauntleroy was at a large vasis and with this as Roan to pass behind a chair in which starting point, many short location Dearest, his mother, was sitting, trips lasting anywhere from one to and in one scene had apparently to three days were made to scoure kiss her affectionately. To celluloid especially beautiful, bite of desert the embmce, Mary as Dearest was seenery. When it is borne in mind photographed first. Then a eil-that when the sun shines, the tem- houette of her face was cut out of perature in Arabia rarely goes below cardboard, so that it exactly corres- tho 100 mark, it can be readily seen ponded to the position of Dearest's

head when she wasr Elmed, and much suffering the actors en- Miss Pickford as the young peer photoplay. Many times the hungry dared to make this spectacular then had to place a kise upon the cardboard lips, properly timed and players were forced to eat dates and photographed.

palm pith when they left camp to In nently all such scenes, perfect take these desert scenes. All in all, as they may ba technically, there is

however, there were few casualties. wanting the true abjectives-artistic sunstroke and another actor was Two of the minor players suffered reality. You know that one person bitten by a scorpion. The two is playing two roles, and in watch

ing the adroit piece of technical principals, Marcel Vibert, who business you lose sight of the mean appears as the sheik, Hadjid Ben ing of the sceneIt is a case of Khedim, and Emmy Lynn, who the house divided against itself, plays the part of his European wife, and no matter how furiously a per- ordeal, in safety, having suffered both came through the grueling son may seem to argue with him- self, or how fervently be may seen nothing more serious than a severe to protest devation for himself, you subbura.

feel as if the dramatic action would The Sheik's Wife," has proved benefit if the identity of the two worth the time, expence and troufsse characters were really distinct. It expended in making it. Hoary- is for this reason that dual rôles Roussoil, one of the best-known have lost their popularity with the directors in France, had charge of beat producers, and the technical the production. He has made it « wizarda are turning their attention masterpiece in every respect. The to a more imaguiative type of flu- bare, treeless hills of the desert, the Bion—the visualizing of thoughts endless sandy plains and the palm- and dreams and memories, of poetic studded ones lend a colourful beauties, and above all to homour. atmosphere to this picture which could not be duplicated anywhere in

(***. GRANDMA'S BOY,'!

Harold Lloyd, for instance, has the world. ford a new way to put kick in a The Sheik's Wife" tells the punch. He uses a new kind of story of a romantic young Engliab the newly finished earthen vessel white mule this in the Civil War girl who marries a son of the desert, from destruction; lastly, the camera sequence of "Grandma's Boy, a follower of the prophet, Moham- man's sesumption of command.

where he makes a dizzy potation for med. When circumstances force What did it all signify? Why was the enemy generale. If you have him to take a second wife, she han the scene so incomplete? Was this seen this picture, you will, I know, to make a fight for her happines all there--

And then I remembered that doubla exposures sometimes look

religious impulse, but it ought to No doubt such a film has a great have still wider and more beneficial results, because one must regret- fully admit that there is great ignor- ance over here on the real conditions of life in the Far East. More use- ful propaganda, however, can With fiercely faming eyes, the rather funny if you only see one hardly be imagined and one is a sheiky Oriental leaned forward, phase of them. I concluded that little surprised that in these days His whole bearing, was menacing the well, no matter... when all countries are trying to His nostrils twitched, while his To eliminate any dallying, it was interest Great Britain as to their flowing robes bhook with the anger a double exposure in the making, or possibilities for commercial and that ecomed to fill his soul. A suurl' rather a tuple or quadruple and other development, that it has been distorted his lips, as he lifted his with trimmings. How complicated, left to religious organisations to show the greatest enterprise and hand, clutching tightly, to the level photographically speaking, only b initiative. They certainly deserve of his shoulder. For one instant he detailed explanation will indicate. all credit for doing so and if the film held it poised there, and then Mayhap you have viewed the fours the country, as is likely, it brought it down, as if to crush the finished scene already. It occure in will certainly draw big crowda

tiny earthen for which stood on the "Omar the Tentmaker, atarring potter's whool beside him.

Guy Bates Post. It is not one of the The next instant I expected to tremendously important sequences, see the vessel shiver and fall, to but it is an artistic bit of action. pieces, but

that pulsates with sentiment and Instead the warthy threatening fancy

DAYLIGHT FILMS;"

NEW FRENCH INVENTION

hand soared to water momentarily, The setting is the potter's shop, an inch above the dull gray of the where the shapes of clay. Open-air cinemas are already jar's substance then slowly relax. materialize for the Persian poet. popular during the summer months The sheikish face lost its bard lines On one side of the room aits Omar in Shanghai and elsewhere. If the and a half smile hovered shout the dreaming. He scos suddenly glim- irvention --described in a recent lipa-

mering on the surface of one of the number of the journal of the Over-C'est cal That's cof1A earthen pats a miniature, shadowy eens Board of Trade for showing voice tinged with socent of French semblance of a beloved Shireen, films in daylightt proves all that it broke the stillness, The speaker, I He behalde sto the potter study- claims to be, summer should no noted (says & writer, in the Screen- ing the result of his craft, “. In a longer be a slack season in the land Magazine), was not the dinoc twinking this potter is transformed cinema industry

tor. No. It was the camera, josh, in Omar's reverie into his arch

It is known (saya the journal) who had been gazing intently at the enemy the Shah The ghostly thot experiments have been going chaching" of the scans directly robed figure · risca threateni on for a number of years with the through the aperture of his instru- above the earthen vadi object of deviang some means of ment. He seemed to be i Omar 'a, imag lation showing films in daylight. A re, suthor

cent FressExhibition of filma in I had watched the pro sding daylight which took placa in Lon-which took place, of course, ou don is therefore of considerable in picture et attentively. terest

The apparatus in question purport

who has been

WGS

second, bis sudden,

im for some time and carried pokition cyhion had

the

Bhah