"THE FLAMING FRONTIER."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18895, 10 January 1927, Page 13

"THE FLAMING FRONTIER."

! AN EPIC OF THE WEST. GRAND THEATRE, TO-DAT. "For far-off things and battles long ago." This quotation admirably and concisely sums up the nnture of tho film "The Flaming Frontier," which opens its season at the Grand Theatre to-day. It is a story which is patterned after the highest typo of adventure fiction, that which 'deals with the militant expression of patriotism, and has tho added interest and superiority of being a page of actual history, a history that is at all times dramatic and spirited. Anything lost in the mazes of antiquity holds a strange fascination for the human mind, and even events which 1 aro only recently beyond our ken intrigue the fancy. Thus it is that while the events of "The Flaming Frontier" are not distasteful to the most exacting modem, they are sufficiently bygone to bear tho imprint of newness and originality—which sounds somewhat paradoxical, it is true. As a material production, this picture demands some comment. Its sottings are authentic eiiough to bear the most searching scrutiny; they take one back to the days of the American colonial, and that atmosphere of gracious women and fighting men pervades the picture, even in its quietest moments. But, tmtrancing though this atmosphere is, the sensational quality is the thing, and so we boo the producers having recourse, with cheerful disregard for startling originality and artistic worth, we see them having recourse to savage Indians and determined whites, wo h&vo fierce and sanguinary encounters and all the accepted trappings of the genuine Indian story. And' the effect is magnificent. Evorybody secretly loves an Indian, warlike picture; there is magic in the very name; there is an indescribable thrill about its sombre tones. Not for nothing have we, in our childhood days, shouted in delight, "Let's play cowboys an'd Indians," for some reason, known only to the juvenile mind, the two being deadly enemies. ■ Realising that a story featuring the noble savage would be assured of an enthusiastic reception everywhere, those responsible for the production have embodied in the picture all the elements beloved of eternal youth, drama and sensation, romance and pathoß mingling to ensure the perfoct entirety. There are episodes in "Tho Flaming Frontier" which are reproductions of actual history, a history that is essentially dramatic. With the dominant Anglo-Saxon pitted against the lawless but stubborn Indian, the story of the nation must take a tense turn, and tho picture adheres wholly to facts. Thus it is that we have scholarly merits in conjunction with supremo entertainment, as well as the compelling personality of Hoot Gibson in the leading role, an intelligent human role, with none of his old dash and fire lost thereby. The largo cast include* many well-known stars, some of whom portray famous historical personages. Anno Cornwall plays the feminine lead with finish and grace. Tho Grand Quality Orchestra will be heard at all evening sessions, and will perform special musical scores during the season. The box plons ore at Tho Bristol .Piano Company, where seats may bo reserved.