"THE SHOW-OFF."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18906, 22 January 1927, Page 8

"THE SHOW-OFF."

FORD STERLING IN HAPPY VEIN. CRYSTAL PALACE, MONDAY. »\n odd paradox, is it not, that at one end "of the social scale you have the people pride is that they have been - purely by circumstances, and at the other end the peoplo whose boast is that they have beenVdo by themselves-and who are usually extremely proud o£ thej mak er A self-made man is only proud .of his made "el because ho is ashamed of his real self. The more he assorts his acqu.red men s the more ho is on tho dofonco of his naturTdefects." Such a character, so ab y put forth by Alan Kemp in an English periodical, is played in the comedy-drama •'The Show-Off," by Ford Sterling, but is played with the humorous side predominating to give the play tho happy flavour The>. picture heads tho programme at the Crystal Palace next week. Everyone knows the showoff He is in every little town and hamlet us well as tho great cities of the joMllio man who slaps your back, cracks a v7stl™ged joke,' speaks to you confidentially 0 £ his enormous personal endowments o vrtue and good citizenship. -In the screen pay Sterliai brings, without ono faux pas, rtfc blustering person to life in all hwvamglory, his loquacity, his colossal and rather pUi?ully amusing egotism. The greatest £n omimist in picture, this artist .«.rapidly becoming one of the greatest actors, and from originally being merely the leading part in. the comedy, bo has quite obviera. ly (hough with supremo artistry, made, ; a brilliant starring roe. The comedy of The Show Oft" i. of a decidedly .new nature .on the screen, but by no means -original in real life. The freshness and »l*a™nt newness nf the story is derived from the fact that his* particular type is not ~fW«** countered in plays, and agam tlo quiet, rather surprised manner of lus acting leaves just the right impression as to ho actual character. It is impossible to, speak or write of this picture without culog.sing thovork of the star. Although a graduate of tie Rlinstick Scnnett school, Sterling employs ne subtlest means to blend his sheer comedy.! with his unconscious pathos, which combination is essential to the atmosphere of tl e story. His style is unique, and as likeablo as if is so, and with tho human and humourous story he has at his disposal, the. tesu. t is a comedy of marked and unusual brilliance, in which the affable simplicity of Lois Wilson, in tho main supporting role, is ° ahy le M U a r ckaiU. blonde and beautiful, stars in "Subway Sadie," tho second attraction on the Mil. This actress shines particularly in human roles, not necessarily prosafc, but successfully to reflect her.charming personality. Her roles require to be shorn of all too-glamorous trappings. &uch a character is Subway Sadie, a girl with a quick tongue and a warm heart, around whom all tho comedy and romance of the story centres. It is a delightful picture for all Sences, and Jack Mulhall, as leading man, en°cts his part with commendable The Symphony Orchestra, under Mr Alfred Run* will play a special orchestral programme of music, including the. following numbers ;-Overture, "The Mag.e Flute' (Mozart), "Adagio and Allegro" (Schubert), "Lo Koi S'Amuße" (Dolibes), "Cristoforo Colombo" (Franchetti), "Leßal Masque (Verdi), "Rustlo of Spring" (Sindmg) ; "Ballad Memories" (Baynes), (Stamper), "Moonlight on the Gan _fß Myers); entr'-acte, "It Was Your Hat" (Flintoft). The box plans are at The Bristol Piano Company, whore scats may bo reserved.