"BEN HUR."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19140, 25 October 1927, Page 15

"BEN HUR."

pA MIGHTY SPECTACLE. Ijpk MASTERPIECE AT THE GRAND. BSfucli hu already been written re■BOl motion picture version of "Ben HK'tbt to add anything further is alWm— iißfnlt as endeavouring to add anEm bt to the rainbow. Almost all the ij|gbtr(ci is the English language have Ipalled into commission in an endeavour It {hi teas idea of tho magnitude of this Iw.Bltiijr screen production, but mere |«iiiaMt>t do justice to its magnificence—[iinit be Hen to be appreciated. I TedeiiT afternoon, and again in tho imbf. picked houses at the Grattd ji ftUn witataed the first screenings in janZeUind e( thi» triumph of the motion JMrpotattri' art, and it ia fairly safe [tjMt that the unanimous opinion was iWym.W.'.U easily the greatest screen titmk >an 'aereened in a Christchurch liavo never before ':f(|'<B««ptrt by producers aro among the Eatttf leatsrw of the production, and in M May of these mighty spec._j and all of them on such a colossal wlto it it difficult to say which is j* fatal ' JJJ* •Ti ol course, offers exceptional JWWmjUm for gorgeous settings on a i«4 ***< : aad the llctro-Uoldv.-yn-Mayor flfg »M!« responsible for tho pro- ■*«, mmOf laid themselves out to of the big spectacular £***■*•«•;«« past. To realise just i HP weeeeded it is necessarv IZtCI In??it mere wr 'lten °r 6ifflrlL3?S!r ; --'' JP'te. inadequate to do tWr ■wwer, to give some idea k. »Jr ■&** b,g fe «ture scenes. There tlmiTfii " lrilline Bea fi el>' he~zL*rm f Soman triremes and an been screened—it is «ofk£L2?i hl!ro is tho e rent chariot ta««I«i» Hursntl Messala, the brutal «" ntCuFLuril ,s ■ pioco fcrntoilLlfi tn ? ■ udl<la <:e enthralled Ht>t li .P* 7 P . eriod - Tlle vast "ena, SX^i, t^, ? Wßd^0, spectators, re**M* taf£i!° B A* period when Kome «»« \»m ffi of ?,". power ' and « it« tnZ«2i . * ? all 'ortuno must have flJrt?? 8 * «f » Koman festival. - but tn c r o ««!J?iitV" ,ame lavishness. 0 the Biblical «»nM, j,,,^™ mnij the entry of Christ into WTTtCL4,I} Supper, the trial of **Ww l"'*' " nd tho Crucifixion. *»«ie7nM » b I M s f enes bein handled *ff Ut Mil. J Bdw . d ' for ,hc "">3t part •W«*t"; ° ,omo of tb « world's 5» «teria 52, , «.V a ? d ilem , ish "asters. SL*S»« aSS•■iL2I- iu basic themes *»J«iia *t« j ..' OTe —revengo on tho «J «Ut« ( „ t0 lh .".Salley S and ?*• "Tnr.ii. •• t0 * llvin S death iu *\h +£L *2" ■»* y over the chariot USb ' y IICSSaIa ' ,0 8 Th ? most 0 human 2&*»«* Scrr^, ,hr ,° l , U f h it—the story '■Wfal J.I? °' tne hfo of tho Christ £ff»E tie ? t »* B l GoO v d FridB s'- £?" has il. it. "f" 1011 Novarro as i*J*7 J' M "l ala / ls a Roman; 8£ b * MrfMtil „. ,ha i s atoful ma ": S*«tph th. C.™il 7 . s 'T en b > r May Mc--6? «wf??*ii! S,P» r,r »2 e * with S»" *«T b" gtaitehnrch. while the fci«««a«a.- u *™'« «'ngm ? the "Star