GRAND THEATRE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19146, 1 November 1927, Page 13

GRAND THEATRE.

*■« "BEN HUR" SEASON. |:; '•■- : - ■ ■ jii-.'A SPLENDID SPECTACLE. -AiSfc MMning of "Ben Hur" in Chriet«irV fr** concluded its first week now, "Wutor than there being a diminution in the sizo of the crowds throng-

•r-JU'tfct Grind Theatre, i there appoars to ':'' hIB ißtteue. All last week 'the three £ iiSf unions drew crowded houses, and i lutsijht tile theatre was again packed. ~■ .lie remintic appeal of Lew Wallace's ' afekfr book his kept it popular in the j, Ilflithfßetkirig world wliilo other works /tfW llfW across the sky of letters and I bus bag forgotton. The entry is one ot \. foajl'irid of love. Revenge that is nought i'%.BW:Hnr for tho wrong done him' and House by tho Romans. When, ' fiMpr;''. Senator, Valerius G rat us, is being l I to Jerusalem, and as he makes I tiffis^apial' way along crowded streets, ftoa »n over-hanging roof falls from KMpMpei oi Judah, Prince of Hur, and Fjfjlfliprrjfljinri Thnf Ilio occurrence was j.*SS»J«»t is tv ■ explanation- which carries f l Bx>mans,; ; and..Ben; Hur. galleys for "life, and hie | Wfttt; tad sister to the hideous dungeon J d mm,: Ben Hur slaves in the awful .%■ «naj%a(J the galleys but never, forgets ,jL w-««"i|iirpofe in life, to avenge the ini HlSilttweriiiE so unjustly done to ■§ : : BU'flotat.'iJ l»i;t opportunity comes, and V ia • ehsrjoi rice which, as a spectacle, ~ f : »21 fiud M one of tho greatest motion t fjchui tcntt yet produced, ho gains both VJi** tfdtft: and victory over the haughty yjatnticif of Borne. «jw» n» prologue to the story proper, • ' jut U there is in tho book, wherein the «Mi of. the Three Wise Men of the East, 1W» fallowing of tho star, and their everitMl irmil it the stable in Bethlehem, pro- ■ *%r?JW icenes and moments of exquis.'giPW, emotional and apiritual force. W&m Blike's famous paintins, tho "Star «rß*Shksi«m," has been completely repro- '.' ™»1 in colour and detail for this scone «?-|MM of the scenes in the picture, y**M« in which the Christ invisibly figures, of Italian, British, and Jnuters have been utilised, so that *9j,Jri«e?» gorgeous "Last Supper," "Tisi Jj» tatonriul "(Pool of Siloam," Raphael's 3j*jw Midonha," Munkacsy's "Chrißt *W»_Kl»te." Bubcns'e "Holy Family," •M. Dore'a "'Dante's Inferno" for the harthe galleys tire the splendid at "'*' l kl> give tho film greatness and * "S. 1, f^aa ar^'sts wu ° p' av tQ e ro ' cs " Hur" waro recruited from the ' ► *"*ai»tinguisbcd ranks. Ramon Novarro "■*"*'? 'Hnr jis rebellious, bitter, dutiful, •Wtttic, an amy of varying moods in a " tt *jy» personality; Francis X. Bushman M JUHiU is a Roman; Simonides is EHi* Pkyed by Nigel de Brulier, Esther J?wwlr given by May McAvoy, Joseph the it portrayed with gravity and «Wj hy Winter Hall, tho brilliant actor* gMainttchurch, while tho Mary of Betty Jj-SjfJ" ii a cameo of quiet effacement and Jwanu dignity. A fine prologue intro"*«S the itory proper, Mr David McG-ill JW* the "Star of- Bethlehem." Tho 2***o Orchestra, specially augmented for r* ff 1 * 00 ; inttrpreia a musical score writ•S,u **• P'«ture, and a quartet sings *j*» with Me" during the Crucifixion