IN FAIRYLAND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 71, 17 December 1917, Page 6

IN FAIRYLAND

"A DAUGHTER OF THE GODS."

"A Daughter of the Gods," presented for the first time at the Grand Opera House on Saturday night by. J. C. Williamson, Ltd., is something more than a "million dollar spectacle." It is also a very beautiful fairy tale, with fairies, gnomes, and mermaids revelling in natural surroundings, with a witch's cavern aud halls of Aladdin, and the wonderful places that are reserved for children, old aud young. The spectator will not doubt that tho million dollars were spent, but need not remind himself of this material fact, for it is on the artistic, rather than on tho merely spectacular side, that the producer has succeeded. . Mr. William Fox has invited the public to come with the splendid Annette Kcllermann into fairy realms, and has provided there for their enjoyment scenes of charm, wonder and romance. Two little children, Nydia and Prince Omar, lead the way into fairyland. Nydia's gentle heart is broken by tho death of her song hird, and at tho same time the tiny Prince Omar, another victim of the Witch of Badness, iroes alone to sea in a drifting boat. Tho two little souls are added to the mermaid band, and it is from tho sea, long years Inter, that there conies the maiden Anitia, clad in her flowing hair, and the grown Prince Omar. The Prince returns to the palace of the Sultan, who is a disciple of tho Witch of Badness, and Anitia is captured by wandering men and dragged to tho slave market, to bo sold to the bidder who mil offer the most gold for youth and beauty. She is bought for the Sultan's harem, and there she meets the Prince'. The Witch of Badness is etill at work, and after Anitia has"won the regard of the Sultan by her dancing and swimming in the festival of the spring, there is a quarrel which, results in Anitia being imprisoned m the Tower of Death, and the Pnnco being hound to the rocks to await the rising tide. Anitia, by a dive from ffiddy heights into the sea, escapes from the tower, only to be recaptured and flung to the crocodiles. But the Fairv of Goodness changes the reptiles to swans, and Anitia swims down, the rapids and reaches the land oi the Gnomes, where she forms an army for the rescue of the Prince. Finallv, there is a great battle, involving the destruction of the Sultan's city, and tho film play ends m a tragedy that merges into great joy. Tho story is developed with an amazing wealth of details. The scene in the harem, where the beautiful slaves of the Saltan play in their- swimming pool, is notable' but the most charding scene of all for the children at any rate, is the ritv of the gnomes. The film was produced in Jamaica, amid the natural Unnry of the wonderful islands of the Caribbean. The gnomes have their citv on the banks of n lake fed by giant, rapids, and here the little beings in their hundreds hustle about with the mo.rrv activity that helones to Gnnmelancl. When tho time come, the white-beared gnomes are changed miraculously into doughty warriors who storm the battlements of the Sultan s citv and drive before them the thousands of the defenders Then there are the slave market, where lovely girls Z exhibited and- sold.: the rocks where the mermaids revel, the witel s cavern, with its horrid figure of evil. and the busv streets in an Oriental citv, made but, to be destroyed. An-„ot.f-e T-ellertnaim is the central figure of'it all and even those people who do not "Ve that the famous. swim"tle ideal type of female.iicauy "l admit that fy wonderful. She «nnw. bminj. ° a iv.terf.-ill dives from a lOOtt. toflor ntthe'sea, escapes.(™»« ta ™* stake, shows remarkable pludv tenac tv aid skill amid heavy rollers on a ock o, st, and wears the minimum 7 ofhing'with au easy uncou,c,ousiip« that "robs the unusual of all ofCe and that, incidentally, bcspejVs , V maid who 1-s no reason to fear the citi 1 eve. She has several onpor-1 t, es of showing her grace in the S*«a fniry-like surroundmgs ?nd proves that she has let nono of Mmosf Phenomena powers that fir t brought h«r into the pub he eve. She is surged by at; armv of swimmers. Other players help her to, develop the plot, and behmd the principal, there are thousands of boys and Sirls. men and women, who help to ™ke realistic the larger scenes A iChtorof the God." will be shown i„ theOrand Onrni Hn»« tw'ro da,lv, during this iveek, at 2.30 and 8 p.m.