AMUSEMENTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1917, Page 1

AMUSEMENTS.

JOHN FULLER & SONS.

MIGHTY “CABIRIA.’

At the Princess Theatre on Monday evening next. John Fuller & Sons have arranged with .Mr T. Pollard to screen the mighty picture of “ Cabiria,” All the leading, picture actors and actresses of Italy j were engaged in the production ol j “Cabiria,” > the great dramatic masterpiece of Gabriele cl’ Anmmzio which is the greatest production ever turned out by anj’ firm of picture makers. The Itala Film Company undertook the work, and allowed d’Annunzio himself to choose the people who were to take the different roles. He selected i only those who exactly filled liis ideal of the part. His two leading women are both vouug and beautiful. It is doubtful if a more lovely actress lias ever been seen on the screen than Italia Manzini, the beautiful Italian, who plays the part of Sophonisha, the passionate beauty of the play. She is strongly reminiscent of Miss Lily Brayton in her methods, though she is obviously younger and slenderer than Miss brayton. Cabiria, the name part, was played by a child actress in the earlier scenes, and later on, when Cabiria has grown into a beautiful woman, by Lydia Quaranta, another noted beauty actress. Men to fit the heroic parts devised by d’Annunzio were bard to find. The search lor the slave Maciste is already world famous. ITe found the man he wanted after five months of despairing search, and then it was as a dock laborer whom he had to train as an actor.

A thrilling feat of high diving is performed in “ Cabiria,” the bighistorical film play which is to be screened on Monday evening. The hero of the play. Fulvius Axilla, is fleeing irom the enraged priests of -.he Carthageni.au god Moloch. His flight leads him to some high cliffs in the seashore. There is only one way of escape, and he takes it. He leaps from the top of the cliffs into the water below, leaving on the top the priests who are not courageous enough to follow him. The plunge is a real one. The cliffs where it was performed for the film makers are at Leghorn and the point from which the jump was made is 65 feet above the water which is very deep there. The actor who played the part ol Ful*vius was Signor Umberto Moszato who is an accomplished swimmer, athlete and diver. In another part of the film play lie has to swim a long distance in full armour to make his escape from the burning Roman fleet while he has to climb a 50 feet human pyramid in order to scale the walls of Carthage. From the acting point of view, “ Cabiria ” is as perfect as it is from the technical, and picture experts gaze in astonishment on the wonders which, the producers have aehievefHn the presentation of the play. Prices will be as usual.