MCLEAN’S PICTURES,

Hokitika Guardian, 20 January 1920, Page 1

MCLEAN’S PICTURES,

“UNCLE TOM’S CABIN.”

Picture patrons who have read the well-known story of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and those who have seen it played on the legitimate stage will have their interest in the story.renewed by seeing it in picture form at the Opera House on Wednesday. Reading the novel or’seeing the play on the stage necessitates imagining a large part of the scenes. In the. picture version the different scenes are so faithfully portrayed that the onlookers feel themselves to be living at the time when Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the story, and appealed to the world to abolish slavery. Besides tolling the story of slave days, the picture is expensively staged, and shows some beautiful scenery in connection with the story. No imagination is needed; the picture shows the luxurious homes of the slavo owners and the quarters of the slaves. It shows the mode of travel in those days, and depicts scenes on the large rivers where passengers are carried in sternwheeled steamers loaded with bales of cotton from the plantations. A thrilling scene is that showing the escape of Eliza Harris with her child after she had been sold to Simon Lepree, a cruel planter. As she escapes across the frozen river the ice sinks beneath her weight and her agility alone prevents a tragedy. The beautiful character, of Little Eva is impersonated by Marguerite Clarke, and one c all "’ell understand liow the original Eva fascin ated those she met, and thus was able to influence them to treat the slaves wit-h more humanity. Marguerite Clarke impersonates a dual part in tho picture, and is also seen as Topsy. As Topsy she is a great attraction, and it is hard to decide which character she appears to better advantage—as the demure little maid, Eva, or as the imp of mischief' Topsy. Marguerite Clarke is assisted by Frank Losee, who appears as Undo Tom.