LYRIC PICTURES.

Otaki Mail, 7 February 1923, Page 3

LYRIC PICTURES.

TO-NIGHT. “THE BROKEN GATE.” Bessie Barriscalo is to be seen again at the Lyric Pictures to-night, appearing in “The Broken Gate,” a Hodkinson production released through fcfelznick Pictures. Miss Barriscalo lias entrenched herself very firmly in the hearts and minds of motion picture, devotees, and her new releases arc k>okI ed forward to with keen interest. Emerson Hough, one of the most popular

novelists of the day, wrote the story of j “The Broken Gate.” It has been read ' and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands. A splendid supporting programme includes the “Blue Fox’’ serial, a Hall- ■ room comedy, the Selzuick news and Canadian scenic.

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHTS. “ORPHANS or THE STORM.” In the great drama of the French Revolution, “Orphans Of tiie Storm,” there is told perhaps the greatest story of all time. All the glory and splendour of Royal Versailles is there; and with it, all the fiendish cruelty and lust of the Old Regime in France. Foliow-

1 ing upon this scene of splendid vice come the hideous barbaric passions of the Revolution; the starved and ragged crowd rushes the Bastille; the dreadful Reign of Terror runs rivers of blood. Startling and tragic realism is brought into the picture. A lovely girl, carted to the guillotine in the tumbril, spat upon and mocked by the foul mob, actually lias her neck in the awful structure on the high scaffold before the reprieve arrives. Neither the lascivious splendour nor Mie diabolic vengeance of this period in history has been exaggerated; and the film is a wonderful composition. Its maker lias moments I of genius. Intense and beautiful pathos is acted by the two lovely Gish’ sisters, Dorothy and Lillian, who arc screened as two girls left helpless orphans in the time of terror. One girl is blind, which permits the weaving of a beautiful talc of sisterly protection and tenderness. And into the lives of one of the .girls is brought a touching love story—she is saved from outrage,

and her gallant young aristocratic defender afterwards owes to her his own salvation from the guillotine. All that is touching and beautiful, all that is splendid, all that is powerful- in screen drama is introduced by Griffith into -this film. The box plan is filling rapidly at Lowry’s and patrons arc particularly requested to be in their scats early, as this wonder film, which takes nearly three hours to .screen will com:, nience at 7.45 p.m.