"ARMAGEDDON."

Shannon News, 18 January 1924, Page 4

"ARMAGEDDON."

A FBDM OF PALESTINE.

Many interesting people attended the first exhibition of the film "Armageddon- at the new Tivoli Theatre in the Strand, London, opposite the New Zealand Government Office. These included Princess Mary Viscountess Lascelles, Viscount l.ascelies, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, the American Charge d 'Affaires, Sir James and Lady Allen. General J Sir lan Hamilton, Major-General Fir I G. Ashton Colonel Ashley, M.P., 1 (Under-Secretary for War), Sir P. } Cox and Sir H. d'EgVille. i The scenario of " Armageddon " was written by Major-General Sir G. Ashton, with the assistance! of General Sir Louis Bols, who was Lord .Allcnby's Chief of Staff. The production has the full approval of thr- Armv Coi itcil

The film sets out to give a comprehensive idea of Lord AUsnby's campaign in Palestine, and it is desci.'bed as reins a cunning representation -if the i' al and the unreal, for it is made up of pictures that were taken of the actual operations, and of other views of events actually happening out of camera-range which have been specially reconstructed for the benefit of the public.

Mr F G. Hurcomb, who was a sergeant in the 219th Battalion, London Raiment, and is now a plate aye" at Kentish-Town, is to . appear at the Tivoli while the film is being shown to speak at the various performance?. It was to him that the Mayor ot Jerusalem surrendered the H) v CVy ii- December. 1917 The incU-'nt figures in the. film, having been reconstructed from material supplied by the ex-sergeant (who also acted in the scene) and from the one photograph which was taken on the spot by a camera which the Mayor had brought with him. Mr. G. E. Jones, of the same battalion, is also .to be present to help his comrade in des.i'.iimv? the incidents in the film in <v'v:eh ihey actually look part.

( Th& result is altogether adm'ro'MO, for it gives-o pictorial record olMhe c.mpHlgn that did so much hasr?n th* issue of the war, told both wnh a-nracy and with vividness, und yet set forth in a way that is likely to jgriotne attention of :.ae average audience. The " Times " says that those who decry the educational value of the film will, after a visit to this , production, be compelled to admit that ! the cinema can be an admirable med- ' ium for conveying popular history to the masses, and, at the same-time, they wi ll be forced to agree that m this particular branch of art the fllm is h*ad and shoulders above the stage.

. •• Armageddon " is a simple picture of a gic&t and true story that needs no adcrument. The film has dramatic force, which is derived solely from the essentially dramatic and romanTJC mtnre of the campaign of movement and manoeuvre it depicts. It w made up of the Official films taken firing the campaign and of reconstructed incidents, such as the surrender cf Jerusalem to a London Territona dier, and certain exploits for wn;ch the Victoria Cross was awarded mingled with illustrations c. .he movements of the opposing forces by means of moving black and .white pieces on a relief model map m French official pictures, introducing the Arab horsemen mobilised by the Emir Feisal, are included, by permission of the French Government.