MAORILAND PICTURES.

Shannon News, 12 January 1926, Page 3

MAORILAND PICTURES.

"THE SLAVE OF DiESfEINY." ■ Honore de Balzac's story, "The "The Magic Skin," is a classic of Literature and the film version "The Slave of Destiny" promises to occupy as high a place in mo*i|on picture world. A young man, penniless and disconsolate, is strolling along the banks of the Seine, bent on ending his life in its dirty waters. As he is about to cast himself into, the river, a pitiful wreck of humanity clutches him and tells him that no woman is worth suicide. Raphael has. wagered his last twenty-franc-piece in the gaming house of the Palais Royal and lost. He is the picture of despair. As he walks along he comes upon the- shop of a dealer in antiques, and goes in, hoping to sell the -scarab on his watch clisalin—the last relic left of the gifts given him by his father. The little old shop-keeper becomes very much excited when Raphael shows him the scarab, and leads, him into the secret room of the shop. Here, in a strong light an ikon is hung, and beneath it a dirty, splotched brown piece of skin. The Antiquarian tells the astonished 'Raphael that his scarah is the key to the skin and mat, he is now entitled to this, "inag'ic skin" which will gratify his every wish. An inscriptioni in. Sanscrit on •utie skin tells of its power to grant every wish of the owner, but each wish the skin will shrink.. The days of the owner are measured by the laize of the skin. The film tells how the story works out. THE -PICTURE! THEY MADE BE-

FORE THE MAST. "Fury"—to be screened on Friday —is a sea picture with the very spirit and surge of mighfty ocean in it. Vile great producer, D. W. Griffith, called it one of the greatest pictures ever made. Richard Barthelrness has a star role, and Dorothy Giish is'his leading lady, eclipsing every other performance as Minnie, the hash-house slavey' ■ from Another player is Tyrone Power, who years ago toured New Zealand ;in dramatic roles. He takes the p,art of "Dog" Leyton, captain of the Lady ,Spray.