MAORILAND PICTURES.

Shannon News, 4 May 1926, Page 2

MAORILAND PICTURES.

“THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.” Speed is the motto of our age. Speed and more speed seems to be the guiding influences in everything the ihuinan mind endeavours. “Speed on! Speed on !.” seems to be- the cry, in spite of encumbrances, in spite ot love and every duty man owes to his follow-man. What if the lives of many are involved? There is greed, there is passion, there is love —and these arc far greater to some in our age than consideration of the dangers to others on the wayside. .In “The Midnight Express’’ these clashes come to life in an unsurpassable fashion. The various elements struggle against each, other —there is much at stake—until the sthry rounds itself to a conclusion that attests to the eternity of love. George W. Hill has crowded into this .gripping -story a resume of the laughs and tears ( that fill life’s highway. Every artist chosen is a leader—the direction and general productions the best money can provide. 11; will be screened at the Maoriland Theatre on Wednesday night. On the same evening Signor Preboui Hiahson, tihe famous Danish tenor, will sing for the first time in Shannon after highly successful seasons in the chief cities. NEW GRIFFITH FILM SCREEN CLASSIC. “SALLY OF THE SAWDUST” RANKED WITH GREATEST PRODUCTION’S. A picture that wall* make a hundred million people laugh and sigh is the order D. W. Griffith gave himself when he produced “Sally of the Sawdust-,” his new classic -of comedy which is being shown at the Maoriland Theatre.

Laughter rules it throughout, ranging from smiling drolleries to the heartiest outbursts of ringing north. And running' amid the higher peaks of gaiety is a sympathetic story of lovable humans very much beset at times with the minor problems such as lack of money, a free for all circus fight, flight to richer, harvests on a. blind-baggage of a railroad car and other rueful troubles.

A circus waif and her guardian, as lovable a scalawag as even* picked a necessary pocket, are the principal characters, with love abounding and adventures galore. ' Carol Dempster and W. €. Fields have made the parts historic among the screen portrayals. The cast is rich in new laces and talent., including Alfred Bunt, headliner in Broadway successes; Glenn Anders, Effie Shannon, Erville Alderson and supporting company of many thousands. The resources of a circ-ue with its menagerie and side-shows, a carnival, beautiful homes, haw. contributed a rich variety of scenes greater than Grillith has offeied in any of his recent works. “Sally of the ..Sawdust’’ is one of Griffith’s finest pictures, deserving to he ranked with his greatest. At the Maoriland on Friday.

The duck-shooting season in the Horowherma district opened with an incident which had almost all the elements of a tragedy. Mr W. Corner, who is about 70 years of age, and Mr Hammond Murray, son of Mr ;j. Hammond Murray, at. about five o’clock on Saturday morning, pushed off in their boat from the landing stage oil Buller Bake, lhe two had not gone more than four or five chains before a sudden squall swept over the lake, and capsized the boat. Both men and their guns, food, etc., were thrown into the water, and Mr Corner was in imminent danger of being drowned. . They managed with difficulty to reach shallow water and eventually got within reach of die shore, from where they were nut. long in receiving assistance, lhe guns and equipment still remain at. the bottom of the. lake, 'but the two sportsmen arc lucky to have escaped with their lives.