THE STRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 84, 30 June 1927, Page 15

THE STRAND

NEW PROGAMME TO-MORROW Apropos of George Ross, “Serateller,” the well-known London comedian, of the Humphrey Bishop Company, which is now at the Strand Theatre, the London “Stage” says:—“lt is interesting to note that Mr. Ross assumed the character make up as a joke originally, and hired himself out as a stage-hand to a well-known London manager. During the action of a certain revue there occurred a painful stage wait, with the manager frantically rushing about behind the scenes for someone to iill the hiatus. Mr. Ross saw his opportunity, and volunteered to amuse the audience. In sheer desperation the manager pushed him before the footlights, .and from that moment the stage character of “Scratcher,” the stage-hand, was born, and as nothing more humorous or novel was to be found in the revue, ‘Scratcher’ was promoted, from scene shifter to star. A fortunate joke both for Mr. Ross and the public.” His interpretation of what the cowboys did to his concert party in the wild and woolly west of North America has made the name of “Scratcher” a household word wherever he has appeared. He is one of the three comedians in the Humphrey Bishop Company.

“The Ranger of the Big Pines.” the Vitagraph picturisation of Hamlin Garland’s novel, “Cavanagh, Forest Ranger,” will begin a week’s run at the Strand to-morrow. The cast, headed by Kenneth Harlan, includes Helene Costello, Eualie Jensen, Will Walling, Lew Harvey, Robert J. Graves, Eugene Paulette, Harvey Clark and Joan Standing. Harlan plays Ross Cavanagh. a strong, handsome forest ranger, who falls in love with Virginia Weatherford (Helene Costello). Virginia’s mother. Lize Weatherford (Eualie Jensen), is a slatternly hotelkeeper whose daughter has been educated in the East, and who finds this blowsy woman a keen disappointment. The girl is lovely and charming r.nd Ross fights against his growing love for her, fearing the force of her heredity. He has befriended an old cattleman whom he discovers is Virginia’s father insistent upon remaining dead to his wife and daughter; an interesting character played by Eugene Paulette. Around these characters moves the exciting story of the fight between the lawless West and the guardians of the forests, between Ross’s family pride and love for the flower of a corrupt stock, and the majestic beauty of the mountains aloof from all petty warfares of man. William Van Dyke has directed this picture, adapted to the screen by Hope Loring and Louis Lighton, with what has been hailed by reviewers in other cities as masterful skill.