THE BLOOD SHIP

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 146, 10 September 1927, Page 14

THE BLOOD SHIP

A WORLD BEATER Columbia Pictures, “The Blood Ship,” the first production on the new season’s schedule—known as “The Perfect Thirty”—has been booked into the Roxy Theatre by the master showman, S, fßothafel himself. Word has been coming from Hollywood that Columbia had made a wonderful sea picture. The adjectives used in connection with the telling include “great,” "marvellous,” "a knockout,” “a world-beater," etc. That “The Blood Ship” is everything that has been claimed for it is now borne out by Rothafel’s action in signing it for his “Cathedral of the Motion Picture.” “It is one of the finest sea pictures I have had the pleasure of viewing ” remarked Mr. Rothafel after he had screened it. “It ranks with the very best product of any of the leading companies and is vastly superior to a lot of productions I am called upon to look at in my desire to give the public the best attractions obtainable. In fact, I am shelving a picture I have already bought to play ‘The Blood Ship’ because my policy is always to give the public the best entertainment, no matter what the cost. Columbia is certainly to be congratulated for possessing the acumen, ability and the organistion to produce pictures so high in entertainment qualities and showmanship standards.” As already announced by Master Pictures, who will distribute “The Blood Ship," and the entire “Perfect Thirty” throughout Australia and New Zealand, characterisation in the mightv sea picture is handled by a carefully chosen cast of screen favourites. These players were picked more for their abihty to portray their parts with fidenty than for their so-called bov office prestige. Hobart Bosworth plays the lead, and co-featured with him are Jacqueline Logan and Richard Arlen” the latter “loaned” by Paramount to* Columbia. Jacqueline Logan and Mu* Arlen carry the love interest. “The Blood Ship” is adapted from the novel of the same name by Norman Springer. George B. Seitz, remembered ,J or . h is masterful handling of The vanishing Race,” directed “The Blood Ship,” and in it has surpassed anything he has ever done before. _ Filming on Mary Bickford’s new u mted Artists feature, “My Best Gii-i ” has nearly reached the half-way mark Sequences in the five-and-ten-store set have been completed, and director Sam Taylor is superintending a group of night scenes on the “downtown” set covering two full city blocks. Two’ regulation street-cars, operating in a double track 268 feet long, are featured in the scenes, and more than two hundred vehicles of all types, from milk wagons and taxis to heavy gravel trucks, along with nearly a thousand

extras, appear as atmosphere. Photographic effects including a fantastic dream sequence are being obtained by cameraman Rosher.