SCREEN JOTTINGS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 29 March 1926, Page 3

SCREEN JOTTINGS

At the.Therit.ro Royal this wrek -special Faster face 'will be provided. For Tuesday and "Wednesday, the big Parisian jazz comedy -success, “Her Sister From Paris,” featuring Const nnee Talmadge, will provide laughter. For Thursday . end Saturday, the world’s champion all-round athlete, Fred Thomson, will be seen with bis wonderful horse “Silver King,” in “The Fighting Sap,” and on Faster Monday the big favourite .Reginald Denny comes along in liis rollicking melange of comedy, thrills and love, “California. Straight Ahead.”

Albert .Rogell, director of “The Fighting >Sap, ’ starring Fred Thomson, coming to tne 'liieatre iioyal on Thursday and Saturday, lias more outdoor Westerns to his credit than any other directin'. Not only docs he know the habits, the customs, anil the ways of the plains, but can ride, shoot or, rope with any of the cowboys in the outfit.. Under the guiding hand ol" Fred Purus, former world’s champion roper, 1 he learned to twirl the rope. U.nder inkniuT Jim he learned to handle the pistol, and to ride with Horse Creek Joh.usLon. All three .of these .men. appear m “The Fighting Sap.”

Fred Thomson never ilind a. vehicle that ottered him, a .better opportunity, both from the standpoint of characterisation and the accomplishing of"daredevil stunts, than “The Fighting Sap,” the tremendous Western drama, coming to the Theatre Royal on Thursday and' Saturday. in this picture Thomson plays the part ol a nieekappeariiig young fellow, who fights like a tiger when lie feels .somebody is trying to put something over on him. The- production literally teems with thrills, romance and high-class humour. “Silver King,” the remarkable horse, also otters a wonderful, performance in “The Fighting Sap.”

An intimate scene of life behind the scenes in romantic old Vienna is given in “Her Sister from Paris,” Constance i Talmadge’s now starring picture, pro- ; duced by Joseph M. Schenok. COll- - stance plays two distinctly ditterent I roles, one a. lovely but timid young i housewiio, and the other a brazen, | boisterous Parasian dancer. .The two ! characters are twin sisters. The story ■ is laid in romantic Vienna, and has to do with a wife who thinks her husband doesn’t love her because lie consistently i fails’- to demonstrate his affection. So i she leaves him and assumes the eliar- ! after of her stage-dancer sister. In I this disguise she- eluirnis him so eonij pletely that he even elopes with her, I but awakens from his iascmation in I time to realise that lie loves, alter all, ; none Imt Ins own wile. As the story , unfolds, entrancing glimpses are shown of life, in the homes ol A lenna, and behind the scenes of the theatres. Llio concluding sequence takes' -place in a , lonely old tavern in the lore.st, a relic ' of the ancient days of old V ieiine.se : caietv. Constance is supported by a noteworthy east, headed bv Ronald : Column, George K. Arthur anil Gei tI rude Claire. Sidney L<rank in who i has directed some ol her greatest suc- ; cesses, directed this new »ta>Ting : vehicle. “.Her bister F rom 1 a is j w iH be shown at the Theatre Royal on | Tuesday and Wednesday.

William A. Seiter, who directed *‘Helen's Buhics,” the Master P'ctmiKut ion of the world's greatest seller of U,e same title, written by John Habberton, in which Haoy IfSH !' si ,tml i-s an artist ami writer, in additkm to being a director. Not so many voars ago Seiter made a, comloi R.bk livelihood with his paintings and writings. This work be assumed upon receiving his diploma from the Hudson River Military Academy, Non J°* k -

How a horse*can rescue his master accomplish the trick as lie does it.

NOTES FROM THE STUDIOS

Reginald Denny becomes the “1926 pioneer” of the open road 'in “California Straight Ahead,” bis latest starring feature, which opens at the Theatre Royal on Monday next. In tin's picture, which first night, audiences hailed as one of the star’s best, Denny I sets forth for a motor trip across the continent in an elaborately constructed trailer. The trailer had been built for bis honeymoon, but the honeymoon didn’t come off because be showed up late, for his wedding, and his bride wouldn’t marry • him heeau.se she thought he’d been drinking. That starts Denny off .on a pieture. packed lull of strange situations, mishaps, adventures, thrills and laughs, which makes “California Straight Ahead” 1 one of the funniest light comedies of the season. Though the motor trip and Hie attendant adventures may be a bit more stirring than the usual tourist’s journey, at least more people would be tempted, to set forth in the automobiles if they were sure of going through all the things that Denny did. As in his other recent pictures, Reginald Denny proves that lie is a versatile, accomplished comedian, and liis performance rivals his characterisation of the hypochondriac in “Oh, Doctor!” He is admirably supported by Gertrude Olmsted as leading woman, who finally agrees to marry the hero because lie will not let her do anything else. The supporting cast includes Tom Wilson,. Chrirles Gorrard. Fred Ksmelton, Lucille V aril, J’olm Stoppling, Leo Nomas, and others. The direction of Harry Pollard was unsually good, and gave the star every opportunity to display lus talent as a fun-maker. Byron Morgan and the director collaborated oil the ■story of “California Straight Ahead.”

Jeanette Sturgis wanted to break away from all the conventions, from ali thoughts of matrimony, and from everything that tended to limit her freedom. Of the world she asked independence, and got it! But that’s only the beginning of the story of Victor Schertzitiger’s new’ production. “Bread,” which comes to the Grand Theatre this week. Tt has been adapted from the Charles G. Norris novel. How the world exacts payment for fulfilling Jeanette’s wishes, and how she finally gets what she really wants, are the dramatic movements of this- picture that make it one of the most entertaining ever screened.

"When Bulwcr Lytton wrote “The Lady of .Lyons,” little did lie expect that one day it would be read by millions per 'medium of the screen. But that is wlnit is happening when patrons of the Grand Theatre join in with those of other theatres in seeing the picture “in the Name ol Love.” Jt is a romantic comedy drama that will entertain everyone. Ricardo Cortes, Greta Nisscn, Wallace Beery and Raymond. Mutton head the exceptionally' hue cast ,of players in this picture, which will, be screened on Saturday. The joyous abandon of Armistice Day when the cup of life brimmed over .with the spirits of good fellowship is captured in the screen adaptation of. “Recompense.” Marie Pro vast and Monte Blue co-star in this Master .Picture. The celebrated novel and stage play, “The Man on the Box,” written by Harold McGrath, has been pictunsed hy Warner Bros, for Master Pictures, with Svd Chaplin in the stellar role. Charles “Chuck” Reisner directed this comedy from the adaptation of Charles A. Logue and the scenario of Julion Joscphson.

John Barrymore is starred in tlio Master Picture “The Sea Beast. I lus picture is said to be the biggest screen triumph of Barrymore's, career. It is a story of "whaling ships 111 1840.

Director Emmett Flynn is very enthusiastic over what he claims to be the most, elaborate picture interior set over constructed in Hollywood. I'm one of the most important scenes in the screen version of Hilbert I*raukau s novel, ‘‘Gerald Cranston s Lady, to be screened at the Grand lheatre on Thursday, the ulterior ot bt. Margaret's Cathedral, near Westminister Abbey, London,; was .duplicated in the studios his set is tlm exact reproduction ot the ongmal in everv way. The wedding m « ‘‘Gerald Cranston’s Lady w«*.. ' 11, J on this set. James Kirkwood was the bridegroom and Alma Rubens was the bride? The. other princ.pa sHi the east are Walter MeGiail, • • . MacDonald, Lueien Ritllofiolc , ‘ ! , A wood Aitken, Templar Saxe H ''; d Headrick, .Marguerite Do La Mottc, Erie Mavne and Lydia Knott.