Charlie Chaplin in the gold rush - 1889 (1925)

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Tall ornamental lamps carved in the form of great clusters of lotus and papyrus flowers, emit soft tinted light reveal- ing a richness of appointment found only here. The mens' lounge and smoking room displays still another attractive example of Egyptian art—A group in color consisting of figures of the ram-headed god, Khnum, known as the "Moulder of Man," together with attend- ant priest, priestess and Hathor, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, and accompanied by bird figures representing the souls of the departed, are all engaged in paying obeisance to, and with offerings are supplicating at the shrine of the Nile for a bountiful season of plenty in the land. Stand- ing wooden figures of slave girls, hold trays in their hands for the convenience of smokers. The wonderful floor coverings of deep red are bordered with woven-in hieroglyphics and designs sacred to the Bull Apis, god of Virility and life. Everywhere about are heavy chairs and other articles of Egyptian furniture, all perfect examples of a high order of handcraft and dupli- cating those pieces as used in the palaces of the Pharoahs, and bearing the authentic decorations of Egyp- tian art. Through velvet cur- tained arches opening directly off the lobby, the vast auditorium presents an awe inspir- ing spectacle, unmatch- ed in gorgeous effect and unrivalled in beauty and historic in- terest. Overhead the dome of a celestial sky is set with the myriads of blazing jewels of the heavens, in pure gold, over which radiates a colossal sunburst of golden iridescent color- ful rays emanating from the blazing sun upheld by a gorgeous winged scarab, the symbol of reincarnation, and which in turn is surrounded by attendant decorations sacred to the Scarab God, including the Serpent at Euraeus, symbol of the intellect, all in bas-relief burnished in silver and colors and pure gold. The Splendor of Antiquity Thus, bathed in the twilight of an ancient world, sur- rounded by a scene of awe-inspiring splendor, breathing the fresh purified air that bears the faint elusive perfume of the real lotus, cherished in the palaces of antiquity, one is held wrapt by a near view of a gigantic temple ruins on the plains of Thebes, backed by the desert azure sky, where a solitary star, the Star of the East, still lingers. THE WEST WALL OF THE COURT This wonderful painting occupies the entire great front curtain and is framed on either side by the magnificent carved Egyptian columns of stone, which are covered with pictorial representations in Egyptian color of the various gods, goddesses and sacred symbols of the temple of Amon. The great beams of the proscenium arch supported by these columns, tell in Egyptian pictured story form, vari- ous religious rites, ceremonies and beliefs as upon the beams of the golden temple of Amon. At the bases of the columns in typical rigid attitude, colossal sphinxes with faces of mystery stare straight into the beyond. Symbolic Craftsmanship The walls of the auditorium show heroic bas-relief images from the Temple of Sety I at Abydos, the lioness- headed goddess, Sekhmet, symbol of the destructive rays of the sun bestowing her blessing and promise of good will upon her land. Then the image of the Pharoah Sety I offering to the gods a golden image of the Goddess of Truth and Justice, as an oath of the princi- ples which he will up- hold among his people. And then the seated figure of Maat, the Goddess of truth, holding on her knee the Ankh, the sign of everlasting life, and blindfold pads upon the eyes symbolizing her judgment of man by the evidence heard in- stead of being swayed by false appearances. The side balconies overhung with the pal- ace banners and the golden urns of the tem- ple soften the severity of the great walls of tinted stone. Furnishings of the orchestra are all of Egyptian design and decorated in green ippropriate figures in the bronze, copper and gold, with dull ancient colors. The overhanging alcove in the rear depicts the richness in antique design of temple ceilings with its rows upon rows of seated deities—suggesting the title the "Temple of a Million Blessings." And so in keeping with Mr. Grauman's policy that whenever and wherever possible, every attractive improve- ment should be added, I sincerely hope my description and explanations of the varied and beautiful decorative orna- ment, based upon many years of study of decorative arts of the ancients, and my earnest endeavor in the actual reproduction of some three hundred or more of the de- signs, will enable you and yours to more fully understand