The Moving picture world (January 1926-February 1926)

522 Moving Picture World February 13, 1926 ^wmioiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiniiniiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiniM I Looking Them Over — With Qray Strider | I Reviews from the Screen Angle of Plays, Books, Stories and Operas | 'WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII^ "C '^Purple and Fine Linen* OLLIERS" deserves a medal for bringing out such an astonishing story as May Edington's "Purple and Fine Linen" which appears in this week's issue. The climax will shock any movie audience into speechlessness. Because of her husband's inordinate cruelty, Lady Malvern at the age of nineteen runs away and leaves her baby behind. She goes with a lover who she thinks is half-God and half-Galahad. But he's only nine-tenths clay and one-tenth mess. She is forced to leave him and wanders — Nice, Cannes, Rome, Paris, Vienna, Budapest . . . but each year on her birthday she writes Lord Malvern and begs for permission to see her little girl. For sixteen years she receives no answer but on the seventeenth she gets a telegraphic response to come at once. No analysis is necessary. THE STORY .SPE.\KS FOR ITSELF. Let Norma Shearer put on a thirty-six year old make-up and get busy. She has just enough money to reach London and here on her birthday morning we find this magnificent one reduced to a drab — clothes hopeless ruins, lips gone blue, glorious figure subdued, feet that drag, black hair with the bloom of grapes on it dimmed by a rusty old hat — begging in the street before a fashionable club — praying for money that she may appear decently before her daughter. A rich -Australian passes by and refuses her. He sees a street accident and rushes to the spot. In the excitement, this desperado watches and picks the .'\ustralian's pocket. He misses his wallet instantly and glimpsing her through the crowd follows. First she goes to a woman's exclusive outfitting shop. The Australian waits. Then she goes to a beauty parlor. The .'Australian waits. Last, she visits a famous jeweler. The Australian waits. Finally she steps out — a lovely, perfectly groomed woman— ready for the fruition of seventeen years. The man grabs her arm and starts for the Police Station. She begs for three hours grace, only one hundred and eighty little minutes out of a lifetime. He curses his softness but her beauty is appealing and he grants her a bare three hours. She can't see her child until nine o'clock so he takes he to dinner at the Ritz, disbeliev.'ng all her story, but subtly pleased to htr m the companionship of a woman s< distinguished. At nine o'clcck, accompanied by the Australian, she retraces her footsteps to her husband's door. The revengeful Lord Malvern greets her. Her anxiety is pi*iful. "Let me see her . . . Does she know I'm ccming? What has she been told of me?" "She knows nothing as you will see for yourself." He threw open the door. "Oh my God!" The woman ran forward and fell on her knees .... "The girl lay on a bier, candles around her; her hands crossed on her breast. Her mouth half smiled; she had been a pretty child, and in death was lovely." The Australian lifted the woman froni the floor with one hand and with the other struck the smile from Lord Malvern's weary, implacable, sarcastic mouth. "I won't add one to the revengeful men to-night," the Australian whispered bending over her cold face. "I'll spend my life trying to make you happy. You must be sick of the old world. But there's a new one and I want to show it to you. Let's go." TELL TO YOUR GRAY PROBLEMS STRIDER MOVING PICTURE PRODUCER— Have you a star or director for whom you carmot find the proper story? Tell Gray Strider! Let her find it for you! THEATRICAL MANAGER— Have you a play which shouts for the Movies? Call on Gray Strider. Let her worry! BOOK PUBLISHER— Why let good novels remain with the movie rights unsold? Send them to Gray Strider! She will do the work. EXHIBITOR— What type of picture do you need to keep your people happy and your box office fat? Write Gray Strider. Let her help you! IT'S HER BUSINESS AND HER PLEASURE TO SERVICE YOU— TO COMB BOOKS, PLAYS, STORIES AND OPERAS OF ALL COUNTRIES UNTIL SHE FINDS YOU WHAT YOU WANT. SHE DELIVERS THE GOODS— AND NO C. O. D.l "Song of the Flame" The romantic opera "Song of the Flame," which .Arthur Hammerstein is so artistically producing at the 44tl^ Street Theatre, has every known ingredient for a successful moving picture. A Russian Prince falls in love with a peasant girl called "The Flame" because of the violent, revolutionary spirit she infuses into her people through her song of revolt. But not comprehending the bestiality and sheeplike density Oi THE MOB she is unable to control the forces she has started and her lover's castle is burnt, his jewels stolen and she herself although innocent is jailed by the Bolsheviki as a thief. .As a screen production, this opera has unlimited possibilities : love, staccato songs, mobs, princes, fires, revels, peasant, vodka, rubies, folk dances, humor, Paris, color, minor music, drama, hatred, cruelty, intrigue and over all FLAME! FLAME I! — FLAME!!! The Russian .Art Choir which Mr. Hammerstein has introduced is symphonically perfect. He is to be congratulated upon this innovation which dispenses with the whipped cream atmosphere of the usual musical comedy and give the audience something musical to chew upon, digest and remember. 'The House of Ussher" The Fifth Avenue Playhouse, in association with Wainwright and Brennan, is presenting a strong Jewish drama — "The House of Ussher'' by H. V. Esmond. "Like Father, Like Daughter!" Jacob Ussher, a clever, elderly, Jewish financier has been deserted by his Christian wife for many years. He lives in London with his acidulous sister. Miss Ussher, and his beautiful young daughter, Constance. Constance falls in love with Ussher's secretary who has nothing much to his credit except a fair amount of English) handsomeness. The father refuses his consent to the marriage and Constance, maddened by this injustice, fights Jacob with hi's own weapons. She forges his name to a check for a large sum, gambles successfully with it on the stock exchange (just as her father had done before her) and then throws her winning cards on the table — with money enough to finance the marriage. The clinia.<c is tragic and un» pected. Excellent picture material.