The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-07

A had the felicity to witness her marvellous performance of "Tempta tion," which was '.unrolled," or 'un- reeled," or whatever you call it in movie" circles, yesterday at "The Strand"
 Twice as coloratura-twice as pulsat- ingly palpitant-twice as alluring as the great Carmen film, is this photo graphic masterpiece which dazzled all beholders at it's premiere here.
 I don't know what your "one best New Year bet was, but I vowed among other things, by my most precious little St. Joseph, that I would not miss a film in which the Farrar talent was
 t tsplayed-hence, at the break of day. straight from my rosy devotions, l wended my way to the pretty playhouse Thursday, where the crowds were focking to applaud the new Farrar triumph.
 In this wonderful film, there are sew eral supreme Farrar moments; the stock remark about this great artist "Oh, she's so vita1-so temperament- al'- will undoubtedly be heard during the run of Temptations, for there it is- vitality-temperam of it., sloughs of it, and believe me, it's a very fine brand of both. Outside of that, Farrar in her char acterization of the singer is as hard as nails, long, gleaming, steel-blue nails, with square edges.
 What an actress she is to be sure. She's as great an artist in the film play as she is on the operatic stage, for only the screen-born, screen-bred screen nodded player could achieve the wonderful results that this queen Of song" does
 Deprived of Farrars soprano trump etings and aeroplanic flights in the tonal ether, with none of the cpave and polished orchestral contributions and singing announcements, we have the Farrar histrionics only, on the screen.
 And such histrionics; rippling dia- blerie; little streams of silver with splashes of melted jet; atmospheric flashes fit for the gods; now the saint; now the sinner; reincarnatlon or Elizabeth Bathory, who slew 500 wom- en that she might bathe in their blood; that ought to worry Ella Wheeler Will COX nearly to death, for Ella Wheeler has sort of copyrighted" all the calorics-the wildly, vfciously, tantallz- ingly, uncanny, passionately, palpitant things up to date!
 We've been dosed to death with Car mens:" of course Farrar's is supreme; but I verify believe that if Merimee and Bizet could have had any idea or what they were letting the world in for, when they turned this dazzling story loose in the long ago, they would have desisted.
 V Carmen has been responsible for more fo,, ,;,,in the other classics combined; it's effect upon "homely women is especially binding; homely women usually want, above all else, to be "coy'--isn't 1t queer? Hence, Carmen" in song and film.
 I predict since the screen opportunity that perfect oddles of ten, twent and thirt' cent actorines-ladies with whsk- erettes and odd noses will begin to carry castanets in their expressions, thinking to be like Farrar, who has hooks in her eyes'--those wonderful coloratura eyes!
 But none will there be who will dare to follow Farrar in her characterization of the "prima donna" in Temptation"
 It can't be done that's all there is to it.
 There are thrills by the foot Cor feeD; there are moments when gloom hangs in large, opaque, cimmerian, mucila ginOus clouds, like the fumes of sulphur, bro mine and molybdenum, over Aetna; then lighter moods intervene that are ''scher- zo-like" to speak, waggish, optimistic, even gay, for is not Temptation" the story of the singers life with all it's moods and tenses it's battles for suc- cess, it's hard paths to glory? And then again comes a faint theme sung by Lo- relies, Valkyries, Girolfe- Girofias, Elsas and Isoldes.
 There is in Temptation" from end to end the banter and the rush and the struggle of things theatrical, crowds and paving stones toward success to be trampled and trod upon, a flavor of old forgotten, far-off things-of dreams gone a-glimmering, alas alas! And throughout all of it Farrar is as exotic as a samovar; as essentially un- American as basi-bazouk, or a nose ring that the Hottentot man wears, or a ''Fugue!"
 She's just Farrar-could more be said? Farrar with all her winsomeness, all her charm all her daring, all her marvel ous power of expression, and when it is needed, repression
 Farrar is, and will remain, the greatest actress on the screen, no matter who else comes or goes.
 There are those who say that she has belittled her musical art by going into the movies
 Certainly we all agree that there is no destroyer like Creator" Isn't it MT.