The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-17

alleys of the Limehouse district Of Lon
don, a pitiful little blossom struggles
for existence. Even among the murk
of such an atmosphere the tiny flower
gently unfolds, till its sweetness attracts
the attention OF one who can see the
beauty so nearly hidden by the mud
splashed by careless feet in passing.
Timid, shrinking from perpetual abuse,
at last the little flower yields to the
healing hand of the one kind person it
has ever known, and for brief moment
; the flower trembles into bloom in set
ting of love. But after all it is but a
fragile flower. destined to live but day
Rude hands catch at it, and the one kind
person finds it at last only a poor little
shattered, broken blossom.
The coming of Broken Blossoms to
the Trianon next week is regarded as
the biggest event in the photoplay his
tory of Birmingham. This play has been
secured to the movie lovers of Birming-
ham after a most sensational run IN
New York city. 1t has been accorded
greater praise than any picture ever
produced. 1t is recognized as the SUI
preme artistic triumph of the screen.
Newspapers have sung its praises, maya
zines have featured long articles about
it, and everyone who has seen it declare
that it is the acme of photoplay art 1t
cost more money to bring Broken Bios
SONS mere than possibly any otHeI PIC
ture ever presented before.
The critic for the New York Tribune,
after seeing Broken Blossoms declared.
I'VE feel like running up and down
Broadway and crying out to everyone
| Don't miss it. Oh, don't miss it!
Broken Blossoms is a story of love
and tragedy. 1t is not like Shakespeare
great story of love and tragedy, Romeo
and Juliet" in that Romeo and Juliet is
tro Of IF ma and woman,
and this is the wistful, fragrant tragedy
like the death of a flower. Its story Is
of a child, owned by a prize-hghting
bully, who covers her, starves her and
beats her
A Chinese poet who left his aristocratic
home in Shanghai to preach the doctrine
of Buddha to the English, meets her, and
, loves her beauty hidden beneath pain,
hunger and terror. He rescues her from
| the brute who owns her and takes her
! to his home above the shop that he runs.
For a few short hours in this sanctuary
romance, a short compensation for the
many unhappy days, is unfolded TO the
child. The Chinese poet dresses her IN
| the beautiful clothes worn by his god
| dess and for once fear is forgotten.
But her happiness is not to last. Swift
| tragedy stalks in, in the person or me
| bully He has learned of white Bios
sons retreat, tears her from her ne"
| home and when the pet comes after ne
| finds white Blossom crushed, killed
, by her own father. He shoots the DULY
and ends a life that would be useless
without the fragrance OF his 'White
| Blossom"
| Lillian Gish, as "the girl" has reached
a height of dramatic Interpretation, the
equal of which has never been seen on
the screen before. Forced to smile
through tears, expecting blows where
most children expect toys and trinkets'
mystified by kindness-all OF these are
! some of the most wonderful portrayais
| that Miss Gish has accomplished In TINS
master film This little artist has lab
ored faithfully, steadily, with an IN
Outstanding marvellous in one so young
and now she comes into her full glory
| in Broken Blossoms.