Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-11-21
Photoplays.
-sThe Sheik."

1.-THE Sheik," Edith NJ. Hulrs tribal
prince of the Sahara, galloped his
Arabian steed over the burning sands
| and into the good graces Of capacity
yesterday afternoon and night.
The play is triumph of fiction
| over the invasion of foreign historic
productions. which have been remind
! ing picture patrons lately that great
| figures of the past lack the happy
endings demanded by an everyday
world that has troubles enough Of its
own.
It is doubtful If an American sheik
ever existed outside the imagination
that created him. but his splendor and
dash, as provided by Rudolph Valentino,
| aided by authentic costumes imported
/ from Africa provide a love story
! that only romance. unrestricted by
( fact can supply.
| This independence of reality asserts
| itself. also, in an environment of
the sinister beauty of the real thing
| An artistically satisfying oasis owes
| its date palms to California builders.
| whose family name should be Alad-
din. and barren waste near Holly
! wood contributes an atmosphere as
grimly realistic as the vast silences
| Of the Sahara. so far as it goes-and
it goes far enough to create one of the
most excitingly arid deserts cher
welcomed outside of Algera's very
vans. camel packs and Arab horsemen.
with striped tents here and there and
. village built around the fortified
stronghold Of one desert bandit,
domain OF Ahmed Ben Hassen to alb
duct an English girl. who. in
turn, is ,recaptured by tho hero after
= mighty battle between the oppos-
The story has its beginning with
a fete given by sheik Ahmed in the
casino at Biskra, "the Paris of
Africa" at the gateway Of the desert.
An English girl resents the closing
| of the casino to European guests. and
| Disgusting herself as an oriental
dancer, smugeles in: is recognized by
] the sheik. who leads her out Of the
magic world to the portico of her
hotel: serenades her that night: steals
her the next day and takes her to his
camp in the oasis. In her effort to
escape she is captured by tho bandit
OMAR, and in the complications that
| follow the. sheik is wounded in his
| gallant rescue: cupid steps in and a
providential English author on the
| ground reveals to the girl that All
med's parents had died on the desert
| and the old Sheik Ahmed had adopted
| the baby and in later years made
him heir to his domains within of
| fate that permits a last vision of
| camel-packs travelling with slow pa
thence along a horizon line that leads
to America and home.
| Agnes Ayres. as Diana, tho English
girl, brings to her role more than
the youth and beauty that until re-
| Gently was enough to attain screen
stardom. She can act. Rudolph
Valentino scored fame as the Julio
of the "The Four Horsemen." and
being In reality. an Italian, gave to
! his oriental character all the roman
tic passion and picturesqueness of
| that other song-son of the desert
| who rode through the burning sands
| Of love on a steed whose 'hoofs were
| shod with fire." The OMAR OF WaHVr
Long shows how villainously good
wickedness can be. The company. col
orful in its multiplicity Of dancing
girls. slaves, hordes Of wild. rushing