Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-18

Next week, two Of the important A
Stanley Theatre will have 1.-THE Eternal
Of Louis XVIII, starring Norma Tal
"Nero," a spectacle with It's setting in
NORMA TALNrADGE's producer
~ husband 10 a keen and canny Aim
man, and the fact that he has deemed
costume pictures popular enough to
star Norma in two in succession, shows
the extent to which the pendulum has
swung back in their favor after going
to quite the opposite extreme.
"Smilin' Through" was purely q COS.
tune picture; 1.-THE Eternal Flame" Is
more in the historical vein. It is taken
from Balzac's story. ''The Duchess Of
Langeais" (why didn't they leave the
nameO and concerns intrigue and love.
making in the French court. The emo,
which In the story was at least par.
TALLY unhappy. has. Of course. been
modified, but aside from that we under.
stand that Balzac has triumphed over
Hollywood. After seeing the atrocious
mnnhandling Of "To. Have and to
Hold" we must give thanks for that.
Conway Tearle: who has been star.
ring BY himself Of late. plays, the lead
ented Miss Talmadse, and the cast con.
tains such proved and tried actors as
Adolphe Menjou, Irving Cummings. Otis
Harlan and Wedgewood NOVEL;. Rose
mary Theby also has a part. The direc-
ton was in the capable hands of Frank
Lloyd, who is always prefectly at home
In costume drama.
LVRANCE and French history have
i always been popular choices in the
school Of romantic fiction. drama and
TSe French Revolution has only
recently given us "All For a Woman.
'Passion" and "The Two Orphans"
Tale Of Two Cities" "Les Niiserable.."
Conquering Power" have also been
selected from bookshelves as capable Of
making popular pictures. Hugo's
"Notre Dame" IL to be screened. az Is
his "Toilers Of the Sea" (the latter by
Douglas Fairbanks is soon to put
upon the screen Booth Tarkington's
cameo Of literary art, Monsieur
Beaucaire.' which has French hero
even thought It is mostly laid in Eng.
land.
| We can only wonder that others Of
the Dumas romances such as "Chicot
the Jester" Marguerite de valois,"
or the many sequels Of "The Mus
keteers" have not been chosen for film
material. And. now that costume plays
are again in the sunlight Of popular
favor, why Is not Stanley Weyman
resurrected with particular emphasis on
| ~..l- A. d.
Gentleman Of France"
And, in England. with robin
Hood" and oliver Twist" and lorna
Doone" and VANITY Fair" finding
their way to the screen. we marvel that
"Barnaby Rudge' and "St. Ives"
and Kidnapped" and a score Or more
Of tn. Scott romances haven's been
Why. going further abroad. doesn't
some enterprising film maker screen one
or two Of the Polish romances Of Sien-
n ss. ssS !. I'll. ,hi field ss so%. 3s aTsrlsas %as
Of Weir Mitchell's "IIush Wynn" and
THE Red City" Winston Churchill's s
"Richard Carvel" land a second screen
version Of 1.-THE Crisis") and perhaps
another Of Tarkington's earlier yarns.
FOLLOWING In the footsteps Of the
i Queen Of Sheba," "The Loves of
Pharaoh" "Intolerance," Theodore
and few others. we now have that
notorious Roman Emperor whom tradl-
ton pictures playing industriously on
his fiddle while Rome burns. brought TO
the screen. This time 1t Is by an
American company THAT Is the pro-
duction) and an American director. but
the scenes were made in and around
Rome, and the cast. outside Of Violet
Alersereau, the leading lady. is COM
posed entirely Of continental actors.
J. Gordon Edwards Is the director
pleasure on the screen. an ancient en-
pire, a proud city and a past civiliza-
tion. In It history Is predominant. al
though there Is definite and deter
mined attempt to tell story that con.
tains thrills and laughs and plenty Of
romance. 4 Roman amphitheatre.
with Christians thrown therein to .he
lions; the secret meetings OF those
same Christians In the caverns under
the Coliseum, the blaze that consumed
the city. these and a score more thrills
are contained In the action.
4 STAGE play for~s tAs bos;s Of the
~ Arcadia feature, "Anna Ascends," "
rhtch features Alice Br0dv. Miss
Brady played this same role Of the
italian immigrant etth an am bitious
streak in her makeup, for some time
on the stage. 1t marks her first soreen
appearance IN some time, aud she hos
IN her support swch capable people as
Dav4d Poicell. Nita Naldi, Robert Elis,
Chorlss Gerravd and Frederick Burton.
A PR1ZE-w1NN1NG novel is the
"A genesis Of the Victoria's feature.
Shadows" This Is from the story by
Wilbur Daniel Steele which was origin :.
ally called by the highly interesting and
suggestive title. "Ching, Ching China
man It's the story Of a little New
England scacoast town, and tells OF
the power for good influenced on this
town by humble Chinese fisherman.
Lon Clancy plays that role, and the
splendid cast also contains Harrison
Ford, in the role Of a young clergy !
man. Marguerite DE la Motto, Wal
ter Long. and John Sainpolis, remem.
berei BY his work on tho stage with
David Warfold IN The Return Of
Peter Grimm"
MON BOUCICAULT'S famous staoe
| ~ olau oThe Shauoronn has fouud