THER MICHIGAN DAILY. .
ossip
in
Theatrical
Circle
more or I will have rid of thee instead!"
results in a plot to murder Antony. This
is overheard by Charmian who is cap-
tured and thrown into a dungeon to
perish. By an act of extreme cunning
she escapes and flies to Cleopatra, who
arrives at Antony's bedside in time to
save him. The conspirators are prompt-
ly executed. , The following morning
Antony gently kisses Charmian, who -im-
mediately falls upon her knees declar-
ing her love for him. Cleopatra, lis-
tening behind a drapery, orders 'her
publicly flogged and then, in a moment
of demoniacal rage, has her thrown to
the crocodiles. Thus did this queen de-
fend her love.
Insulted and rejected, Octavia returns
to Rome and narrates to some senators
how Antony has cast her off. Indig-
nation runs high and the Senate is con-
vened to sit in judgment upon him. A
decree is passed, branding him a traitor
to his country and an emissary is de-
spatched to Alexandria to acquaint him
with the edict. The soldier delivers his
message in rough language and Antony,
with his arm about Cleopatra, smiles
satirically as he replies, "Get thee back
to Route and tell that child who calls
hintself Octavins that thou hast insulted
me and I troubled not to slay thee!"
War ! A vast flotilla of boats carrying
the pick and flower -of Roman soldiery
tinder command of Octavius, sets sail
for Alexandria. Landing on Egyptian
soil, the army, by forced marches, comes
to the very walls of the imperial city.
In the palace of the Ptolemies Antony
daily sits upon the throne, and spends
the fertile mind of Cleopatra turns
quickly to a means of safety for herself.
Accordingly, when Octavius waits upon
her, she tries the old wiles that suc-
ceeded so well with Anthony. But alas!
The stony heart of Caesar knows no re-
lenting. He shakes her off and bids her
prepare to accompany him to. Rome as
his slave. 1-e leaves and Cleopatra, fall-
ing back upon a divan, sees a vision
of Caesar's royal entry into Rome with
herself in chains, bound to the wheels
of his chariot, the great temples and
buildings of the eternal city alive with
tens of thousands of hooting, jeering
Romans who yell their imp cations at
her as she passes.
Cleopatra leaps to her feet, the vision
fades, and she hurries to the old sooth-
sayer in search of death. Three poisons
are given her and Cleopatra holds court
for the last time. A slave is pushed
forward, takes the poison and dies in
frightful 'agony. A second slave takes
from the hand of .an attendant another
poison and stiffens with keen torture
reeling backwards into the midst of the
assembled court. Cleopatra shudders
and calls for the asp. As the fangs of
the serpent sink into the arm of a third
slave he dies so calmly that Cleopatra
is constrained to ask, "Slave, is death
coming?" A sloy, meditative smile over-
spreads the features of the beautiful
lueen. She turns away with an im-
perious gesture motioning the slave car-
rying the asp to follow her. Into an
adjoining room goes the stately figure.'
The slave sets the basket of fruit at
her elbow and silently withdraws. An
A scene from "Sealed Order s," at the Majestic June 4-6.
A
a "The Sea Wolf" by Jac k London, at the Majestic May 28-30.
(OMING ATTRACTIONS
Majestic Theatre
25-27.-Antony and Cleopatra.
28-3.-The Sea Wolf.,
1-3.-The Battle of the Sexes.'
4-6.--Sealed Orders,
7-9.-Dope.
2ee daily, 3:00-5:00 o'clock.
ts, 7:00-10:00 o'clock.
E WOLF"E.
THIS WEEK,
Moving Pictures of Jack London's'
Famous Story Will Be Seen
at majestic
ENGAGEMENT TO START MAY 28
Jack London's story, "The Sea Wolf,"
in seven reels of motion pictures, will
be given its first performance of a three
days' run at the Majestic theatre Thurs-
lay, May 28. "The Sea Wolf" as a
film drama has set a new standard of
perfection in the realm of photoplays,
it is said. From the first to the last reel
it holds the spectator breathless, by the
stirring scenes enacted before his eyes.
In the first reel, showing the ferryboat
disaster, the audience is thrilled. Panic-
stricken men, women and children -are
seen struggling for the life belts. A
rush is made for one of the life boats.
Overburdened with its human freight,
one of the davits is seen to break, and
before it is lowered into the water it
upsets and its load of terror-stricken
humanity is emptied into the swirling
tide, The unfortunates who have not
the'courage to jump overboard, huddle
themselves panic-stricken in one of the
cabins on the upper deck. Later, when
the huge ferryboat is seen to be sink-
ing, a corner of the deck drops suddenly
out of sight; there is a swirl of water
rushing in to cover it; the screams of
the women are apparently muffled; here
and there a hand and arm grasp wildly
for even as much as a straw; the
stronger swimmers battle with the weak-
er, who seize them and carry them
down.
Humphrey .Van Weyden, a young lit-
erary critic, is one of the few survivors.
He is carried out by the tide and is
picked up by the schooner "Ghost," out-
side of the Golden Gate. Her captain,
Wolf Larson, known as the "Sea Wolf"
refuses to put him ashore, and retains
him as cabin boy. Then we see de-
picted the devilish cunning and cruelty
of Larsen who batters Humphrey into a.
man. Later an odd friendship springs
up between them, and Humphrey sees
the dual personality of this tyrant of the
seas, now the brutal skipper that batters
and beats the crew into cdwering sub-
mission, now the polished, cultured gen-
tleman, the philosopher and deep think-
er, engrossed in the subleties of Brown-
ing; then again as the dreamer and
materialist, so weary of life, yet who
has no hope of life hereafter.
FOLLOW HISTORY
AND SHAKESPEARE
Photoplay of "Antony and Cleopatra"
Adheres to Recorded Events
for Foundation
COPIES DRAMATIST IN DETAILS
The film production of "Anthony and
Cleopatra" which will be shown at the
Majestic theatre for the first three days
of this week, follows closely actual his-
torical events. In some of the details,'
however, it forsakes fact for imaginary
happenings such as Shakespeare incor-
porated into his great dfama of the
same name. The story told on the screen
is as follows:
Marc Anthony lands his army on the
banks of the Cidnus River and consents
to receive messengers from Cleopatra
who have come to explain some recent
depredations on Roman borders. Not
content with their apologies and prom-
ises,. Anthony haughtily demands that
Cleopatra herself visit him and make
her explanation in person,.
When this message is received in Al-
exandria, the beautiful Cleopatra at first
indignantly refuses and then, on the
advice of a court astrologer who pre-
dicts her absolute domination over An-
thony, goes in grand state to his camp
on the Cidnus.
And thus these two mighty figures
n world history met for the first time
since childhood. And when Cleopatra
returned to Alexandria three days later
with Anthony's promise to visit her, the
doom of Egypt was forever sealed and
the Triumvirate of Rome tottered to de-
struction.
To enslave Antony proves an easy
task. Tired of his years of war and
hardship, the mighty Roman falls easily
into the voluptuous ease that ever reigns
in the Palace of the Ptolemies, and the
days speed by amid the caresses of Cleo-
patra and the ephemeral triumphs of
royalty.
One year later, in Rome, Octavia, dis-
consolate wife of Antony, grieves for
his absence and confides her sorrow to
LEGITIMATE MUST
NEEDS. TAKE HEED
So Says Denver Critie After Seeing
"Antony and Cleopatra"
on Screen
PICTURES NEAR PERFECTION
This morning, at the Princess Theatre,
"Antony and Cleopatra" was produced
for the first time. It is a great picture.
Quite wonderful in fact. One of the
greatest known to the film world.
Seeing this marvelous production, one
cannot get away from the fact that '"the
movies' have made greater advances in
art and 'entertainment than have the
legitimate, and that unless the human
stage exerts itself the silent drama will
supercede it in the affections and in the
patronage of not only a part, but of
all the people.
"Antony and Cleopatra" is the high
water point of the photo play, and is'
something to be marked with a white
stone in the progress of motion picture
making.
In New York at the present time a
splendid theatre is in course of con-
struction,'on or near Broadway, in the
heart of the expensive theatre district,
which will be devoted exclusively to
the very highest class of "movies." It
will be ready for occupancy next month,
and the play we of Denver saw today is
to be the opening bill. It is a Cines
production, made largely for the New
York house, and must have cost a fab-
ulous amount of money. It is pnly a
matter of circumstance that Denver is
able to see the unusual work before the
metropolis.
The story presented this morning has
all the opulence of costume and splen-
dor of architecture which made the peri-
od of the Caesars notable. It is enact-
ed in the place where the stirring events
occurred; in those piping times just
fore the birth of Christ.
Rome, in its ancient glory, is
tured, as is Alexandria. Both of w
are shown as they were when Eg
queen revelled in luxury and lust.
It is all quite amazing in its fid
to history, and while following lai
the dramatic features of Shakespe
"Antony and Cleopatra" it has a
and wonderfully eloquent point of v
even in its silence.
The play opens with Antony, afte
famous victories, demanding the tri
of Egypt, and then graddally fa
victim to the 'alluremnets off ther
siren. After that we follow him
his associate through vivid scene
their tragic' end.
It is well acted, The players are.
ians, of course, but they are well ve
in the histrionic art, and display
emotions with remarkable skill an
licity.
But in the extraordinary realism
great big scenes of history, the t
element is vividly shown. In the
tures of the senate, the work is a
vel, and has naturally an educat
value.
Some day the human voice wil
added to the great pictures of
events. When that happens, how
will seem the ordinary play, the
nary player.
(Signed) F. W.
"The Denver Post," Denver, (
Feb. 3rd, 1914.
The above expression was mad
Mr. F. W. White, the celebrated c
of the "Denver Post," who is an au'
ity on matters theatrical, and w
word carries much weight all ovei
country. When such men as Mr. W
whose hopes, ambitions and tastes
all been centered in the legitimate
tres and legitimate drama, are insp
to make such statements, there ca
little doubt but that the silent drar
forging ahead, and will take its
among the *great arts and its pr
place in the hearts of the people.
A scene from "Antony and Cleopat ra," at the Majestic May 25-27.
the nights .in sensual orgies, little heed-
ing the Sword of Damocles so soon to
fall.' In one of the great rooms of the
palace, a majestic fete is in progress
wvhen suddenly a disheveled, terror-
maddened slave bursts into the center of
the room, screaming, "The Romans!
The Romans!" Pandenzonium reigns.
Soldiers seize their weapons and run
aimlessly hither and thither. The great
hall is the scene of indescribable con-
fusion-the scene of a panic-stricken
multitude who ;6r to the defense of Al-
exandria.
Then followed a memorable battle.
Antony fought most nobly but despair-
ingly. The troops of Octavius tore
down the great walls amid a hail of
rocks from above; they drove back,
from their own boats, wild hordes of
desperately fighting Egyptians. The city
became a great blaze of flame and the
Romans cut their way through the
thickly-massed natives onto the steps of
the Royal Palace and into the sacred
precincts of the throne itself. The city
gates were thrown open and the frantic
populace poured from them like water
down a mill-race.
And, then Antony, realizing that all is
lost, rushes into an apartment accom-
panied only by a faithful henchman.
Turning roughly upon his servant he
cries, 'Come, craven, draw thy sword
and slay me and thou shalt be the most
talked of man in Rome!" But the ser-
vant, baring his, blade, replies, "Nay,
master! That I cannot do! See! Let
thy faithful servant show thee how to
die!" With which he buries the sword
in his heart. i n another instant, An-
:nstant later a Roman -soldier brusquely
enters and lays before her a tablet from
Octavius. It is her death sentence and
she knows it. From the basket of fruit
she plucks the serpent and applies it to
her breast; musing the while, "Yea, Cae-
sar, thou host conquered, but in thy tr'i-
nmph Cleopatra shall not walk. This
only doth Egypt ask of Caesar-that he
suffer her to lie -in the tomnb of Antony.
farewell!" ,
_
her brother Octavius. He advises
to set off for Egypt and reconquer.
tony for herself and for Rome.
cordingly, Antony is amazed by
her
An-
Ac-
her
sudden appearance in Alexandria and
angrily orders her to return. Before
leaving, Octavia calls on Cleopatra from.
whom she" receives nothing, however,
but contempt aid scorn.
Meanwhile, Charmian, a slave of Cleo-
patra, trespasses in the Royal Gardens,
is rebuked by an Egyptian noble and
saved from punishment by Antony. Sev-
eral days later the Egyptian gentry, rest-
ive 'neath the sway of the mighty Ro-
man, call upon Cleopatra and ask that
she rid the nation of his presence. Her
reply, "I am thy ruler, doys! Say no
tony's weapon is out of its
deep in his own vitals.
scabbard and
Thius dies a
mighty warrior. And Cleopatra, run-
ning in from an adjoining room, throws
herself upon the body of Antony and
weeps for the only true love she had
ever known.
Octavius, the victor, ,orders solemn
obsequies in honor of the dead, while
A scene from "Antony and Cleopatra," which will be presented at the Majestic for three days beginning Mz