Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-11-02 | Page 17 | Chinese Cinema Opens at Gem

CHINESE GIH OPENSjT GEM Griffith's 'Broken Blossoms' Has Its Premiere at New Theater. Ainiil the burning of incense, silk-clad silk-clad Oriental maids, chrysanthemums, and the chimes of the temple bells, the (Jem theater opened last night with David v. Griffith 's latest picture poem, "Broken Blossoms." The picture tells a tale of a child with tear-aged face and a dreamy Chinese lad with love of humanity in his heart struggling strug-gling to solve the reason for the hatred and strife among the inhabitants of the western continent. The new theater stands as an advocate advo-cate of woman's privileges, with is charming feminine orchestra and maidenly maid-enly ushers. The decorations are daintily artistic, rose hangings blending blend-ing with green velvet curtains aud a background of ivory and gold. The novel feature is the lounge room on the balcony. Divans, luxuriant t couches, and good old easy chairs make V, it possible to enjoy the pictures .amidst all the comforts of home. In addition to the music furnished by the orchestra a phonograph playing fronv the balcony throws out music to different parts of the house, by means of apertures in the coiling. The volume sent to one part or the other is controlled by switches. ' The effect is unusually pleasing. "Broken Blossoms" Is a gripping story of the life among the driftwood of humanity hu-manity which clings around the Chinese quarters of any large city; Malay, Eurasians Eura-sians and those of the white race who have forgotten or have never known the old teachings of the law of love and charity. Lucy, played by Tjillia.n Gish. is a tiny bit of this driftwood, who serves as a "punching bag" for her father, a beast who lives by th prowess of his fists. The yellowman, a boy from China, has learned to live his dreams of a sunny world filled with blossoms, in the llly-tlpped llly-tlpped opium pipe. When. Lucy drifts into his life he dreams that he has found his "white bloBsom," and, robing her like a princess, he worships at her shrine. The dream is rudely shattered by the ruthless hands of the prize-fighting parent, par-ent, and the "white hlsosom" is broken. Heartsick and wild with grief, the Chinese Chi-nese boy deals out his Idea of justice.