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Show Nazimova Is Seen in Dual Role at Orpheum A FASCINATING tragedy of the orient, the story interwoven in the strange customs and ancient rites of China with STistzled celestials and the por-eous dee-orations dee-orations and carvings of the east are combined by June Mat his, a former Bait Laker, to give the great Nazimova her latest film spectacle. "The Rud Lantern." Lan-tern." The screen drama had its local premiere at the Orpheum yesterday, and was greeted hy Carauity audiences in spite of the weather. "For the east is the east and the west is the west and never the twain shall meet." That is the plot of the piece with Nazimova in the dual role of Mahlee! a Kurasian, and as Blanche, her Lnglish halfsister. Born in the coffin shop in the slums of Pekin, Mahlec becomes the favorite fa-vorite of the American mission, is educated edu-cated to Knfflish customs and Christian ways. She falls in love with the son of the mission head and he becomes deeplv enamoured of her. Just at the moment he is about to ask her to be his wife, as he inclines his head to kiss her yel- j low hand, he realizes that she Kurasian half yellow and half white, lie Ieaes her. broken hearted. At this point in the drama there returns re-turns to Pekin Sir Philip Sackville. an Knglishman, who it develops was the father fa-ther of Mahlee. He brines with him his daughter Blanche, halfsister to Mahlee. Madame Nazimova is given a splendid opportunity to display hT wonderful versatility ver-satility in impersonating both the Kntr-lish Kntr-lish and the Kurasian girl. Mah'oe sees the white man she loved fall in love with the KngHsh girl. Abandoning Christianity, shr -pturns to her pagan gods, becomes a leader in the Boxers, who aim to drive the whites from China. She becomes the powerful war maid of China, the goddess of the Red Lantern, swaying even tiie empress. With all h-r pow.ir. she nevertheless realizes that her yellow blood stands between hr and the man she loves, and ends her life amidst the pagan splendor which has come to her. The settings are nothing less than gorgeous. gor-geous. Madame Nazimova is surrounded by a most capable cast, and there is always enough o( the mystic and fascinating fasci-nating in an oriental taio to compel at-tentiun at-tentiun and interest, especially when it is in the hands nf the gn-at Russian. "The Red Luntfrn" will continue at the Orpheum all tl is weU, as the pre-vauduvilie pre-vauduvilie seasun offering. |