GERALDINE FARRAR SEEN BUT NOT HEARD; Singer Comes to the Strand in Bold and Vivid Screen Version of "Carmen." PROMISING MOVIES DEBUT Theda Bara Is Presented as a Rival Carmen in a Scenario That Follows the Opera.

Geraldine Farrar, favorite prima donna of the greatest opera house in the world, came to New York yesterday. She came not in the flesh but in the shadow, not on the operatic stage nor on the concert platform but on the screen. The place was the Strand Theatre, the occasion the first New York presentation of "Carmen," an ingeniously prepared, picturesque, amorous and exceedingly physical photoplay based on the novel by Prosper Merimée. In this picture, a handsome and creditable product of the Lasky studios now released like any other in the Paramount program, Miss Farrar plays, of course, the leading rôle and by this means makes her first New York appearance in the movies.It is a curious commentary on the crazy economy of the theatre that a supreme dramatic soprano should give any of her precious time to a form of entertainment—to an art, if you will—wherein the chief characteristic is a complete and abysmal silence. But, though the call of the movies is audible enough, there is small reason for fear that, after Miss Farrar's success, there will be a great rush of prima donnas to California, for precious few of them could so meet the exactions of the camera.As for Miss Farrar, let it be said that among movie actresses she is one of the best. The Strand may be beseiged all this week simply because her name has long been one to conjure with, but it seems altogether probable that when, if ever, she appears in another picture, the movie patrons will crowd to see it because they cherish her as one of their own. There is every indication that new millions will soon be calling her "Our Geraldine."This new movie star "registers," as the film folk have it. There is no doubt at all about that. She does more than make faces at the camera; she knows that in acting for motion pictures, she must do more than go through the motions. And she does. Her familiar vigor and dash are helpful, and she can make good use of the flashing Farrar smile. But quite aside from these, she brings to the richly colorful performance a degree of vitality that animates all the picture and offers a good illustration of the difference between posing and acting for the camera.Her playing is able. Also it is bold, bald, and in dubious taste. Many portions of the film are successive pictorial studies of physical passion, and it is small wonder that in some quarters the much belabored censors winced.Merimée's story of the gypsy has been skillfully and imaginatively adapted in the Lasky studios, and the product is pictorially handsome. Many stretches of the film are impressionistic and reveal the strides the movie directors are taking in their business. The unfolding of the film at the Strand is accompanied by a clever arrangement of music from the opera. Most of this adds considerably to the entertainment, but it is rather too bad to have the "Habanera" sung poorly offstage as it was yesterday afternoon.The Fox film studios boldly challenged comparison with the Farrar picture by bringing a screen "Carmen" of their own to town on the very same day and displaying it to the patrons of the Academy of Music and the Riverside Theatre. This "Carmen" has in the leading rôle Theda Bara, a movie star who is widely known as "the vampire woman" of the screen and who is immensely popular in the theatres where her pictures are shown.This second "Carmen" is an example of excellent motion picture photography, but its scenario, which follows the opera libretto rather than the Merimée story, is loose and vague, and Miss Bara seems very mechanically seductive when compared, as she must be, with Geraldine Farrar. The Fox "Carmen" has none of the elements which make the Lasky "Carmen" remarkable, and none, it should be added, of the elements which make the latter picture objectionable.Mme. Nellie Melba reappeared in New York at Carnegie Hall yesterday afternoon after an absence of one season. She sang before a large audience that gave many manifestations of pleasure. Her visits to New York are now rare enough to be of signal importance, for Mme. Melba is still one of the greatest singers of a school that seems destined to neglect and extinction. She showed yesterday a plenitude of voice of beautiful quality of a golden richness, especially in the middle and lower ranges; her upper tones, as was observed at her last appearances here, have not all they once had in power and freedom of utterance; and it would be too much to say that the dazzling brilliancy, the flawless perfection and ease of her coloratura are wholly unimpaired. Certain ornamental figures yesterday were produced with some effort; but many of her florid passages were delivered with beautiful art. Her legato singing and her phrasing were of delightful finish.There was much to admire in her singing of the air, "Sweet Bird That Shun'st the Noise of Folly," from Handel's "L'Allegro, il Penseroso et il Moderate," one of her old battle horses, in which Mr. Andr??? Maquaree of the Boston Symphony Orchestra played the flute obbligato with complete understanding of the singer's intentions and co-operation with them. But for the rest of her program Mme. Melba herself shunned the noise of folly as expressed in florid operatic airs, that were once so prominent in her repertory. She seemed, indeed, somewhat more at ease in the two sustained airs, "Vissi d'Arte" and Mimi's "Addio" from Puccini's "Tosca" and "La Bohême," respectively, in which the limpid purity, fullness and richness of her tone were the chief adornments of the music. Her other numbers were Duparec's beautiful "Chanson Triste," Bemberg's "Les Anges Pleurent," and "Chant Venitien" and Arditi's waltz song, "Se Saran Rose," also one of her best remembered offerings.Needless to say that her singing gave great pleasure to the audience, which was fully expressed, and that Mme. Melba made additions to the printed list. The program, which was of the "miscellaneous" character that has not had a high standing in New York concert halls for a good many years, enlisted the assistance of Miss Beatrice Harrison, the young English violoncellist who was heard with pleasure here two seasons ago, and Robert Parker, baritone. Miss Harrison played a sonata by Handel with finish and dignity of style, also some shorter solos; and Mr. Parker sang Tschaikowsky's "Don Juan's Serenade" spiritedly, songs by Strauss and the prologue to "Pagliacci." He has a voice of more power than beauty of quality, but he sings with sincerity and musical intelligence, and with a clearness of diction that makes a book of the words unnecessary.Enormous masses of flowers were sent down the aisles to Mme. Melba; a great basket of roses was carried by a delegation of the Polish National Alliance from cities all over the country, headed by Mme. Paderowski, in recognition of the generous assistance Mme. Melba has given to the Polish relief funds.Joe Weber and Lew Fields are to be seen this week at the Knickerbocker Theatre in a comedy film which is really comic, without any of the vulgar touches that ma??? so many of this type of picture. The scenario is in true Weberfields vein, and any one who has enjoyed the antics of these two comedians on the stage will laugh at the absurd situations in "The Best of Enemies."Another feature of the new Triangle bill is "Double Trouble," in which Douglas Fairbanks makes his second appearance as a movie star. The picture tells a story of dual personality and aphasia, and while it is in questionable taste in several instances it is highly entertaining. It deepens the impression Mr. Fairbanks made in "The Lamb" that he is one of the cleverest actors playing before the camera.A part of the exhibit that will be shown in all the larger cities of the State by the Joint Committee on Prison Reform in the campaign for a new prison to replace Sing Sing consists of motion pictures, for the taking of which the prisoners raised two-thirds of the necessary funds. The pictures are entitled "Within Prison Walls" and they give a vivid glimpse of prison life.The committee was about to abandon the idea of taking the picture, since there were no funds available, when the prisoners offered to help. "Canada Blackie," a prisoner who since has died, was one of the most ardent supporters of the plan to take the pictures, and it was he who suggested that the men give an entertainment and raise money for the purpose. Permission was granted to stage the entertainment and sufficient money was raised to produce nearly three reels of the picture. The film is the property of the Mutual Welfare League.The all-star revival of Du Maurier's "Trilby." which began a tour of the principal cities early in the season, will close its tour Saturday because it is unable to compete with a moving picture presentation of the novel. The cast of the play, which will be presented in Boston this week, includes Phyllis Neilson-Terry, the English actress; Lyn Harding, George MacFarlane, Rose Coghlan, Robert Payton Gibbs, and Carrie Radcliffe, and Joseph Brooks is the producer.In Canada, where the pictures were net shown, the play was highly successful. In Buffalo the trouble began. The billboard and newspaper advertising for the "Trilby" of the stage proved equally effective for the movie version, which propounded: "Why pay $2 when it can be seen for 25 cents?" The same conditions prevailed in Rochester, Albany, Providence, Springfield, and other cities. While the pictures are not being shown simultaneously in Boston, they are being advertised and exhibited in the immediate neighborhood.As a result of Mr. Brooks's predicament he has decided to bring a suit for damages against William A. Brady, who holds the dramatic rights to Paul M. Potter's dramatization of Du Maurier's novel, and with whom Mr. Brooks arranged to revive the play last Spring."When 'Trilby' was revived," said Mr. Brooks yesterday, "I entered into an agreement with Mr. Brady that the picture, which was then being filmed, would not be shown on the screen anywhere until after we had finished our tour. This Fall when the company had assembled and the tour was booked Mr. Brady informed me that his partners in the motion picture venture would not agree to his arrangement with me, and that he could not control the situation. Since the Buffalo engagement not only has the picture been shown in the same cities, but sometime during the same week as the spoken play. My attorneys have in preparation papers in which I will ask the courts to award me damages against Mr. Brady. The amount asked for will be at least $50,000, and maybe more."At a dinner given by the Friars in his honor last Sunday night at the Hotel Astor. Mr. Brady made an impassioned plea for the spoken drama, which he said was threatened with extinction at the hands of the movies.Mr. Brady said last night that Mr. Brooks must be laboring under a delusion about the alleged agreement to keep the play out of the pictures since he did not control the movie rights. He suggested that the absence of Wilton Lackaye, Leo Ditrichstein, and other stars of the New York cast might have something to do with the lack of interest out of town."However, if Mr. Brooks is going to bring suit," he added jovially, "I have no doubt, it will afford pleasure to both of us, if not profit to Mr. Brooks."Subscription Sale Opens.The box office of the Garden Theatre will be opened today for the sale of subscription seats to the Modern Stage and the American People's Theatre, the organizations founded by Emanuel Reicher to give performances of modern dramas. The sale of subscriptions for the seven programs is said to be already the heaviest in the history of such movements in New York. Mr. Reicher has established a bureau of information at the theatre and at the headquarters of the companies at 1,400 Broadway. Rehearsals of the first offering, Björnson's "When the Young Wine Blooms," are under way.

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