AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 75, 28 March 1924, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS.

. ! NATIONAL. j The mixed vaudeville and picture pro- I ■ramme introduced to-day at the National fheatre is well up to the high, standard ilways to be round at tliis theatre. The ,-audevllle is headed by D'Alma and his ;lever little team or dogs, who perrorm istonishing feats. Milton Brooks, until lately a member of the Gertrude Elliott j Company, will) his sister Alma, renders i delightrul musical items. They are a lecidedly clever pair or child artistes. The j ■hief Item on the movie portion of the nuertainnient is a United Artists production " Lost and Found," unfolding- a l'ascinatlng- story or the South Seas. Pauline =tarke, House Peters. Antonio Moreno, and Rosemary Theby are included in the cast. Supporting films are or a wide variety, and the whole entertainment is an excellent one. HIPPODROME. Milton Sills, reatured player in many Him productions, and an actor standing high in popularity, plays the leading role in " Leg-ally Dead," the all-star Universal production now being screened at the Hippodrome Theatre. Adrenalin, the mag-ic. arug- with which the. scientists to-day are restoring life, inspires the plot. An innocent man Is hang-ed Tor murder, and i doctor whom everyone thought was crazy, brings him back to lire with | adrenalin. The discovery of the mafic j powers or adrenalin is the sensation of the . medical and scientific world to-day. Milton bills plays the man of the story, and Claire Adams, Edwin Sturgis. Brandon Hurst. Cliarles A. Stevenson, Faye O'Neill, and other popular players support him. i " She's a He," a delightfully runny . Century comedy, and a Gazette depicting j important happenings abroad, assist in making: a first class entertainment. STRAND. Any picture with even a seasoning oT sport goes well with the public, but none will appeal more strongly than " Long Odds " an all-British production which is the star item on an excellent programme introduced at the Strand yesterday. The racecourse is noted Tor thrills, and in " Long Odds " there is a thrill in almost every foot of mm. tile climax arriving when " Beauty." the favourite for an important steeplechase, comes to grief at one of the rences. only to be remounted to win amidst the greatest excitement by a narrow margrin. All through runs a pretty love story, leading up to the great race which is decided at Lingneld. As a sporting story nothing liner lias been screened in Auckland than " Long- Odds." Supporting: this attraction the management has compiled a very varied and attractive menu, comprising a mermaid comedy, the always interestingTopical Gazette, while vocal items are rendered by Miss Jessie Bartlett, a very fine contralto. PRINCESS. In Dustin Farnnm's picture " Kentucky Hays." which heads a strong entertainment at the Princess, is a vivid, vibrating story or frontier life in '49 that i has its inception In the romantic south or : that period. The colourful combination or Dixie chivalry and the determination or the fortune hunters in the California gold rush exudes a spirit or adventure that | would add rorre to any motion picture. | The story is that or a man whose wire. ! believing him dead, accepts the attention , or his ruthless cousin. Buckner, played | by Farnum. believes her raithless. He ! kills his cousin in a duel, and then com- I pels his wire to undergo the hardships of the gold trail as a means of punishment. Their reconciliation is worked out arter a series or highly dramatic episodes that are really spell binding:. In the. cast with Farnum am Margaret Fielding, Bruce Gordon, and William P. DcVaull. In " Homeward Bound," also beinsr shown, Thomas Meie-han has a delightrul role that is powerful and convincing. The story, adapted from Peter, Ft. Kynr.'s "The Light To Leeward." is dramatic, to say the least. Lila Lee is the leading lady. wiilp the supporting oast l=: a strong one. A good laugh-manurarturer is the comedy " Tonical Romeo." while the Fox Gazette overflows with interesting items. TTVOLI. As a dainty, dazzling little butterfly who. guided by a wild caprice, becomes through many vicissitudes a woman of the world. Mac Murray has the most fascinating role, yet accorded her. She scored remarkable successes in " On With the Dance " and " The Gilded Lily." but she cvrn goes one better in " The French Doll," and as a fiery little French girl performing the most striking dance or her tumes are gorgeous, in rart Die whole picture is producpd and characterised by lavishness in every detail. The always interesting Pathe weekly budget or newsy items, a comedy, and other pictures add to the main feature and present in all a line entertainment. GRAND. Presenting the reminine pngle or masculine viewpoint, Leah Baird in the allimportant role in " Don't Doubt Your Wire." now showing at the Grand Theatre, will make a strong appeal to lady patrons or the movies. The first law or married unhapptness is—don't doubt your wire ! Leah Baird, as clever a writer as she is an actress and a woman, wrote " Don't Doubt Your Wire," and presents therein the pettiness or jealousy; the roily or stubbornness; the sin or doubt, and the evils of divorce. " Don't Doubt Your Wife." produced by Leah Baird Productions for Associated Exhibitors, is pictured against a background of wealth and luxury. A wonderrully staged night rainstorm adds thrills and complications to the plot. The small but competent cast includes Emory Johnson. Edward Peil. Katherine Lewis, and Mrs. Mathilde Bnindage. In addition to the strong picture mentioned there are excellent vaudeville items and supporting pictures on the present propromrnc. EVERYBODY'S. " Main Street." a screen version of the. popular novel by Sinclair Lewis, is the chior attraction on the programme introduced at Everybody's Theatre to-day. The story concerns Carol Miiford. a Birl who marries Dr. Will Kennirott. They go to live at a town called Gopher Prairie, a vlilapr with one main street. In which everyone knows another person's business, and which is a hive of gossip. The iriri sots out to bring the place up to a standard more in keeping with lier own Meals. The t3Flc is 3 iinrri ono. tint thf* grirl is determined, and she wins out. The cast Includes Florence Vidor. Louise Fazenda. >sonte Blue, and others. " The Story or a Tin or Salmon " and a Christie rcmerlv. '• Take Your Choice." are included in tno supports. CAPTTOL. The struggle for ihe possession or a gold mine hidoi.-n in the ruins ot the cliff cliir dwellers In the Arizona Desert, supplies the incentive lor the action in •■ stepping Fast, , ' the. latest William Fox production starring Tom Mix, to be screened tills evening at Ihe Capitol Theatre. It is a lively adventure story that carries Tom across the I'acillc to cnina in pursuit of a band or international crooks who attempt to steal the papers telling or tne location or the mine. one day. Mix, playing the role of Grant Malvern,«notices three men trailing another man to the cliffs. When they attack the lone traveller Grant goes to his rescue and roufs the robbers. The stranger, who describes himseir as yuentin nurant, a scienti.-t who holds the secret to a gold mine in Sine hills, is wounded in the struggle. When it is seen that the wound will be ratal, Durant gives urant his papers and a ring- on which is inscribed the location of the mine. He tell* the -owboy that his daughter in Hongkong China, has a duplicate ring, and asks Grant to go to her and notify her of her father's death. Another line picture on ihe programme is •■ The Dangerous Age " reaturing Lewis Stone. Ana not the least appreciated item in the entertainment is the line musical programme by the Capitol Orchestra or eight instrumentalists. QUEEN'S.

There is plenty to suit all tastes in ihe new bill now showing at the Queen's Theatre, and one or the finest pictures of us kind is •• Peacock Alley." featuring the accomplished ana popular Mac Murray Ihe (Urn presents beautirul women in all the jfaicty of nIR-lu lire. A plorious riot o!" colour, with lire set at a pace that mis-ht be described as "top gear." There are incidents brimful of thrills. "Haunted •Spooks " is in lighter vein, and with Harold Lloyd tlia central figure the comedy is clean and dflig-titruiiy l'unnv other poou pictures ire Inchid'ed, and there is not a dull moment

OPERA HOUSE. Large audiences are being- attracted to mS °?' c p a " OU:ie nigrluly by tlie excellent Stilly and Mo as Lords." is a bright snowin itseir, while the vaudeville portion or trie programme is contributed to by the Rev I-rank Gorman. Tne BaJtos. "narrv >orth, ana the Goclon Lottie Duo There Wll be. a matinee to-morrow, and on nre^n^rt 3 ° f P will be 111 CJClllcQ.

LYRIC. -i>^ Clothes add to or detract years from , woman's appearance, according to im Wilson, reatured player in the Paramm™ picture. -Only as." a Wilham production now showing at the S, Theatre. Miss WlUon. as a widow m thirty-eight, arter the death or her h,,, band, a Puritanical minister decides nT~. romance is not entirely lost to her an,! consequently dons in place or the "nr m black dresses she has been accustomed t<l wearing as a minister's wife lighter affairs which bring about an amazing clianirV Mrs. Stanley (Miss Wilson) then proS to " step out '■ to dances at the local college, and it is thus that she comes in Tor criticism on the part or her childr.™ played by May McAvoy and RoberlS but by so doing pavps the way to a n.» and rar happier lire. "Do 'Erii Good "Z a comedy with a laugh in every root nr film, and with strong supports every i*~rl is catered Tor. " sle AMUSEMENTS GUIDE. OPERA HOUSE —StiITy and Mo Revue Com pany and Vaudeville. om - PICTURE THEATRES. NATlONAL —Vaudeville and all-star cast in " Lost and Found." l m STRAND —" Long Odds " and " Watch HIPPODROME--.Milton Sills in " Legally 1 QUEEN'S— Mac Murray in "Peacock I Alley" and Harold Lloyd in " Hauntert Spooks." I PRINCESS —Dustin Farniim in " Kentucky I Days": Thomas Meighan in "Homeward Bound.' LYRIC —May McAvoy in " Only 38 " TIVOLI —Mae Murray in "The French ! DOII." j GRAND —Leah Baird in " Don't Doubt Your Wire." WEST END —Virginia Valli in "A Lady of Quality." BRITANNIA —Leatrice Joy in "Java BROADWAY —-Dorothy Dal ton in "Fool* Paradise." EVERYBODY'S —"Main Street" and "TiVp Your Choice." c EMPRESS —Viola Dana in " Glass Houses " CAPITOL —Tom Mix in " Stepping Fast*" Lewis Stone in " The Dangerous Are, WEST END —" Omar the Tentmaker " '