AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 261, 3 November 1926, Page 14

AMUSEMENTS.

NATIONAL AND LYRIC

Johnny Banes and Diana Kane are the featured players in "The Brown Derby,"

which will head the new programme at

the National and Lyric Theatres to-_lorrow. The story deals with the exciting liuppenings that come into the life of a good-natured young man when he finds himself the heir to a brown derhy bequeathed him by an eccentric ! uncle. It seems Johnny haa an * inferiority complex, and the strange i powers of this chapeau chases the glooms * away. With the brown derby on Johnny's i head and a case of mistaken identity i under way, the fun starts at a furious t pace and doesn't let up for one moment. s A splendid cast supports the star, including Diana Kane, the pretty sister of t Lois Wilson, who is an excellent leading lady for the comedian. Ruth Dwyer is ■ charming as the ingenue and Bradley i Barker is excellent as tiie fortune hunt- [ ing lover. Others figuring prominently , are Flora Finch, Edmund Breese, J. Barney Sherry, Herbert Standing, Harold | Foshay and Bob Slater. Charles Hines directed and didn't leave a dull moment sin the picture. A varied and delightful supporting programme is shown anil the [ music at both the Lyric and National i Theatres is quite a feature of the entertainment. PRINCESS AND TIYOLI. Adolphe Menjou increases hia popularity as a comedian with every new ' production, and his latest picture. "A Social Celebrity," which commences at the Princess and Tivoli Theatres tomorrow, ia said to be hia best to date. Reviewing the picture, an American critic said: "Adolphe Menjou—suave, sophisticated, polished—masquerading aa a prince, yet in real life only a barber, is a scream. The comedy is assisted by Chester Conklin, while Louise | Brooks ia the lady in the case who j caused Adolphe to pose as a prince. Max Harber. the barber, decides that, aa the opportunities of his small home town are so limited, he may as well work in the city. Arrived there, tha only job he can get is that of aasistant barber in the shop of an hotel. One day he is sent to the home of Ten Eyck Stuyvesant, a rather good-natured youth j of ample wealth. La an. effort to amuse hia bored friends, Tenny takes his newly-made barber acquaintance to a i reception in borrowed clothes and introduces him as the Count Havare de Maxin. Finally lie ia exposed. He goes back to hia poaition aa barber, and hia girl, who had formerly despised him, decides that after all there can be happiness in being a barber'a wife." Aa a 'second attraction. "The Phantom Bullet," starring Hoot Gibson, will be i screened. It is the story of the search of Tom Farlane for the slayer oi Mb father. To allay suspicion, he adapts the disguise as a city fop. In the role he ia successful in deceiving the villain and hia men, but unfortunately Jane Terrell, the girl on whom he has set his heart, is deceived as to hia true character. His experience in trying to outwit the villains and at the same time to justify himself with bis beloved Jane, makes a story admirably suited for one of the beat casta said to be selected for an outdoor production. H-PPODHO-EE THEATRE. I An exceptionally strong bill of fare came with the change of programme to the Hippodrome Theatre to-day. The j headline attraction ia "The Tango Cavalier," starring George Larkin and Ollie Kirby, and the second attraction ia "Laughing at Danger," with Richard iTalmadge at the head of the cast. In ! reviewing The Tango Cavalier," an American critic said: "George Larkin ia seen posing aa the famous exponent of the tango and gives an exhibition in a splendid manner. Small wonder that :the heart of Carmelita, the beautiful | senorita, went out to this handsome Don, | and when she found that he was in love with Doria, the wealthy ranchowner'3 daughter, her passion knew no bounds." i Stirring melodrama, aweet romance and an abundance of thrilla make "Laughing at Danger," Dick Talmadge'a latest production, one of the most exciting productions ever made by Master Pictures. Talmadge, renowned for hia stunta, adds further to his reputation with this absorbing picture.

EMPRESS AUD QUEEN'S.

The greatest of all productions by Cecil B. De Mille, "The Volga Boatman," commenced a short season of three days at the Empress, and Queen's Theatres 1 to-day. The theme deals with the love of a humble Volga boatman for a ; Russian princess. She hears him sing and falls in love with him. He spurns her, for he cannot comprehend. The revolution comes and in an attack on the palace of the princess' father, a revolutionist is killed. Feodor, the boat-! man, demands the life of the princess-; in return for that of the dead man. He ; agrees to kill her, but when he is alone with her he finds himself powerless to commit the deed. He pretends to kill ;her and. carries her to an inn where he ' introduces her as his wife. For this the prince,, commander of the White i Army, orders Feodor to be shot. The' princess takes her place by his side, determined to die with him, but before the firing squad can act, Feodor is rescued by the revolutionists. Feodor is commanded to fix the punishment of the aristocratic captives, and he orders them to be harnessed like the Volga boatmen and drag the boat. Later Feodor, the princess and prince are tried by the Tribunal, and the two former are acquitted, while the prince voluntarily' quits Busßia an exile. The boa/tman and Vera find happiness. EVERYBODY'S THEATRE. "Nell Gwyn," the excellent British (production which had a uch a successful season at two other Auckland theatres, will commence a season o£ one week at Everybody's Theatre to-morrow. It is the story of a delightful little orange girl who captured the heart of a kingAs the little orange girL Dorothy Gish is brilliant. She excels herself, and her work in this production is the: crowningsuccess of a great career. The., time ih which Nell lived was perhaps the moat picturesque in English history,. The country had gladly welcomed the restoration of the monarchy in the peron of Charles TL, who waj determined to revive the pomp and splendour of \\\£Z t - Fram -°°l«nan to labourer all England captured the carefree spirit i'l sovereign, one night, white the fang was passing on his wW to the playhouse he heard a sweet liTtle voice caLkng: "Ripe oranges!" The krug chats with the girl, Skl invS _Tf,™ T Per " TL ° Btm T of her rise to fame from a poor orange airf CQ th l positaon of Countess of Greenwich __d the tang's favourite, is a tradition wtll S""I£. B " COeS9 of Doratll y Gish in the fetle role is dtie almost entirely to ' her acting, lor there are few sun-titles According to tradition, Nell was renowned for her witty remarks and •sallies.. Handle Ay*rton'a characterise-! tion of C-arie- IL is remarkable.

MUNICIPAL CONCERTS. The Municipal Band celebrates ita . 200 th public appearance at the concert to be given in the Town Hall on Saturay next. A superb programme will be presented, in which the outstanding item will be Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, to be given in ita entirety; other fine numbers are Rossini's "William I Tell" overture, "Marche dcs Moujika," I "Dedication and Benediction" from I Meyerbeer's "Lea Huguenots"; and a j tuneful descriptive idyll, "A Forest ! Wooing." The Lyric Four will charm I with several of their popular items. I The performance of Beethoven's great j C minor Symphony will be undertaken by the band for the first time and will ! tend to mark the great technical and j artistic advance made by the city's i progressive musical organisation. Book- ] ing is at Messrs. Lewis R. Eadv and Son, Ltd. MS. BARRY CONEY'S RECITAL. J A feature of Mr. Barry Coney's recital on Tuesday evening next will be the singing by Mme. Alpar, of Budapest, of ! Hungarian folk songs. Mr. Coney, Mdmes. (iatenby and Pascoe, and many others will provide a memorable evening. A-_TT3-5-XE_fTS GUIDE. HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRK — "The Arcadians." OPERA house—Vaudeville and Revue. PICTURE THEATRES. NATIONAL, and -YRIC—"IYeII Gwyn" starring: Dorothy Gisn. MAJESTIC—"The Blue Lagoon." strand—Eleanor Boardman ln "The Auction Block" and the London Pierrots. princess and tivoli*—"My Old Dutch" and "The Girl Who Wouldn't Work." everybody's—"Riding- ror a -Ing"* and "Tne-Crown of Lies." PRINCE EDWARD—"The Circle" and "Is

Love Every tmng." RIALTO and REGENT—"The Volga Boat-

man." GRAND—"Tne Son or a Sheik.'* HIPPO-HOME—"The Tango Cavalier" and "Laughing at Danger." WEST END—Mary Ptc__*ar_ in "Sparrows." 3TRAND (Onehunga)—"A Trip to Chinatown." CAPITOL — "Recompense" and "Daring Days." EMPIRE—"White Slippers" and "Hell's 400." ROYAL—"KIkI" and "Exchange of Wives." Britannia—Vaudeville and "Cnder mc Red Rone." QUEEN'S and EMPRESS—"Tho Volga Boat-! man."