AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18149, 12 August 1924, Page 14

AMUSEMENTS.

_ PICTURE HOUSES. GRiEATER CRYSTAL PALACE. "' -COWBOYS' ON BBqAIIWAY.. •SjjpOT GIBSO-N -IN A SPECIAL. : J holiday audience expressed the waimeit approval of the new bill presented •t "Gii&ter Crystal Pala<»..last..,nigh.t._,_ se-eelmg the current programme Mr V. M. Beebe has gauged to a 'nicety the require: menta- ot ' the public in entertainments- T-b» programme is lengthy, but so well'' varied that the _hour3_. by swiftly •nd it, is with reluctance that- the patrons «4 last' leave. The musical items submitted bv the Symphony Oichestra, under t'ne' ■Baton oi Mr A. J. Bunz, contribute in no am ail measure to the peasure. to be derived by an evening -at the Palace.' Hoot Gibson is the star in the first of the big attritions, wh.ch is screened under the expressive title "Broadway or Bust. The- story. is ;about two cowhoya who., have, a..longing to sample life on the white .way" of New lork. The scarcity ol . funds prevents them irom realising their great ambition till one of them sells his ranch for a comfortable sum. Then they hit the trail on the biggest adventure of their lives and the result is one long series of laughs and chuckles, for the audience. They arrive on Broadway in all the glory of their "glad rags," but they find that their tailor, though he might make good Buits for sale over the store counted, is scarcely up to the New York standard of the sartorial art. Thoy engage a suits of ro.ms at the best hotel, and insist upon parking their horses where horses are not usually rparked. They ape seized -upon by the blase New Yorkers as the sensation of the season. . The hotel publicity man stars them upon bis bill, and, without knowing quite how or when, the two raw Westerners find themselves the cynosures of all eyes.- Needless to say, their experiences axi diverting in the extreme, and it is also unnecessary to remark that in the rolp of the principal cowboy, Hoot Gibson is splendid. Of all the cowboy heroes of the ~ screen Gibson to many tastes is the pick. There is a rugged honesty and a likeable . naturalness about his work, which endears him- to many "fans" who are somewhat tired of the "noble" type of screen character. Gibson could not look nob!« or even handsome if he wished, but fortunately he does not attempt the impossible. He just amble 3 through a jpiece as if he were in truta the simple man from the w.de spaces, social conventions. 1 here is a lot of wholesome fun in. this picture, to say nothing of a pretty fifirl or t two, who appear at appropriate moments, ♦ The other feature on th* bill is "Through a Glass Window," a c)ev?r and appealing romance featur.ng May McAvoy. This is a Realart pioduition and in th 3 \ supporting cast are such good performed a3 Fanny Midgley, Raymond McKee, Fred Turner, and CarrieuXlark Ward. The plot is One with a_■ pflKicu'arly attractive theme, love and - adventure being inte mingled in an irresistible manner. The story .is set in the -East side of New York, ani it has ' the merit of "being'true to type. The hero'n3 is a.,/working girl who works out h.'r own destiny in a natural- manner. Th se who lcok for. the ( appeaiance in the second .real of a millionaire lover and" the entry of "th * heroine into a palatial .home in thj s xtii and final reel, will b3 disappointed, for nona sof those things occurs. The heroine is a forking girl and it is as ■ one of her cwn class she lives and loves and finds happiFatejis' not kind 'to her 'always anl siw' tas to" scheme to win out, but ahe does win out, and. all the credit is to her own* brains and enterprise, and not to the ffect that she is, by chance, the possess:r o. a pietty^face.: .The plot .has a, rjng p£, truth about it and is' none the less interesting for that. The Beenea in tlij i tenement district of "the biff American city are. not overdrawn and "they-, provide' the right atmosphere : at »11. lie- simple , love aliair of ihe. refreshment-' store girl and 'th 3ltalian garlic m'oichant is : well portrayed,", and the picture ft whole is refreshing and entertaining. ' TESre . is" an ex'Sellent supp:rting pro- * gramme, Comprising comedy, I'topical, and Berwl-'Mibjscts. - - , "Li«ht. 8 - , t P?. . s y-™E ?£ ■ chesfws'-oVe/iuTe. rarid ik was-played- with '. breadth. by Massenet, - a dramatic -piece, opened with, breadth; tne obo3 takA Vith and the mam Wmffrb- pWyed-'in -ji-tlel c*te ig|llgg''~ Si (Barinotine) j ■ a -dramatife aaag!p, "ass:sfea\: in creating the J* qmrcd'Atmosphere. Massentets,s i-legie, -a popular~"iiuniber with Pa ace patrons. -was played ..with Vthe . requisite ;\Vltara,?' 8 ..symphonic was an intn: cafe work-which was jptayed with eaSe, Thi overture,.Orleans,^ by Mortimer Wilson an -ultra-modern work appealed for its novelty, was handled sk 1:u ly, ( The entr'acte was "Smithy 111: the »*d it received a vociferous encore. • This descrip- " tive piece is well-known band patroni \ . and the introduction. of the anvil ani ther ' special lighting effects wore " features of • ft, popular number.. ■

QUEERS THEATRE. . "WEST OF THE WATER TOWER." HkLENE CHADWICK. IN "GIMME." Novel Paramount feature® and excellent music axe'provided, in the Dig new,' programme that waa presented at the Queen s Theatre fflr the first time, yesterday. The pictures have that touch of brightness about them that is indispensable during Grand | JNa.uo.uiij. weeic, tuiu vuo music pia-yol by the noted liueeiia oupero Urcueotia ifl deiigutiui. 'lne conuucwr, Air u. G. Uiajrauer, *iw is reoosiußed "a w authority lowtl min"-'"*) selected a i""* unoxa, wwuil xor uui ovu.-i.uia ' v<oueuaiy, ua M w» euu i«.wi XjU ••uuaSnMU UU WOUliii. i*"" UloUk bout *»«>«* V»eiu 6 1.«U1 * »ie»t fj.n 'u^ 1 .kije »uulcuui Wttd. Uu> Btki.liu.eu. u*xlM uoou 'iu'ijd.; > uu uie iu«auie ifl ueiuttnly 10 oe IftLuil OH OU -Jt <A * U| M |> > e 01 Llid 'XOntU', * lur VuQ lUttfa *ik* :trw;bioa, fiOia A CuruimMt uOittwJil *'Va*i*uAA«,'' 101 Vue atswna, bt^oi.u^a' uumy la4liu bu^p^ii^. A pwiwe to D©' rtuittaxwoieci lor ye&re is ox Uio Vv&vex JU/wfcr, one oi tiie lunni &iid moat pioducfiwiis ixoux Iktfi&mea Iranuiioiaii studios, wnexe &o many T7.»»« nave bfceu niaae." it is a acreeh version of a . muca-discussed novel of " the game' name, and it' is interpreted oy a oast T" nt wouia do any picture creait. 'xlie twx> n» m roies &£6 tauten b/ Aiunter Wid Ma/ McAvoy, «uad tnese popular piayeis / Meauptoiied'by- ueorgevJJSwcew; /.azu #ittt/< „ Jirneai xorrence, and oiheie. "west or tne VintaC 'lower" may be termed an epic of xecifeesat youih, in»atiat>ie youtn, aiways prying alter tne battling secrets «i iile. bet in- » town, tne picture shows with great" drwnatio force the consequences oi erring you in and rtcfciess ;love. it is the story oi a fetiier who did not tell his son what; life reaily meant, and of the-result that ioi.owed, in a acandai-loving and taie-bearing village. "West ot the Water Tower ' is. guaranteed to hold the interest from hrst scene to Mat flicker, and to away Vie emotions as very lew pictures have ever been abie to do. It '., j» fax- trom being etark 'tragedy, hoivever, onri admuabie humour and deiightJul, romance.- Amy. has a svul■tirring roue as tne name is onurcned with scandal, and she has rarely acted a better part. ,>! Ivupert nugncs, well- known aa a, writer. of Attractive nv»vets, is tne author of Gimme, the second leature rum, and hia came is a 'guarantee ot quanty. The picture wus. produced by the uoidwyn Company. ,and beau■"tifu*. Jieiene- Chadwicit- is Uio . star, -in .this ipicture the famous writer has scored again. • o.'he J-picture 1$ a deaghiful and very hum?ai -if infetned Hughes "-'has • built hia round the very modern type ot young ;'^om^ r who .is independent and quite 'Supporting £ecs<ilf,''anid shows how it :i3goes against the giam lor her' to'-'hav; ?lo "j»e c^pjyrtUftily. ; when she aefe3s money for . clothes, ■ ; liou3eS^l<i"'expehses ) etc. 1 'He' 'has WoirKod" -5Sn the' tifeoVy, thnt man-ied iife is "a oU-50 • andf says'that money has twrecked - more marriages.- than . sin. , lluch-oi tiie • : charm of. this picture lies in the sub-titles, ' kre in 'the - author's 'boat style; clever, '.i#itty, and catchy. An excellent cast is used '&> interpret Jfche story. Heiene Chadwick r and' GflaWn" (JTaa3"ara*triid Wbe both 1 v lent in the leading roles. , "The r Sleepwaiker, a comedy with Joe I Bocks, heads the, supporting pictur.es. .There is also shown the latest paramount Jfewp -" and a Burton Hbimea^inteK&tM?*

The number of men lost to the Army "through desertion .in each of -the six • periada *ofJ six taorilfchsbeginning April 1921, an 3 ending March'3lst, 1924, were respectively:—-767, 756, 789, 782, , ; 629, aad 650.

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE.

- RICHARD BARTHELIIESS IN ."TWENTY-ONE." "THE BROKEN SILENCE." " The tales" of & countty mirror'the spirit of its people. Democratic America is reflected in the delightful picture, One," showing at Everybody's Theatre thi3 week. Love of liberty and freedom, cLstaste for artificiality and sophistication, obedience to the natural feelings of _the heart: theSi are the qualities portrayed in thj play ■ by that admirable artist, Bichard Bartheimess. The picture is moaern in its setting, bu.. the story is as oid as the good old. days when tile but.er used to run away with theari s aautjHtr_-r. The lier-/, the son o. wea.thy puiciits, faus in io»e with a fic-t'ory-ijiri. tie is .twenty yea.s and hates tiie depressing atm-ostme-ie 01 tnc wmch lie liv*.s. i-iit-ie is d.s tvi' ill hio houie, graced w.th aa the luiuneo wjQicii weaiui pioviae, sinci lni3 u# coi.r».:sj>~»n*Ang note iia Jiia nisirt. .tije sceiß iiappiiKbd ujnoiig oWr people an-i laiis in iove with a prei-ty g A ri. parents discover the situation ai«d owing tj vUeir opposition, U-i-j boy itavei hiß home, d t ;U- to have h.s own way ana. re;raain conccaied iiiitii he «xmes ot age. l'hgm proanses to remain trau to huu, anJ. he leaves to become a taxi-cab driver in th city. Ji'hero he earns his own living, buc h.s thoughts are still with the gi.l ho loves The bo/ s father has come to the city and fails into the hands of & gang of crooks. By a strange chance, they go to their quarters in the taxi driven by his son. Tae father is lured upstairs and is aLi-ost at their nwrcy when his Sjn oom.s to his ass.sta.nce, lights gal*anily until -.knifed y an opponent, and then telephones tj uu police. Reconciliation follows, anil tne bjy finally marries his factory-girl sweetheart. Richard Ba.thelmess, handsome anj. debonair. gives a va'y fine interpre.ation of a youth who, handicapped by the upormging of a foolish and selfish mother, is determined to win his spurs. Dorothy MacKaill, as the factory girl, wins the admiration and sympathy of the whole audience. There is a very strong supporting caat including Joe King, Dorothy Gumming, and Bradley Backer. James Oiivor Curwood s story, The Broken Silence," is the second feature ot this attractive programme. The picture tells of the bitter north where conventions are thrust as.de and men are revealed m their true characters, g.od and bad, stripped of the veneer of civilisation. Beautiful Bnow Bcenes, exciting chases on s.eds d.awn by powerful huskies driven by c»;perate men, a plot bubbling over with dramatx incident, all interwoven with the forces of revenge and passion, ass.st in making this one of the most interesting pictures produced, /.ena, Keefe as the heroine who has to choose between love and revenge is a wonderful character. Beautiful, girted and ait.atic, she is a rare personality on the screen. She is ably supported by RoDert E lktt, Gipsy O'Brien, Eoy Gordon, and other stars of no little fame. ... Everybody's "Select" Orchestra, under Mr W. J. Bellingham, F.SJi., provided a high class musical entertainment, admi ably ■adapted to suit tho programme. Included in the programme were tho Joi'owing numbers Overture, "Soaring'' (Norvowieski); "Scene et Valse" by Guir'and, an extract from the ballad, "Gretua Green,'' followed by "The End" (EVaumann). Tin outstanding effort of the evening was the Symphony in°C minor, No. 5 (Beethoven); the first movement, all tho "allegro_ con brio," was played with careful attention to phr? sin £ and detail, producing a very fine e£E -ot; the second movement, the Andante con moto," was remarkable for a. beautiful melody, the individual merits of the orchestra, being displayed* in fine solos; th? final movement, "Allegro," was brilliantly played, the whole performance being quit up to th? standard of Concert traditions. The entr'acte was "Amaaon" Eltinge).

LIBERTY THEATRE. '"Boy of, Mine," from the story by Bo"t?5 Tarkington, is the main attraction at the Liberty Theatre. Tarkington himself ; has said of the production"The picture ia fio dignified and yet eo humorous—so touching and yet eo immensely truthlul—that any writer might inaeed be to have his name associated with it.il.ssentia.iiy "i .story of evorjoay lite, lacking m meio<tram,atio thin.B and sensational climaxes, it lascmatee one by its truthiuincss and its appeal to tho better qualities. Every inciOtiit in "Boy oi Mine'' rings true, and the iesiiit ia that no imagination is s required to coimnce one that it is a page out of real life, The other big picture ia "iHaa the World Gone -Mad?" and the supporting ltemi are interesting and amusing. As usual, the Lioerty Quality Orchestra plays delightful music. GRANb THEATRE. Douglas Mac Lean proves himself aa excellent comedian 'in ''The .Hottentot" ait the Grand Theatre, The story tell* of a young man, who has a mortal feai of horses, attending a house party where a horseback outing is the event ,of the He pleads mat ne might be excepted tiom the party and follows in his car. The horse on which the girl to whom -he has become attached bolts, and{' he lollowa on the stepboard oi his car. The car-strikes a xut ai» he somersaults neatly and land* on the back ol another runaway horse which is pursuing the bolting steed. accidentally he is the meapa of rescuing the girl, and is proclaimed a hero. Kane Grey a "To the Last Man" is the second attraction. In _the two star features there are a Topical uu«lget and a unique comedy. Musio by . the Grand Orchestra, under Miss A'. Shearsby, mciudes the latest thing ia foi-trota, "itoreey Keep Youx Tail Up."

STRAND THEATRE. ' A .fine programme at the Strand Theatre is headed by "The Acquittal," featuring Norman iiexry and Claire Windsor. This is a stirring tale of a murder and a false accusation. The whole of the production of "The Acquittal" impresses one with the fact that the man producing it was ready to leave the beaten track of him production in order to arouae interest m tne siory. Xhe. scneme of telling the etory is excellent. 'lhe whole uuxig starts at the criminal trial, and tne depositions of the* various , witnesses are Viiiuaased on the screen just as thp incidents related rea.ly occurred. That method ot telling intrigues the spectator, because he finds himself exactly in the position of a spectator at the trial, or a memoer of tiie jury, conlronted . with a mass of conflicting evidence : and faced with the problem of what is false and what is true. And on it all there hangs the lite of a- human being. 'lhere is not a dull moment in • "jthe Acquittal." The whole film holds one spellbound iiom the opening scene right to the astounding Climax. The supports are Jack Hoxie in "Don Quickshot of the Kio Grande," "Hello Judge" (Century comedy), "ljaiuel Boone" (episode 9). and an International .News.