AMUSEMENTS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18367, 28 April 1925, Page 14

AMUSEMENTS.

PICTURE HOUSES.

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE,

"A THIEF IN PARADISE." GEORGE FITZMAURICE'S MASTERPIECE. Barely can one thoroughly enjoy a picture entertainment nowadavs, our senses have been surfeited by spectacular scenes, thrills" no longer thrill, and' even a sense of humour has been worn away. But on rare occasions a picture that is refreshingly novel comes along and then one is reconciled to what the picture producers are constrained to call "movie art." Such a film ]l "i Th,e£ i n V*r°*W," the headiiner on the b lg new b,ll at Everybody's Theatre, *or it carries more "punch" than a host of ordinary pictures. Although it stands out from the rest of the programme still tho supporting films are all good and interestq *nl music pla - ved h j? Everybody's belcct Orchestra is as' delightful as patrons of the theatre have learnt to expect. George Fitzmaurice spared no expense to put A Thief in Paradise" in a gorgeous *. j ' Ut his lavisn ness would have profited little had not there been a story to begin with. "A Thief in Paradise" is based on the well-known novel "The Worldlings," by Leonard Merrick, the author of many unusual tales. Then, the tale itself is set off by an all-star cast of players, who include Ronald Colman, a handsome and talented young star, Don's Kenyon, Aileen Pringle, Claude Gillingwalcr, Alec. Francis, and John Patrick. The opening scene of tho picture is in "Tho Port of Lost 'Souls," an island off the China coast, where human derelicts make a precarious living by diving for pearls. Here are Phillip Jardine, runaway son of an American millionaire, and a beautiful Eurasian girl, once, wo are told, a dancer in Shanghai. Here also is a.man named Blake, "once a soldier of fortune," but at present, and for some time past, stationary in "The Port," presumably because he has not sufficient will-power to bestir himself. Blake is pearl-fishing on a 'raft out in tho lagoon, and he discovers a pearl of price. Jardine, who is • drunken and worthless, snatches it and dives overboard. Then comes a realistic fight on the seafloor, with monster sharks floating by. It ends in Jardine being killed and the pearl being lost. The beautiful Eurasian thinks of a scheme whereby Blake may inherit the Jardine fortune, and, Blako consenting, this is put into action immediately. The thieves overcome initial difficulties and enter Paradise, each in his (or her) own fashion. Old Jardine is an irascible and lovable old fellow, and with him are his old friends, Bishop Saville, and his da-Tighter Helen. Bla.'ce, in tho guise of Phillip Jardine, is taken to heart by all in the household, and despite occasional prickings of conscience, he has a good time. There are some gay • parties and fetes. In a polo match bathing beauties mount the ponies, and knock the ball around. The Eurasian girl has also "gone gay" in her own way, but, to maEe matters worse, she has become violently in love with Blake. The plot unwinds towards the confession, inevitable from the strong, silent nan's point of view, and after that suicide seems the only way out to Blake. However, after one or two astonishing climaxes, the story is once more guided into placid channels and it ends happily. One of the "thrills" provided in it is the chase after a runaway horse, which, with the unerring instinct of a "property" animal, runs direct for the nearest precipice, via a railway crossing or two. Needless to say, Helen is on its back, and Blake gets to the cliff just in time to save her. The supporting pictures include a most interesting travel film ,cslled "Untravelled Switzerland." The photography is excellent, and the letterpress has a vein of humour in it. ' There is also a seaside comedy, complete with bathing girls, flyaway wives, and jealous husbands. This little offering is entitled "Beach Swells." The latest .international news film gives lots of information.

Besides the •picture' programme, a fine selection of musical items wis played by the orchestra. Th© overture was a selection from the. "Bohemian Girl" (Balfc) and the entr'acte Widows "Serenade." In the first half of tho programme the orchestra scored a number of successes with popular- foxtrots,- which were in (keeping with tho pictures. Amongst them were:. "Aunt Hagar's Blues,"- "The Hoo Doo Man," and "After the Storm.". Amongst the' classical music wns a new Japanese suite, 4 "In Pair Tokyo" '■Cuthbert Clarke). Duflla's beautiful "Serenade" was played effectively by Miss N.' Middleton, and a suite of "Gipsy Songs" (Dvorak), including 1 the popular number, "The Well-known Songs My Mother Taught Me," was given with fine effect.

STRAND THEATRE. '•'■-> "FLYING HOOFS." DOUBLE FEATURE BDLL. An excellent double feature bill is being offered at the Strand Theatre this week, and was screened to. good' houses for the first lime yesterday. . Tho chief, attraction is, "Elying Hoofs," featuring the famous Jack Hoxie. The story of the picturo is as follows; All indications point to the fact that the brother of Sheriff Frank Moody is the mysterious Raven who has robbed the ■residents of the countryside of cattle and money, and is holding up motor-cars. The brothers have lost their ranch to Banker O'Connor, with whose daughter the youngest and suspected brother is in love, and who loves him. The daughter rj one of tho richest- men in tho country lovos tho sheriff, but he is bashful. To effect a capture tho sheriff takes the place of his brother unbeknown to liis deputies, and with tho death cap over-his head is led to the gallows, but before tho nooso can.be placed the Raven and his men effect a rescue. After the flight the sheriff whips the death cap from his bead and at the same time handcuffs himself to the Raven; who turns out to be a prominent citizen. The sheriff loses his bashfulness when the girl arrives. • "No MotH»r to Guide Her," starring Gonevievo Tobin, is the second attraction on tho bill. This is a picturo. adapted from tho stage play- by Lilian Mortimer. The plot deals with two young girls, ono tho daughter of wealthy parents, surrounded by everything that love and money can give her, ithe other motherless and left to the caro of a brutal stepfather. The author ha<i followed the fortunes of these two girls from 'their childhood and woven a strong and human series of events about their lives. Tho picturo contains some humour and quaint bits of character drawing. It also contains a sensational train wreck that mokes a high-power thrill. "Wolves of the North," a new serial, also commenced yesterday: This is a strong drama of vigorous life and love, in tho grim harshness of tho Canadian fur-producing north. Mado in surroundings never surpassed in any man-made production, this superior ten-chapter production is a step uo in continued screen dramas. The star and cast are artists and athletes—in a whirlpool of ilStrigue. Ravenous wolf packs, outlawed fur-pirates, Nature's relentless ele-. Tnents, perilous ac ventures, and miraculous rescues mark the ten chapters of this drama.

GRAND THEATRE. "Captain Blood," an adaptation of Sabatini's great novel of tho same namo, is attracting big houses to the Grand Theatre. Tho book is one of tho class which it is impossible to leave alone until the last PfK has been read, and much the same migfit bo said of tho screen production. "Captain Blood" is certainly not ono of the class of pictures which one is tempted to leave halfway through the screening. There iB alio an excellent programme of supporting pictares. LIBERTY THEATRE. \ Crowded houses are the order of the day at the Liberty Theatre this week, where "Captain Blood," the film version of Rafael Sabatini's great story, occupies pride of place on the programme. It is useless to attempt to describe "Captain Blood" as a "superb production," a "gigantio attraction," and so on,' for all those terms have been employed and abused too frequently to carry any weight with them; they are now almost meaningless in a picture review. It would be better to describe it in an ordinary and simple way. "Captain BlooJT*- is a good picture. Nothing like it has been k seen in Christchurch since the. screening of ft "The Sea Hawk," the first adaptation of H my- of Sabatini's work.-