STIRRING ACTION.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19466, 13 November 1928, Page 9

STIRRING ACTION.

AT THE LIBERTY THEATRE. TWO BIG ATTRACTIONS. It lias become so usual to see a romance of the Great War from the Allied viewpoint that it comes as a distinct change to see a film story written from the angle of a German officer and his bride when they are back in their own country. Such an experience was presented to the audience at the Liberty Theatre last night when "'Under the Black Eagle," a decidedly interesting Prussian romance, was screened for the first time. The picture contains a charming love story, with some scenes of trench warfare that do not mar its beauty. One is possessed of quite a new conception of the lives of Britain's late enemies. One sees all the young men under the proud crest of Frussianism, called upon, in 1914, to leave their callings—just as those under England's emblem—and advance in the grey uniforms, of the German army upon a deed which some of them, perhaps many of them, hated. They are all there—the labourers, professional men, and artists, very ordinary young fellows,. under the German officers who are shown to be just as gentlemanly and as full of manly qualities as their foes. The young hero oi the tale, a-romar.tio artist, is suddenly brought face to face with all the rigours of .trench life and finds that he cannot stand up- to all that war means. His courage ebbs and he displays the white feather. But his fiance, living in a email village on the Rhine, believes that he is a hero. _ Then the .thought of his friends in the thick of it;rand other, considerations,• induce him toi become a' man -in the-true sense of the word at last, and play his part with hia fellows. Such is "Uncbr the Black Eagle," the old tale with a. new-setting. The picture has a remarkably fine cast of leading players, one .of the principal' roles being taken by the magnificent Alsatian dog, "Flash," which performs in miraculous fashion. Then there are Ralph Forbes as the young German in a very novel role, Marc McDermott as the colonel of the fierce and overwhelming type, and finally Marceline Day in the character of the young girl of • the Rhineland. Though all' the conflicting emotions of a man's struggle to como to a right decision when torn between love and duty comes a very tender romance, and all these things go to make a film of an exceptionally fine type. ' The other big attraction is "White Wings," a Btirring and picturesque romance of the days of the gallant old clipper ships To make it extraordinarily interesting is the fact that the story is built round an historical ' fact —the famous race between the English Lord of the Isles, and the American clipper. There are romance, villainy, colour, and swift action in this tale which is of the days when women wore, to modern eyes, the weirdest of creations, and *men pounded their fists with accompanying oaths and took liberal quantities of snuff. "White Wings'* lells of the romance of a young American sea-cantain and >tlie daughter of a British noble. The. action starts in England, is transferred to China, and then Bweeps across to Boston in a great race for'glory and for love. In the main roles are William Boyd and Elinor Fair (who made their names in "The Vo'ga Boatman"). Both attractions are excellent, and with some interesting supports, including a Government publicity film of Christchurch, make up a fine bill. The Liberty Concert Orchestra, under the baton of Mr Ernest Jamieson, gave one of their artistic programmes which included many classical and popular numbers. "Sweet Rosie D'Grady" was played as the entr'acte, and had to be repeated. Other numbers included: "The Jewels of the Madonna" (Ferrar), "Desire" (Bach), and "Under the Double Eagle" (Stone).