LIBERTY THEATRE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19672, 16 July 1929, Page 15

LIBERTY THEATRE.

COMEDY AND THRILLS. "TBE AIR CIRCUS.** This week'a programme of talkies at tha Liberty Th-atre is the best that has so far been shown. Week by week the pictures have improved, and cow they are quite up to the high standards hitherto reached only .n the silent S'.ms. _ , (( The princjpai picture is "The Air Circus# starring Sue Card. Arthur Lake, and David Rollins. It might be described as a symphiny of youth and its Ideals, with the aam of an aercpiane engine as the perpetual y recurring theme. This picture is not, strictly speaking, a talkie. The main part of it is purely sound-synchronised, with excellent accompaniment fcy an unnamed orchestra. There are one or two short passages in which the voices are heard including an amusing scene ■ n which slapstick. com.edj *s provided for a f f ~-w minutes by courtesy of Miss Carol and Mr Lake. It is a most entertaining picture throughout, the gradual development and subsequent dramatic suppression of David Rollins s yellow streak supplying the whole plot. The film is full of aeroplanes and hangars, with one or two good crashes and a doubie parachute descent near the end. David Hollins's tech' nique includes a masterly get of expressions and react, ons which are capable of portraying any situation which calls for a display of struggle with self, and, of course, selfmastery. This fact has so far produced for him roles in which these talents may be well used. "The Air Circus" is no exception. The engine hum which accompanied a great part of the picture "Wings," is heard again in this week's fiim. It seems that on the stage, train noises are the easiest means for supplying thrills, while in the pictures, aeroplane noises fill the same requirements. The best acting in the picture is that of Arthur Lake, who has a part less pretentious than any other, but which is full of the very best comedy that has been shown here for a long time. Many of his scenes are as good as anything which has been done by Chaplin, Lloyd, or Keaton. It is particu larly good in those scenes which were taken with less communication between actor and director than was normal for the rest of the film. It seems that the work of the American aviators in France during the war is to be made much of in every air picture since the "Wings" epoch. In fact, air pictures which have up to now reached here, have shown many traces of "Wings" influence In the present picture there is the now familiar mascot theme, the all too common yellow streak, and finally, the well-played out artifice of the sinister incident at home. It is, however, the brightest and most racy picture that has appeared for some time. The first part of the programme is made up of the usual Fox Movietone features. The gazette this week is a specially good one, and in addition there is a three-reel comedy. "A Happy Birthday," which is an all-talking film and is excellent. Signor Bonelli sings in costume the prologue to "I Pagliacci," and there is some good tap dancing by Miss Ruby Keeler. The musical sketch which is descriptive of an incident in the life of Foster, the composer of "Massa's in de Cold, Cold Ground," is not so good. Seats for this programme may reserved at The Bristol.