PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 19001, 24 July 1925, Page 1

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE The new headliner at the Empire Theatre is Colleen Moore’s latest picture, ‘So Big.’ The death of Simeon Peake, following the loss of his fortune, drags his pretty, devoted daughter, Selina, to poverty. The father of Julio Hompel, Selina’s chum, secures her a position of school mistress _at High Prairie, near Chicago. Selina boards at tlio farmhouse of lilaas Pool, a dull-witted market gardener. Selina becomes tho wife of Purvis De Jong, tlio poorest farmer in tho district. Siie goes to share his home and work by his side in the fields. A son is born, Dirk, whom she calls “ So Rig,” from the habit of describing the man ho is going to grow up to be.. Purvis stubbornly refuses to try new methods of farming. • Toil and poverty wreck Purvis’s health, lie dies. Selina _ trios to market the produce herself, which leads her by chance to Julie, whose lather, now a rich meat packer, advances Selina the money with which she_ improves her farm and prospers sufficiently to send Dirk to college. Dirk becomes a successful architect. Selina, now fifty years old, gives a party Among tho guests are tho Storms, of Chicago's social set. Mrs Storm has been having an affair with Dirk. Selina discovers her after the party passionate!)' pleading with him to go away with her. Dirk consents. The old mother, whose whole life has been given to fighting for others, finds herself on the , verge of having her life’s work destroyed. But she plunges into a fight to save her boy and' thwarts the flight, only to have her efforts threatened by disgrace, when Mrs Storm’s husband takes a hand. But Selina, with a plea of mother love before which Storm’s persona) bitterness and pale, wins back her boy and takes him away with her to resume the life which she had planned for him. Another excellent programme of music will ho rendered by the Empire Orchestra, directed by Mr O, Parnell. The overture will he a descriptive novelty, ‘ Tho Drummer’s Escapade ’ (Barnard).

OCTAGON ‘ Argentine Love ’ will bo initially screened at the Octagon Theatre tonight. Everything about tho picture is Spanish, and how could one start better than by the selection of Bebo Daniels and Jtioardo Cortez tor the principal roles. Dark-haired, darkeyed Robe plays a lovely Spanish senorita, confronted with the old, yet overnow problem of making a choice between two men—one, played by Cortez, a wealthy young South American who has helped her parents financially and asked her hand in return for the favor; the other, a handsome American engineer, Rebc', as Consueio Garcia, meets while at school in the States. James Rennie has the second male role. Cortez, within the _ past few months, has risen to an enviable position among tho screons_ younger leading men. His role in 1 Argentine Love” is one of his own nationality. In this Paramount picture, ‘Argentine Love,’ produced under Allan Rwan s direction, Miss Daniels is set upon by an infuriated mob, led and incited by a jealous rival ami the lather of a boy who had been killed in a quarrel over Rebo’s love. Tlio scenes depiqtmg the rising fury of the angry, threatening mob were rehearsed thoroughly dining an entire morning, until the eager “ extras ” imagined they had an actual grievance against Miss Daniels. She was rushed off her feet repeatedly, her arms were bruised and scratched, her clothes gradually gave way under the onslaught, and .she was altogether in a sorry state. However, the action reaches its climax in a scene whore she is dragged through tlio town square, tied to a cart and flogged, tins being a form of punishment meted out, according to an old Spanish custom. _ The Octagon Concert Orchestra give a number of items, including the overture, ‘La Luciolo D’or ’ (Houston).

EVERYBODY'S ‘Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall,’ which features Mary IVklord, in now being shown at Everybody's Theatre. I Miss Bickford, in the role of Dorothy Vernon, is again the grown young woman. This character, how.evei, is wholly different from that of the little street singer so exquisitely portrayed in Rosita,’ the picture in which Miss Bickford first assumed a grown-up role. The part of Sir John Manners is played by Alan Forrest, who recently worked I in Jackie Coogan’s ‘ In thc_ lErlacc of I tlio King.’ Anders Randoll, who ap--1 peared in ‘Tlio Bright Shawl, takes i the part of Sir George A ernon, and Marc M‘Dermott, well known on stage and screen, makes an admirable Sir Malcolm Vernon, cousin ol Dorothy, to whom she has been betrothed against her will. Queen Elizabeth is interpreted by (.Taro Eamca. who is wed known in America and Europe for her brilliant work as England's iamons Queen. Estelle Taylor, popular screen ‘'Mar,' aho played a prominent purl in ’ Iho Ten Commandments,’ in.- chosen :ls Queen Mary. Madame Carrity Danmery (widow of the lamons violinist Ysaye) has the part of Lady Vernon, mother of Sir Malcolm, ami Lord Burley (counsellor to Queen Elizabeth), is ahlv handled by Eric. Mayne. Lottie Piclcford Forrest, sister of the “star, and who has not been seen on t he screen for more than (wo years, is cast as Jenny Fnxton, maul and confidante of Dorothy Vernon. A mimher of supporting pictures are also screened.

QUEEN'S ‘ Between Friends ’ is the new attraction at tho Queen’s Theatre. Lou Tellegen, Norman Kerry, Stuart Holmes, Alice Calhoun, ami Anna Q. Nilsson aro the leading players in the remarkable cast assembled by Vitagmph lor this production. The supporting picture is ‘ The Sign of the Cactus,’ Jack Hoxie is the leading player. The ranchers of a. great section of the cattle country face ruin, victims of a great water company which for ten years has held them in its grip by excessive charges for water. This supply is taken from the ranchers by file company's big dam. Then the disheartened men and -women are given renewed courage by the promises of a, mysterious rider, who becomes known as “ White Horse Cactus ” because of the big white horse he rides. When he commits depredations against the water 1 company or aids the destitute ranchers he leaves a cactus blade. Finally someone dynamites the dam. and the ranchers have abundant water and are saved - from ruin. It develops that the mysterious rider is none other than the son of a rancher who was killed by gunmen in the employ of the water company when the boy was fifteen years old. .Me also is the man whom the daughter of the bead of the wafer company loves, and whose life ho has saved from I Jim flood. •• J

PLAZA AND GRAND Buck Jones enacts the title role In ‘The Arizona Romeo,’ which heads the new programme at the Plaza and Grand Theatres. The story, the principal action of which takes place in a small town in Arizona, is a comedy-drama of tho efforts of a father to force his daughter into a marriage alliance with which she is not in sympathy. Thewill power of the daughter, which at times borders on stubbornness, leads to many amazing incidents, with a. happy ending and "the right man in the right place,” in the arms of the girl he loves. An additional feature is ‘Wolf Blood,’ a picture of the outdoors. It is also being screened at the King Edward Theatre.