PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 19062, 3 October 1925, Page 4

PICTURE THEATRES

OCTAGON As a spectacle * Quo Vadis?" is unique. The large audience which witnessed the initial screening at the Octagon Theatre yesterday acclaimed it as a triumph in the screen art. The picture was made in Italy with a polyglot cast, chief among whom are Emil dancings, a German actor of American birth; Lillian Hall Davis, a pretty English actress; and many including the gloriously beautiful Elena Di Sangro. Jannings’s acting and the spectacle of the story are the salient features of this film, which, of course, has its basis in the romance that Henry Sienkiewicz wrote _ to show the beginning of Christianity in Rome. Jannings’s study of Nero is a wonderful realisation of that tyrant’s bestial nature. The scenes are set in the splendor and glory of ancient Rome, when the vicious and inhuman monster Nero was at the height of his power. Rome at her greatest, just before her fall, with the Palatine and mighty pagan temples, filled with a pleasure-seeking, degenerating people hastening to national doom, forms the theme of a great production, which in its scenic and human demonstrates the almost incredible strides made by the camera in the reproduction of historical drama dealing with ages long since all but forgotten. Grandeur and scenery, however, are by no moans the chief claims of ‘ Quo'Vadis? 1 to recognition as a niasterpiece. The story of the classic is world-famed, and helped to win for its author the coveted Nobel Prize in 1906. First National has taken the romance and human interest of the story and placed them in capable hands. The love story concerns _ a beautiful Christian slave girl, Lygia, who captures the heart of the pagan Vinicius. Emi! Tannings eclipses all records in his representation of the powerful and awful Nero; while Lillian Hall Davis has the role of Lygia, his beautiful and unfortunate hostage. Such historical scenes as the burning of Rome by Nero, seeking inspiration for bis maudlin verse, the wholesale destruction of Christians at tho stake and- in the arena, and the crowded amphitheatre that gazed in lustful pleasure at the dying martyrs are portrayed in such vivid fashion as to leave no doubt in the minds of tho audience as to the cans© of Rome’s fall and decay. L'rsus, the giant slave of Lygia, the Christian slave, is seen in mortal combat with a savage bull to whose back is lashed the mistress of tho loathsome Nero, paying dearly for her unfaithfulness to the most despicable and horrible character in all history. The acting is good throughout, with Januings giving a superb performance of Nero; and the mighty hordes of Rome, countless throngs that swarm at the foot of Nero’s throne calling for the death of tiie incendiary who burned their homes and city, and again in the arena, where their cruel frenzy of delight at the sufferings and agony of the Christians is splendidly done, as the chief factors in the performance. A Bobby Vernon comedy is the only other picture on the programme. The music, rendered by the Octagon Concert Orchestra, is of a high standard. EMPIRE * Three Weeks ’ is being offered at tho Empire Theatre this week. This Goldwyn picture was adapted from Elinor Glyn’s story of tho same name. 'This romance of a queen and an English gentleman obviously was not without its difficulties, consequently the picture lias its quota of thrills and dramatic situations, including the storming of tho palaco by a mob which is placated by the queen, tho battle between the queen’s servant and an assasin, and the death of the queen at the hands of the jealous king, followed by his own death at the hands of her _ loyal servant. For the romantically inclined, it is a picture that with its frank scenes of love, its inferences of passion and its thrills, will hold the interest from tho first scone to the final fade-out. Supplementing this is the fact that from a production standpoint it is unusually artistic and truly beautiful; costuming, lighting, composition, and pets radically different from the conventional combine to make every scene resemble a painting by some celebrated artist, and all blend'iu with tho theme itself to make a. harmonious whole. While Conrad Nagel as the Englishman is satisfactorily cast, tho lion’s share of the acting honors go to Ailcon Pringle as tho queen. Stately and dignified in the court scenes, in the sequences with Nagel she strikingly suggests a great love. The entire supporting cast is excellent. John Sainpolis does fine work as the king, with Stuart Holmes and Robert Cain as his confidants, and Dale Fuller, Mitchell Lewis, and Nigel De Brulier as the queen’s loyal servants. The story tolls of the Queen of the Sard alia, who, disgusted by tho brutality of the king, goes to Switzerland’. There she meets Paul Verdayne, a high-born Englishman, and they are irresistibly attracted to each other. Their love for each other continues to grow until it becomes a passion which docs not count the cost. Sensing danger. tho queen leaves for Venice, and Paul follows, hut when Paul barely escapes assassination at tho hands of the king’s hirelings the queen returns home, never disclosing who she really is. Paul goes back to England and gives his life to the performance of good deeds, ennobled by his love for the queen. Three years later she sends for him. The king learns of Paul’s presence, and in a jealous fury he kills her as sho has sent Paul away. Her servant then kills tho king. Paul returns, and she dies in his arms. Two years later Paul goes back to Sardalia and witnesses the coronation of their son as the king, his heart filled with the memory of his love for tho child's mother. The Empire Orchestra renders incidental music. DUEEN‘B The new programme at the Queen’s Theatre contains two principal pictures and a number of less important items. Antonio Moreno and Patsy Ruth Miller are co-starred in ‘ Her Husband a Secret,” which tolls of the complications arising when a youth with a “shady” record attempts to force an internationally famous hanker to protect him from the law by proposing marriage to the banker’s daughter. How the odd romance gains headway and how tho banker tries to check its progress without shattering the dreams of his daughter is said to point tho drama toward one of the most unique and dramatic climaxes given a photoplay storv recently. In the supporting oast are” Walter‘M'Grail and Phyllis Haver. 4 Her Husband’s Secret ’ was photographed against mostly natural settings, and is said to be one of the photographic achievements of tho current season. The other picture is ‘ The Lover of Camille.’ Monte Blue and Marie Provost arc the featured players. EVERYBODY'S AND KING EDWARD A stirring dramatic tale of the cattle country is told in 4 A Roaring Adventure.’ a Unirersal picture starring Jack Home. This film was initially screened at Even-body’s and the King Edward Theatres' yesterday. ‘ A Roaring Adventure ’ fells a thrilling story of the efforts to break up a band of cattle rustlers. Hoxie, as Duffy Burns, son of the owner of a big ranch, comes to visit his father and learns that things are far from being as they_ should be. He determines to get a job on the ranch, where he is not known, and solve the mystery. From then on romance and adventure are his portion, and he escapes many perils before tho mystery is solved and the cattle rustlers brought to justice. The cast supporting Hoxie includes Mary M’Aflister, Marin Sais, Francis Ford, Jack Pratt, J. Gordon Russell, and little Mar-, ffaret Smithy

Another picture at Everybody’s I] ‘Moccasins/ , The now headliner at the King Ed* ward Theatre on Monday will M 4 Three Weeks/ PLAZA AND GRAND A melodrama of a new and amazing kind Is 4 The Air Mad,’ which was presented at tho Plaza and Grand Theatres vesterdoy. Tho story lias to do with, the activities of a band of crooks who go about the systematic robbing or tho United States air mail planes. Baxter manages to get a job as pilot aboard one or the planes and settles down to wait for a valuable cargo to make away with. By a peculiar twist in the story, however, he not only gives up all ideas of theft, but also brings to justice the members of two rival bands of crooks who make it their business to prey upon the air mailmen. 4 The Hunted Woman ’ Is the title of the chief support. MALE CHOIR CONCERT Some very fine part songs will given by the Dunedin Male Choir in the Burns Hall this evening, when thq third concert of the current season will be given. Owing to the Burns Hall not being sufficiently large enough to accommodate the subscribers to tins society, the concert will be repeated on Monday evening. The lady vocahsli will bo Miss Lottie Scott, who will sing 4 Lament of Isis r (Bantock) and 4 Prelude ’ (Landori Ronald). Mr James) Paterson will sing 4 The King's Minstrel ’ (Pinsnti), and Mr H. Hogg 4 From Oberon in Fairyland' (Sinter)., Messrs H. Blackwood and J. D. M'Kcchnie will take the solo work irt two of the choir’s items. Mr J. A j Wallace will give the violin solos ' Romance clit 2nd Concerto’ (Wieniawski), 'Aria for G. String’ and * Ghj. votto ’ (Bach), and Mr J. B. M’Connell the recitation from act L, scene, 3, ‘Merchant of Venice/ Patrons avd notified that they must bo seated by 8 o'clock sharp.