PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 19550, 7 May 1927, Page 3

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE ‘THE FLAMING FRONTIER.’ Hoot Gibson has appeared in many thrilling Westernpictures, but his greatest effort to date is * The Flaming Frontier.’ From , every point of view ‘ The Flaming Frontier’ is 100 per cent, entertainment, and it was certainly a very satisfied audience which left:, the Empire Theatre last evening after witnessing, the great Universal production. The exciting climax of the picture, the historical' last stand of General Custer against the Indians at Little Big Horn, is a wonderful piece of work, every detail receiving its attention. The unsuspecting Custer and his command run straight into. the trap set in the barren hill by. the crafty Sitting Bull. The tight that follows is one of the most spectacular pieces of work portrayed on, the screen for some considerable, time.

A-particularly interesting story ;s told in ‘The Flaming frontier.’ In the year 1876 civilisation is steadily going into the west. The Indians are growing restless and jealous of the white people. On the plains settlers and soldiers are blazing the way, while in Washington, politicians and; profiteers are selling whisky and arms to the redskins. Bob Langdon, pony express rider, army scout, and friend of General Custer, through Senator Stan wood, gets an appointment to West Point. There he meets Lawrence Stanwood and the latter’s sister, Bottv. It is a case of love at first sight. . General Grant is President. General Custer is seeking to bring peace in the West, but this Mashes with the interests of tho profiteers, and they try to disgrace Custer before Grant. Custer is aided by Senator Stanwood. In order to get Stanwood, the plotters involve his son with Lucretia Belden, at West Point. There is a scandal, and to shield the Senator Langdon takes the blame and is expelled. Ho returns to Custer’s command. The Indians, aided hv the renegade whites, unite under Chief Sitting Bull for an attack on the whites. Custer, misled as to their numbers, attacks on the Little Big Horn. Ho has 400 men; the Indians number thousands. Custer sends Langdon through the Indians with a message ordering Major Reno to como to the rescue. Reno fails, and Custer and his command are slaughtered. Tho profiteers are gleeful. But. before the end of the picture Langdon is successful in giving the villains their desert? and also of proving his Innocence with regard to the West Point scandal. Hoot Gibson, .one of the screens foremost Western stars, plays the part of Bob Langdon, pony express rider, army scout, AVest Point cadet, and friend of General Custer. Langdon is the messenger sent by Custer to Reno ordering the latter to close in on the’ red men, and, as such, is the only man of the command to escape death. Gibson’s ride through the Indians is a spectacular bit of work. Amie Cornwall plays the part of the heroine of the picture. Dustin Fannum is cast in the role of General Custer, and Ward Crane, as Sam Belden, furnishes U«> play with its villainy, jn which he is assisted by Kathleen Key, who impersonates a vamp of 1876. Eddie G.nbbon and Harry Todd provide il;e comedy in laugh-provoking style. Others in this great cast are Harold Goodwin, George Fawcett, Walter Rodgers, Ed. Wilson, Charles K. French, Noble Johnson, William Steele,' and Joe Bonomo. Several thousand Indians and bondreas of troopers were used in the mating of "Hie Flaming Frontier’ A gazette and comedy complete the bill,'and, as usual, the Empire Orchestra, is to the. fore with the musical accompaniments. . OCTAGON In ‘ Fine Manners,’ which is the current attraction at the Octagon Theatre, Gloria Swanson, accompanied by Eugene O’Brien,.attend a real flea circus. The training of these miniatures of - life requires the patience of Job, the first problem being to make them walk rather than hop. This necessitates putting a gold chain round their necks, which bearing weight, compels them to strut instead of, doing the usual and and more natural jump. ' Miss Swanson, Mr O’Brien, members of the' company, - and studio officials, watched for hours the work of Professor Huhl, tho_ trainer of fleas. _ Eugene O’Brien falls in love with Gloria Swanson. She is a bjirlesque chorus girl,, and"While' he goes on a business trip he tells his aunt, to polish her up. ' When he returns he* does not recognise the girl he'left behind him. She has' changed. She is too refined. All the old vivacity, the charm, seem to have vanished with the social uplift, _ He upbraids her, and then there is a stirring climax to the picture. EVERYBODY'S AND KING EDWARD The current attraction at Everybody’s and the King Edward Theatres is entitled ‘Ladies at.Play,’ and features Doris Kenyon, Lloyd Hughes, Louis Fazenda, and Virginia Lee Corbin. The plot abounds with surprises, and deals with a, girl who will inherit six million dollars, subject to the proviso that she marries the man whom her two spinster aunts .approve. At last she finds the man, but he is not desirous of marrying her, so she has to resort to a daring method to outwit her watchful aunts. The picture is adapted from a play by Sam Jaiiney, and is a hilarious comedy-drama, freely sprinkled with contrasting touches of humor and pathos, drama, and surprises. Also showing is ‘ The Cat’s Pyjamas,’ which tells of the love of a little seamstress for a famous opera singer. Betty Bronson and Richard Cortez are the featured players. PLAZA AND GRAND ‘The Night Cry’ is the feature picture at the Plaza and Grand Theatres. Rin Tin Tin, the world-famous canine star, occupies the leading role, while the cast includes John Harron and Juno Marlowe in the featured rclcs. Tho story tells of a shepherd’s (tog which is thought to be killing the sheep, and the sheriff decides to shoot him. Just as the dog is about to be killed, a giant condor appears, and swooping down, clutches the shepherd’s baby in his talons. The dog makes a desperate jump, however, and manages to reach the bird It is then realised that the real culprit is tho bird, and the dog’s life is saved. On the same bill is ‘ The Perch of the - Devil,’ a story of the. Western mining camps and tho smart hotels of Europe, where the woman of the story has been learning the rules of polite life, but these are all forgotten when she find? that her husband has been stolen by another woman. QUEEN'S ‘ Variety,’ the new picture at the Queen’s Theatre, introduces a new star to the screen in Lya De Putti, who has the-part of the leading lady; __ But the chief character is taken by Emil Jannings, Who is a towering dramatic figure. ' The third prominsnt member of the cast, is Warwick Ward, who is seen as Artinelli, a famous trapeze artist. The story, a simple version of the eternal triangle theme, tells of an acrobat’s devotion to his wife, only to have her stolen from him by another. The picture opens in a prison, where an aged prisoner is telling the story of his crime to the governor?; As a young man he was an acrobat in tho Berlin Wintergarten. When off the'stage, his partner, Artinelli, entices his wife away from him. A struggle ensues, in which the faithless partner _is killed. The husband - then gives himself up to the police,* The scene then moves back to the prison, and the governor tells the jpciftjttdr that he bas Been pardoned.

ROSLYH THEATRE The first of the winter matinees was held at the Roslyn Theatre this afternoon, when ‘A Woman of Paris’ was screened, in addition to specially chosen children’s pictures. ‘A. Woman of Paris ’ was written and directed by Charles Chaplin, and has Edna Pumance in the leading role.