PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 19724, 26 November 1927, Page 11

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE The name of Beho Daniels as a star in any picture is usaully sufficient to assure its success, and 1 Senonta, which is the chief attraction at the Empire Theatre this week, is no exception to tho rule. In this picture the vivacious star is oast as r ranee sea. Hernandez, a young girl who was born with very marked boyish tendencies. She could outdo many men m the field of sport, and her grandfather, a rancher in South America, had always thought her to ho a boy. The funds of the old man are running low ns the result Of the depredations of old farm y enemies, the Oliveros. At last tho old man, Don Francisco sends for the “ grandson,” whom he has never seen, to come to his aid. Sho dons man s clothing, and presenting herself as a voting man, begins to avenge the family’s honor. The girl attends the Fiesta of Roses in female attire, and there meets Roger Olivero, and they mutually fall in love. Finally she is brought face to face with Roger, who forces a duel During the fight her true identity is revealed, and Roger forgets tfie family feud in his lovo fog the girl. Another attraction is the first of a series of lively college pictures entitled 'The Collegians/ and the appearance of Mr Lcs Dailey, who renders the songs ‘ Lolita ’ and ‘ln a Little Spanish Town.’ The Empire Select Orchestra, under the direction of Mr Chas, Parnell, renders as an overture a selection from ‘Carmen’ (Bizet), and Spanish Serenade, ‘La Paloma ’ (Yradier). OCTAGON ‘Oh! What a Nurse,’ Syd Chaplin’s latest production, was screened initially at the Octagon Theatre _ last night before an appreciative audience. In his previous pictures this actor has shown what ho is capable of, and in ‘Oh! What a Nurse/ he lives up to his reputation as a laughter provoker. He is seen in this picture as a young newspaper reporter. One day on a ferry _ boat, ho dives overboard in order to save the life of a girl, Juno Harrison, who had fallen overboard. Juno is being forced into a marriage with Clive Hurst by her guardian, “ Big Tim ” Harrison. The girl refuses to marry Clive, and falls in _ love with her rescuer. Ho finds himself _on a boat used by rum-runners, and in order to throw tho coastguards off tho trail, he is forced to wear feniinino clothes. In the pockets ho finds some papers incriminating the bootleggers, and, still in his disguise, rushes to his office. Later ho goes to Harrison’s home, but, his disguise is discovered. He then obtains a nurse’s costume, and thus at* tiled becomes the old man’s attendant. Harrison, finding his plans frustrated, persuades tho ruin-running captain to take them aboard his boat and marry them at sea. Through tho agency of tho pseudo-nurse, however, the wedding is not effected, and tho disguise is again pierced. Then comes a scries _ of hilarious and thrilling events, which keep the audience in roars of laughter, and lead up to a climax that is nothing if not amusing. Playing opposite to Chaplin is Patsy Ruth Millei\ while a number of well-known names appear on the cast.

As an overture the Octagon Orchestra, under the baton of Mr L. 1). Austin, will render ‘ Arcadians ’ (Monckton).

EVERYBODY’S The screen version of the famous stage play, ‘ Tho Monkey Talks/ had its first screening at Everybody’s Theatre yesterday. It is a most interesting photo-drama, starring Olive Borden. The strangely-fascinating character of the monkey is played by Jacques Lerner, a young Frenchman, who created the original role in Paris, and who was brought by the producers to America to recreate tho role in the film. Tho film is replete with drama, mystery, and genuine comedy. Dealing as it does with tho members of a troupe of circus performers travelling across France, there are 'many interesting scenes and situations throughout' the picture. Raymond Hitchcock has a prominent role, while Malcolm Waite and Ted M.'Nanuira also have important roles. ‘ Heaven on Earth’ is the title of ' the other picture. Renee. Adoreo and Conrad Nagel are scon in tho leading roles. QUEEN'S Milton Sills is the star in ‘The Sea Tiger/ which opened at the Queen's Theatre yesterday. Ho plays the role of a slow-witted but powerful Spanish fisherman, of great strength of character, who is torn between his love lor his younger and weaker brother, Larry Kent, and Mary Aster, a fisherman’s daughter, whom both the brothers love. The setting of tho story is in a small hamlet in the Canary Islands. Briefly, the story is as follows:—Justin .Ramos (Milton Sills) swears to protect Ids brother, but breaks his pledge when the young brother boasts that he will make quick and unworthy conquest of Amy, daughter of a Spanish nobleman. Justin refrains from declaring his own honest love for Amy. Ho is scorned by the girl. The picture tells a story ot a clash getween fraternal and passionate love, and of how the hero steered a middle course between them to happiness. Mary Astor takes tho part of the heroine.

PLAZA AND GRAND The title of ‘The Little Irish Girl,’ the Master picture starring Dolores Costello, now at the Plaza and Grand Theatres, was formerly ‘ Tho_ Drifters.’ It was changed because so few people seemed to know what a grifter is. 'The author, C. I). Lancaster, explains that a grifter is a cross between a grafter ami a lifter; in short, a crook who specialises on swindling methods but is ready to lift a safe, if necessary. ‘The Little Irish Girl’ is one of a gang of grifters. 1 Bucking the Truth,’ the second feature, stars the popular Pete Morrison in the leading role, and lovers of action have, their fill of pictorial excitement in this picture. No. 6 of the ‘Biddle Bidcr’ is also showing. KING EDWARD ‘The Sea Tiger,’ the chief attraction at the King Edward Theatre to-night is a spectacular drama of Spanish love and sea .storms. Milton Sills is in tlio starring role, with Mary Astor as his leading lady. Jn ‘Heaven on Earth,’ the second feature, Bence Adorco and Conrad Nagel are the stars. _ Nagel plays the first Frenchman of his career-, ami ho is seen in the role of a vagabond. Benee, Adorco plays opposite him in the role of a young gipsy girl. ROSLYH (.'banning Pollock's play, ‘The Fool,’ which, ran for more than a year on Broadway, is to be presented in picture form at the Eoslyn Theatre tonight. The story tells of the. adventures and romance of an idealistic young minister who believed that a man might live like Christ in the twentieth century, and how he tried it The trials and tribulations and the ; triumphs resulting from his interesting tost of this theory make ‘ The Fool ’ an unusual and tensely dramatic play in every minute of it. The big scene—the miracle episode—which made the stage jjresentation famous is said to bo unusually vivid and thrilling on the screen, and every one of the specially selected cast earned now laurels by their individual work. Edmund Lowe, Mary Thurman, Bay Bloomer, Brenda Bond, Paul Panzer, and Anno Dale all do their best work in this production.