PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 19758, 7 January 1928, Page 11

PICTURE THEATRES

OCTACOH To tho British nation there is a sentimental appeal in tho picture of the ‘ Retreat from Mons ’ and the picture ‘ Mons,’ which is being screened at the Octagon Theatre. It is full of those incidents which Britishers never discuss, yet never fail to perpetrate when circumstances demand. The arrival, lor instance, of tired, worn-out, stricken men into St. Quentin during the great retreat;, men too tired almost to crawl, ready to fall asleep in the markbt place'. “ Oh, for a drum to rouge these men,” sighed Major Tom Bridges, subsequently Governor of South Australia. In the window of a small shtqj nearby was a toy drum, once destined to be tapped by happy little French fingers. In a.trice the major,had it attached to his waist. To his Orderly he handed a penny whistle. With the assistance of the impromptu drum and fife and the irresistible appeal of the ‘ British Grenadiers,’ these war-wrecked veterans were scion on tho inarch again, and so eluded the advancing Germans. There is that indefinable something in the British nature which rises superior to adversity—that keen spirit of sportsmanship, as, for instance, when the Cheshire infantryman stripped and engaged the IJhJan in fisticuffs when they met alone in the woods—that Mons exemplifies better than any other war picture yet presented. There was no necessity for an “ all-start cast ” to bring ‘ Mons ’ through, The picture can stand on its own merits without that generally invaluable aid. It is a, simple, manly tale of British heroism and pluck, devoid of any theatrical appeal, for British people. It is good for us sometimes to see such pictures. There is invariably a tendency for Britishers to under-rate the part they played in the war. At least, they prefer not to talk about it. As British propaganda it rings true because it is ■true. It is bo be hoped that the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer combination which controls ‘ Mens ’ in the interests of its British producers will screen it in tho United States. Though it may not settle the argument as to who won the war, it is at least indisputable proof as to who was in France first. The Octagon management has secured the services of Bombardier Jenkins, tho man who fired the first artillery shot at Mons. In simple language he tolls tho story of how 50,000 Britishers achieved tho impossible when thrown against the flower of the German army. Bombardier Jenkins presents his story without exaggeration and without any Jingoistic appeal. ‘ Mons,’ as he well knows, requires no embellishments. Tho Octagon Orchestra, under the baton of Mr L. D. Austin, renders an enjoyable musical programme, including the 1 Light Cavalry ’ overture.

ciViHiit Filmed in the picturesque setting of a lovely topical island of the Fast Coast of Arrica, ‘ The Blue Lagoon/ now being screened at the Jllmpire Theatre, affords a striking illustration of tho advancement of an all-British company in screen production. The photoplay of a famous romance rellects great credit upon all concerned. H. Do Yere titacpoole has written many delightful stones of the South Seas, but ' The Blue Lagoon ’ eclipses all other elicits, it is a beautiful story, .sot in gorgeous tropical surroundings, with an all-British cast, headed Uy Mollie Adair and Arthur Busey. The beauty of tho story is sustained with marked iidelity. ‘Tho Blue Lagoon/ is written with all the freshness and' youthful charm of tho author at Ills best, a delicate theme which demands only the most careful and sympathetic treatment from director and cast; an unconventional, elemental plot, with a naive semblance in it, to the Garden of Eden, it is a tale of wild and glorious adventure, of the tearing, tyrannical drama cf tropic life, and with the death ol old Baddy Button, the sailor who had held the lost pair spell hound in childhood with his, talk ol strange fairies and 1 : Je people,' comes, as is tlio custom the whole world over, little Ban Cupid. With half a dozen others ou the island, this would have been merely romantic; with only Emmeline and Uick it is dramatic, primitive. The story is not ail emotional, and the pathos, the humor, tho material loveliness that characterise the tale tends to lighten the ofren-taut situations. Tho Baddy Button ofllichard Criuekshanks is undoubtedly tho onstanuuig perlornianeo of the piece, while Mollie Adair and Arthur Busey are most effective in their respective roles.

Mr Ernest M'Kinlay, the noted Jyric tenor, scored an outstanding success with his singing of ‘ Waiata Poi/ ‘ A Brown Bird Singing/ and ‘ La Donna e Mobile.’ Included in the picture programme is the seventh production of the popular ‘ Collegians ’ series. , The orchestra, under the' direction of Mr Charles Parnell, is heard in an enjoyable musical programme. PLAZA AND GRAND A thrilling story of the air is unfolded in ‘ Sky-high Saunders,’ which is being screened at the Plaza and Grand Theatres. The main theme centres about Michael Saunders, wtio is in the power of De Latour, the leader of a desperate gang of smugglers who handle their loot by airplane. Saunders is an aviator, and his people believe him to have been killed in Prance. His twin brother, ‘ Sky High/ comes to search for him and Jiuds him just as he is dying. He now poses as Michael, and discovers that the gang is preparing to make a' large haul, so, by means of his radio, calls help from the army, and in a gripping climax lights fist to fist, with He Latour, on the wing of his plane. A 1 Wilson is the starred player, and he is supported by a strong cast. The second picture is ‘ The War Horse,’ a pictorial tribute to the work of man’s equine ihelper n the Great War. Buck Jones has the role of an American cavalryman, while his famous horse, Silver Buck, also fills an important role. QUEEN'S Crammed with swiftly-moving action, interspersed yvith a delightful vein of light comedy, and possessing two mile-a-minute horse races, ‘ The Sunset Derby ’ should have a very successful season at the Queen’s Theatre. A striking feature of ‘ The Sunset Derby ’ is the fact that it is highly thrilling and possesses many dramatic moments without once touching melodrama with the familiar movie “ villain.” The deft handling of the story, and particularly the workmanlike direction of the racing scenes, merits Albert Rogell, the director, a great deal'of praise. The second attraction 'on the programme is the Mack Sennett production of ‘ The Extra Girl/ featuring Mabel Norm and. Its theme' is wholesome, its appeal carrying _ unusual weight with present-day audiences. . EVERYBODY'S ‘ Captain Salvation ’ is the headliner at Everybody’s Theatre this week. Lars Hansen has the leading role, and he is supported by a strong cast, which includes Marceline Day, Pauline Stark, Ernest Torrence, George Fawcett, Sam de Grasse, and Jay Hunt. The story is a dramatic epic of the sea that strips a page from the life of a divinity student who, because of the intolerance of his friends and relatives, forsakes his calling and turns to the sea. How his regeneration is accomplished aboard a notorious convict ship provides a startling climax. Also showing is 'Why Girls Go Back Home/ which tells of a country girl who is entranced by the glamor of New York and determines to make a name for herself on the stage.