PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 19844, 18 April 1928, Page 4

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE When John Barrymore first appeared upon the screen there was something casual about his performance that made one doubt if he was taking his picture work seriously. Doubts vanished with his performance of ‘ Beau BrummeL’ His portrayal of Captain Ahab Cocley in ‘ The Sea Beast ’ proved conclusively that he was in earnest as a screen star, and his ‘ Don Juan ’ demonstrated beyond all doubt that John Barrymore is as great upon the screen as upon the stage. No more thrilling individual performance can be recalled than his playing as the greatest of nil great lovers. Dolores Costello’s first role was as Esther Harper in ‘The Sea Beast.’ Chosen by Iho incomparable Barrymore ns his leading lady, her work in this epic of the sea established her immediately as a front rank si nr. Subsequent pictures ‘ Mannequin,’ *The Little Irish Girl,’ ‘The Third Degree,’ and ‘ A Million Bid ’ —earned lor her the title of “The First Lady of the Screen.” ‘His Lady/ now at the Empire Theatre, brings the two groat stars together again in the most gorgeous and beautiful picture the screen has known. Never has Barrymore essayed a story of more power and heart appeal than this one, and Dolores Costello has arisen to even greater dramatic heights. The rest of the cast is Warner Oland, Sam Do Grasse, Holmes Herbert, Marcella Conlay, Stuart Holmes, Eugenic Bowery, Bertram Grashy, Tom Santschi, Tom Milson, and many others.

Another chapter of the ‘ Empire Local Nows’ is on tho same, bill, while the incidental music by the orchestra is a further attraction.

OCTAGON Ted M'Naraara and Sammy Cohen, the pair who caused so many of the laughs in ‘‘What Price Glory?’ are teamed together in ‘ The Gay Retreat/ a comedy of the war, now showing at the Octagon Theatre. This delightful entertainment is not only a happy, rollicking “take-off” on the war, hut contains in addition thrills in plentiful measure, a double romance, and a story that is logical to the smallest details. The story deals with a sleep-walking son of a millionaire who enlists in the ambulance enrps and his two self-appointed bodyguards, who enlist with him. The boy leaves his sweetheart, a Red Cross nurse in his father’s rare, and goes to France with his guardians in the w-rong division. They are marked A.W.0.L., and that is the beginning of their troubles. What happens to them when they get overseas and the French girls with whom they fall in love furnish the materials for oiie of the best, and most hilarious stories ever filmed. There is the usual programme of supports, while tho enfcrlnimnent is nicely rounded off by the playing of the _ orchestra, under the direction of Monsieur I)e Rose.

GRAND AND PLAZA Two pictures above the average fill the programmes at the Grand and Plaza Theatres this week. The first attraction is ‘ The Two-gun Man,’ with Fred Thomson, the popular cowboy. The second leatiire is ‘The Night Patrol’ which introduces Richard Talmadge in the role of a “swagger” young policeman. The story by Frank Howard Clark gives the" star many of his most thrilling stunts to do; in fact, Talmadge discloses several new and most amazing antics, several of which are shown in the mad race to the rescue of the brother of Ins sweetheart as the boy faces death in the electric chair. Commencing at these theatres on Friday is ‘ The Lone Eagle.’ EVERYBODY'S Screening at Everybody’s Theatre this week is a very lino programme. A light, .exhilarating story of young married life is 1 Silk Stockings,’ the .first feature, which is admirably suited to the comedy talents of Laura La Plante. John Harron plays opposite the beautiful, blonde star, white the supporting cast includes Otis Harlan, William Austin, and Heinie Conklin. The second feature, .which is the story of “tin can tourists” and the auto camps, features Bessie Love and Harrison Ford, and was filmed against a romantic background, ‘Rubber Tyres ’ is perhaps the first picture to bo made in its entirety away from a film studio. On Friday ‘Madame, Behave,’ introducing Julian Eltinge and Ann Pennington, will commence its run in Dunedin; also ‘ Moana,’ a story of the South Seas, will bo shown. QUEEN'S Now showing at tho Queen’s 't heatre is a comedy Tarce of unusual quality’ entitled ‘Adam and Evil’ featuring Lew Cody and Aileen Pringle. The story deals with the matrimonial differences of a young married couple, and how, masquerading as his twin brother, the husband' commences a violent flirtation with his own wife. Some of the situations in the film are highly diverting, and go to form a very bright and entertaining picture. The other picture is ‘ A Million Bid,’ with Dolores Costello appearing in the principal role. ‘ East Side. West Side,’ with George O’Brien and Virginia Valli, and Rod La Rocquo in ‘ Coming of Amos,’ are the pictures which will be screened on Friday. KING EDWARD The stars introduced in ‘Adam and Evil,’ the headliner now showing at the King Edward Theatre, are Lew Cody and Aileen Pringle. ‘ Rubber Tyres ’ is the title of the other picture, which deals with tho humorous adventures of so-called “ tin-can tourists,” who motor in a dilapidated car from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

ROSLYN Beautiful Esther Ralston smooths out a few kinks and wrinkles in the social code of to-day in her latest fast-moving comedy, ‘Ten Modern Commandments,’ which will he screened at the Roslvn Theatre to-night. J.t is a delightful story of the stage, from which one can learn of a pretty girl who followed the ‘Ten Modern Commandments ’ to lovo and happiness. Two comedies, a news reel, and scenic subjects make up a big bill.