PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 19894, 16 June 1928, Page 12

PICTURE THEATRES

THE RECENT For sheer- entertainment the current programme at the Regent Theatre would indeed he hard to beat.. Besides two full length feature productions, ‘ Shanghai Bound ’ and ‘ She’s a Sheik,-’ the Regent operatic orchestra, under Maurice Cluttridge, plays some delight-, fill musical numbers in most' artistic fashion, while several pupils of Miss Lappane arc featured in an exotic Eastern ballet, ‘ In a Persian Market.’ In ‘ Shanghai Bound,’ a picture dealing with the Chinese revolution, Richard Dix plays the title role. He is starred as a Yangtse River steamer captain, where one night he runs across a party of Americans who arc totally unaware of their danger from the hun-ger-mad hordes. How ho takes them down the river after his Chinese crew had deserted ami joined with the river pirates who attack the ship, forms one of tho most thrilling stories ever filmed. Mary Brian plays the role of Sheila Louden, American heiress, who is with her father, on an inspection tour of his interests when riots break out. An excellent cast includes more limn 150 Chinese, who appear in tho light scenes. ‘ She’s a Sheik ’ features tho temperamental but very attractive actress, Bebo Daniels, 'fins picture is a distinctly clever and roallv humorous comedy-drama that should appeal to any audience. Bobo Daniels plays the part of. the bewitching granddaughter of Sheik Yusiff Ben Hamad,-who lights a duel with one man, kidnaps another, and tries to tame him and turn his dislike into affection. She saves a company of French Foreign Lcgionnairics, prevents a firing squad from shooting her lover, and, finally, after a riot of incident and nonsense, she. appears in abattle between the French Foreign Legion and Arab tribesmen. The lay is won for the former by the use of a cinematograph, which the Arabs have never seen before. The operators cast a scone of advancing trops on tho sandhills, and tho Arabs give in to what they consider supernatural forces, The antics of Bebo Daniels are a constant source of merriment, and tho acrobatic feats with which slid has astounded many of those who have seen her films make the story exciting from beginning to end. The supporting, cast is-a particularly strong one, every player having a 'part that provides him with ample scope for a display of humorous buffoonery, and nonsense. The Regent review, containing all the world’s latest topical events, is also shown, while the.' entr'acte played by tho orchestra is ‘William Toll ’ (Rossini). EMPIRE Two ludicrously, funny comedies have pride of place on the current programme at the Empire Theatre. A pretty maid, a jealous fiance, a jewelled garter, and a broken engagement. That’s the combination that makes ‘ Getting Gertie’s Garter ’ a most successful and entertaining farcecomedy. Added to these essential concomitants is the vivacious and sparkling personality of Marie Prevost, the star, and the 'result is a, hurricane of laughs. In the course of human events, when a girl loses her garter, something exciting is bound to happen. When that garter displays the photograph of her cx-tiance, who is hot on the trail of the incriminating bauble, and her present fiance is possessed of an übiquitous eye and a jealous disposition, the pot of trouble is bound (o boil and bubble —and so it docs in ‘Getting Gertie’s Garter.’ Jt boils up to a hectic heat, steaming up a merry melange of situations that would make a hypochondriac laugh. “ Gertie ” is one of Mario Provost’s best roles. And Charles Ray gives her splendid support as tho fiance who is trying to recover tho garter. Whether you wear garters or don’t, you’ll get a lot of laughs out of ‘ Getting Gertie’s Garter.’ Tho company was capably directed by E. Mason Hopper, and in the supporting cast are such capable, artists as Harry M vers, Sally Rami, William Orlamond, and others.. Coney Island, the playground of New York’s 5,000,000. plays an important part in ‘ The Big, Noise ’ the .other feature. AJI the glamour ami colour of the famous, carnival of fun is brought to the screen, and presents a vivid contrast to the scenes showing New York’s lower East Side, where much of the action in the picture takes place. ‘The Big, Noise ’ centres around tho power of the sensational American newspaper in making and breaking reputations overnight. Chester Conklin plays the featured rule in tho production, and the supporting cast includes Alice White, Sajn Hardy, David Torrance, Bodil Rosing, and Jack Egan. The Wingatui Steeplechase Cup race is a most popular feature of the Empire Local News film, which also includes other items of interest. Tho musical programme, which is up to the usual high standard, includes overture, selection from ‘ The Mikado ’ (Sullivan); entr’acte, ‘Dreams of Love and You,’ from Liszt’s ‘ Lioubsf.raum ’; selection from 1 Madame Sherry ’ (Ilosclina) ; selection from ‘The Fortune Teller ’ (Victor Herbert); selection from ‘ A Waltz Dream ’ (o*car Straus).

OCTAGON ‘Jealousy,’ in which a husband does nut follow the advico given in Shakespeare, “ Beware of jealousy, my lord, it is a green-eyed monster,’ is the attraction at the Octagon Theatre. Botli acting and photography arc excellent, and the direction lias been well carried out. The leading artists are Lya di Putti, Winnie Xrauss, and George Alexander, who are strongly supported. The story, though it is of absorbing interest, is rather a painful one to those of a sensitive nature, and discloses how foolishly and rashly a man and a woman who arc man and wifo may act under pressure of circumstances. The two, accompanied by a friend, attend the performance of a play written by the friend, in which a husband strangles his wife under the impulse of jealous suspicion, which draws from the husband, then in a calm and unperturbed state of mind the remark: “That docs not happen these days,’’ Tho wife, very foolishly, decides to put her husband to the tost, and, by ;n----raugement, receives a magnificent houcjuct of flowers, on discovery of which the husband completely loses control or himself, lie becomes livid with rage, and performs like a madman. Mo dashes his watch on the floor, it Hies open, and a lock of hair is disclosed to the wife’s astonished gaze. That sets her oil’, and she becomes just about as much infuriated as her husband, thill in a distraught state of mind, she accepts tho friend’s invitation to go to the Palais do Danse, and her l.vsirnd ioilows. Once in the ballroom the wile’s behaviour exceeds all reasonable bounds, her conduct is inexcusable, ami the husband takes her hack to her home. He is moody and disgusted, and says nothing. Ho is brooding over his wrongs.. Still worse happens tho next day, when tho butler places a letter on tho husband’s desk. Impelled by jealousy, the woman has been guilty of an, indiscretion, and when she opens the letter she is horrified on reading ils contents, and hurries oil to town. Pull of jealous suspicion, the maddened man follows her, full of wild imaginings. Inside , a house he hcars_ her saying good-byo to a child, which calls her by the endearing term of “Mama.” That is tho last straw. The picture works up to a line climax, and a very dramatic ending, it will ho soon from tho foregoing that the possibilities lor tho screening of mailer of a most exciting and thrilling kind aro abundant.

The Octagon Orchestra, under M. do Rose’s baton, supplies another enjoyable musical programme. Tim wellknown overture ‘ Raymond ’ (Thomas) is included in the presentation, while an item of no small importance, a duct for trumpet and trombone, ‘ Softly Awakes .My Heart,' by Messrs Goughian and J. R. Marchal!, is also rendered. The musical themo to ‘Jealousy’ is ‘ Poime ’ (Franceschi), while fantasia ‘ Rienzi ’ (Wagner), Serenade (Schubert), ‘Parane’ (Raacc), and andante from ‘Symphonic Espagnoli ’ (Lalo) are included in the programme. GRAND AMD PLAZA The principal parts in 1 Rash Privates.’ the current attraction at the Grand and Plaza Theatres, are taken by Lya Do Putti and Malcolm M'Gregor. The former, a famous Continental star, has never before appeared to such advantage, and Malcolm M'Gregor again clcmun.stral.es that be is most at his ease when carrying through comedy work. In this film he excels himself as a caro-lree private in the American army of occupation, at a time when all the Allied nations were rejoicing over the declaration of the armistice. Much, of the fun is created at the expense of Sergeant Butts (Eddie Gribbon), a suitor for the hand of the frauloin to whose charms John (Malcolm M'Gregor) has succumbed. The matching of brain against brain in an endeavour to win the fraulcin creates many intriguing situations, and makes for most of the comedy of the piece; and all this in spite of official prohibition of fraternising between the army men and the not unattractive frauloins. As Hulda, Zasu Pitts is responsible for groat comedy work, and is a continual source of exasperation and annoyance to the blustering .sergeant, who finally lands himself in one of t.he most, awkward predicaments that man could devoutly wish to avoid. The second pictorial attraction is 1 Tell it to the Marinos,’ in which Lon Chaney, Eleanor Broadman, William Haines, and Carmel Myers play important parts'. EVERYBODY'S ‘Dearie,’ a melodrama of motherlove, in which Irene Rich takes the leading role, and ‘ Ladies Must Dress,’ featuring Virginia Valli and Lawrence Gray, are the principal pictures now being screened at Everybody’s Theatre. ‘ Dearie ’ tolls of the widow of a wealthy man is left practically penniless, and, to enable her son to continue his career at college, applies for a position ns a singer in a leading night club. The directors of the club realise that, although her singing is not brilliant, she has a charming personality. Under the assumed name of Dearie, she captivates all who attend the night club, and is able to keep her boy at college.

Her sou (William Collier, jun.) docs not succeed in making a success of college life, and is finally expelled. In ‘ Ladies Must Dress,’ Miss Valli is cast as a stenographer in n big department store. Virtually all the trouble arises when Evo (Virginia Valli) discovers that her lover (Lawrence Gray, is secretly ashamed of the clothes sho wears. She has been saving her money to pool with his own bank account so that they could marry. However, sho then begins to spend all her money on clothes, and attracts the attention of other men, which causes her sweetheart to become jealous, liven her actions change, and the swift transition is completed when she goes in fer night clubs and all other social affairs. KING EDWARD ‘Tin Gods,’ with Thomas Meighan aud lienee Adoroe, is the first picture on tlio bill at the King Edward Theatre this week. Tom is introduced as the husband of a, politically ambitiour woman who ruins_ his love by her lack of interest in their home. Due to her neglect, their child is killed, and Tom leaves for South America. _ There he forgets home, friends, and job, taking to drink. A dancing girl places him under her care when he succumbs to a tropical fever. Gradually she shows him the mistake he has made. Soon he. recovers his health, goes back to work, and lives in complete happiness. ‘The Amateur Gentleman,’*in which Richard Barthclmcss is starred, is the second picture. ROSLYH The screen edition of the Abbe Rrevost’s historical romance entitled 1 Manon Lcseauiit,’ will be shown at the Roslyn Theatre to-night. ‘His Lady ’ is the title under which Manon comes io the screen, and that great actor John Barrymore, Dolores Costello, and a large and notable cast, are responsible for what is described as one of the most beautiful pictures that has come to the screen. 1 His Lady ’ was selected for the opening night of Australia’s latest and mn=t up-to-date theatre, the Capitol, Svdney.